My Photo Editor Mind - Contacting a picture editor
So you are trying to get your work seen by a photo editor, and one way to do this is through various social media sites. Fair enough; however, you should probably do your research before contacting that person. Lately I have been contacted by so many people wanting me to publish their work. Way too many. Sometimes with endless messages. I don’t publish work. I don’t work for a publication. If you contacted me regarding publishing your work, now I know you didn’t do your research. Know who you are contacting; know if they work for a publication; know if they hire photographers; know what type of work they publish; for goodness sake do your research. Sending out endless general messages to anyone with the title “picture editor” is a waste of time and doesn’t bode well for you. The latest message I got didn’t even include my name. This shows how much time this person took to find out about me. Come on people, do your job. Researching a photo editor is part of it.
My Photo Editor Mind - No Excuses Please
Either you got the shot or you didn’t. “It was too hot,” “it was too cold,” “it was far away,” “it was a long day,” “I was tired,”—all of this doesn’t matter. Sure I will lend a sympathetic ear, and some days I remember as a photographer working my butt off trying to make the perfect image and nada, nothing, it was just a bad day. What ultimately matters though is whether you got the shot or not. “I tried” won’t get the picture published, and “I worked really hard” is not going to sit well with an editor either.
If the shoot did not go well, learn from it and move on. A client, or editor, doesn’t want to hear what went wrong, so instead of making excuses, accentuate the positive. Play up the strengths and what went right instead.
My Photo Editor Mind - Wide angle lens abuse
It’s hard to concentrate on an image when there is too much distortion, and that is what happens when a wide angle is used incorrectly. A hand can become bigger than a head, portions are disproportionally stretched, and it detracts from your subject … and your message. I appreciate that sometimes you might be in a tight space, trying to capture an area, or a group of people, but if all I see is the distortion, sorry but that’s a fail. I’m not saying don’t try, but me mindful of anything under a 35mm lens, and understand what you are doing. There are other options. Try only shooting a portion of the scene, the most interesting aspect of the scene. Be mindful of that lens distortion.
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 you got into Eddie Adams, the portfolio review went well, or they want to see more of your work, and the best is “I’m getting published.” I love starting my day this way.
My Photo Editor Mind - Watch those backgrounds please
I was recently judging a contest, going through the images, and was amazed how many people don’t seem to pay attention to the backgrounds in their images. Distracting, distracting, distracting. I think you get my point. I know, sometimes it’s a fleeting moment and you grab the shot, but if you are in a position where you are waiting for a moment, take a look around your frame, move, and then move again. You are working hard for that image, so take that extra step to make it exceptional.
My Photo Editor Mind - Get out of your car
Okay, I have a lot of pet peeves when it comes to photography, and one I have no tolerance for is shooting from inside a car. Okay, I get it, you are in the car, and a moment happens in front of your eyes. Yes, you have to take the picture. If you got out of the car, it would be too late. However, it looks like it was shot from inside your car. There’s the window or door frame, generally the composition is off, etc. I’ve yet to see this work. Okay, when I’m editing a large batch of images, of course you can send me the car photo, but I will probably delete it. We’ll keep it a secret between the two of us. Never to be seen again.
My Photo Editor Mind - Rathkopf Photography
“Wow,” was my first thought when I saw Anna and Jordan’s project on Anna’s struggle with cancer. To turn the camera on yourself is a very interesting idea, and this was how they chose to deal with the disease. It reflected their style and how they approached a subject, so that was my mindset when they asked me to help them update their website. There is joy in Jordan and Anna’s photographer, an appreciation for their neighborhood and the people in it, a sense of community. When you view their work, you can’t help but smile. I wanted to show off their style, their personal take on the world, and how they achieved a sense of intimacy in their photography—real moments with real people. Check out their work at https://www.rathkopfphotography.com.
