1. Photography Research By ShahriyarChoudhury

2. Introduction I am going to annotate 4 images of professional hip hop artists and their photo shoots and I am also going to use media terminology to show this kind of photography research could help me in the future when I come to take photo shoots of my models for my magazine.

3. Lil Wayne His eye line is addressed directly to the audience but also he is looking down to signify his dominance and the fact that only one eye is showing, this makes him look mysterious and want the audience to find out more about him. Medium shot- this image could be used for front cover because there is space on the top for the masthead. This shows Lil Wayne wearing a cap, which is a typical prop worn by many hip hop artists to signify their actions and shows how they dress up. He has dreadlocks as his hairstyle which signifies he raps for the hip hop genre. His appearance, clothing and pose all work in unison and connote his attitudes as a hip hop artist and also clearly tell us that he is a hip hop artist. This image is taken in dark lighting and because nobody is the background, this connotes that Lil Wayne is the dominant one and all the attention is on him. Lil Wayne also wears a gold watch which signifies that hip hop artists spend loads of money on their costume and props. The lighting in the background is dark on the top and fades lighter as we look down to make the audience focus on his costumes.

4. The Game His eyeline is addressed directly to the audience and the fact that his head is tilted slightly towards a side, this signifies his facial expression and his rebellious actions as a hip hop artist. The tilt on his head and because his eyeline is addressed directly to the audience, this also signifies his dominance. This image shows a tattoo to the side of his right cheek and he is also wearing a gold chain, which are the props used to represent hip hop artists. The lighting in the background is all dark which signifies to the audience that he is the most dominant as he is the only one in the image and the darkness makes his costume stand out to make the audience focus on his costumes and props, which is a usual action connoted by the majority of hip hop artists such as The Game and Lil Wayne. The Game has a short haircut all around which connotes that he is rapping for hip hop. Many hip hop rappers such as The Game either have short haircuts or dreadlocks. His positioning and clothing work in unison to connote his attitude to hip hop. Medium shot used which means that this image could be used for the front cover of a hip hop magazine.

5. Nicki Minaj Her eyeline is looking down to the floor which signifies she wants the audience to focus on her costume and props and location rather than her dominance. The props used in this image are of her wearing glasses and the fact that she is looking down may signify her shyness from the camera and also from the audience. On the background it also shows her make up accessories and her gold colored mirror set which also connotes Nicki Minaj herself along with other hip hop artists. Nicki Minaj’s hair is like a usual female R&B and hip hop artist and the hair color is always dyed with different colors to connote their attitudes and personality as a female artist. Medium shot used and because of the background of the image, this means that this image could be used for contents page or the DPS of a hip hop magazine. The background of this image connotes that she is living a wealthy lifestyle because of her costume and props, this also shows that she spends money on clothing and accessories, which signifies the actions of a hip hop artist. She has a tattoo across her left arm which may represent something or someone she is dedicated to or that she loves.

6. Drake His eyeline is directly focused at the audience and this makes the reader feel they are on the same level as him because the eyeline of the reader and the model match. Medium shot- the fact that there is enough place on the top for the masthead, this means that this image could be placed on the front cover of an issue of the hip hop magazine. Drake has a short haircut which connotes that he is rapping for hip hop. The majority of hip hop artists such as Drake have a short haircut and similar customized styles to represent their genre. Drake’s positioning and clothing also work in unison to connote his attitude of hip hop music. His eyeline is addressed directly to the audience therefore this makes the audience feel that they are on the same level as Drake. There are no props such as watches, chains and caps worn by the hip hop artist, which shows his antics are unique but because he has a glass with drink in his hand and the fact that his hood is worn up, this connotes the artist as a person and shows why he wants the audience to focus on him. The background lighting is dark which signifies his dominance. This image also shows Drake with a glass of drink, which makes his pose unique because it is a different kind of prop and pose used.