The student created a recreation of a magazine cover for a photography project using Photoshop. While familiar with Photoshop from prior assignments, the student learned new text editing skills. The strengths of the recreation included accurate color, positioning of images and text. Weaknesses included fonts that did not exactly match the original and duller colors compared to the original's vibrant tones. Overall, the student was pleased with their efforts and believed the recreation looked similar to the original cover.

1. Magazine Evaluation
For this photography project the program I used was Photoshop. I chose “PlayStation” a gaming
magazine which featured the sporting celebrity Wayne Rooney and made a nice, neat recreation.
Tools
Using Photoshop made it quick and easy to complete my recreation as I was familiar with this
program due to previous assignments. These were the main effective tools that I used:
Gradient
Quick selection tool
The gradient tool
allowed me to
colour my page
with a swipe of a
mouse.
Just a simple small
swipe down of the
mouse at the
bottom of the
page filled my
page back

2. Text
New Skills
The only main new skill that I learned is the further editing within the text section. Since learning
these new skills my text more adaptable and can be edited in many more ways.
The “quick selection tool”
allowed me to cut out a piece
from the original magazine and
stick it onto my re-creation.
This was easier to
use than trying to re-
create my own
barcode, this also
helped make my
magazine looked
very similar to the
original magazine.
My magazine featured a lot of
text such as the title, inside
stories and plugs.
I used the Text tool to type the
required words and numbers and
continued further editing to correct
the width, boldness and size.
This tool is used to alter the spacing
between letters making them
squashed together of far apart
Changes the
width of the
letter, thicker
or thinner.
Text is able to be made shorter or
taller when using this tool.
This simply enables you to change
the size of the text or each letter.

3. Strengths
I believe that the strengths to my re-creation magazine are the overall colouring, positioning of
magazine features and the main magazine image. My main character image is in an almost identical
stance and position on the cover and the text around the main image and title, are also very
accurately placed. I am also confident that my front cover is neatly presented with no blurred images
and is an overall similar re-creation front cover.
Weaknesses
Unfortunately I will admit that my magazine front cover does have some faults and weaknesses. One
of the main faults would be that the fonts of the coverlines are not exact. I participated in a lot of
trial and error to find the closest font style, shape and size but never made it to the exact final result.
Another fault that is present when the two magazines are side by side is the brightness of the
colouring. The reds, whites and blacks on the original cover are very vibrant and bright, whereas on
my cover, they look dull. This is probably due to the professional photography used on the original
magazine to show clear colour on the celebrity character, but the dull text and background colours
are down to me. Perhaps more experience and trial and improvement are needed in order to create
brighter and sharper colours.
Am I Pleased?
At the end of this project and looking back on my re-creation and all the preparation towards it, yes,
I am very pleased with my efforts. I have used all the skills to the best of my ability and looking at the
two magazine covers side by side really shows how far I have come especially when using
Photoshop, which I am still very new to. There is an equal balance of strengths to weaknesses, but as
I have said that just comes down to practice and experience.
Does it look like the original cover?
Admittedly my cover does feature some weaknesses but also some very promising features and
therefore, I believe it looks very similar to the original cover. The fonts are very similar and the
colours are exactly the same. The features like the barcode, age rating symbol and plugs are
correctly displayed around the cover. Finally, the main celebrity image is wearing similar sportswear,
holding the exact same prop with the same facial expression and stance and altogether, located in
the centre of the cover.

4. What would I change?
If I was to do the project again, I would perhaps take more time on the final editing on Photoshop
thus allowing me to be more precise with positioning and sizing of all the features and making the
end product more professional. If I really wanted to push myself, I would probably pick a harder
magazine cover to re-create to challenge my skills and force myself to learn new and more advanced
skills.