Final Post

To the examiner,
I hope you enjoy looking through my blog and at the work that I have produced across the course. All my research and planning has been carried out with great effort and detail and I hope that this shows throughout my blog and final product. To make my posts easier to browse, I have labeled every one appropriately and have noted the source of information that I have gathered inspiration from in each individual one. Overall, I hope you enjoy looking through my blog as much as I have enjoyed the course, thank you.

Final Magazine - Front Cover, Contents, Double Page Spread

Preliminary Magazine - Front Cover and Contents

Final Evaluation Question 7

Final Evaluation Question 7

Final Evaluation Question 6

What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Camera:
To take my photos I used a Nikon D3100. The high ability of this camera allowed my shots to be of a high quality and of a sharp, concise colour. The flash allowed an automated reaction to the lighting equipment to also ensure a high quality image was produced. The blank background allowed the image to be clearly isolated - all contributing to the overall quality and professional style of the shots. I learnt that using a high quality megapixel camera enhanced, not only the images, but the whole appearance of the magazine and played a huge factor in the professional look of the magazine itself. Images were also easier to take in fast sequences, which enabled me to capture shots of the model that look natural and not forced.

Computer/MacBook:
I used the school computers and a MacBook Pro to create my coursework. I used these for researching my target audience, music genre, and magazine stylisation. I didn't learn anything new about these machines during the task, however I did learn significant amount about the programs that I have used on these computers.

Photoshop elements:
The main platform that I used to construct my product was Adobe Photoshop CS6. Techniques I used that were implemented in my work included the use of new tools such as fading the colour of a text to create a translucent effect, used for the 'L' beneath my article on my double page spread, to create a more interesting design. I learnt new techniques from YouTube tutorials, which demonstrated step-by-step guides.

Blogger:
I documented all stages of my coursework processes on Blogger - I posted each stage of research, drafting, final pieces and evaluation. This is my first blog that I have frequently posted on and I have learnt how to use it effectively during the course.

Animoto:
Animoto is a platform that helped me create a video for my initial pitch that allowed me to add music, photographs, and words altogether to emphasise my magazine idea. This was embedded into my blog and also played in front of an audience and helped me represent my magazine genre and style more effectively. 

Flickr:
I used Flickr after I had taken images from two different shoots with my model. This online platform allowed me to create sets for each shoot, which then were shared onto my blog for easy and quick viewing. This also allowed me to browse through my photos and highlight/select the appropriate images that I was planning to use in my magazine.

Microsoft Word 2007
I also used Microsoft Word 2007 to construct the text to my article and contents before inserting it into my PSD. This helped me as it meant I had a secure version of the article and I could edit the layout straight away using the grid on Photoshop to achieve an equal distribution of text. I learnt that by forming my article first it was then easily transferred onto Photoshop and I knew which column proportion and amount of text would be needed in each space on the grid. Spell check was also useful on Microsoft as it ensured that my article read well and was professional with no spelling errors.

Final Evaluation Question 5

Final Evaluation Question 4

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

Final Evaluation Question 3

Final Evaluation Question 2

Final Evaluation Question 1

Evaluation Draft

Evaluation Draft

Contents Page Photo's

On my contents page, I have used a photo from the range of shots that I took for the preliminary magazine at the beginning of the course. I decided to use this photo because the style of the model is perfect for the genre of my magazine (hip-hop/urban) as he looks clean cut and smart. Also, the backdrop is blank and neutral, fitting in with the simple and stripped down style of the magazine overall, so the style of the shot is suitable for the contents page. The model is posing as a young, upcoming songwriter in the magazine and I feel that this photo captures that and it is convincing.

Double Page Spread Article Layout

On my double page spread I have decided to layout the article in to two columns rather than three. I have chosen to do this and go against the conventions of the typical music magazine because I think that having two columns of writing instead of three creates a de-cluttered, simple style, which coincides with the design on the front cover and the contents page. I attempted moving the text into three columns, however this looked too busy and was not consistent with the style of my previous pages. Therefore, after making adjustments I felt that it was best to use only two columns to continue with the modern, simple, stripped down design of my magazine.

