ELLE Cover

The well-established brand, Elle, has their masthead written in bold white writing serif font to emphasis the importance and sophistication of the brand, this is reinforced as the star image covers up some of the letters of the title. This gives the audience the understanding that the brand is secure in its self to know that the audience will know their brand if they can't see the whole title. The white font connotes themes of purity and religious aspects and it catches the readers attention and it is easily recognisable to many. Keira Knightley is the star image and attracts the audience as she is a role model to many and her supporting the brand 'Elle' may show that they both share the same thoughts and opinions. The powerful stance that Knightley has adopted, shows her having a direct eyeliner match with the sky which relates to religious beliefs, this puts her on a pedestal as she is seen as holy and one with God. The bold red lipstick has multiple readings as it can be seen as displaying themes of danger, love, hate and luck. This red creates a focal point for the audience inviting them into the image, creating an element of excitement to the work, this works well with her slightly parted lips and it gives the work power and reinforces sexual themes. The white and red in the colour palette, acts as binary oppositions as the dark connotations related to the red completely counteracts the pureness of the white.

The numerous cover lines on the front cover of the magazines are set to empower the audience, the key word 'strong" has a visual link with Knightly as she is a strong female role. This is in harmony with her stance where the lighting creates hash shadows on her face, reinforcing her jaw line and most prominent features. The use of sans serif, reinforces the simplicity of the brand, which makes the audience create certain ideologies about the brand and what they entail in their work.

    

Kiera Knightley's name is shown in bold yellow writing which increases the tempo of the work, it brings and element of life which may be showing her character that she is new, fun and bright. As she is being used as the celebrity endorsement of this Elle magazine she appeals a certain market audience that likes her and what she stands for.. This draws the attention of her fan-base and makes the audience know her personally. 

Photography skills practice

Here are a collection of photographs that I have taken, which can show my array of photography skills. I have used different sets and props in order to show different themes through my work I also have experimented with set and lighting. Using natural light sources in comparison with natural ones increase the types of images that I can create, expanding my understanding of how photography works. I have used a range of apertures and angles to express the m model in different ways. This is just my primary background in photography and I hope to learn and grow when it comes to creating a set of images to choose from for my magazine front covers.

Analysis Examples

GQ cover

The central focal point of the GQ front cover is of Zayn Malik who is a star image, which appeals to a large range of audiences. The application of a celebrity endorsement who is also GQ award winner of most stylish man of the year attracts the audience, and hence creates the ideology that the star likes the magazine, so you should to. The use of a close up shot and the direct eyeline match invites the audience closer to the work and the ‘world’ that he lives in which makes the audience want to buy it to learn more about him. The desire that the audience has to read the spread is reinforced with the sexual attraction that is created through his slightly parted lips. This element of desirability and sexual connotations is juxtaposed through the white in the colour palette. White has connotations of purity and an angelic like nature, which is supposedly linked to Malik’s character and lifestyle. Also, there is negative space which sets the model apart from the rest of the world that the magazine creates making him the focal point.

The second biggest piece of text is the ‘Zayn Malik’ which show his importance to the magazine, it also shows his links with brand that he endorses it and stands for what the brand stands for. His importance is heightened as his name is in the centre of the magazine which contrasts the smaller text on the right-hand side. These are names of other celebrities who are featured in the magazine, but it connotes that he is better and/or more important than them. The slogan says ‘The 20^thAnniversary Men of The Year Awards Special Issue’ which makes it sound exclusive and it shows that the magazine has been around for a long time proving its success. The exclusivity which is addressed make the audience feel privileged and excited to be a partner of the brand.

The masthead is very simple and does not go across the top of it and is instead in the left-hand corner as well as covering a bit of the cover star. Furthermore the word ‘British’ on the ‘G’ shows that it is an international brand and has multiple GQ around the world. On the corner of the magazine it say collectors edition which show that it is a special edition and they are limited time and copies, making it much more exclusive and making people more likely to by a copy.

Magazine Mood Board

Bauer Research

Bauer is a multi-media brand which is most famously known in the UK as it is owns and is a part of a network of entertaining brands. This company founded in 1875 in Germany which is led by (now in its fifth generation) family ownership. This worldwide company in thriving in over 20 countries including the UK, Germany, Poland, Australia, New Zealand and the USA and has 11,000 employees worldwide.  

