Task 4; Reflecting on my work

Trying to please my Target Audience…

‘Essex Life was the magazine that i had chosen to take 3 photographs for. I purposely made sure the photo’s were taken in Essex, and would appeal to it’s buyers. My most obvious target audience for the magazine is the older generation, as when looking up information about the magazine, they were it’s highest buyers. It’s a known fact that the younger generation wouldn’t be keen buyers of the magazine, as i’m sure that looking at photos of trees and scenery isn’t what they call ‘interesting or fun’. I think the younger audience would find the magazine tedius, however I purposely tried to make my third photo suit a wider audience because of this concept. If younger people were to buy the magazine after seeing my photographs, then i’m sure it would be possible to provide more captions that would appeal to the younger audience and its current buyers also. The magazines main focus is the life of Essex, that including beautiful images of the county’s areas, aswell as information about all that goes on in the area.

A main reason for my target audience being in their older years, is for them to feel part of the community. If you were to look on the Essex life website you are able to join the community within a touch of the mouse. The highs of joining the community is you have a say about all that is to appear in the magazine. After all, the magazines main reason for existance is to give it’s readers what they want. Whether it’s saving well known forest’s in their area, or adapting the magazine to include more things that they want to read about. As my magazine reaches a highly defined target audience i would say the majority are the elderly, therefore they are in their 40+, OAP’s, retired. This is good as these type of people are known to have more spare time on their hands than say a employeed mother of 3. The majority of the magazines audience will be eldery, however their are always other readers, depending on the months issue.

Once i had finished editing my pictures, i then had to exhibit them to the other students and receive positive feedback about the photographs.  For my first image, that being the black and white one of the tree that i took in college, one person called Holly Rejis said: “It was very detailed and although it was black and white is still was bold and eye catching.” Another person called Zoe Ireland said: ” It show’s texture and it was well edited from the beginning to the after photo.” One more person called Jack Wynn said: ” the image is so defined that it looks like a drawing.” On my second picture of the gate and bushes and greenery a few people made a comment on. These comments consisted of ” it looks well nice and green aswell as that “it catches the eye”. My third drawing also got the odd comment which mentioned how it’s good that the focus is just on the feet as it draws you into the photo. And also that: “the clothing the girl is wearing is a good contrast against the colourful leaves”, which was said by Holly Baker and Kendall Stokes.

The context of my magazine…

I carried out the task of supplying my hired magazine three images that they could use. It was a simple task yet like all tasks it had requirements. I needed to take pictures straight away, as I was given the Novembers month issue. That meaning, i needed to take pictures that refer to the November month itself. Of course it was important for me to capture these images in the changing month as it would have to show autumn changing, that showing the leaves falling from the trees, and the dark nights drawing in. I wanted my images to make a statement, aswell as them suiting their purpose.

Would these images be used for the magazine?

I went on the essex life website and looked up some picture they have recently issued in their magazine. Here is the link to it’s website: http://essex.greatbritishlife.co.uk

By looking on their website and in magazine they had issued in previous months, i was able to see if my pictures would be used for the magazine. After looking through a few pictures i knew my images were in the same style. I would say i have met the target. Below are some of the images from last months issue:

My Personal Achievements…

Now that we’re coming to an end with our photographic practice, I thought it would be a good idea to look back on what i’ve learnt over the 3-4 month period and analyse my achievements also.

Firstly, I have become a confident user of the effects photoshops offers, aswell as the wide range of adjustment tools that can be used to manipulate photo’s. When I first started doing the course, i knew nothing about photoshop whatsoever. I think i have come a long way from when i first started out, as i now know several different effects that can make a photo appear much more professional. I honestly never knew what editing a photo could do, and i never knew how much of a difference mucking around with photoshop can make to a image.

Over the duration of the photography course, i have learnt some interesting terms that photographers consider to make there photo’s better. I’ve learnt about the different types of lighting. There is such thing as three point lighting that illuminates the shots subject. I never knew there were different types of lighting such as key lighting, which shines directly onto the subject of the photo. I have also learnt there are three typs of lighting. There is such thing as fill lighting which comes from the side on the photo aswell as back lighting, which brings light from behind, hence the name.

Another thing i have learnt is how using a tripod can benefit your photo/filming. Firstly it can reduce shake, allowing the camera to be held steady. It also gives a good composition and gives you the oppurtunity to be able to take a photo without having to look through the view finder.

I have learnt about thirds. When photographers are capturing images they always consider the ‘rule of thirds’. By doing this it makes them think of the best way to position a person infront of the lens. The rule of thirds, includes nine equal squares visualised in the view finder. I found this picture on: http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

For example the photographer has put the positioned the persons face in the frame where the lines cross, the horizon is positioned in the upper third section.

My Self evaluation

I personally feel that i have tried my hardest in each task i have carried out.  I also feel i have been well organised, as i time-managed my work well. I have met each and every deadline on time and to a high standard. Also when given feedback on each task, i made sure i was to take it as constructive critism as i knew in the long run, it would help benefit my final grade. I changed all i have been told to, and asked for feedback on the areas in which i could improve for each task.

When producing every photo i did, i made sure i considered the lighting in which i was taking the photograph, aswell as the setting in which i was to use, and whether i was able to apply the rule of thirds correctly. I remembered to think of this as i knew by doing it, it would have a possitive effect on my final image and may even participate in getting a better grade.

I remained optimistic about each task i had to do, and tried to approach them all head on. I followed a sequenced routine when given each task, this involved giving myself different materials, whether it was doing a brainstorm, writing a list of ideas etc. I made sure i knew what was expected to be produced by the deadline, aswell as making sure i knew what is was i had to do to reach my full potential.

I do feel that my ideas were well thought of, especially when i attempted to do my social documentary topic on teen obsessions. I thought long and hard about making my pictures stand out from everybody elses. I know in the long run, that topic was changed as i didn’t feel my pictures were strong enough to get me the marks i wanted, that being a distinction. When taking the photo’s i always tried to imagine i was a photographer and had to deliever ‘ideal’ shots to please my audience. I tried my hardest to consider the angles i would use, the settings i would adjust, and which lighting would benefit each caption. When uploading each photo i had taken i always played around with photoshop or corel paintshop pro, so that my pictures would have the best effects applied to them that was possible to do. I made sure i was adimant that i was happy with each photo before i finished editing.

My Strengths and Weaknesses

i would consider my time keeping as a strength as i always met deadlines for each task. i would also say i was good at making my work better than it originally was. A benefit of being on time with each task was that i could fulfill both strengths and still have good time management.

A strength that was once a major weakness for me is using the rule of thirds. At first i didn’t manage to capture the ‘rule of thirds’ right, however now i can. below is an example of a picture i have taken that has met the rule of thirds.

i have also learnt the method of changing a colour of an object for example the berrys on this photo below were originally like this:

then i edited then to make them red as that it the colour i wanted them, to make them look christmassy.

i would consider my patience with photoshop a weakness as sometimes it can be frustrating when things take so long or things don’t go the way you want them to.

below is a screen grab of me editing a photo;