Cover Images and Editing

Introduction 

A critical part of the cover of a magazine is the main image. In this post, I will be taking some time to focus on my main images and go through the editing process. To edit these images, I plan to use Canva and the photo editing software on my phone. In general, I am trying to create a cover that uses sophisticated metaphors and messages to not only impact the reader but make them intrigued. This idea is one that does line up with the conventions of my genre as the cover of the magazine is what draws the reader into going through the content of the magazine. To accomplish this goal, it is important that I edit my images in a way that creates contrast, vibrancy, but also gives off the emotions I want to create, depending on the cover line associated with each image.

Image One

I chose this as a potential image for my cover because it is a metaphor that is connected to a man cover line I would like to use. This image is of the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. This is a book that has been banned by some people due to the topics that it discusses. The censorship of books in schools is an ongoing topic that has been growing in importance. So, I took a picture of my copy of the book but I used a red flashlight to give the image a red tint and two "slashes" through it. This is a representation of how the book is banned and not liked by some people due to what it entails. I tried to decrease the visibility of the title but only to a certain extent, in order to convey how censorship is an ongoing battle with both sides either trying to keep the book in libraries or remove it. Due to the metaphors that this image puts forth, I decided that it would be a good image to have on the cover of my magazine.


The first thing I did was slightly edit it by adding a vivid warm filter onto the image using the editing software on my phone. I then realized that I would need a more comprehensive software in order to edit the image to look the way I was imagining it to be. So, I uploaded the image onto Canva, a design software that contains a large amount of image editing capabilities. I directly went to edit specific aspects of the image rather than adding filters I already had a base to work upon. I first increased the brightness, but only slightly. This was because I wanted to keep the somewhat dark, ominous effect of the image while making it slightly more vibrant. The next thing I did was increase the vignette to 83. To clarify, vignette is the artistic darkening of the corners of a photograph in comparison to the center of said image. I increased the vignette of the image because it added to the ominous atmosphere I was trying to create through this image. 


The next thing I did was increase the clarity  to 100. The reason I increased the clarity to one hundred even though I wanted the title not to be extremely visible was because when I did, the effect I was trying to create was present but the image of The Giver that is in the corner of the book cover was much clearer. I wanted people to make metaphorical eye contact with The Giver so that I could utilize the impact of the book cover on its own and take it to the next level with some lighting and editing. For this reason, I also increased not only the vibrancy of the cover to 100, but the highlights as well. Increasing the vibrancy and highlights to this level made the red and white much brighter and more visible to a potential reader. Then, I increased the shadows of the image to seven in order to create a slight emphasis on the dark lines created by the book, adding to the somewhat ominous atmosphere I was aiming to create. Finally, I increased the fade of the image to three because I wanted to slightly blur the image while still keeping it extremely clear, increasing the naturality of the shadows in the image. 


This image connects to my genre as it helps address a currently ongoing phenomenon that has been spreading across the country. This image follows a trend of current affairs magazines which is that the cover image helps represent the topic being discussed, may it be literally or metaphorically. This image metaphorically discusses censorships of books in schools, highlighting a popular YA novel as an example. This image connects to the color scheme of this magazine as I plan for it to be black, red white, and a small amount of blue. This cover image highlights red and white, setting the perfect stage for the color scheme I am planning to use, due to its conventionality. The reason that the cover image has been edited in such a way is because I was planning for it to take up the entire spread of the cover. So, the image needed to be bold but gentle enough to act as a background.

Image Two

I chose this image for my cover because of a news story. I am creating a news magazine, something that tends to cover political events. I am fond of hidden messages, metaphors and code being interwoven into designs. I feel as though it adds a bit of a nuance to the design. As I was listening to NPR, I heard a story regarding the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. With Russian troops gathering at the Ukrainian border, the situation is becoming more volatile by the day. As I remembered the story a few days later, I was reminded of chess, and how diplomacy is a bit like it. That is when inspiration struck. I looked at my cover design, specifically the one with a timeline and immediately pulled out my chess board. I ended up taking a picture of a queen checkmating the king, getting an idea for a headline. So, I decided to use this image for my cover as I had the design and coverline to go with it. 



I am not the best photographer so I started off with the image to the left. It took a while for me to find the right position for the image. I tried to use a variety of shots including an aerial shot. I finally decided on a slightly low angle. I first cropped the image to remove the purple, slightly blue wall from the background using my phone's editing tools. The next thing I did was use a vivid filter in order to make the colors more full and impactful. An image of this is displayed above. After this, in order to further edit the image, I transferred to Canva, like I did with my previous image. 




After transferring the image to Canva, I started to play around with different filters but then realized that the image already had a basic filter on it. One thing I was sure I wanted to do was increase the contrast between the light and dark pawns. So, I increased the contrast of the image to 27. I then decided that I wanted to make the image a bit more artistic, so I increased the vignette of the photograph to 46.  The next thing I did was increase the clarity of the image to 100. To make the image more impactful, I was sure that it needed to be as clear as it possibly could. Then, in order to make the contrast more effective, I increased the vibrancy of the image to 26. This would make all of the previous effects used not only more pronounced but effective. I tried to create even more contrast by then increasing the shadow effect to 24. Finally, as a finishing touch, I used a technique called auto enhance which made the image even more clear, vibrant, and powerful.



