Magazine Cover Inspiration.

The genre of music magazine I have chosen is 'rock & alternative'. I have carried out research of magazines to inspire me.

For my magazine cover, I have taken initial inspiration from 'Dazed & Confused' and 'i.D' magazines. I have linked these covers together as I am inspired by the frontal, mid-shot, main image used in each.

To begin, I have been inspired by 'Dazed and Confused'. I like the eye-contact shown by the model into the camera lens, this could intrigue a reader to look at the magazine further and could increase the chances of them purchasing a copy. The model is also wearing a feathered headdress, which I feel could tie in with my chosen magazine theme of 'rock & alternative', as well as abiding to 'Dazed & Confused magazine's' portrayed controversial image.

The coloured text of the masthead contrasts the black clothing and headdress in the foreground which could be something to consider when producing my own magazine. Black could be a good choice of colour for my magazine as the genre of rock music is usually linked to black and a darker toned colour palette and therefore connotes it. I will consider this in mind when choosing my 3 colour palette and clothing etc.

Chains and feathers inspire me as they could link to my chosen music genre but also make my magazine appear more unique and fashion-music related.

I feel that, by using a white background, the artist, wearing black, stands out more and gives a professional and finished look because of the crisp lines around the artist image. The lighting also is helped by the white background as white reflects light and also provides a clean backdrop for cover lines etc. which is something I could definitely consider when taking my test shots and possibly my final as well.

The second cover that I have taken inspiration from is i.D magazine featuring lass="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Agyness Deyn on the cover. This cover is linked to the first as the mid-shot, frontal main image is also used. This camera angle inspires me as it is so simple yet so effective, this also is a selling point as there is no fuss and the main celebrity is easily recognized, resulting in more magazine purchases - name-dropping'.

I like the masthead text on this cover as it is in plain view to an audience. The title is bold and connotes a modern, clean-cut, and fashionable overall theme. This is a factor that I definitely want to portray with my own magazine and the masthead. I feel that from magazines such as 'i-D', I feel that a bold masthead works best and adds to the aesthetic appeal. Because a masthead is bold and strong, an audience will remember the magazine as it will stand out to them on a store shelf.
The saturation of the main image used also inspires me. I like the brightness of the image, the flash reminds me of the 'Vivienne Westwood' advertisements which are also realistic and controversial. This could be a technique I could adapt and incorporate into my own test shots and final ones.

The final cover again features the mid-shot image. The grey scale editing makes the magazine cover appear clean, as well as fashionable, which is something I would like to touch on when piecing together my own magazine. I like how the fonts are mixed on the cover line 'teenage takeover', it makes the text look unique and unusual, which is something that could appeal to a younger audience as well as fit into the context of 'teenage'. The simplicity of the layout does not overpower the main image, this is effective on this cover but as I am going to create a music magazine, I ask myself if I should incorporate more text and cover lines? Or could I possibly be controversial and portray a music magazine with a simplistic in-house style? The model's hair is styled in a quiff, I think that this looks very 'rock & roll', something to keep in mind when styling and doing my magazine shoot. Another thing is the leather jacket the model is wearing, I feel that this too connotes a rock& roll edge and is something I could also consider during the styling of my artist.