Getting close to the finish line!

Hey guys!

So I finally went to the farmers market with my mom and was able to pick up so many fresh fruits and vegetables. Here are some pictures of the my trip there.





Now that I have all the ingredient I am ready to make the food for my magazine and take the pictures. I need to make an Açaí bowl, pancakes, a chicken pineapple dish, a salad, and a smoothies. It didn't take me that long to make all the foods. I found different plates and kitchen tools around my house to use as props for the pictures. I also clipped on the ring light to my phone which defiantly had a positive impact on the photos. I tried multiple angles but decided that the ones featured below best represent the foods. Here are the pictures I took, I still am missing the picture of the pancakes because I was not able to make them yet considering I was missing an ingredient but will have it ready soon!



All of these pictures are edited so for example, here is one of the pictures I took but adjusted the level of brightness, shadow, saturation, and other effects to make the colors stand out just by using the photo app on my iPhone 7.

Before editing



After editing



I implemented the pictures I took into my magazine and unfortunately and still adding some final touches to my double page spread so it is not ready yet but will be extremely soon so check back to see it and the other pictures I take for my magazine!

Lighting

Hey guys!

So I finally got a chance to go Walmart and… they did not have any ring lights so I did some more research and found out that Target has some, so I took a trip to there and purchased one.

I used this page on their website which told me that they had some in stock in the store near me.

https://www.target.com/p/heyday-153-cell-phone-selfie-light/-/A-54184179?preselect=54224129#lnk=sametab

The product was only $9.99 and came in multiple colors. The color was not important to me mostly the fact that it worked, but I did purchase it in rose gold. Here is a picture of it in it’s packaging.



I opened it up and it comes with a charging cord and an instruction paper. It is easy to operate. There is a button on the back that allows you to select the setting you like through the few they offer. It has a clip on the back with a grip to ensure it doesn't come off when on your phone. They advertise it to be used for the front camera to take selfies but I tested it on the back of my camera and it worked just fine and fit perfectly on my iPhone 7 which is the device I will be taking the pictures on. I decided this because it is much easier to export photos from there rather than an actual camera. Also I already have editing apps on my phone so taking the pictures on my phone makes it more convenient to edit too. My phone has a 12 Mega-Pixel camera and features like zoom, optical image stabilization, and auto focus with focus pixels.

I am still working on my double-page spread but will definitely have it done by the end of this week. I am also going to the Farmer’s Market with my mom tomorrow so I will have all the ingredients for my Açaí bowl and will finally be able to make it and take pictures for my magazine.

Stay tuned to see what I find at the market and to stay updated about other things involving my magazine

Discoveries

Hey guys!

So I wanted to give you all a little update! I have been on spring break for a couple of days now and have not had a lot of free time on my hands meaning I was not able to go to Walmart yet for the ring light and kitchen supplies however, I did go to Publix and purchased some of the supplies. My mom thought it would be a great idea to go to a Farmer’s Market to purchase the fruits and vegetables for my pictures. So at Publix, I purchased the frozen Açaí mix, granola, and coconut flakes. There were a few frozen Açaí mix options, but I just got the original mix. Publix was also having a sale which was a plus. Here is a picture of the different options they offer.





While I was looking for the mix, I stumbled upon an interesting discover. One of my favorite food brands, Dole, actually makes an Açaí bowl already made with toppings. They offer 3 different options and I included a picture of what I found. I purchased the original one just to test it and it was pretty good, but I think obviously making it fresh and adding the topics you prefer is a better choice to make because it is more fit to you and your liking.




I have also been working on my double page spread and will hopefully be done with it soon. Check back for my next post to see what I find at Walmart and for any other updates!

Official Cover Story Topic/ Future Plans

Hey guys!

