Magazine Review Assignment

#1- Magazine Tips

1. You should be thinking of the image's appeal. What type of audience is the image/cover intended towards?
2. How captivating is the image? How is the image going to pull someone in?
3. How interesting (intellectually) is the image? How simulating or beneficial is the image?
4. How recognizable is the image if it includes some sort of brand?
5. How simple and efficient is the image? How is it going to portray a service or message?

#2- Best Magazine Covers

1. Bloomberg Businessweek - Informal
2. New York - Formal
3. The New York Times Magazine - Informal
4. Sports Illustrated - Environmental 
5. The New York Times Magazine - Formal
6. O, The Oprah Magazine - Informal
7. Brides - Formal
8. W - Environmental
9. New York - Informal 
10. The Fader - Formal
11. Vanity Fair - Formal
12. Atlanta - Formal
13. Harper's Bazaar - Informal
14. DuJour - Informal
15. Parents - Environmental 
16. The New York Times Magazine - Informal
17. Vogue - Formal

#3- My Favorite Cover

The New York Times Magazine, October 6, Harry Who?
Photographer: Richard Burbridge
Designer: Arem Duplessis
"This classic Richard Burbridge portrait of Daniel Radcliffe, shot in his trademark heightened black-and-white style, reveals a grown-up Radcliffe not yet at ease with his fame. The extended ascenders and descenders in the typography reference the Harry Potter logo and also serve as a framing device for the image."copy and paste description

I personally very much liked this cover for multiple reasons, not just including the fact that Daniel Radcliffe is one of my personal favorite celebrities, but the black-and-white tones of this portrait are very intriguing. To be honest, the black-and-white of this image isn't a distinct black and white, these tones are more of a range of grays which I find is much more interesting then tedious black and white. I also enjoy how your focus is brought to the eyes of Radcliffe, they happen to pop out the most in this image which I believe is because this is the only area of the image where there is pure white. It seems like none of the basic rules of photography (such as rule of third) we have gone over are present in the image but this informal portrait has included a bit of filling the frame by having the subject as close as possible.
This image also gives you lots of thoughts in your head. Some fans of Radcliffe are used to seeing him as his Harry Potter character and this image makes us question why he isn't in character. But I also feel that this is the point of the image, to share this celebrities other sides/faces, for he seems a bit sad or desperate. Sad because no one notices his other roles and desperate to be seen in other ways than this one character.


#3- Magazine Cover Types

1.) Imaged Based- Some attributes, include have people has the main subject for some magazines. An approach used in celebrity and fashion magazines which usually includes one or a few people on the cover, possibly posing and smiling. Sometimes different magazines do the opposite of this. The nature of the cover matches the style of the rest of the magazine. 
2.) Illustration Based- When magazines were first published, illustrations was the only way to have a cover page. Only a few magazines such as The New Yorker still uses illustrations as their cover from time to tome. Most of these illustrations are used to create something funny and unique. Most magazines that use illustrations don't need to depend too much on the cover to get sales. Many of the illustrations are mostly computer generated.
3.) Typed Based- This is a considered a "rare" but unique approach to a cover. Typed covers have something powerful to them with how it's looks and how it's presented. Sometimes it can convey a message better than photography.
4.) Concept Based- Is very often is a bit of all of the other three types of covers. Its best when used to convey a powerful message, in either a shocking or funny way. It's important that the funny idea being conveyed is to be understood by your audience. This type is usually seem in business, news weekly, independent, and subscription only magazines.



The relationship between words and photos on a magazine cover is important because these two elements work together to give the reader an idea of what is to be within the magazine. They work together to help convey any strong messages needed to be sent. The photograph can only say so much and words are needed to fill in the blanks, and in the meantime where words lack, photos come in to help with visual representations.