Photoshop Work

In this screen shot I am editing some features on my double page spread. I am increasing the size of the margin either side of the article and at the top and bottom of the article. As well as this, minor changes need to be made to the article itself, due to a rethink in the writing.

Simple, Stripped Down Style Covers

My magazine still incorporates a simple, modern and stripped down style as there is not a large amount of text or a variation of colours that feature on it. I used a colour pallette of black, white and red, avoiding any clashes of colour to keep the simple layout. The plain background used also is similar to the covers below as it is plain and neutral, also contributing to the simple, stripped down style. I took inspiration from magazines such as Dazed and Confused, Complex, i-D, and Wire. The examples below represent the style I was aiming to achieve and the inspiration that lead to the design of my front cover - they use simple fonts, colours and a limited amount of text is used. All of these features are stripped down and it creates, what I think is, a professional and modern style which coincides with the hip-hop genre really well. However, in the future editing of my magazine I aim to show a more dominant theme of music and of the hip-hop genre through the design of the front cover.

New Contents Page Layout

I have reconsidered the layout of my contents page and changed it to a more conventional style layout, with the text down the left hand side of the page and images descending opposite. I have continued using the same font style and colours of the page numbers, however I reduced the size of the font and added more text within some of the subheadings. I am planning to schedule another shoot for two additional models that will feature on the contents page of the magazine however I have not yet done this so, for the time being, I have already planned where the photo's will go and have wrote 'photo' to show where the photo's will be placed on the page.

Final Draft Article

Libby Zarong. The name that’s been circulating the office here at Major Magazine for weeks, and the one that would be unfair not to share with you. Libby Zarong, the 20-year-old Londoner has proven to be one of music’s most intriguing new shape-shifters since she started posting songs and videos online a few years ago. Fast-forward to today, and her feisty single “Did You Know?” has amassed more than one million-plus YouTube views. What’s fresh about Zarong is h ow she combines ludicrous charisma with lyrical naughtiness, and ground-breaking bass lines whilst spitting unforgettable rhymes in the process. “I’m aware of the negative audiences I’ll reach through my music. Hip-hop reflects the truth that society tries to conceal, and that is what I intend to voice,” says Libby, who studied fashion before she took to the music industry. Her honesty and attitude fully emerges once she steps in front of a camera, as proven today at the photo shoot for Major. The first day we met her she was somewhere between shy and standoffish. When I showed up at her hotel the morning of the interview she politely invited me to come along, “Just don’t ask me a million questions, please.” Zarong oozes with confidence, not phased by the racial comments being made and stereo- typical views constantly being preached to her that white women should not rap. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, why can’t a British girl rap?” Libby groans, “I guess it’s just another thing to set me apart from other artists.” Understandably, Zarong doesn’t want anything to affect her speedy, flawless victory that she’s accomplished so far. She’s already collaborated with Pharrell Williams - American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer - and signed a major record deal with Def Jam Recordings, which is yet to confirm the release date of her debut album later in the year. Not to mention that she’s already got her hands on a Brit Award for the Critic’s Choice of 2013. With Def Jam Recordings managing her every move, it’s not surprising that Zarong has already began to crack America, starring and performing on the Ellen Show, “Featuring on the Ellen Show has been a great experience of mine. To be in America and to be doing these shows is just unbelievable,” says Libby. It’s about time that a British girl crashed onto the hip-hop scene and became more than just a one-hit-wonder, and it looks like Libby is about to do exactly that. It’s been quite a journey for Libby Zarong, whose current fame-filled and chaotic lifestyle contrasts to her tough beginnings in life: Her mother died when she was twelve, and so she was raised in London by her father. “I get noticed, even when I’m underwear shopping... It’s weird,” Libby says. “It’s all came at once. For me, a 20- year-old girl from Camden, it’s like... You know... How does this happen?” Libby Zarong has already performed at Coachella festival alongside Azealia Banks, V Festival, and Glastonbury, with massive turn outs at each performance, shaking up the hop-hop scene and changing the conventions of the typical rap artist. We asked her if she has any festivals or gigs lined up already for this year, but all she revealed was, “I like to surprise... All I’ll say is that I am very excited about one festival in particular!” Alongside her unique lyrics and beats, her style makes her stand out from the rest. She’s been praised for her daring outfits that come to her so effortlessly yet look outstanding on stage and has been the talk of the fashion blogs for the past month, Zarong even made an appearance on Jessis Holeva’s “Trend Hungry Blog”, a massive blog in the fashion world. But try calling her a fashion icon and prepare for a woman in denial, “I don’t see myself as some sort of fashion icon... I wasn’t brought up with materialistic things and this hasn’t changed, I just make do with what I have and throw an outfit together.” We asked her to describe her style in three words and she responded quite confidently, “feisty, bold, and chic”. All of these accomplishments from one woman in one year is extraordinary, let alone for a British girl from Camden. Libby Zarong has a laundry list of boldfaced fans, including Kanye West, Gwyneth Paltrow, Karl Lagerfeld, and Nicola Formichetti, who will direct Zarong’s next video. However, Zarong seems almost aggressively un-astonished by the attention. “I definitely have more money and shit,” she admits, “but that’s all virtual stuff.” And if you ask her about meeting the likes of Kanye? “It’s cool, but they’re just people. The skies don’t part and glow orange.” An attitude like this from someone that’s been thrust into the spotlight is refreshing, and is an attitude that the music industry so desperately needs, “But don’t get me wrong, if Kanye wanted to collaborate… I certainly wouldn’t say no.”  Libby Zarong has never been average at anything – when she started rapping, she was already better than any of the boys that she was aiming to impress, she was better than the brothers of the boys she was aiming to impress. To this day, people who knew her before the fame still talk about how eerily good she was at anything to do with hip-hop, before she’d even practiced it, before there was a notion that she might get paid for it. The only criticism you could have given the girl is the inability to recognize her own talents and, if you ask her dad, if it wasn’t for Def Jam approaching her in 2007, Zarong wouldn’t have the same confidence that she portrays now, “My dad seems to think that the label created that [confidence] but it was always there, it just needed a push in the right direction.” I came to the conclusion that Libby Zarong is not at all what she seems at first – There are many layers to this woman and there is a reason behind every dirty, explicit lyric that she spits. The release date of Libby Zarong’s highly anticipated album, “OWN”, will be revealed by Def Jam in April but her debut single “Did You Know?” is available to download now.
Word Count: 1,045.

