Photo Shoot 2 (Behind the Scenes)

The camera I used in this photo shoot was a Nikon D7200 DSLR (digital single lens reflex) fitted with a 35mm prime lens. I fitted it onto the tripod to get better resolution photographs. I found out that when I didn't use the tripod in the drama studio (when I was taking pictures of Brittany with Ryan) that they turned out too blurry that I couldn't even consider using them for and of the photos in my magazine. However the pictures I took in the classroom with continuous lighting with a soft box looked fantastic and I was over the moon with how they turned out! My teachers set up the white background and we watched how she did it so in the future we could try to do it ourselves.


One of the issues I found in the studio set up was that if I didn't have the camera in the right position the actual light was visible so I'd have to crop that out of the photo or use photoshop to edit it out (if I was that desperate to use one of those photos in my magazine). It was also pretty difficult to get a perfect image of Brittany flipping her hair as it was moving too fast to capture a clear image.

I learned a lot about photography in this shoot. How the camera is positioned (high angle/ low angle) really reflects how the star is portrayed. For example when I took a picture from a higher level than Brittany she looked more vulnerable than when I took a photo from eye level.

It was very easy working with Brittany on set because she is naturally outgoing and doesn't really care what people think (which was good as there were many people watching which would have otherwise added pressure). When I use another model I might have to direct them a bit more to find a creative pose. Ryan is naturally photogenic too so when he made an appearance in some of my photos it looked perfect.

Setting up the framing of my shots was quite simple just as long as I didn't go over the edge of the background area. There was a white tarp on the floor to camouflage with the white background which was great for when I took photos on the floor. This is going to make photoshopping the pictures so much easier as the edges/ outline of my model will be so much sharper than if I used a patterned background.

I'm still not really sure on whether I want Brittany to be smiling or serious on my cover picture so I got her to do a mixture of both during my time with the camera. A blank expression could look quite intimidating however it might be a good idea as it would look like a more modern representation of a woman (which is what I want in order to reach out to my target audience). Smiling, on the other hand would welcome the audience and give her a completely different image.

I did stick to my photo shoot plan for the most part however I found it hard to bring in all of the props because I had so many ideas I didn't really get to do everything since it would've taken so long. So I had to really adapt it for the practicality of the shoot.

In most of the photos I think I adhered to the conventions of a modern Country Music magazine. In a couple of the pictures I incorporated a sparkly silk scarf which doesn't really comply to what people usually do for the type of magazine I want to make, this broke conventions and make my photo shoot unique. To break conventions for shot types I brought in a stool and told Brittany to do a funny face whilst leaning on it. I wanted to capture a bit of the funny/ not very serious side of my star and I thought by doing a few silly faces will show my audience that even though she is a glamourous star she is still human like them. I did this in hopes to inspire the readers that they could get interested in Country Music too.

I used many different shot types including extreme close ups, close ups, medium close ups and long shots. Each of these shot types highlight a different part of my model, for example, the long shot accentuated the cowboy boots so if I use one of those images on my front cover they will act as a sign to show the audience that this is a Country Music magazine as it is a convention to the genre. The close up photos of Brittany's eye being covered by the suede shawl highlights her actual eye and shows the texture of the shawl. As Country Music and has a history with being associated with the Wild West the suede material (commonly used throughout most western movies) is an indexical sign which the audience will then immediately associate with Country Music. I also got Brittany to sit on the floor which I had to adjust the tripod for in order to get on the same level as her since I didn't want her to look inferior or vulnerable.

A wordle of some of the media terminology I was taught during the photo shoot.