Image Choices for my DPSBy Debbie Onyemelukwe

InspirationThis front cover image of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie was inspiration for the type of image I would like to use for my double page spread. Because my subject is on the family life of a hip-hop star I need an image showing an „insight into his life.‟ This photo gives a very serene and calming sense to how their lives are outside of the celebrity status and hectic fame they‟re a part of. The costume is clearly planned as they‟re all in a specific colour scheme of white which adds to the purity and innocence the newborn children bring to the image. The loving facial expressions on Angelina‟s face reinforces the care and devotion behind a family bond.

InspirationThis picture of Jamie Lynn Spears was one that I liked and used as inspiration for the type of image I would like to use for my double page spread. I like the „sudden‟ aspect of the image and the fact that it is a relatable to the audience seeing it. This is because many people can recall a time in their life that someone may have suddenly said “smile” or something similar and immediately had their picture taken, without being ready for it. Some people in this situation may shy away and hide their face, or others may strike a pose such as this. My notion of it being an unexpected picture is being proven by the outfits both baby and Jamie are wearing. They are in casual wear which is typical of the clothes you wear when relaxing at home. This is another aspect I am a fan of because of the casual sense the image gives off. It is the polar opposite of the glamorous celebrity „perfect image‟ we as viewers as so used to seeing. The laid back tone is the same type I‟m going for my double page spread image.

Initial DPS ideaMy initial double page spread idea was to be of a feud between two hip-hop rivals. I got this idea from the „beef‟ between the two female hip-hop adversaries Nicki Minaj and Lil‟ Kim. This dispute began over Lil‟ Kim believing that Nicki Minaj was trying to take over her spot in the hip-hop game after by being the only other female rapper. Using this as inspiration, my idea was to shoot two people who are supposedly rivals and use one of them to be interviewed for my double page spread text.

Lil‟ Kim Nicki Minaj

First photo shoot images:

Possible DPS imageThis is an image I took as a „tester‟ shot. Therefore, it is unsuitable for the use of my double page spread image. The reason behind taking this tester shot was to see the mise-en-scene, check the lighting and to see if the position where I was standing was an appropriate place in order to get the perfect shot.

Certain aspects of this image show that it is a shot used as a tester. For instance, the older female model‟s phone is visible in the shot and her shoes are still on which doesn‟t imply the typical „homey‟ feel. The male model‟s facial expression shows that the picture was unexpectedly taken and looks almost in a state of shock, which is in complete contrast to the other two female models who managed to subtly pose.

Possible DPS imageThis is another image I took during my photo shoot for my double page spread. There are quite a few things that make this image unacceptable for my spread in the magazine. Once again, the older female model‟s phone is in clear view and her facial expression looks slightly forced. There is also a small camera spot that is present in this image which could draw the attention away from the family.

Another aspect of this image that makes it unsuitable is the male model‟s facial expression. The image should have connotations of love and unity between a family, instead of curiosity and a sense of peculiarity which the male model‟s expression seems to suggest. The proximity of all 3 models in this image is also not ideal as the younger female model looks rather squashed in the middle.

Possible DPS imageThis is another picture that cannot be used for my double spread. Whilst taking the images, I experimented with holding to camera both portrait and landscape to take the pictures. This is an example of when I took the picture in a portrait setting and the result is not of high quality.

Although the older male and female models are in a nice pose, the majority of the sofa is cut off which just makes the image look unprofessional. The younger female model however, had gotten a little aggravated and is therefore looking sad in the image and is in fact not looking up at the camera. This would not be suitable with the overall theme I was aiming for so this is a large component in the image‟s unsuitability to my double page spread. The position I was holding the camera in when taking this image was not ideal as I held it too far down, exposing part of the female model‟s feet and the carpet beneath. The female model‟s phone once again made yet another appearance!

Possible DPS imageAs well as experimenting with camera orientation, I also played around with having the setting on flash both on and off. This is an example of when I took the picture horizontally and without flash. As a result of this, the image came out slightly blurred and with a tint browny-orange colour, as if the sepia effect had been added – which wasn‟t.

Apart from the obvious blur making it unacceptable to use, the toys to the right of the sofa and other excess homely items also make it unusable. If it was used, it would be clear that when the image was taken, that the items were mistakenly involved in the picture also. The prop of the doll that is supposed to be the couple‟s „baby‟ is also too exposed, showing that it is clearly a fake baby‟s head rather than a real one.

Possible DPS imageThis is a picture that was taken near the start of the photo shoot, hence the humorous nature and unnatural tone it gives off. The older female model‟s right hand gesture also suggests that they‟re more of friends than a couple. The image is also too zoomed, as I wanted if not the whole, then the majority of the sofa to be on show. But instead this image just shows a small cross-section of the sofa.

The young female model also looks too serious as she is not smiling or pulling a natural pose which is what I was going for. The fact she is looking straight at the camera could make the audience realise that it was indeed a photo shoot and not a natural home moment that‟s captured. and the male and female models are both smiling and laughing, which is goes against the wanted look of being in love; however, this is understandable considering that they‟re in fact siblings!

The DPS imageThe chosen one

This is the image I eventually decided on to use as the image for my double page spread. By this point I had finally remembered to put out some kid‟s toys to use as props to put across that „hectic family home‟ sense to the reader. The various toys are relevant to the story and add another dimension to the picture.

Both the model‟s facial expression plus their body language are appropriate the double page spread topic. They are all smiling implying that they‟re a happy family unit and their proximity is close to demonstrate that they love and care for each other. The „baby‟ is well-covered to hide the fact that its fake, but is shown just enough for the audience to realise that it is in fact a baby.