Draft: Midterm Submission

This is the first draft of my magazine excerpt that I am posting for my midterm assessment in class. I created all of these pages using Microsoft Word because that is the program that I am most comfortable using. Microsoft Word has all of the necessary digital elements to create my excerpt, such as photo editing options, text boxes, and elegant fonts.

Planning: Interview Questions for Locals

I plan to ask my local friends and family about their opinions of Sarasota to publish in 1 of the magazine articles.

Interview Questions:
1. What makes Sarasota great?
2. What is your favorite thing to do in Sarasota?
3. What is a place in Sarasota you think deserves more attention?
4. Are there any thrilling experiences you have experienced in Sarasota that you would like to share?
5. How does Sarasota compare to other travel spots in Florida?

Planning: First Flat Plan

I created this approximately 90-page flat plan using the online website, Blinkplan.

Planning: Table of Contents Template

I created this table of contents page using Microsoft Word.

Planning: Cover Design Template

I created this cover page using Microsoft Word. I chose this photo of Siesta Key Beach for the front cover because of its vibrant colors and appearance of public support with the crowd of people surrounding the shore. The red lifeguard tower on the right side of the photo and the afternoon sun fading out from the left side of the photo are eye-catching because I utilized the rule-of-thirds camera technique.

Planning: Marina Jack Photo Shoot

Today, I went to Marina Jack/Bayfront Park around 3:00 PM for a photo shoot. I took about 50 photos of the park right when the sun was still shining high in the sky. I used a Canon PowerShot SX150 IS with 14.1 megapixels. These are the 5 best photos I took, which are unedited. I have decided to use these photos and the Siesta Key photos for the magazine without editing because they are already aesthetically-pleasing to my eyes.

Planning: Siesta Key Photo Shoot

Today, I went to Siesta Key Beach around 5:00 PM for a photo shoot. I took about 50 photos of the beach right before the sun began to set. I used a Canon PowerShot SX150 IS with 14.1 megapixels. These are the 5 best photos I took, which are unedited. I am considering using these photos for the magazine without editing because they are already high quality, and no editing will make the photos appear more authentic.

Planning: Scouting Locations

As a resident of Sarasota for over a decade, I have been to almost all the main tourist attractions in this city at least once. I have decided the most visually-appealing locations to take photos of are Siesta Key Beach and Marina Jack/Bayfront Park. Since these places are the prettiest in the afternoon, I plan to go capture photos of them after school around 4-6 PM before the sun sets. For Siesta Key, I plan to capture photos of the ocean, surrounding buildings, and sunset. For Marina Jack, I plan to capture photos of the dock, park, and surrounding downtown area. I will go to Siesta Key tomorrow, and Marina Jack on Wednesday. 

Research: Travel + Leisure Travel Magazine - October 2017 Cover

The October 2017 cover of Travel + Leisure is dominated by a singular photo of a model in front of a mountain backdrop. The Travel + Leisure logo is in the top edge of the magazine, large and uncovered. The top half of the cover contains short textual previews of the article topics as well as the "Sky High in the Middle East" title of the issue. The cover has a natural background of a marvelous, aesthetically-pleasing mountain expanse with trees and a body of water. The text is layered on top of the background photo in bold colors - primarily red, black, and yellow.