Font Adjustment

After some consideration and feedback from teachers about the font I used for the subheading and strap line on my front cover and on the double page spread, I have decided to try different fonts to see if there was a different style font that would be more suitable and appropriate for my magazine. This font, 'Edition', is the best font that I found as it is bold and works well over the image, however does not distract the readers' attention from the masthead. The style of the font is also modern and links with my hip-hop/urban genre of the magazine, as it's different, simplistic and isn't the 'cheap' style of font that can sometimes be found on pop magazines etc.

What I Hope to Achieve

Front cover

• Cut out the shadow made by the model's left arm
• Slightly reduce the size of the masthead
• Change the size of the barcode
• Experiment/change the font of the subheading and strap line
• Show a stronger sense of the hip-hop genre through the design

Contents page

• Change the image at the bottom of the page/possibly add a mirror effect
• Page number must be added
• Reduce the size of the text
• Move page numbers into the middle
• Reconsider layout
• Include more models

Double page spread

• Change the size of the opening paragraph
• Increase the margin on each side of the text and the top and bottom of the page
• Increase length of article
• Credit the writer and photographer
• Experiment/change font used over the main image

Class and Teacher Feedback

Class
My second draft has recieved comments containing feedback from my peers in my class, stating what they like about my draft and what could be improved.
Firstly, the fonts I have chosen were praised by my peers and the contrast between the bold font for the masthead and the italic font for the sub-headings were highlighted in particular, as it was said that the two fonts compliment each other really well on the front cover.
The photograph's that I used for my draft were also praised as looking "high quality", "striking" and "professional" which is what is expected from a magazine that the reader is paying £4.20 for.
The colour scheme was also highlighted, as it makes the magazine look modern and adds to the simplistic style, therefore I feel more confident with my colour scheme and I will most definitely keep it as that throughout my future versions of my draft.
Improvements that have been suggested by peers in my class are that I could use a whiter background for the images of the model, and perhaps remove the shadow created by the models left arm by using photoshop, to make the shadow appear deliberate - which I did create on purpose.

