"She Shoots, She Scores!"

 

Below are photos I took of my model in downtown Miami. I spent the entire day helping Isis's with hair, makeup, and wardrobe for her birthday dinner that night. We both agreed that pink would be a good color that appeals to my predominantly female target market, especially since the results of my survey showed that this audience finds pastel colors appealing. Isis's dress is complementing and trendy, but not provocative and conservative, which makes for a suitable attire for a teen based target market who is into the same youthful fashion. My model is also a representation of target market, as she is also a black female teen herself who is interested in hair and beauty/skin. I used camera of an iPhone 12 with flash on take these pictures for the best quality to capture the beauty of the dress. 

The Show Must Go On: Background

Due to the pandemic there are limited options for places where my photoshoot could take place. At first my photoshoot was going to take place at this beautiful studio in downtown Miami as it had the elegant and feminine aesthetic I was originally going for. Unfortunately the studio closed as a result of COVID restrictions and I could no longer use it as my background. Regardless of this bump in the road the show must go on and I have to persevere. I have decided to carry on with my plans elsewhere, as my model's birthday is coming up and will take place at a beautiful restaurant in downtown Miami. I will take advantage of this moment and conduct my photoshoot at the restaurant. Fingers cross it all works out. 

Below are pictures and videos I took of the location I had originally planned on doing my photoshoot. 

 

 

Meet My Models

                     Model 1: Isis Sanna 

I chose this model because she is an aspiring beautician, with a passion for hair and has a thriving hair business. Isis fits the demographic of my target market, which is black female teens interested in hair and beauty content, therefore I figured that she would be an ideal candidate for my feature story and main model. Isis is also within arms reach as she lives a short distance away from my house, so she is a convenient option as a model. She also has experience with modeling and, as she is a brand ambassador and model for clothing companies, so her expertise will help me with posing, lighting, and clothing choice. 

  Model 2: Kristie Lapante 

Kristie is also interested in hair, more so with natural hairstyles, but her interests predominantly resides in skincare and fashion. This makes her well rounded in fashion and skincare information, in which she can give me insight on content that would be engaging to my target audience. Like Isis, Kristie is a representation of my target market which also makes her an ideal model choice for my magazine. As you can see Kristie's style and aesthetic is similar to that of the models seen in black hair and beauty/skin magazine, which is fierce and fashionable.                                     

        Model 3: Tishana Campbell 

Tishana is a client of Isis that I will be using as a hair model for my double page spread, She will used as a visual representation of Isis's work to give readers a bit of insight on Isis's business and her abilities. We chose this model in particular because her hair length and desired style showcases the inclusivity of Isis's hair business, as she caters to all hair lengths, textures, and styles. 

Magazine Research/ Inspiration

 I drew inspiration from these magazines as Essence magazine has an excellent usage of colors and font types that create an appealing, but simple magazine cover.                      

Other than the eye popping hues of blues and bright colors, the font styles and text placements caught my eye. This issue made Zendaya the main focus of the page where as the masthead, taglines, etc, fall second to the eyes, which I found was an interesting change of pace.  The bright yellow and pink color used for the taglines are n effective tools used to draw attention to the words on the side of the page, and mixture of basic, yet elegant font styles made the words easy to read.. This issue has a good balance of large and small texts with a nice mixture of bolded and thin fonts, which creates a formal, but elegant look that I like. The medium to large spacing between each text box prevents the texts from being overcrowded and increases readability. The blend of numbers, script, and icons (plus signs & exclamation mark) creates a rich display of information and adds a pop of variety to the page. I will keep these observations and conventions in minds as I formulate my taglines. Although the masthead is in an interesting and appropriate position and sizing on this cover I am not to fond of its placement and sizing for my own publication. 

Since my model is wearing different shades of pink I had difficulty finding a background that would be complementing to her entire look instead of distracting or visually overwhelming. Upon further research I stumbled upon this issue with Halima Aden, whose pink appearance was similar to that of my model. I found the pink on pink background absolutely stunning and a brilliant use of monochromatic colors. This motivated me to play around with different shades of pink. As you can see below some were hits and others were misses, but in the end I decided to use the second color.  

                               

Sources of Information: 

Essence Zendaya Issue: 

https://www.amazon.com/ESSENCE-Magazine-Aug-2016-Zendaya/dp/B01J0037OG

Essence Halima Aden Issue:

https://www.amazon.com/ESSENCE-MAGAZINE-JANUARY-FEBRUARY-HOLLYWOOD/dp/B083G566TBrfr

Feature Story Draft

 Pain kept her hands moving like a well-oiled engine. It let her know the nerves in her hands had not completely given out yet, but she could not say the same for her legs as they threatened to buckle beneath the weight of her body. Isis Sanna, a Miami hairstylist was on hour 5 of the 8-hour box braid install she had naively gotten herself into. Hard work was not a foreign language to Isis, but it certainly was not one she felt she could speak fluently. “It was passion and ambition that coaxed me into first laying my hands in someone else's hair, but it was the pressure of that responsibility and the long, gruesome hours of labor that nearly hindered my desire to do it again,” Isis Sanna says as she describes her experience from her first time professionally doing hair. “Despite the challenges the smile on my client’s face as she looked at herself in the mirror was an affirmation that this is my calling and I would do anything to see that smile again.”

Isis Sanna gained interest in hair by watching her mother, “who did hair as a side hustle spend hours shaping, braiding, and pressing hair into these beautiful, intricate styles.” Sanna “stood by watching in curiosity and amazement as she (her mother) transformed these women into their most confident selves.”  This had a lasting impact on Isis Sanna as it was her first introduction into the world of hair. “Ever since then I have always wanted to bring this kind of radiance out of women, just like my mother did.” Sanna aspires to be one of the top hair stylists in Miami, with a successful hair company and magazine. She plans on taking her dreams beyond borders and “expanding business internationally to become globally known.” In addition, she envisions being the CEO of a hair company. “I want to leave Miami and move to Atlanta to have more networking opportunities,” Isis explains.

In wake of the Coronavirus, Isis has had to put these ambitions on pause. “There has been a decline in my clientele and with the decreased income, I have struggled paying for hair supplies and bills.” To acclimate to these struggles, Isis has had to use her savings to keep her business afloat and implement safety measures for her client’s well-being. Considering this, Isis has persevered and is now saving money for a hair salon through online business endeavors. “I am currently offering virtual braiding and wig install one on one sessions to clients.” 

In recent months, her work has gained some traction, as one of her hair videos went viral on Facebook, accumulating thousands of views and comments. “This recognition pushed me to work harder at the craft.” Isis explains. “Hair is a source of confidence, beauty, and a statement piece that should be nurtured and worn with pride,” is the philosophy Isis exercises throughout her brand. Sanna believes that “If people remain true to the craft, the craft will remain to them.”