I have been thinking of a cover story for a few days now and I have officially decided I want to write it about. I thought about each of my top 3 options: an Açaí bowl, a spinach wrap, or a greek salad. I have chosen to write about.... an Açaí bowl. I feel like not many people know what it is or have never tried it before, but you can find the mix in any supermarket. In my opinion, I think it is the best food to talk about in my magazine because it has no GMOs, is Gluten Free, Vegan Free, and Organic. They are super customizable meaning anyone can add their favorite fruits and topping on top. I plan to start my article with some background information about where Açaí seeds come from because knowing where your food is coming from is very important. Then, I plan to explain the process of how to make one. This process will include steps on how to make your very own bowl and all the fun and yummy toppings that can be added on afterwards. The great things about this item is that it can be eaten at anytime of thee day. It is easy to make and very healthy.

So now that I know what I am writing about, I need to start coming up with a cover story draft. I also need to start buying the ingredients and tools that will help me take my photos. I am planning on taking a trip to Walmart where I can look for a ring light and props that I can include in the background of my pictures for example a mason jar, a wooden spoon, or just other cooking items O find. l need to also visit Publix where I can find all the ingredients I need to make the Açaí bowl. I also most likely will make a few of the foods that will be pictured in my magazine and just stage the ones that may be too complicated to make like a spinach wrap.

I used this link to find a few potential ring light but think it would be best to just go into the store and look at them in person.
https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/ring-lights

At Publix, I will need to get: 

Açaí mix

fruits (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)

dry topping (granola, coconut flakes, etc.)

many vegetables

nutritious pancake of muffin mix

I should have a few basic ingredients at home like eggs and flour.

I am planning to go within the next few days so stay on the look out for my next post to see what I find at the stores!

Table of Contents Draft

Hey guys!

I finished a draft of my potential table of contents and here it is:

With my table of contents, I wanted it to be simple but informative. I included the page number, title, and a brief description for the featured articles in my magazine. I wanted to keep everything organized and presented the numbers in chronological order. I only included 4 pictures because I wanted the main focus to be on the text hence why the text is in the middle of the page and the pictures are off to the side. I am most likely going to include colorful and appealing pictures to entice my target audience. I want the pictures to represent the different types of meals we consume :breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also wanted to include an image of a drink because I plan to share many smoothies and protein shake recipes. The font is medium size so my audience and read everything clearly and also so everything can fit in the 2 pages. The stories I included are all about how to eat healthier. They are not the official stories but are great ideas I could use.

Now that I have a draft for my table of contents, I need to come up with a cover story. I am not sure what I want to write about so I am going to keep thinking about topics but in the meantime, I am going to research how to take good pictures. My magazine has to have a minimum of four pictures but I expect to include more.

I conducted some research and all the sources pretty much said I need to have these 4 components when photographing good:

Plating- the arrangement of food.

Lighting- the type of light necessary to bring out the best features of the food

Composition- the angle and frame of the shot

Editing- touch-ups to enhance the photos

I know I am going to need a good lighting source. I am thinking of buying a ring light to help the colors of the food pop. I also need to decide if I am going to make the actual food or if I want to purchase it from somewhere and just stage it. I am not sure yet if I want to take the pictures on my iPhone 7 or if I want to use an actual camera.

I am going to do some research and hopefully after will be able to gain some clarity and let you all know what I find and decide to do in my next post so look out for it!  

Updated Cover Draft

Hey guys!

I am currently working on my table of contents but I wanted to update you all a little. A few days ago, my teacher divided my class up into groups again and had another group discussion. We all talked about how we were all doing on our projects and gave each other critiques about what we can improve on. This group discussion was extremely helpful. Soon I am going to have to take pictures of food for my magazine, so someone in my group already started that process and gave me some tips and tricks to make sure I get the best angles and lighting to make the food appear appealing. One thing they did say was that you can never have too many pictures so I should take a lot. All group members tried helping me decide on a cover story but I am still unsure what I want to make my cover story and write my double-page spread about.

I also shared some ideas with my teacher about my cover page and cover story and she was not able to tell me too much but she did tell me that the cover picture has to cover the entire page so I did fix that and here is the fixed example of one of my potential cover images.





I am now going to continue with my table of contents. I am not sure what images I want to include but some stories I want to include are:

• Different healthy recipes

• The healthy lifestyle

• Great substituting foods

• Weird but good food combinations

• Less than 25 minutes recipes

• Colorful healthy meals

• Secrets to saving time and money

Look out for my next post to see my potential table of content layout.

