how I shot and edited this ESSENCE Magazine Cover

#Vogue #Essence #EssenceChallenge
I RESPOND TO ALL COMMENTS
If you’ve opened up social media this week, you’re likely to have seen a slew of new Vogue “covers.” They might feature your neighbor, co-worker, or the art student next door. The DIY front pages stem from the #VogueChallenge, a viral endeavor that reimagines what the glossies they mimic could be [more: https://www.vogue.com/article/vogue-c...]

Rather than doing a Vogue Challenge, I decided to try an Essence Challenge as a black creator on youtube. Essence magazine is a black owned publication that promotes the beauty and culture of Black people around the world.

In this video, I show you the shoot location (Vasquez Rocks) and take you through my editing techniques with Photoshop and VSCO to get the end result you see on the thumbnail.


TUTORIALS I MENTIONED
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▪️How to Retouch Black Skin -    • How to Retouch BLACK SKIN | Photoshop...  
▪️How to Edit like an Influencer -    • How to Edit Instagram Photos Like an ...  

TIPS FOR BETTER INSTAGRAM PICTURES
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1. Focus on High Quality pictures that help tell a story on your overall feed. Don't make every post a selfie! To make your posts stand out they have to be different from one another and show a variety of your tastes.

2: Have Someone Else Take the Photo (Collaborate!)

3: Follow The Rule of 3rds
In photography, there's a basic rule known as The Rule of Thirds. Your subject (a flower, a bench, you, your dog, a piece of artwork…) should be in one third of the photo frame, while the background is in the rest. It will add a lot more to your photo and give the eye something more interesting to look at. You can use the grid setting on your phone to help with this too.

4: Edit Your Photos Using the Same Settings/Steps
Play with changing shadows, brightness, darkness, contrast, etc. other than just tapping auto adjust. For this I recommend the apps Photoshop Express and VSCO since they're really simple to use.

5. Don't Over Edit Your Photos
Along those lines, don't ever over edit your photo. You want your photos to look like you in the best lighting on a good day, not like filters threw up all over it. So limit yourself to just a few changes in levels (brightness, contrast, etc.) and use only one filter. Try using a unique colored filter (like the ones on VSCO) instead of just black and white.

CAMERA USED: https://amzn.to/2S0CqVV

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM:
▪️  / fresh_pepper  

READ:
▪️[eBook] How to Start a Modeling Career: http://francispolo.com/product/how-to...

ALSO WATCH:
▪️Working with Chicago Photographer:    • Chasing the Sun with CHICAGO Photogra...  
▪️How to Build a Modeling Portfolio:    • How to Build a Modeling Portfolio // ...  
▪️How to Pose for Pictures (MEN):    • How to Pose for Pictures  
▪️How to Pose for Pictures (WOMEN):    • How to Pose Like a PRO + Demonstration