My Photo Editor Mind - Be Quiet Please

You’d be surprised by what your images are telling me. I can see what your passionate about, how you arrange the content, and what lengths you will go to get a great photo. It’s almost like peeking into your heart and soul. What lens you favor, your understanding of light and composition, your ability (and desire) to have an intimate relationship with your subject – All of this is revealed in your images. I bring this up because when you sit down with an editor, some photographers talk too much, trying to explain every nuance about an image, what they were trying to say with the image. I’m telling you your images are saying so much, so the next time you’re sitting down with an editor, let the pictures speak for themselves. All that talking actually detracts attention from your images.

My Photo Editor Mind - Good Morning

My first task in the morning is to read my emails to see if there is any urgent work I need to tackle. However, the best emails are the ones where there is success. It’s a pretty amazing feeling helping someone reach a goal, or two. A great way to start any morning is hearing that a book publisher is interested, there is a gallery showing, or seeing a link to newly published work.

My Photo Editor Mind - Get out of your comfort zone

Are your photos becoming too similar? Try getting out of your comfort zone. Do you always shoot with the same lens? Same subject matter? Same angle? Well, it’s time to switch things up a bit. Try a different angle by standing on a ladder or lying on the ground. When you use the same lens over and over, you can start composing the same images; a longer (or wider) lens, however, will give you a different perspective and make you see your subjects in a new way to explore their message. Do you keep shooting the same type of stories? Think about what interests you. What’s your favorite hobby? Maybe give that a go. I know this sounds simple, but it will help you and get you out of your comfort zone – and help you continue to grow and flourish. 

My Photo Editor Mind - New Edit

I’ve recently been editing a lot of images for photographers who are submitting their work to various publications. The publication usually comes back and wants to see more images than what I picked and the photographer sent. Sometimes, the photographer is somewhat hesitant to tell me this, as if I would be offended or something. Don’t worry. Not offended at all. As a photo editor, I always think I can do a better edit. Maybe it’s ego or years of experience or a combination of both. But when a publication tells you they want to see more images because they want to edit them, I completely understand. The point of my initial edit was to get the publication interested. Now they are, so let them have at it. No offense taken, only happiness they are interested.

My Photo Editor Mind - I’m emotionally invested

Whenever I’m asked to edit clients’ images for a workshop, grant, or contest, I always get emotionally invested in that entry. I spend so much time watching POYi and following my clients’ entries to see if I was helpful. Ahhh, it was a good year. So many deserving winners. Recently, I’ve been editing portfolios for EAW, and again I emotionallyinvested again, and I’m feeling like I’m the one applying. I can’t help myself. Fingers crossed!

My Photo Editor Mind - Shoot with intent

I think that whenever you are starting a project, photo essay, or an assignment you will have better success if you shoot with intent. Sure it’s great to find a hidden gem, a surprise photo, but you’ll be more successful if you know what the message is before you start shooting. I’m not saying you should editorialize the shoot; rather, you need to know the story. Let me give you an example: Let’s say you are shooting homeless people; easy enough, right? Well, no. What’s the point? Why are you shooting them? What is the message? Are there more or less homeless people than before? Is the story people helping homeless people? Is it living conditions, etc., etc. If the story is that the number of homeless people has increased, well an image of a single homeless person doesn’t tell the story very well if that’s all you see. Always take a good look at what is around you before you even click the shutter. This way, you will get a true assessment of the situation and better insight into what it the best photo story to tell. If you shoot with intent, you will focus on the images that best tell the story.

My Photo Editor Mind - It's my honor and pleasure

I am always surprised when someone says they are honored to have me edit their work, when in fact, it is the other way around. When I was a photographer years ago, my heart and soul was in every picture I shot, and when I shared my images with someone, it was very personal. Maybe people think I’m too busy or don’t have the time, but I always feel honored, so thank you to all who have allowed me to take a peek inside your soul. I am honored you have allowed me this access.

My Photo Editor Mind – Photo Story/Projects Pt. 7 Captions

I believe captions are as important as the images themselves. Yes, you need captions, and you need to include more of what the image is already telling the viewer. Last year, I was fortunate enough to judge CPOY, when we got to the stories category, and they reduced the category to roughly 10 selections,  the captions were read. OMG, it’s amazing what captions can do. In one case, it made the story better; in another instance, it hurt the story. Captions are an additional layer of information that creates a better relationship to the image for the viewer.