Cover Stories

Hey guys!

I have been working extremely hard around my busy schedule to make sure this project is at the best of it's ability. I still am unsure about which picture I want to use as my cover image but I did come up with some cover stories that I placed on the left of each picture.

Here is what it looks like:

For my cover stories, I wanted to use a clear font and choose to separate each story with a bold line to keep things organized. I am not entirely sure what I want my cover story to be about so the order may slightly change. I used the numbering technique to attract my target audience by using the wording top 5 and less than 25. I used the same font color as my masthead to try and create a sense of consistency and a theme.

I am now going to take a break from the cover and create a table of contents for my magazine so look out for my next post!

Official Masthead

Hey guys!

I have decided on a masthead design and it is this one!

Now I want to replace the picture above with actual food items I am interested in placing there and writing about as my cover story. I did also modify the masthead a little because the masthead is supposed to be all the way at the top of the magazine and big enough that people can see it. I kept the font the same but did change the layout of the words.

Here are my potential cover food images:

An Açaí Bowl

A Spinach Wrap

A Greek Salad

So as you can see, I am still unsure about which healthy item I want to feature on the cover of my magazine, but all these items are extremely healthy and are great replacements for the normal unhealthy foods we eat daily. They all appear very colorful and and appealing.

I am now going to research and create some other stories I can include on my cover and share those images with you all in my next post so look out for it!

Cover Draft

Hey guys!

So I have done more research and I discovered this website with the help of my teacher called Canva. This website allows you to design multiple print styles. They have a design layout called Magazine Cover which is what I have been using to design my cover. The website also gives you a variety of color schemes that all mesh well together which is also what I have been using to ensure the colors on my magazine don't clash. Here is an example of the different color schemes they provide:

This website has made designing the cover seamless and fun. They offer a variety of options making it hard to decide on a cover but I just have to think about which cover would work best for my magazine. Canva allows you to edit everything ranging from font to color to size and just makes it simple and easy to create anything. I have finally designed some potential magazine covers and here they are:

So as you all can see I know I want to have a white simple background and my main cover picture on the bottom right side of the magazine. I am not completely sure how I want to present my masthead whether it is underlined or plain or in a box, but I do know I want to have it written in a dark green colored text. On the left side of the image I want to present the cover stories I plan on having in my magazine. The images included in the examples are not the actual ones I plan on using but just act as an example.

I am going to pick a cover layout and start designing it more in depth so look out for my next post!

Wait... Color Matters

Hey guys!

So while I was in the middle of creating my masthead, I noticed I need to find a color palette filled with colors that wont clash. I went on to Google and researched some color palettes that reminded me of healthy foods and here they are:

These color schemes are different but all do incorporate the overall same theme which is healthy foods. When you look at these colors they remind someone of fruits and vegetables which is the main source to eating healthy. I want to make my masthead a color that pops so when my specific audience sees the magazine they instantly want to pick it up and read it. I want to make sure the color of my masthead flows with the colors I use on my cover page. I think it is very important to include a variety of colors but make sure they mesh well. Usually when I first pick up a magazine, I notice the colors used which also gives me some sort of idea of what the magazine's tone is going to be  

These are some examples but I will keep looking for more! Look out for my next post where I will show you all which color scheme I choose and some ideas I have for my masthead!

Official Double-Page Layout

Hey guys!

I have decided on what double-page layout I want to use. This will be the last component of planning the layout of my whole magazine and I finally will be able to start focusing on the design and content I want to include.

The double-page layout I have choice is going to look like this:

I think by using his layout, I will be able to organize my article in a neat way. I included arrows in my layout simply to show the way I plan to have my text flow. Inside the text boxes, I want to include maybe a quote or two to separate my text and make it easier on the eye. I want to make sure my text all lines up in a box like figure with all the text starting and ending in a line to create a straight edge. I want to make the title big and bold to grab the reader's attention when flipping through my magazine. I think including 3 pictures is the perfect amount because I want to give examples of the food creations to try and intrigue my reader to actually take the time and read the article. I also want to use bright colors and a simple white background. I will use a fun but simple font and black lettering.


