Taking the Picture

I am now ready to start my final cover for my preliminary work. I have the design worked out, now I must create the scene. I decided to take the shot in my own kitchen for lighting purposes and chose myself to pose as the sixth form student This is due to the fact that I was the only person available at the time who fitted the description. I originally wanted to use a friend to model for the shot, however by this point I was under extreme time conditions and needed to get the picture taken and begin the editing. My final idea for the image was a stressed student busy at work and surrounded by text books. On the table at which the student is working, I placed certain props such as an empty glass of milk, a bitten slice of toast, scattered worksheets, high piles of books and a glass of water to create the effect that the student has not moved all afternoon as she has been busy preparing for exams and doing coursework. I also decided to create the scene in front of a world map, as this makes the environment of the photograph look as if it could be set in a study room of some sort and gives room for the title of the magazine and main headline.