Final Submission

My final submission is not what I had hoped it would be, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, I understand that things could be worse. If I had the ability to do so, I would have liked to have gotten more photographs that I could have edited via Photoshop. I had some ideas for levitation photos and more artistically designed photographs, but since I do not have the Adobe software at home, I could not create any such photos. Instead, I utilized one of my older photos and changed the meaning behind it to make it fit for my magazine now. This photo can be found on the second page of my article. In my third quarter submission, there was a blank space that was meant for a more artistic photograph. However, due to the circumstances, I had to make due with photos I already had. Overall, I still think my magazine came out fairly well, but I definitely would have liked it to be better.

Creative Critical Reflection

CCR #4 DRAFT

How did you incorporate technology in the process?
Overall, the main pieces of technology used was the camera and my own personal computer. The camera I used is a Canon Rebel, and it is the only camera of which I am acquainted. I am very well-versed in its features, and I used a number of them, including sport mode, extreme close-up, portrait, landscape, and automatic. I have used this type of camera for years and I absolutely love it.
My personal computer was the one that I did the most work on, however for certain aspects I had to switch to a school laptop. My personal laptop is a Lenovo ideaPad S340-14IWL, and I am quite well-versed with it. For certain things though, I had to switch to the school laptops, as those have access to Adobe Photoshop.
I utilized Photoshop for my main photo, and simply took multiple images, cut out the model specifically, layered the cutout onto the original image, and lowered the transparency of the cut-outs to 50%. This created the effect that I was going for. I then used the photo-editing app VSCO to apply a filter on top of the image. For this effect I used my Samsung Galaxy S7.

CCR #3 DRAFT

How did your production skills develop throughout the process? 
My production skills developed immensely throughout the process of this magazine. At first, I was quite unsure as to what I wanted my product to look like, and relied heavily on the drag and drop software of Canva. My photos were adequate at best, and did not look anything like I had pictured them in my head. I also was faced with an ethical and cultural challenge that I was originally blind to, and after feedback from my instructor I improved upon all of these facets.
I started by completely changing my magazine topic and theme, and learned more about the equipment I was using. I also watched a number of YouTube videos from Peter McKinnon for small bits of advice about photography, which helped improve my technique immensely. I also scheduled my shoots better, and used more models. I also used no models at all, and went to more locations.
I ditched Canva and opted for Microsoft Publisher instead. I am somewhat familiar with Publisher, but using it as my software definitely helped me become even more familiar with it. I also used Adobe Photoshop for my favorite photo, and also my main photo, and before this I had no experience with Photoshop.

CCR #2 DRAFT

How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
My product engages audiences by using younger models to attract a younger clientele. It also has more artistic photos featured that catch the eyes of most anyone who might be interested, and also has enough photography-related content that it attracts a certain niche of reader who is more likely to purchase it.
It would be distributed like most magazines: in grocery stores, online, and even offer different subscription levels for readers. It could be either a print subscription or an online subscription, and it could also feature its subscribers in order to gain more. Those who subscribe and work in the photography industry could submit a sample portfolio and be given the chance to be featured in an upcoming issue. This is a win-win. It gives readers more exposure, and can bring in more readers for the magazine.

CCR #1 DRAFT

How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
My product utilizes a number of conventions, and also challenges a few as well. In my main photograph (cover), I wanted to create a sense of unease and anxiety. Overall, I wanted the photo to be as artistic as possible, and I knew I would have to use Photoshop in order to do that. I have the model in the center, and her body language is supposed to convey a sense of calm and "coolness". I had her move around the space and convey the exact opposite. I wanted her to act like she was scared, and closed off from the world. I then spliced all those images together, and made the anxious poses more transparent than the center image. The editing process was necessary. Most photographers do not like to use Photoshop for their entire images, which was one convention I challenged. I had to use the software in order to achieve the photo I wanted, despite the "no filter" and "no editing" views of most photographers. I also used an editing app to place some filters on my photos and change them to my liking.This was all in order to convey how mental illness can be an internal struggle rather than an external struggle. This also represents the social issue of stigma surrounding mental illness. Many people do not register disorders such as anxiety and depression as illnesses because they cannot see its physical effects like one can with the flu or cancer. I feel that it is enormously underrepresented, and more light needs to shine on it in order to end the stigma.

The fonts I used in my magazine were meant to be simple but eye-catching. I am not a fan of basic fonts on magazines, or really extravagant ones either. I believe that the magazine should do the talking, not the fonts. I wanted a sleek and modern style, and my fonts were one way to achieve that. I tried to match my colors with what would best work for the cover, and I also color-matched the font for my main article with the model's shirt for some continuity.

My photo shoots were spread out in terms of both time and location, but I wanted to provide a different scene in each photo. Therefore, some of my photos were taken in my backyard, and others in downtown. I needed a mostly blank background for my Photoshop photograph, as it allowed for more ease when the editing process came into play.

3rd Quarter Submission