The most recognisable brands that the Bauer company own, includes heat, KISS, Grazia, Empire, Motor Cycle News, Parkers, TV Choice, Take a Break, Bella, Magic and Absolute Radio. In an era where audiences are ever harder to categorise, the brand endeavours to build strong cultural connections, drawing people together with the things that they really care about. 

Their magazine knowledge stretches back to 1953 with the launch of Angling Times and the acquisition in 1956 of Motor Cycle News, both still iconic brands. More recently, Closer was launched in 2002, which was followed by Britain’s first weekly glossy, Grazia, was launched in 2005. Today they have a vast following of 40 million unique users accessing Bauer brands globally including the UK. They also have over 100 websites and 50 digital editions of our print brands.

Bauer Media’s radio business started in 1990 with dance station KISS FM.  Today they are in charge of and operate 70 commercial, local, national and digital stations in the UK, including Absolute Radio, Magic, KISS and the Hits Network of 22 iconic local brands, situated in cities across the UK.

In 2018, Bauer Media acquired Jazz FM, extending Bauer's reach to 18 million listeners a week. 

Bauer Media UK has also expanded its radio operation in to Europe, acquiring Nordic broadcaster SBS Radio in 2015.  Reaching more than 10 million listeners weekly, through 20 highly demanded brands.

In 1996, digital music TV channel The Box, that then grew into Box Plus Network, was started by the brand.  Reaching 16 million viewers per month and offering more music than any other TV network, Box Plus Network brands include 4Music, KISS, Magic, Box hits and Kerrang!

VOGUE cover

VOGUE Cover 

This is the VOGUE, July cover 2018, which conveys the star image Ariana Grande in a mid-shot, her direct eyeline match with the audience increases the intensity of the work. This along with the slightly lower angled shot makes the viewer look up to her, and she is seen as being superior and powerful. However, her soft facial features and makeup mute the overall dominance that can be read. Her softness is conveyed through her more natural costume design, she is seen in a contrasting way than she is portrayed in the media. Therefore, showing a contrasting side to her personality making the audience feel as though this magazine has an inside look, on the celebrity. They feel that they are getting to see something that no one else gets to see, this sense of exclusivity creates the ideology that the magazine is superior and élite. The negative space in the background, draws the attention of the viewer onto the star image, this works in harmony with the white light behind her making her look angelic. These religious connotations put the artist on a pedestal making her look perfect and holy.

 The colour palette that has been used, is clearly influenced by the time of year with colours; cream, blood orange, golden brown and white. The golden hue to all the tones create themes of desirability and power as gold is a colour that is commonly associated with wealth. The golden brown in juxtaposition with the leading heading ‘Summer Style’, gives anchorage to the work, putting it in a seasonal context. This is slightly smaller than the masthead and draws the attention of the audience creating a focal point. This phrase is associated with summer hence giving the model positive connotations as summer is linked to relaxation and happiness.

The target audience has a slight female leaning and the audience is able to see this as the cover lines such as “Meet the most powerful women in Britain” and “What to wear at every age” are not gender neutral. This along with the female star image, shows who they are trying to link with in their magazine. The key word in the print “meet” makes a personal connection with the viewers and the articles as they are being directly addressed. There is a limited amount of cover lines and I think that is done to not draw away from the focal point which is Ariana Grande. These cover lines mainly appeal to an A/B/C1 target audience due to the fact that they are all based on fashion beauty and lifestyle, which is typically associated with femininity.

The bold title of ‘VOGUE’ is used to draw the attention of the audience as it will stand out on the shelf in the shop, this is ensured at the title of the magazine is a very famous. The title is placed over Grandes head and reinforces the powerful positioning of the brand. This is done by the audience, as they see Ariana Grande as a very successful pop sensation, and by the magazine printing over the top of some of her features it increases sense of hierarchy. Creating themes that even though Grande is seen as an inspiration and in a place of power, the brand ‘VOGUE’ is even higher. This therefore creates the ideology that the magazine brand is very desirable and high end.