Now that I have all my layouts for my magazine, I need to start designing the basic font, colors, and theme I want to include throughout my entire magazine. I want to keep it simple but at the same time intrigue people into checking out my magazine.


When I think of healthy foods I think of green and bright colors like red and blue. I want my magazine to reflect the colors of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.

I am going to design some potential mastheads and logos and share my creations with you all in my next post so look out for it!

Double-Page Layout Ideas

Hey guys!

So I found some layouts I could potentially use as my double-page spread. Here they are:

These are just a few examples of some double-page layouts I think could fit well in m magazine. The main thing I want from my double-page spread is for my target audience to look at it and think it is well organized and not too much on their eyes. I want to make sure the pictures I include are vibrant and follow the article. I want the layout I use to be easy to follow and actually encourage my target audience to subscribe to my magazine and become loyal consumers. The examples above are similar but all different in their own way. They all include many pictures and a simple background but have a different format of how the text is presented and where exactly the pictures are placed. I’m not too sure if i want my pictures surrounding my article or actually inside it. I know I want to make the background a solid color to keep the simplistic aspect and to to insure that all the attention is on the text and pictures on the page.

I am going to do more research and ask some people in my target audience which double-page layout they prefer to see. Check back to see which layout I decide to use for my magazine.

Official Table of Contents Layout

Hey guys!

I have decided on what which table of contents I am going to do for my magazine. After asking some people who fall into my target audience which table of contents they would prefer, I decided to combine a few of the ideas I had into one. Here it is:


I feel like this table of contents layout will best fit the theme of my magazine because it is simple and still allows me to educate my target audience about what is inside my magazine. I plan to make the pictures on he side support certain articles that can be found inside my magazine. These pictures will be bright and appealing to entice my audience to turn to that page and check the article and recipe.

Now that I have a cover and table of contents layout, just need to design a double-page spread layout and then I will finally be able to actually start the design process which will include what pictures, fonts, colors, and information I want to include in my magazine.

I am going to research and design some double-page spread layouts and will show you what I find in my next post so look out for it!

Table of Contents Layout Design Ideas

 Hey guys!

I have been doing some research and wanted to share it with you all. As you know from my previous post, I am trying to design a table of contents layout for my my magazine Nutritious & Delicious.


These are some I found online that I thought could fit well in my magazine.




Here are some I designed based on what I researched.

The thing I like about all of these are that they all portray a simplistic aspect. They all have straight lines and are very well organized making them easy to read and navigate. One of my main goals with my table of contents is to make it easy for my audience to find what they are looking for.

I am going to review each layout again and ask some people that fall into my target audience which one they would prefer and share that information in my next blog post!

Cover Design Ideas

Hey guys!

So I have decided on magazine cover layout! I have decided to do this one:

I feel like having this cover layout will help my reach my target market and organize all my stories seamlessly. I also want to make sure that the picture of the healthy dish is the center of attention and matches my cover story. I plan on making the magazine background white to portray a simple style and make the picture super colorful and bright. I also want to incorporate my magazine title design to the text of the stories I plan to include.  

When I think of healthy, I think of green so I want to possibly take a medium shade of green and place that as my magazine name. I also want the font to help support the simple aspect I am going for so I definitely want it to be straight, clear lines. I think by having a simple font it will help generate a simplistic idea through the target audiences minds. I want them to look at my magazine and think that the foods and recipes seem so simple and easy which I plan to make them all. 

Next I need to figure out a table of content layout designs. I will go research and design some layouts now and share with you all in the next post so look out for it! 

Cover Layout Ideas

Hey guys

So I finally finished cover layout ideas! Here they are:

So I am not too sure which one I want to use but those are some ideas. 

I wanted to make sure my cover appeals to my target audience. My target audience is going to be women ages 30 - 45, who enjoy a healthy diet for themselves or their family, and love to cook. I plan to make my recipes easy, fun, and healthy. I believe that moms could be a huge audience for my magazine because they like to provide healthy and exciting foods to their family. 

Check back for my next post where I will be revealing my cover layout and the stories I plan to feature!