Flat Lay Photography

A key lifestyle feature of many blogs, websites, social media accounts etc. are flat lay photographs or products or items.

Here are some examples of flat lays I would love to replicate for Luxe Undone.




Practising my own flatlay photography, the process is so much harder than I thought it would be.



Starting to photograph my own flat lays, I had both a professional camera and my trusted iPhone on hand to see which gave the best result. As for the lay itself, I bought a simple role of white paper for a clean, crisp background and photographed simple items I had at home. Setting up near big windows that let in huge amounts of light gave the best lighting set up for the photography.
 The paper isn't wide enough to include larger items like clothes so for those flat lays, I intend to use a studio and light with soft boxes.

http://glitterinc.com/2015/11/little-love-notes-128/

https://www.fossil.com/us/en/gifts/gifts-for-her.html

Planning Photoshoots

I understand how in demand so many people and resources can be around this time of year. Therefore it is important to plan ahead and secure models, photographers, stylists and studio space well in advance. I am staggering the shoots so in between, I will have the time to reflect on the success of the shoot and re-shoot if necessary. 

Shoot 1

Date & time: 21.03.16
Location: The Infinity Cove, Solent University
Model: Ruby Collins
Stylist: Christian Gatt
Photographer: Christian Gatt

To make the very most out of this shoot, I intend to obtain both fashion and beauty images. I contacted a stylist who is also interested in photographing as well which is incredibly convenient. 

Shoot 2

Date & time: 31.03.16
Location: The Infinity Cove, Solent University
Model: Maddison Sandhu
Stylist: Christian Gatt
Photographer: Christian Gatt

This photo shoot is for fashion content. I intend to shoot the same model in 4 different outfits. Because it's several looks, I have booked out the studio for 4 hours to make sure we have plenty of time. 

Shoot 3

I have also contacted a couple of  models I think will be ideal for a fitness inspired shoot and I am awaiting their responses. Arranging shoot times has been difficult because they're so in demand. I am finding it is most important to work around the model's availability because it isn't an area to compromise. Photography wise, I have the basic understanding of studio photography but I am fortunately working with a stylist who has a greater understanding for photography and has a portfolio of fantastic images, proving his talent. 

The Name, The Logo

Whilst brainstorming names with my mentor, Emma suggested the name 'Undone Style'. Exploring this name further, I came to narrow my choices to two, 'Style Undone' and 'Luxe Undone'. I eventually opted for 'Luxe Undone' as I felt 'Style Undone' implies a more fashion based publication. Also, the word 'luxe' ties in nicely to the luxury lifestyle element.

Here are a few logo formats I played around with on Adobe Illustrator. I imported fonts from dafonts.com as the fonts available on Adobe were relatively limited and not very creative.  

Overview of progress

The conceptual development of Luxe Undone has come on leaps and bounds since the beginning of this project. With design templates and the website created, the next step, the key step, is to begin filling the site with content. I have started compiling the written content that shall accompany the photo shoots I have planned. Considering the written content, it won't be articles as such, but more advice pieces. 

Here is the first draft of framework for the website, I've perfected the master pages and designed the layouts of the site. ...

I am working on schedule, I had planned to have the design formulated by now and starting to explore the elements that make up sufficient magazine pages. 

FMP Content

When I first met with my mentor to discuss my FMP, it arose that the most important thing I should do before progressing further is to devise a list of content. It took a lot of thought to decide what would feature in the magazine. For each topic, I explored the current trends, issues etc. that are most relative at the moment. I also took to social media, keeping an eye on what was being mentioned the most by people who fit the relevant age group for my target market. From those general observations, I devised a rough guide to what I would write about, contents wise.

