Here are a few examples of some magazines I have researched that might help me decide the best layout for my school magazine front cover.
This magazine cover is not overlly succesful in that it does not convey the point of the school effectively. This is because there is a 2D image instead of an actual photograph. It makes the cover look very flat wheras with a photograph it would appear more real. However, I like how the designer of this has matched the purple font colour to the colour of the leotard. 
This dance magazine isn't actually a school/college magazine but I have chosen it because it immediately caught my eye which is a good sign for a magazine cover. I prefer this cover to the previous one because, unlike the other one, it has a 3D picture of a dancer on it. As well as this, it also states the magazines contents and what is to be expected of it. The picture actually overlaps the title a little, which I think is a nice effect as it makes the magazine look more 3D and exciting. The colours also work together well. For my magazine I would probably use a layout more along the lines of this one. 
Even though this magazine is not within the focus for my own magazine, it caught my eye because of the picture. The picutre acts as proof for the caption on the front page claiming that Carmel college is 'one of the top ten in the country'. She is in the centre of the shot and it shows her excitement when she has recieved her exam results. I like this picture but I do not think that the Headline for the magazine is very effective. It is quite dull. Overall, this magazine is not a favourite of mine and when I come around to making my own magazine, I will use an image overlapping the title like the one above because it gives the picture more volume. Although there is a photograph on this magazine here, the effect is not as good because it looks a little flat, like the first one. My favourite magazine cover out of these three is the second one. This is because I can clearly see everything that is being displayed on it. I also really like the picture that is being displayed. I like the way it overlaps the title, giving the cover more of a 3D effect. For my magazine cover, I will probably use this technique of overlapping, whether the picture be in front or behind. I will do a photoshoot for my magazine to get the perfect picture for the cover. It will definitely be a photo of something to do with performing arts, however I'm not quite sure as to what yet. I want my picture to be creative, like the one on the second magazine. I have not yet decided as to how many people I will be photographing, but because the second magazine works well with the photo of just one person, I think I will stick to one or two people, definitely not photographing more than three people for my front cover.