This connects to my genre because it is a metaphor that represents a political event. Many current affairs use such metaphors and images to add depth to their content and increase the impact that the image and the issue as a whole has on the reader. For example, Time magazine will use adverse illustrations that end up acting as metaphors which explore the ideas and topics being addressed in that issue of the magazine. The image connects to the color scheme of this particular issue of the magazine as the general color scheme will be black, white, and red with hints of blue. The use of a black background and the two different colors of paws, one dark and one light, creates contrast and goes with the theme well. The mix of black with white highlights for the background further pushes forward not only the color scheme but the design in general as it looks similar to a chalkboard. This is the effect I want to bring throughout the entire cover of the magazine. The way this image is edited is synonymous with where it would be placed on a cover. It would be placed in the center of the cover, not as a background, making the effects used necessary in order to make the image extremely impactful. With it being the first thing that the eye is drawn to, it is imperative that the contrast and vibrancy of the image is extremely large.  


Image Three

I chose this as a potential image for my cover because I thought that it was a good photograph that I could use as a center point for one of my potential cover designs. In this image, you can look the animal, in its new home of a pier rather than in its natural environment, on the eye. This eye contact can help make a cover much more impactful as the reader can start to feel empathy and a slight amount of curiosity, making them interested in the contents of the magazine. Plus, the image is one that naturally has muted tones, helping to convey a slightly somber tone, one that I would like to have as an undertone for the emotions caused by my magazine cover. 



Unlike with the images above, I decided that there was not a need to edit this picture on my phone. So, I directly uploaded it to Canva and started editing there. The first thing I did was crop the photo, zooming in on the animal itself, particularly its eye. This was in order to increase eye contact between the bird and the reader, creating empathy in the reader and some intrigue. The next thing I did was use the filter Afterglow which made the image a bit more bright and vibrant, while still keeping a slightly muted tone. The filter made the saturation -14, the brightness 17, the contrast 22, and the blur -27. The filter also made the image a bit more clear, allowing for the detail of the feathers to be visible. The Afterglow filter allowed me to maintain the essence of the image while exemplifying certain attributes such as the contrast and brightness of the image. The final thing I did was make the intensity 58, increasing the vibrancy and contrast of the photograph. This makes the image stand out a bit more and makes it more effective. I did not edit this image as much as the others because unlike the other images, I was able to get a really good shot of the bird, making the editing process much simpler. 




This image connects to my genre because it is a close up of a living thing. Many magazines will use close ups of people and sometimes animals in order to connect with the reader and create empathy. I utilized this convention by picking a close up of a bird that is looking at the camera, in order to create empathy in the reader.  This image connects to the color scheme I want to establish because it highlights the color blue which is one of the four colors in the color scheme I would like to utilize in my magazine. This image is edited in such a manner due to its placement. This image would be at the center of the cover, acting as the focal point for the design. Thus, this image must stand out and be a bit bold, which is why I tried to increase its vibrancy and brightness without taking away from the emotions that this image creates. 




Conclusion 

These images are all good images when looking at it from a general perspective. I really liked the image of the chess board and that of the book cover as they were extremely effective not only as images but as metaphors. I am a very philosophical person in terms of design. Every detail and choice is for a specific reason, to create a specific meaning or emotion. I was really able to do this with the first two images. The last image was effective in terms of looks but I could not integrate as much of a hidden meaning into it as I would have liked. None of my images are completely conventional. They all challenge the conventions of my genre in some way, shape, or form. The first image is one that is a bright read, something that is not common in my genre. The second image is that of a chess game, displaying a metaphorical standoff between two world powers. Games are not usually used on the cover of news magazines for such a purpose. My third picture is a close up of a bird. Usually magazines will use a close up of a human or some other mammal, not a bird. I will definitely be changing the images used on my cover designs to one of these for the final cover. I don't think I will edit these pictures anymore in terms of vibrancy and contrast though I may crop them so that they better fit the design of my cover. I am currently leaning towards using either the first or second image. The third image just does not have as much metaphorical depth as I would like. I am not sure how I will choose but I will put them both into covers to see which one turns out to be the best design wise and the most effective.

Works Cited

Van Dragt, Braden, and Eugene Mezereny. “Photo Editing Basics: How to Edit Photos.” REI, https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/photo-editing-basics.html.

Pete. “10 Photo Editing Tips for More Professional Photos: Motif.” The Motif Blog, 23 July 2021, https://www.blog.motifphotos.com/10-editing-tips-to-make-your-photos-look-more-professional/.

Movila, Geta. “8 Photo Editing Tips for Stunning Photographs.” PictureCorrect, 1 Dec. 2021, https://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/8-photo-editing-tips-for-stunning-photographs/.





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