The document summarizes the edits made to several photographs from a photo shoot. For one photo of a musician at a live gig, edits were made to make it black and white and increase contrast to look more like a studio shot. Another long shot photo from a gig was de-saturated to emphasize the lighting and shadows. A third photo was given a neon effect to make it stand out. Edits were also made to several nature photos to make them look more mysterious or soft and natural.

1. Results of my photo shoot Here are some of the photographs that I edited, explaining the original composition of the photographs and why I edited them that particular way. I will also explain about some of the tools I used in the photo editing software, Serif Draw Plus.

2. Unedited photo: This medium close up was taken in the audience of a live gig. I like this because of the composition; the dark background works effectively with the light shining onto the model. He fits the conventions of a musician with his facial features, stubble and dark clothing. Edited photo: I used saturation settings to make the photograph black and white, to create the edgy musician atmosphere. I used the burn tool on the background to make it completely black, as this could now be mistaken for a studio shot. I also used this tool to make the model’s eyes darker and facial hair more noticeable. I increased contrast and brightness settings slightly as I think the photograph looks more like a real musician shot this way. I like how the dark contrast against his white skin and teeth here, and musicians are always made to look attractive in magazines shoots, and I think the model does here.

3. < original photo: This long shot was taken at a live gig. Due to the fact that I did not have a digital SLR camera, the audience was busy therefore I could not adjust my position well, and that I could not control the lighting, the quality of the photo is not brilliant. However I think this could be used as a small photograph perhaps on a contents page as it shows the performance atmosphere well, with the spotlights and audience shadows. Also, it’s a low shot, looking up on the musicians, emphasising their importance, which magazines often do. Edited photos: I changed saturation, hueand brightness settings as there was not much else that could be altered in this photograph. I think the de-saturated photograph looks better than the other two due to the fact that the photograph is mainly about shadows and lighting, and the greyscale effect emphasises this.

4. Unedited photo: This shot was taken in a studio setting in front of the media green screen. I think the models’ poses are effective as the lead singer looks comfortable and in control. However, perhaps the lights were too bright pointed directly at them. Edited photo: I used a neon effect on top of this photograph to connotate a modern, lively, strobe lighting effect. Although this does not look as effective as most realistic magazine photograph, I think it’s essential to experiment with different effects and the blue hue does make the photograph stand out.

5. Unedited photo: I used colour settings such as contrast, brightness and levels to make the playhouse look mysterious and edgier. I then used the magnetic selection tool to copy only the playhouse from the picture and used a photograph of a forest that I found on the internet. I like the fantasy effect that this photograph creates, as musicians often use unexpected props and themes in photo shoots. My inspiration for this editing came from a photo shoot in Vogue and also a Paramore album cover, which I will discuss in another blog post. Unedited photo: I took this shot in a play area, to create a fantasy, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ type shot. The playhouse looks quirky and the trees in the background could make it look dark and mysterious when edited. I like the long shot showing the grass and fence, and the model’s body language is confident and playful.

6. Unedited photo: The natural background of leaves, trees and flowers was my focus for making this shot soft and innocent looking, which I achieved. The rays of sunlight look effective and also signify my meaning well. The model’s body language is similar to that of fashion photography, which female musicians often do, and she looks beautiful and confident. I like the branches in front of the model as they create a deeper effect to the photograph due to the focus. Edited photo: I wanted to experiment with this photograph as it is one of my favourites, so I made two edits. One would fit in an article with a dark, mysterious undertone. The sunlight is more obvious in the dark forest setting and the trees look mysterious and daunting. This has a more emotional effect. The second edit as emphasising the nature with the soft tones and atmosphere. I edited the lighting settings to make the photograph bright and exaggerate the rays of sunlight in a happy way. I edited the hue settings so that the leaves looked greener and more natural. This is my favourite photo and I think it would fit in well in a magazine.