FASHION

1.     YOUR WARDROBE ESSENTIALS

2.     OUTFIT CHAMELEON: REWORKING THE SAME OUTFIT

3.     NIGHTOUT EDITION: EVENING WEAR

BEAUTY

1.     MAKEOVER ESSENTIALS – PRODUCTS FOR A CERTAIN LOOK

2.     HIGHEND VS. HIGHSTREET PRODUCTS

3.     BEAUTY HACKS

INTERIOR DESIGN

1.     SEVENTIES SUMMER TREND

2.     MINIMALISM TREND

3.     DIY HOME IMPROVEMENTS

HEALTH & FITNESS

1.     WORKING OUT AT HOME: KAYLA ITSINES?

2.     SUMMER BODY WORKOUTS

3.     FEED YOUR SKIN: FOOD FOR HEALTHY SKIN

FOOD & DRINK

1.     FOOD FOR UNDER X AMOUNT: TBC

2.     HEALTHY DESSERT/BAKED GOODS

3.     DRINK RECIPE: COCKTAIL?

TRAVEL

1.     DESTINATION: A DAY IN OXFORD

2.     WARDROBE: WHAT TO WEAR ON DAYS IN THE CITY

3.     SECOND DESTINATION: PARIS?

ARTS & CULTURE

1.     FEMALE PROFILE: SHONDA RHIMES

2.     FEMALE PROFILE: LENA DUNHAM

3.     EXHIBITION REVIEW: TBC

TECHNOLOGY

1.     PHONE ATTACHEMENTS TO HELP TAKE THE BEST SELFIE

2.     POPULAR APPS

3.     NETFLIX ORIGINALS

I I have no doubts that this list is the first of many drafts but it has given me a great starting point to weigh out the amount of work I have ahead of me. It also made me think much more into inviting contributors to help provide some of the content.

The Budget Babe

The Budget Babe is  'a blog for hotties on a budget, featuring the latest cheap-chic fashion news, designer and celebrity looks-for-less, and honest reports on the places we all love to shop.' 

Initially I thought this blog was similar to what I intend to create with Luxe Undone, but after exploring it further, I realise it defines what I don't want my site to be like. 

The Budget Babe covers three main topics, fashion, beauty and decor whereas I plan to cover far more. The site though seemingly independent, still takes a blog format and writes in a very colloquial tone. I expect my online magazine to have an editorial voice throughout the articles, reflecting the luxury, high end side of it.  

I, personally, find the layout and overall design to be very busy, there is so much going on you don't know where to look. It confirms that I definitely want a refined, simple aesthetic to my site, nothing overwhelming. 

Article Inspiration

Who What Wear published an article titled 11 Style Tips For The Girl On A Shoestring Budget.  This piece is an easy read with great visuals. I love how the images depict high-end fashion yet the tips and advice are all aimed at remaining cost effective. 

Get The Gloss have an article titled Budget Beauty: The Best High Street Foundations Under £20. The concept is straight forward and under the images of the recommended foundations, there's a small passage on the properties of the product and what to expect. There are also links to where to buy the product. This demonstrates a key element in online magazine journalism, to always give the reader a 'place to go'. The reader is able to move beyond the page and onto purchasing the product which is essentially encouraging the reader to take your advice. 

This YouTube video was equally as interesting and inspiring. I recall watching this before my own trip to Paris. It demonstrates the best ways to enjoy a vacation in Paris when you're on a budget. Adopting the same theme as Luxe Undone, videos like this one have me considering other means of media to include in my magazine. 

Designing & Inspiration

In order to get a true visual understanding of the design, I delved straight into creating my content pages. Knowing that I work best through experimentation, I am taking the time to play around on inDesign, altering layouts and exploring various fonts to get an understanding for what combinations work best together. Having not come from a magazine or design background, I feel this process will be a case of trial and error. 

 Since writing up my FMP proposal, a significant inspiration of mine has been The Edit, Net-A-Porter's online magazine. The Edit sets the bar for high end features. It's layouts are so simple yet they look so interesting. I like the landscape format and the click through element, quite like a slideshow. I have not come across anything quite like The Edit online, I believe it is a really tasteful way to present high-end magazine content, online. I envision my magazine to be a budget version of The Edit.

It is helpful to have these layouts as inspiration to begin designing my own pages. I am trying to visually create a similar layout before adapting them to my liking.   

https://www.net-a-porter.com/magazine/349/contents

Research: Designing Magazines

As I began to explore creating my magazine, I realised my knowledge on the subject was fairly limited. I am so used to being the audience of a magazine, I don't know how to be the designer. I took to the internet to learn more and came across an interesting webinar posted on YouTube by Blurb. I watched as it discussed issues such as design, composition and the important issues to consider whilst creating a publication. 
  Though it was a very general overview of magazine creation, I felt there were many useful elements I could introduce into my design process. I found the webinar to be enlightening, it has made me realise how little I knew about the composition of magazines. There is so much importance in every choice made, whether that be a decision about design or content. 

How To Design The Ultimate Magazine by Blurb Books 

Some points I noted from the webinar:

• Magazines are great for instalment publishing and collaborations. They signify that there is more on the way, they’re cost effective and there is a historical significance. 
• Consumed differently. They’re informal. With physical forms, you read and throw away. It’s a form that you can play with and put editorial visions into practise.
• They are your brand 
• Failing forward. Pressure to build something monumental when in essence, you should just build something. Learning in the process.
• Working for yourself, you think you have things figured out…
• You have no client or boss to satisfy. 
• You can easily get hung up on the formalities but should move on and focus on the vision of the magazine.
• Magazine logo and cover should signify the attitude and vision of the entire publication.
• Serif or sans serif text in the body & font sizing are addressed first of all
• No more than 2 typefaces on the cover
• Clean, simple, graphic design for online magazines