PRELIM TASK: Example of Photograph Manipulation

This is an example of a photograph manipulation, of my main image: 

BEFORE:

This is a screenshot of my front cover before any manipulations were applied. The image was fairly clear which enabled the reader to easily read the text on the magazine cover. Despite this, the main image looked as though it was lacking something which would intrigue the reader, and look unique. I therefore decided to play around with the image by changing the contrast levels, to make the image pop and look better than it did before. When I selected the option for level changes, there wasn't any beforehand changes made automatically to the contrast of the image, as the image had simply been copied and pasted onto Photoshop. This meant that there were different shades and tones of lighting in the image and resulted in the shot not looking as professional as it should have; it did not look like the main images we see on real magazines, as they look very flawless and attention grabbing. This was another reason why I decided to bring about a change in my main image, because I wanted to make my magazine cover look the same quality as well-known magazines e.g vogue. 


AFTER: 

This is the same image after it had been manipulated by the change in contrast. I made the colours seem more bolder and prominent by changing the levels which decreased the grey tint in the image, making it not seem dull. By changing the contrast, the colours seemed to pop out and made the magazine look professional. After making the changes to the contrast, I referred to my colleagues and asked them what their view was towards the how the main image looked. From this, I was able to get feedback from my peers, as they were viewing my magazine as a reader and were also able to criticise my work. The reviews I received helped me get to the conclusion that the changes I had made had worked well, and helped me get the idea of my magazine cover meeting with the expectations of the target audience I intend to aim this magazine at. The contrast changes I made also helped to make the fonts on my magazine cover more visible and vibrant, as well as becoming more eye-catching for the reader.