How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Band: +44

Taken from Kerrang!

It was really difficult to choose a photograph of just one of my band members and find a similar picture from another magazine. These two photographs were the most similar ones I could place
together.

Similarities:
Both bands contain four members.
They have white backgrounds.
Were taken from roughly the same distance.
Both bands are looking directly at the camera, and the photographs are taken at eye level.
Both photographs are quite relaxed, and no one in either picture seems to have been told to take a certain position or pose.


Differences:
There are obvious differences with ages between the two bands.
Lighting is brighter on my photograph.
The top features an all male band whereas mine contains one female.
Expressions of my band are relaxed and smiley. +44 are showing quite tense expressions, some almost blank.
Hairstyles differ. Only the hairstyles of two band members can be seen in +44. They're spikey and messy, whereas the male hairstyles in my band are flat and unspiked.
My band were sitting down when the photograph was taken whereas +44 are standing.

I wanted my magazine to represent teenagers that have their own style, and although I've grouped my target audience by what kind of music they listen to (indie/rock/alternative), I'd like to think that I'm targeting people that don't nessacarily consider themselves to belong in any partciular group. In my opinion, your own image is important, and I'm targeting these types of teenagers as I consider myself to have my own style and listen to those genres of music, and a lot of people I know are the same too. I wanted my magazine to represent people I know the most about.

The people in my photograph don't look as "rocky" as the ones above it, when considering hair, piercings and tattoos etc. I think that my models look like they have a calm and relaxed attitude, obviously being able to tell that they are quite young, possibly care-free, some of them also have an air of being smug about them. I think that my photo - with just the faces - slightly undermines the stereotype I'm aiming for, as i said, they don't look very "rocky" or "indie-ish". The photograph as a whole is better as you can see all they're clothing, and you can tell more about a person by the way they dress.