Magazine Tips

When designing my magazine cover, I should keep in mind... 
1. Make sure there is a title or head logo ( brand ) is there
2. Should arouse curiosity ( people should be drawn to it )
3. Don't edit or alter the photo too much
4. Shouldn't be cluttered, keep it simple and allow it to stand out
5. Should either be emotionally or visually appealing

Best Magazine Covers 2013 
1. New York, May 20, Michael Douglas is Liberace - Formal
2. Bloomberg Businessweek, December 2-8... - Formal
3. The New York Times Magazine, May 19, The Secret Lives of Gems -  Informal
4. Sports Illustrated, April 22, Boston - Environmental
5. ESPN the magazine, September 16 - Environmental
6. The New York Times Magazine, November 24 - Environmental
7. Runner's World, December, Get Fit Have Fun - Environmental
8. O, The Oprah Magazine, September, Hair - Formal
9. Brides, October/ November - Environmental
10. December/ January, The Art Issue - Formal
11. Harper's Bazaar, May - Formal
12. New York, February 18-25 - Formal
13. The Fader, February/ March - Informal
14. Wired, December, Bill Gates... - Informal
15. Vanity Fair, October, 100 Years - Formal
16. ESPN The Magazine, July 22 - Environmental
17. GQ, February, Beyonce - Formal

My Favorite Cover

 

Winner

Sports Illustrated, April 22, BOSTON

Photographer: John Tlumacki
"At approximately 3:10 on the afternoon of April 15, 2013, the editors of Sports Illustrated returned from their Monday meeting to rumors of a terrorist act near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. With fewer than four hours until Si's weekly deadline, producing a definitive news account of what happened was impossible. Was there, however, an image that captured the afternoon's chaos, its tragedy, in addition to a city's capacity for resilience and goodness in the face of such terror? Yes, there was, dozens of images, in fact. By 4:30 p.m., half an hour ahead of the magazine's usual cover deadline, (Read More)

Critique - I liked this cover because of how interesting and emotionally appealing it is. The event was very tragic, so to have it as the cover of a magazine's makes me want to read more about it. Also it arouses curiosity. I like how it drew me in when I first looked at it. Also I like the fact that is environmental and not just a picture of someone posing for the camera. In my opinion, often times environmental are more intriguing to me because of the action and different events happening all in one picture. This picture follows the rules of balance. There are 3 police officers shown in the photo which allows for the runner (victim) to stand out and draw more attention to him. Also I liked how the lighting isn't very bright and sunny because the cloudy day fits better with the mood of this photo. If it was very sunny, the picture would appeal less to my emotions. I think this picture had good exposure for the circumstances. It shows that this picture wasn't posed and ready to be taken, instead it was taken in the moment so it perfectly captured the intensity of that day. 

Magazines Part 2 - 

Image Based Cover - This is considered the most common type of magazine cover. It usually has one or few people on the cover. Also the people are usually looking at the camera, posing. This is when the cover of the magazine was a photograph that was taken. 

Illustration Based - Illustrations used to be the only way to produce magazine covers. Now that we have photography, these illustration based magazines tend to be less popular or common. They are mainly used now to present something funny or something unusual. And these illustrations magazines are published independently and don't rely on newsstand sales. 

Type Based - This is a rare way to produce magazines. However, it is still seen more than illustrated magazine covers are. The typing often shocking or very bold to the readers. The typing is powerful in the way it looks and is presented on the cover. Also sometimes typing can tell a message better than photography. 

Concept Based - This can be a mixture of all three approaches. Concept magazines must be instantly able to be understood to the audience, which is often very hard to do. This is usually seen in business magazines, and independent magazines. Covers are often funny, witty and visually appealing. 

The relationship between words and photos on magazines cover are very important. The words are able to speak for the photo. They explain a back story or give a brief description as to what is going on or being told through the photo. Also they can determine whether or not someone wants to end up buying this magazine. They often first look at the photo, then would like to read more about it. If the writing is well written and intriguing, they most likely will decide to buy it. This overall helps the magazine with sales and makes the photo stronger if there are words below to describe the photo.