Mr Nicolle
One of my teachers also stated his opinions on my draft and gave feedback also including what he liked and what he felt could be improved.
The front cover main image was praised as he felt that it was striking and powerful, which built the character of the artist really well. However, he said that I should attempt to cut out the shadow that is created by the lighting from the model's left arm. This looks accidental, unlike the shadow created by her face and on her right side.
On the contents page, he suggested changing the image at the bottom of the page because he felt that he didn't know what the image was saying about the artist's personality. As well as this, he mentioned adding an effect such as a 'mirror effect' to reflect the layout of the contents page as a whole. He praised the layout of the text on the contents page as it works well and is different to most magazines, which gives it a modern style.
Finally, on the double page spread, my teacher was concerned about the size of the paragraph's - especially the opening paragraph. In comparison to the following ones, the opening paragraph looks significantly long and does not look right on the page, therefore I should slightly chnage the layout of the text. However, he praised the image and the font used for the heading as it worked well together and created a persona for the artist. The shadow on the image creates a three-dimensional appearance of the magazine.

Mr Ford
After recieving feedback, my second draft is an improvement and a step in the right direction towards a final product.
Feedback on the front cover was: The masthead is slightly too big on the page, as well as the barcode being the wrong size. The font could also be changed as it doesn't look 100% right. The genre of hip-hop also is not clearly shown on the cover.
Contents page: A page number is needed, the text is also too big and the layout needs some more attention. To improve on the layout I could move the page numbers into the middle so that they are justified.
Double page spread: The margin on each side of the text and the top and bottom of the page needs to be bigger. The article also looks brief so needs to be of a greater length. As well as this, the font works less well over the main image than it does on the cover, so I should reconsider the font that I am using. I also need to credit the writer and photogrpaher on the double page spread.

Second Draft Self Review

Front Cover

What went well

• Costume/style of model
• Colour scheme (Black, white, and red)
• Models place on the page
• Title of magazine and the font it
• The lighting which created the shadow falling onto the backdrop from the models right hand side - This gives it a three dimensional look

Even better if

• Experiment with different fonts for the heading and strapline
• Cut out the shadow that is made from the models left arm, as this looks accidental

Contents Page

What went well

• There is consistency with the font of the masthead on the front cover with the title 'contents' and subheadings, linking the pages together
• The 'mirror image' layout of the subheadings and description
• Colour scheme is consistent (Black, white, and red)
• Classic font used works well with the 'Lemondrop' font that is associated with the magazine 

Even better if

• Change the image at the bottom of the page
• Incorporate different models into the layout of the page

Double page spread

What went well

• The main image reflects and builds a representation of the artist's character/personality
• The faded 'L' in the background of the article creates an interesting feature
• Colour scheme is consistent (Black, white, and red)
• Font works well against the image and assists in creating a modern/simple design
• The shadow, deliberately created through the use of lighting, creates a three dimensional appearance

Even better if

• Change the size of the first paragraph of the article as it is significantly long for an opening paragraph and looks out of proportion in comparison to the following paragraphs

Second Draft - Major Magazine

After receiving feedback from my teacher about my first draft that I created for my magazine, I have decided to create a whole new second draft and make some drastic changes, especially to my contents page and double page spread. The main concern about my first draft was the major layout issues that I had not considered when designing it. For example, it was said that my contents page did not reflect that of a realistic music magazine and the way the list followed the slanted angle descending along the page was irrelevant. As well as this, major changes were needed to be done to my double page spread as I had not taken into consideration where the spread would be cut in half by the fold of the magazine (the font would be cut off in awkward places and the models face needed to adjusted so that the line cut her face directly in half). My contents page did not need drastically changing, however the models place on the page needed to be more central and the fonts to be resized, e.g. the masthead needed to be bigger and the headings/strap-lines to be smaller. 

I had a second photo-shoot with my model, however kept the same style of costume as this was praised by my teachers and by peers, and got some new shots for the second draft. My main aim was to capture a more central image of my model for the front cover and to also gain more 'energetic', 'attitude' shots, which I feel I managed to capture quite well. The masthead was resized to a larger font, so it now goes across the width of the page, and the headings/strap-lines were resized to a smaller font. Along with the other small changes made, I believe this version of my cover is a more realistic, clean-cut, and modern layout than previously. 

