Camera Work

Today in lesson we discussed more about the photography for the magazine project. We discussed some important rules in music photography. These are:

- No cluttered backgrounds
This is important because not only will a cluttered background draw the reader's attention away from the subject, it will also make it difficult to edit the photo in Photoshop, which may be necessary later on.

- Focus must be on the lead singer of the band
If it is a band on the front cover of the magazine, it is important for the reader to know who is the lead singer.

- MS-CU shots only
If it is a single artist on the cover, it is important that the shot is between a medium shot or a close-up shot. A ¾ image may be suitable too, not centred.

- Leave room for the masthead
It is important to leave room for the masthead as it is the first issue of this new magazine, so it must be showing. Heads must also not be cut off.

- No high-angle shots on the cover
High angle shots are not good cover images. They can make the band/artist appear weak and this would not attract the reader to buy the magazine if the best thing about it was a weak band.

- Animate the band/artist
It is important to animate the subject(s) because they need to look interesting to attract the attention of the reader. They need to look straight at the camera (direct gaze) to establish a connection with the reader.

We also discussed the issues raised by directing a photoshoot. It is important for the photographer to give the subject(s) lots of positive praise to raise their self-esteem. It is also important to make a call sheet beforehand and plan the shoot. Knowing exactly what you need is very important otherwise the photoshoot will seem aimless. Props need to be carefully thought through.