CCR 1

     My product utilizes the conventions of other photography magazines. It does this by having the title in a bold font, since photo magazines have a distinct, pronounced font that is not curvy or thin. My cover also has a small preview of some articles in the issue, which all conventional magazines have. Additionally, I have a star icon that displays an exclusive interview in the article; not every magazine has this, but some that I researched - for example, Digital Photo Pro - do utilize this technique. My cover challenges conventions slightly by having a white border around the cover page, which most magazines do not have but makes mine look more polished. Also, the cover image is not like most other photography magazines: these products usually feature a mid-shot, full-body shot, or close-up of a person. In my magazine, the entire cover is a close-up of a person holding a camera, but instead of the focus being on the model it is on the camera. I added this photo because it clearly denotes that this is a photography magazine, which helps pull in my target audience and makes it stand apart from other volumes.

     In my table of contents, conventions were not broken. Like other photography magazines, some main articles are listed - with a brief description of each one - along with the page numbers they are on. There are also images displayed on the same page to add extra flair, which many photo magazines have. To add even more convention, the page number is displayed at the bottom corner of this and every page that follows. In the top right corner, the magazine title, volume, distribution number, and issue date are displayed. This is orthodox because all the magazines I studied had this feature in their table of contents. Also, the light page color makes the text and images stand out, contrasting with the darker cover page to make the content more appealing.
     The two-page article also follows conventions by having a title, text in two columns, and pictures. The page number and distribution date are again displayed on the bottom corners, which adheres to magazine conventions. The title is clearly stated and the author's name is displayed below it, again demonstrating a more standard magazine layout. There is also a slight gradient on these pages that bring a bit of color with it; if there was no gradient, the article would appear more bland. This added color is unconventional because no photography magazines that I researched utilized this technique; however, I felt it would be beneficial to use it in my product. The hue of the pages also ties in the theme color of my magazine: blue. Most of the magazines I studied had a theme color or certain aesthetic that could stand out and be used as branding. So, implementing this into my magazine throughout the cover, table of contents, and article pages follows conventions.
     Overall, my product follows many regularities of photography magazines and magazines in general; although, it does break a few. Additionally, my magazine represents a particular social group: photographers. While photo enthusiasts of all ages and expertise can enjoy Technique, my magazine mostly focuses on photographers around 20-60 years old of no particular gender. It applies to people from all over the world, but mostly those in first-world countries who have access to DSLR cameras. Technique reaches people from many income levels, mostly the middle class and a bit of the higher class; readers are at least high school graduates, and there are many college graduates in the mix. Technique speaks on many issues in the world, too: there may be certain articles or images that revolve around problems, such as life in third-world countries or the poor conditions of some animal shelters. The issues addressed vary from issue to issue.