I completely changed the layout of my contents page. This layout is a more realistic representation of what a music magazine contents page would appear like, however I kept the fresh, modern appearance of a hip-hop/urban magazine genre. I still need to find a way of incorporating another model into the contents page to show a variety of artists, and so I will discuss this with my teacher in the next couple of lessons and will find a solution to this. 

My double page spread was also drastically changed from the first draft. I went for a more classic layout in this draft, contrasting to the 'different' approach I attempted in my first draft. My idea was to use the classic, original layout and execute it perfectly to suit my genre of magazine, rather than try to do something 'unique' and it not pay off in the long-run. However, I still used a technique that I saw used in my double page spread analysis in the beginning of the course in the Lady Gaga article. The bold 'L' in the background of the article puts a twist on the design and hopefully differentiates it a little from others. I feel that this layout is a lot more flattering and is more aesthetically pleasing than my previous design.

Draft Article #3

Libby Zarong. The name that’s been circulating the office here at Major Magazine for weeks, and the one that would be unfair not to share with you. Libby Zarong, the 20-year-old Londoner has proven to be one of music’s most intriguing new shape-shifters since she started posting songs and videos online a few years ago. Fast-forward to today, and her fiesty single “Did You Know?” has amassed more than one million-plus YouTube views. What’s fresh about Zarong is how she combines ludicrous charisma with lyrical naughtiness, and groundbreaking bass lines whilst spitting unforgettable rhymes in the process. “I’m aware of the negative audiences I’ll reach through my music. Hip-hop reflects the truth that society tries to conceal, and that is what I intend to voice,” says Libby, who studied fashion before she took to the music industry. Her honesty and attitude fully emerges once she steps in front of a camera, as proven today at the photo shoot for Major. Zarong oozes with confidence, not phased by the racial comments being made and stereo- typical views constantly being preached to her that white women should not rap. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, why can’t a British girl rap?” Libby groans, “I guess it’s just another thing to set me apart from other artists.” Understandably, Zarong doesn’t want anything to affect her speedy, flawless victory that she’s accomplished so far. She’s already collaborated with Pharrell Williams - American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer - and signed a major record deal with Def Jam Recordings, which is yet to confirm the release date of her debut album later in the year. Not to mention that she’s already got her hands on a Brit Award for the Critic’s Choice of 2013. With Def Jam Recordings managing her every move, it’s not surprising that Zarong has already began to crack America, starring and performing on the Ellen Show, “Featuring on the Ellen Show has been a great experience of mine. To be in America and to be doing these shows is just unbelievable,” says Libby. It’s about time that a British girl crashed onto the hip-hop scene and became more than just a one-hit-wonder, and it looks like Libby is about to do exactly that. It’s been quite a journey for Libby Zarong, whose current fame-filled and chaotic lifestyle contrasts to her tough beginnings in life: Her mother died when she was twelve, and so she was raised in London by her father. “I get noticed, even when I’m underwear shopping... It’s weird,” Libby says. “It’s all came at once. For me, a 20- year-old girl from Camden, it’s like... You know... How does this happen?” Libby Zarong has already performed at Coachella festival alongside Azealia Banks, V Festival, and Glastonbury, with massive turn outs at each performance, shaking up the hop-hop scene and changing the conventions of the typical rap artist. We asked her if she has any festivals or gigs lined up already for this year, but all she revealed was, “I like to surprise... All I’ll say is that I am very excited about one festival in particular!” Alongside her unique lyrics and beats, her style makes her stand out from the rest. She’s been praised for her daring outfits that come to her so effortlessly yet look outstanding on stage and has been the talk of the fashion blogs for the past month, Zarong even made an appearance on Jessis Holeva’s “Trend Hungry Blog”, a massive blog in the fashion world. But try calling her a fashion icon and prepare for a woman in denial, “I don’t see myself as some sort of fashion icon... I wasn’t brought up with materialistic things and this hasn’t changed, I just make do with what I have and throw an outfit together.” We asked her to describe her style in three words and she responded quite confidently, “fiesty, bold, and chic”. All of these accomplishments from one woman in one year is extraordinary, let alone for a British girl from Camden. Libby Zarong has a laundry list of boldfaced fans, including Kanye West, Gwyneth Paltrow, Karl Lagerfeld, and Nicola Formichetti, who will direct Zarong’s next video. However, Zarong seemse almost aggressively unastonished by the attention. “I definitely have more money and shit,” she admits, “but that’s all virtual stuff.” And if you ask her about meeting the likes of Kanye? “It’s cool, but they’re just people. The skies don’t part and glow orange.” An attitude like this from someone that’s been thrust into the spotlight is refreshing, and is an attitude that the music industry so desperately needs. We’ll keep you posted on the release date of Libby Zarong’s highly anticipated album “OWN” and her debut single “Did You Know?” is available to download on iTunes now.