Tell me who, what, when, where, and why there is a reason these photos exist. Give me a context to the picture. Tell me why this moment is important for me to see. Don’t duplicate what the picture is already saying. Let’s say, for example, a boy is sitting in a chair crying. Obviously a bad caption is Boy sits in chair crying. A good caption would be John Doe, after fighting with his brother over a shared toy, cries after being spanked. Explain the reason behind the action that is in your image.  

And always, always, always get names; get in the habit of asking for them now. Quotes can also be a great element to add.

One more little note why this is important. No matter where you are publishing…the majority of people who will see your images are word people. At the Los Angeles Times where I worked, when I was trying to persuade an editor to use certain images, I would present them with a photo; before they even looked at the picture, they read the caption. Based upon the caption, they would decide whether the image was good or not. 

Think of captions this way – as a journalist, it’s part of your job. If you want respect, then do your job.

My Photo Editor Mind - Photo Story/Projects Pt. 6 Video Questions

A little side note since I seem to be talking about stills: the previous advice can be applied to both stills and video. With a still picture story, the narrative can be what you shot; sequence your images and you can create a storyline, provided you have followed previous direction. With video, usually the interview sets the tone for the narrative, so if you don’t have the right questions, you won’t have the right answers, and it will leave you without a narrative. Let’s take the family whose parents lost their jobs and they are moving out of their home because they lost that too. You can ask, “How did it feel to lose your home,” and the answer is, “Bad, I felt bad, I never thought this would happen.” That is a pretty boring/expected response because the question is boring/expected. Now consider asking a question like, “When you lost your home, how do you think that affected your children?” or “When you received notice you were defaulting on your mortgage, did you ever think you would actually lose your home? Can you give me your thoughts when you first received word the bank was foreclosing on your home? Did you tell your children?”

I suggest writing down questions with possible questions asked in various ways. Rephrase the question multiple times to ensure the answers are what you need. Thinking about (and crafting) the best possible answer will help you create a great narrative.

My Photo Editor Mind – Pt. 5 Let’s Edit

If you thought the shooting was hard, this can be the toughest part because you have to take a critical eye to your images and delete, sorry….but yes delete some of your favorite images.

To begin, gather all of your images and start going through them, obviously removing some of the ones that aren’t so spectacular. Think about what you wanted to say when you began and think of the ways the story has changed since. Keep going through the images, slowly removing them, comparing similar pictures, identical images of the same person, doing the same thing. That’s easy enough, right?  

Next we need to sequence the images.

I always think an opening shot is the grabber; I want to know more about whatever it is I’m looking at; this image also has to introduce me to the story; it can be a glimpse of the story. It has to be something that peaks my interest and makes me want to click onto the next photo. I don’t think when you sequence the images they have to be in chronological order, so keep that in mind when you pick your opening image.

Sometimes after I have picked my opening image, I might look for the closing image that sums up the story. So now I have my opening and closing images.

I want a sense of place, who the subjects are, their struggles, their emotions. I want visual variety, details, tight faces. A sense of time if there is one. Think of the transitional images; sometimes peeking in a window can take you inside. Another trick is similar images, one inside one outside. You are telling a story, so think of the words to describe each photo from one to the next, say them out loud, do they make sense in the order you have them?

Once I have a rough outline of the images I want to use and in order, I use Slide Show to run through the images. I don’t have to click through photos, so I can take a step back. It’s amazing how much it helps when you are not actually touching the images but just watching them, seeing how they relate to each other, if the order feels good. Sometimes, I don’t get past 4 frames before I stop it and change it.

Best advice, when you feel frustrated walk away. I find even though I might not be sitting in front of my computer, my mind will continue to think about an image, wondering if I really need it, am I using it because I think it works for a transitional image, but it’s not that strong. I might come back hours later or sometimes the next day.

Now go through all of the outtakes; seriously, all of them. I’ve been so close to trashing photos and then pulled them back into the edit. Maybe at the time it wasn’t what I thought was going to work with my initial idea, maybe I didn’t look closely enough at it. Seriously, everything. I always, always, always do this. Always.

Be patient with the process; you’ve spent an awful lot of time to get these images, now take as much care in editing them.

And if you need help, you know I’m here to help.