Article Images

After deciding on my main articles, I used a digital camera to take the images for the stories, keeping in mind the conventions of local newspaper images and how they are composed.

For my front page article based on the uncovering of a dead body on the beach. I knew it was conventional of a local newspaper to use a nicer image showing the area as it was before the incident rather than showing a picture of the actual event as it would be far too extreme for this type of paper. With this in mind, I went to the actual location of Thorpe Bay to the beach and took a few pictures.
The most appropriate picture, which I thought would match the article best is shown below:



The composition of this image is very professional looking, I think it very well reflects the use of the foreground (sand), middle ground (beach huts) and background (the sky) rule. The slanted angle creates dimension to the image, which makes it look a little less scenic and a lot more dynamic, which I think hints just slightly at the image not being quite what it seems, which reflects the article it is attached to.

Another image I used for the feature article of the boy saving a woman from drowning. The image is shown below:


This type of image is very conventional of a lifesaver type story. From what I analysed from other similar articles is that they usually have the subject revisit the area that the incident occurred, but put a positive spin on it, by having them smile at the camera. I used this technique, and also used the rule of thirds to have my subject in the centre of the image, showing that he is the focus, and then each side of him is a section of swamp to show where the incident occurred.

I decided to use an image for the other front page feature story of a puppy saving a couple from a fire. I took this image of a puppy, which looks like it would just be a family photo. This is very conventional of the type of image local newspapers would use. The image is shown below:



I think this image is very dynamic due to the use of the foreground, subject and back ground technique, it is also quite ironic, and while local newspapers do not usually show any type of slant upon stories, I find that they tend to use an underlying message. In this image I think it hints at irony as the puppy is shown to be very vulnerable in this image, and in the story he is shown as being brave.

I chose to have an image for the second page story of the council initiating a change to the local community. I used an iconic image of the southend beach, as shown below:



I think this type of image is very common in local newspapers, as it uses an iconic image of a local space. I think the composition of this image reflects almost what the change in the community hopes to achieve, as this image creates a nice image.

I also decided to use an image for the second article on the second page of my newspaper, about the building of the hotel in southend. The image is shown below:



I think image shows the hotel as quite an obstruction to and otherwise nice looking image, which hints at the main locals' reaction to it, without explicitly saying so. This is very conventional of an image used in local newspapers.

With both the articles written and the photos ready I thought I should design an advertisement for the newspaper, as most local newspapers contain one.