Shots for Second Draft

Second Draft, a set on Flickr.

These are the best shots from my second shoot that I organised with my model on the 11th February, for my second draft. I decided to keep the costume of my model bold but simple, and decided to stay away from the chaotic clothing that I initially wanted to use, as this costume was at risk of looking 'tacky' and not what I intended it to look like. Therefore, I came to the conclusion of using a black, white, and red colour scheme with gold accessories for a hint of the hip-hop genre. The model used poses that showed attitude and personality, to try and recreate the attitude of a hip-hop female artist, for example, the like of Azealia Banks. I got a lot of inspiration from images from magazines such as HighSnobiety and i.D. Magazine, and also looked at the photographer Terry Richardson, who captures the personality of every individual that he photographs.

Inspiration for Double Page Spread Shot

This is a photograph taken by photographer Terry Richardson of Amber Heard. Here, Amber has similar qualities to my model, e.g. blonde hair and blue eyes, and she also has red lips which is part of my costume and make up for my main model also. This picture caught my attention as the pose here is striking and the facial expression is full of attitude. This is something I aim to recreate as an image for my double page spread, as I feel an image such as this would effectively represent the character and persona of my artist as a female rapper. 

Front Cover Image Idea for Second Draft

This is an image taken from the same HighSnobiety magazine that I focused on in my previous 'Inspiration' blog post. Initial feedback from my first draft suggested that I changed the image on the front cover as the models position on the page did not fit that of a typical magazine cover. I feel that the pose used in this shot would be a solution to this issue and it is still full of attitude that I wanted my model to show. My model will still be against a plain backdrop, however I will try and recreate this pose as I think this will improve my front cover and make an impact on the page.

Magazine Playlist

I have composed a playlist of songs that, I feel, best represent the influences, ideas, style, genre, mood, aesthetics, vision, and so on, for my magazine. This further defines the style of my magazine overall and will help me as I develop in my planning for my magazine.

Reasons for Improved Draft Article

On the post of my original draft my teacher commented that it was no way near long enough for my magazine double page spread. Therefore I have extended and developed my article to 644 words so that it is a more substantial amount for my article, however, my teacher then suggested to develop this further for my final draft of my magazine to at least 1,000 words. Then, this would give me the option to edit my article to fit the layout of the double page spread and would give me the opportunity to cut sections out or move it around etc. to fit the magazine, rather then having to make the magazine fit the article.

