I also chose this photo to show of the range of subjects that I could photograph; and also so that the magazine was able to follow both the nature and wildlife genres of the magazine. The resolution is of a good quality so that all the colours of the photo stand out and it centers focus on the main subject of the image. The high key lighting of the images creates a pale reflection in the water which furthers focus on the main subject.
Body Copy for Double Page Spread:
Mark Sanchez, 26, West Cambridge.
Veteran subscriber of the TWI magazine and professional Nature and Wildlife Photographer.
Answers your questions!
What is your history with this magazine?
From early in my life, I’ve always had a passion for
photography, particularly wildlife photography, for me
but I never thought I was good enough to pursue it,
above the level of a hobby. However, being able to
interact with other likeminded individuals in the TWI
magazine and on its accompanying website has built up my confidence and I
decided to enter the monthly fan photography competition, back in 2022. I came first.
A year onwards I’ve become a professional wildlife photographer and have already been acclaimed three times for my work. My first submission to this magazine is shown above this article and compared to my current work, it is rather unimpressive. However, if I hadn’t submitted it, I wouldn’t have won the competition and chances are I wouldn’t have pursued a career in photography and gotten to where I am now.
What is your current plan?
Below is an example of my current work, in order to show the level, I am at now; Although I have strayed away from my previous genre of Animal Photography however, I intend to pick this back up again in the Summer as through Winter and Autumn, I have found it increasingly difficult to photograph the species I want. Which is to say don’t feel that you must follow the same genre throughout your photography, experiment by combining different genres, and looking at other photographer’s work. I also want to do some more travelling, as I have yet to photograph the diverse landscape of the Alpines. (I would always recommend this. Even if you are going away for business make sure to take in the view every once in a while.)
What is your advice for budding Nature photographers?
In order to excel in life, you don’t just need determination and perseverance, but you also need confidence in your own abilities. As well as this you also need to take a leap of faith occasionally; now they might not always work out. For instance, I remember ordering for an experimental thermal imaging camera, only for it to be taken off the market forever and getting half my money back. However, I also took a leap of faith when sending in my first pieces of photography to this magazine and I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t. So, my parting advice is this, even if it is a bit cliched, follow your heart as much as possible because it will always tell you what you want. But it always needs to be balanced by listening to your brain, because dreaming is all well and good, but planning and researching is what makes the difference.
There is continued use of very personal language throughout the body copy, making Sanchez appear as a possible ideal self/partner to the audience (McLuhan 1972) because they feel like they have a personal connection to him. The fact that Mark uses a phone to begin his journey in photography instead of an old camera. Links to the fact that the target audience demographic 16-40 are digital natives who have grown up around and using technology and will carry a black box device around with them all the time. So having a black box device already with them will incentivise to try their hand at photography because it appeals to the quick access format that consumers and prosumers are familiar with. They will be more inclined to try photography if they don't have to buy an extensive list of expensive equipment.
Front Cover:
How my Front Cover follows the codes and conventions of the Nature and Wildlife Magazine genres.
My house style colour scheme is different to the one of this front cover however is still comparable due to the fact that they both fit the chosen topic of magazine issue. Due to bees being a similar colour to the flower they are (also the fact that they see in UV and that bees are attracted to the colour) the colour scheme matches the topic. Similarly with my issue being about the English countryside, the readiness of micro-habitats and the variety of ecosystems the calm contrast between the pastel blues and greens matches the topic; as light blue connotes calm and green connotes nature, plant life and foliage. The font of this front cover is similar to the Cavilant Font I used for my magazine showing that the majority of nature magazines follow the codes and conventions of refinery, and boldness. This could be due to the fact the target age demographic of our magazines are the same (40+ with outliers) and there is more chance for poorer eyesight at this age +. It is also because the audience being mainly adult I don't want to decrease that audience size by making my magazine seem childlike and trivial to the eye. The spacing and layout of the magazines are similar in nature with the main cover image taking up the majority of the space a common convention) and there being small text except for the Masthead and Brand of the magazine. This is done to promote consumerism and create a recognisable brand as the main cover image needs to be striking and eye-catching and the name of the magazine should be seen at the same/similar time and be as equally memorable and recognisable. There is also a lack of cover lines and graphics/puffs/banners in relation to other magazine genres however this is a common convention in the Nature genre, again to create these minimalist and refined connotations as well as to add emphasis to main cover line and masthead. The cover images of my magazine fit the codes and conventions of the genre because they are minimalist and also follow the same house-style colour scheme as the rest of the page does; a mixture of pastel blues and greens. This creates the same connotations of peace, calm, foliage and nature and therefore fits the codes and conventions of my genres.
Contents:
The housestyle colours of my magazine contents page is a more solemn mix of dark green, white, grey and black. This is because the cover image being darker allowed me to have a easier to read font and this was essential (for any page) but particularly for the page where you need to know what page numbers are, what topics are etc. This template for a real nature or wildlife magazine below demonstrates what the codes and conventions are for a normal contents page in the genres. Simplistic, contemporary and easy to read are all essential features. I used the Cavilant font again in order to follow the Housestyle I had already created. The title on both the example and mine is in full caps in order to appear more eye-catching/stand out more to the audience. I opted for this over putting the font in bold as I felt that having the title too big would retract from the main cover image. However user ease of access was a more important issue than magazine aesthetics. The spacing and layout of both contents pages are nearly the same; mine differs slightly by having an opaque background separating the main cover image and the main text, and also that the main cover image covers the whole of the page whilst the example only fills a fourth. However I believe these small changes to the layout makes the contents page look much nicer and makes it more user accessible too. The main cover image of my contents page still fits the codes and conventions of the genre and of the rest of my magazine and almost acts as a bridge between the front cover and the DPS; due to the fact that the DPS being significantly darker and muted in relation to the Front Cover and without the Contents page separating them, the contrast in colours would be stark.
Double Page Spread:
Housestyle Colours: The house style colours between the two comparable pages is quite different like with the two front covers however this is because the topic, and location of the magazines are different. But both magazines fit their house style colour schemes well, the example has a colour scheme of brown, green, white, black and grey. Keeping a majority of white space and using black text creates that illusion that the entire DPS is in the cover images they have used. I have used a white font in order to contrast the black text box and the green main cover image/background in an attempt to make the text easier to read for the reader. I decided to break the convention and change font on this page and instead of using the Cavilant Font I decided to use Times New Roman. All of the text except for the text in the graphic on the top of the left cover image is in Times New Roman created a synergy between the main cover line and the other cover lines and creating a contrast between the graphic and the rest of the page so that the reader makes sure to read it first. The spacing between the two DPS's are very different however the layout is somewhat similar in the sense that the amount of space the cover images takes up is equal to that which the text takes up. They are also similar because of the variety of cover images on both with a variety of angles, shots, distances and locations. The example too however has broken some codes and conventions of the genres due to them having a abnormal layout similar to that of a travelling magazine for instance. I have seen a nature magazine with a similar layout to the layout that I have for my magazine so therefore the layout isn't as abnormal as that of the example I have chosen. Cover Images: The cover images of both mine and the example DPS show a diverse range of flora and fauna, of different habitats and ecosystems that their location/topic has to offer. They also fit the housestyle scheme.
No comments:
Post a Comment