Research: Glamour Magazine - December 2017 Issue

The December 2017 issue of Glamour is informative on women's lifestyle choices, particularly the most recent fashion trends and popular culture news. The cover is dominated by a singular photo of American singer-songwriter and actress, Solange Knowles, front and center. Solange Knowles' face covers part of the Glamour logo, while the rest of her figure takes up nearly the entire cover. Only slim spaces on the left, top, and right edges of the magazine are left uncovered by her large photo. The cover has a plain, light blue background layered with short textual previews of the stories inside the magazine. The magazine utilizes solid, feminine colors – primarily white, pink, and nude. As it essentially focuses on women's empowerment, the magazine includes articles concerning all aspects of fashion, beauty, and entertainment news, such as “The Real Deal on Shopping for Your Size”, “20 Reasons It's Damn Good to Be a Woman in 2017”, and “A Better Abs Routine”. The articles appear on nearly every other page due to the frequent inserts of advertisements. Usually placed on the odd-numbered pages, the magazine includes various ads for brands such as H&M, Aveeno, and Versace. The table of contents contains several miniature photos pertaining to the titles of each magazine article. The articles also contain photos ranging in size. From miniature photos to large ones that take up entire pages, the number of photos average about 3 per article containing relevant people and products. The distribution number for Glamour in the Unites States is approximately 2,300,854. Glamour has not been reported to win any awards for its publications. Uniquely, Glamour hosts the annual Glamour Awards in order to honor "extraordinary and inspirational" women from a variety of fields, including entertainment, music, science, and politics.

Research: InStyle Magazine - December 2017 Issue

The December 2017 issue of InStyle is informative on women's fashion and popular culture, particularly the most recent fashion trends, beauty tips, and important figures in the entertainment industry. The cover is dominated by a singular photo of American actress and producer, Julia Roberts, front and center. Julia Roberts' face covers part of the InStyle logo, while the rest of her figure takes up nearly the entire cover. Only slim spaces on the left and right edges of the magazine are left uncovered by her large photo. The cover has a plain, sepia-toned background layered with short textual previews of the stories inside the magazine. The magazine utilizes solid, bold colors – primarily black, blue, and yellow. As it primarily focuses on women's fashion, the magazine includes articles concerning all aspects of personal style and relevant celebrity news, such as “Style 100: What's Now, What's Next!”, “Style Crush”, and “The Woman Behind the Wheels”. The articles appear on nearly every other page due to the frequent inserts of advertisements. Usually placed on the odd-numbered pages, the magazine includes various ads for products such as Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water, PANDORA Rose jewelry, and Fossil smartwatches. The table of contents contains several miniature photos pertaining to the titles of each magazine article. The articles also contain photos ranging in size. From miniature photos to large ones that take up entire pages, the number of photos average about 3 per article containing relevant people and products. The distribution number for InStyle in the Unites States is approximately 1,810,539. InStyle has not been reported to win any awards for its publications. Fortunately, the magazine has expanded since 2012 and now distributes international editions in about 16 countries.

Research: GQ Magazine - December 2017/January 2018 Issue

The December 2017/January 2018 issue of GQ is informative on a variety of subjects, including food, travel, and sports pertaining to men. The cover is dominated by a singular photo of champion basketball player, Kevin Durant, front and centered towards the right. Kevin Durant’s face covers the right-side ending of the GQ logo, while the rest of his figure takes up nearly the entire cover. Only slim spaces on the left, top, and right edges of the magazine are left uncovered by his large photo. The cover has a plain, white background layered with short textual previews of the stories inside the magazine. The magazine utilizes solid, bold colors – primarily white, black, and red. As it has shifted its focus towards personal lifestyle choices for men, the magazine includes articles concerning all aspects of culture and current events, such as “Gifts We Love”, “Gorge Yourself on the New Nostalgia”, and “Men of the Year: Stephen Colbert Makes America Great”. The articles appear in sections towards the middle and end of the magazine due to the frequent inserts of advertisements. Placed one after the other all throughout the magazine, various ads appear for products and brands such as Rolex watches, Bloomingdale’s, and Patron tequila. The table of contents is spread out over multiple pages in between ads and contains the titles and brief summaries of each magazine article. Pertinent large photos serve as the background of each table of contents page. For example, Colin Kaepernick is the background for the table of contents page containing page numbers of articles for “Men of the Year”. The articles also contain photos ranging in size. From miniature photos to large ones that take up entire pages, the number of photos average about 4 per article containing relevant people and events. The distribution number for GQ in the Unites States is approximately 946,726. GQ has not been reported to win any awards for its publications. Unfortunately, this men’s magazine is frequently criticized for various tendencies, such as its sexism in its portrayal of women.