Draft Article #2

Libby Zarong. The name that’s been circulating the office here at Major Magazine for weeks, and the name that would be unfair not to share with you. Libby Zarong, the 20-year-old Londoner has proven to be one of music’s most intriguing new shape-shifters since she started posting songs and videos online a few years ago. Fast-forward to today, and her feisty single “Did You Know?” has amassed more than one million-plus YouTube views. What’s fresh about Zarong is how she combines ludicrous charisma with lyrical naughtiness, and groundbreaking bass lines whilst spitting unforgettable rhymes in the process. “I’m aware of the negative audiences I’ll reach through my music. Hip-hop reflects the truth that society tries to conceal, and that is what I intend to voice,” says Libby, who studied fashion before she took to the music industry. Her honesty and attitude fully emerges once she steps in front of a camera, and this was proven today at the photo shoot for Major. Zarong oozes with confidence, not phased by the racial comments being made and the stereotypical view constantly being preached to her that white women should not rap, “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, why can't a British girl rap?” Libby groans, “I’m judged twenty-four hours a day for the colour of my skin alongside my passion. I guess it’s just another element that sets me apart from competition.” Understandably, Zarong doesn’t want anything to affect her speedy, flawless victory that she's accomplished so far. She’s already collaborated with Pharrell Williams – American rapper, singer, record producer, composer and fashion designer – and signed a major record deal with Def Jam Recordings, which is yet to confirm the date of her debut album later in the year. Not to mention that she’s already got her hands on a Brit Award for the Critic’s Choice of 2013. With Def Jam Recordings managing her every move, it's not surprising that Zarong has already began to crack America, starring and performing on the Ellen Show, "Featuring on the Ellen Show has been a great experience of mine. To be in America and to be doing these shows is just unbelievable", says Libby. It's about time that a British girl crashed onto the hip-hop scene and became more than a one-hit-wonder, and it looks as if Libby is about to do exactly that. It’s been quite a journey for Libby Zarong, whose current fame-filled and chaotic lifestyle contrasts to her tough beginnings in life: Her mother died when she was 12, and so she was raised in London by her father. “I get noticed, even when I’m underwear shopping... It’s weird,” Libby says. “It’s all came at once. For me, a 20-year-old girl from Camden, it’s like... You know... How does this happen?" Libby Zarong has already performed at Coachella festival alongside Azealia Banks, V Festival, and Glastonbury, with massive turn outs at each performance, shaking up the hip-hop scene and changing the conventions of the typical rap artist. We asked her if she has any festivals or gigs lined up already fpr this year, but all she revealed was, "I like to surprise... All I'll say is that I am very excited about one festival in particular!" Alongside her unique lyrics and beats, her style makes her stand out from the rest. She's been praised for her daring outfits that come to her so effortlessly yet look outstanding on stage and has been the talk of the fashion blogs for the past month, even making an appearance on Jessis Holeva's "Trend Hungry Blog", a massive blog in the fashion world. All of these accomplishments from one woman in one year is extraordinary, let alone for a British girl from Camden. We'll keep you posted on the release date of Libby Zarong's highly anticipated album "OWN" and "Did You Know?" is available to download on iTunes now.

Double Page Spread with Draft Article

This is my original draft double page spread, however I have included my draft article into the page as well to create more of a realistic image of what this spread will look like. Also, I removed the 'blended' image seen previously before in my first draft as the text was hard to read over it and therefore I felt that it needed to be removed. I have blended the 'L' for the same reason, so that the text is able to be read over the top of this, and so that it is not too predominant on the page.

Inspiration

Issue 6 of HighSnobiety Magazine featured model Mimi Wade who is style by Lucy Greene and shot by Kimi Hammerstroem. There are two photo's that really stood out to me throughout the whole shoot and that have inspired me to reconsider the shots that I am going to do for my final magazine.

Firstly, I love this side shot of Mimi against a blank white wall. Her bright hair contrasts with the backdrop and her pose is natural, not forced. The side stance gives the shot an interesting edge and is something that I will definitely try with my model in my next shoot.

The next shot that caught my eye was this one. Although this is quite a busy image and contrasts with the simplistic and modern style that I am aiming for, I love the use of the border around the original image. It gives the image edge and differentiates it from the average photo. This is another technique that I could try in the future as I think, with the right border, it could look very effective and make my cover look even more aesthetically pleasing to the reader.

i-D Magazine

I love the covers of i-D Magazine because of the simple, modern layout on almost all of their covers. The models in this selection of covers are all in shot with a mid-shot and are in front of a plain backdrop, which is what I hope to incorporate into my front cover for Major. The colours are all simple and a colour palette of three is used on each, yet again this is what I'm hoping to use in the future drafts/final product, as I think this is more effective and aesthetically pleasing than a front cover which is made up of clashing colours and chaotic settings. i-D Magazine feature so many artists of different genres and even have models/fashion designers on their covers of each issue, however the design and shot manages to capture the energy and personality of each model, which is something that I admire from i-D. I hope to make my magazine reflect the style of these covers and this will heavily influence by final product.