shots taken

Once my test shots had been completed, I had the pleasure of working with my artists where I then shot numerous photos of her. once the photos had been taken I then went on to the process of elimination where I chose the best images possible, reflecting a strong female hip hop artist (who are generally misrepresented within the majority of magazines). I then went on to choosing the last picture as my front cover image as I believe it was a clear representation of my creative desires for my magazine .

The use of mise-un-scene for my artists was very important, from my secondary and primary research it was well acknowledged that many associate hip hop with jewellery so it was definitely an important factor for me to incorporate this element into my front cover. The positioning of the jewellery was also important for me to contemplate. initially (as seen in my front cover flat plan) I wanted the artist to hold the jewellery in her hands with some of it seeping through her fingers, this originally was to establish my artist as having Hip Hop in the palms of her hands, however it soon became visible that the position was very difficult to hold, so instead of holding 'hip hop' I then pictured a sense female domination (reasoning why I then chose to shoot at a low angle) this not only enhanced the vision of feminine identity within hip hop but also incorporated the use of the mise-en-scene of the jewellery hanging down.

The angle at which i shot my model allowed my to gain vital lighting angles in order to manipulate the background using Photoshop to make it darker. the use of a bright light at a low angle and a slight dim light at a very high angle allowed the light to bounce off of the artist face, highlighting strong features within her face such as her cheek bones and her jaw line, giving the impression that golden contour.I had my model wear a massive denim jacket skirt with just a bra underneath. I've made her wear that as her hair and skin tone where similar shades so to avoid so much of one colour I wanted to place her in an item which not only reflects the era of hip hop I am focusing on (80s/90s) but to also enhance her skin tone and allow the picture to add a touch of edge. my reasoning to place my model within a bra was simply to pay attention to the fact that women in hip hop are well associated with the fat of being 'sexy' and it is an important attribute to most women so in order to add convention to my magazine front cover the use of this outfit choice will reflect my general understanding for women with the industry.
I have chosen the last image as not only is it a good quality image, it also embodies the hip hop cultural element generally shown in the 80s/90s. despite this not being similar to my flat plan the concept of female empowerment still remains, suggesting I am keeping in theme of my drafts drawn within my flat plans and shot lists.