Contents Image Planning

As I'm now having a double page spread contents, this leaves me with more freedom for my images, as I can have them bigger and more extravagant to suit the size of the contents.

Learning from the conventions I found in my research, the images have to be of the most popular celebrities, there has to be a range in the amount and the stances have to be unusual. I'll be having two images, as planned on my layout, but I think when doing my photoshoot I might take an extra different shot in case this layout backfires and I resort to a safer option with 3 images. For the most popular celebrities, I'll use my cover star Pink, and from the other features I've decided on I think I'll pick Will Young. This creates balance, which is especially important in my no specific gender magazine, however judging from my cover I would say it's definitely leaning more towards the female audience, as I personally cannot imagine any straight man carrying that, but maybe it's just because females are generally more into mainstream "pop" music, something I considered when choosing my target audience. But back to the point...

For my stances, I think it's very important that they're unusual or have shock value, so I'll look into stances I can use. I think because I've chosen to have full page images that have quite a powerful impact anyway, so the stances don't have to be to intricate, even a simple extravagant gesture would work and will probably fit better into my simple, fresh vibe. Also I think I'll use a medium shot for both, because again this is one of the most popular with my target reader, and there will be more limitations of my pose, so I don't get too carried away. Also it won't overload the page with intrigue, so will help towards that intended cool simplistic reading.

For P!nk;

Headphones - I think this would be like carrying on that credible music feel from my cover (the amp) and would make a point of intrigue. I think those big style headphones are a great arbitrary sign, as there's so many positive connotations it they could have and they're isn't really any anchorage to them especially as I'm not having a caption, so they could mean a variety of obvious things, is she listening, singing?. They're obviously more effective than ear phones and have that old school vibe, also it's what my audience will recognise as being headphones the artist uses in the studio, giving them that added credibility. They also may help with curiosity, as there's often that wondering what people are listening to when you see people listening to music as it can say a lot about them, like my interview will say a lot about P!nk. I'd like to have her looking optimistic as well, to connect positivity and music, hoping my readers will decode it this way, and looking up as well for that enlightened "everything's good" look.

Punching - This has that shock impact, similarly to the Duffy Spin contents, and especially as I am using full page shots it would be incredibly effective. However, it may evoke very negative connotations, although I don't know that being smashed in the face with a guitar is any more positive, yet that works. I think this is very in-keeping with that attitude look, but is maybe a bit cheesy for it? The parody of the guitar smashing was fairly original, this reminds me of those "cheeky" 90s pull out posters and that is definitely something I don't want to attract. But with my combination of the look I used for my cover, it might just work.

I like both of these quite a bit, but I'm leaning more towards the headphones as they are much more sophisticated prop, rather than the punching action. I'll take shots of both to see what works.

For Will Young;

Jacket over shoulder - This is definitely very sophisticated, basically a recgonised code for it, although ever so catalogue. I think it would be simple, and just unoffensive, but therefore may not live up to the unusal stances used for a contents. It would give an upper class look to it, a contrast to my P!nk image, so this could be effective as it would be on the opposite page, therefore promoting variety and widespread suitability.

Flying - This is inspired by Will Young's current album/single cover style. I think if I got it right, that floaty deep style, it would work pretty well as an unusual image. Also with his arms stretching right across my page, it could act as separators, rather than the text just being stuck in the middle. It would also match the optimism of my P!nk one if the headphones work out, as I'd have him looking up a beyond. This could go wrong and be so cheesy you can actually smell it, in which the jacket over the shoulder would be a safe alternative.

Both of these are OK, but something I may consider at my photoshoot is combing them together, one arm flying, one arm holding jacket. I think that could have that happy, dancey old movie style effect, which is very optimistic and classic, an interesting contrast to what will be my modern colours and font.

With both my images looking up, it will create a difference to the cover, and not look as desparate I think, so it should work well. I'll try out all these when I do my photoshoot, as there really isn't many and if I'm feeling creative on the day, I can come up with some more stances.

For my extra photoshoot just in case things go wrong, I'll use the Sugababes in some typical girl band sophisticated poses, as they're just a back-up to be honest.