Mikhael.
PopMechanics Russia photo editor

Hopefully they are pissed off and mad as hell. Yet again, the Times takes something away from the readers.

We buried the notice that the magazine was closing at the bottom of the masthead. Totally lame. LA and it’s dwellers deserves better.

The Tribune Towers and the Times building are up for sale.
That says it all.

Heidi

Sorry for getting back to you so late. I’ve been distracted as they’ve decided to close the magazine and turn the operation over to the business side.

—–

Everyone is a first at some point.

It’s fine not to have a significant editorial background, I am choosing you because of something you are bringing to the table. Fine art, commercial…

No I don’t work with green photographers, no only purple ones.

I use the front of book and back of book to experiment with new photographers. All shoots are important on some level, but I would work with newer photographer on a smaller project, see what the images look like, how the project is delivered and take it from there.

There is never a magic number. Solid work, well thought out, visually articulate are good things to keep in mind.

Thanks for the question

Heidi

Heidi thanks for taking the time for all these answers and for the inside look.

And girl, keep doing your brilliant work and enjoy life, the mountains, the air, the ocean, the people. the great food and wine of California as much as I have been doing since I moved to California in 2001

Let the spirit and creative forces of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and John Steinbeck guide you.

Manuello Paganelli

Thanks for the question and link.

Yes

We use stock photography, most often for travel when we can’t afford to shoot everything. (Like if we are doing a big service piece) We do like to cover travel at least 2x a year and always look for ways people can indulge themselves near LA.

H

All the best and let’s catch up soon!

Heidi

How can you forget to mention Working Woman Magazine in that impressive resume of yours!

Your redesign is amazing, hope you and MD are doing well.

-kris

Thanks for answering all our questions. I notice on the LA Times web site you shot the photos for the “At Big Sur’s Post Ranch Inn, the luxury guilt-free. Go ahead, indulge” article. Is that something that happens often? If you ever do anything else in the Big Sur area I have a friend that is an amazing photographer that lives there. http://www.kodiakgreenwood.com, if you like word of mouth.

So one quick questions do you ever use stock photography?

Thanks again for your time….
Ryan

We don’t manipulate photography, when we do alter anything, we label it photo illustration so we never mislead our reader. That was a tough one coming off a consumer magazine background but I embrace it now that I am here and fully support it hard as that may be at times. It forces everyone to solve it in camera, with light and keep things tight. There is no cleaning up later.

There was a great article in the New Yorker you should read
about Pascal Dangin written by Lauren Collins.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/05/12/080512fa_fact_collins

Thanks for the question

Heidi

I would say email is the best, and I really try to look at all my emails.
Not everyone hammers the delete button.
Maintain by sending out great images and updates but don’t always expect and reply. Plus, think about who needs images that you can generate in your locale, what stories are relevant to whatever client you are pitching.

I found the photographer in Paris through an LA based agency, they had someone over there that was already on a job so I could piggy back and not get buried with the travel. I did this after I:

#1
I reached out to some Paris based agencies but it became really hard with the time difference and my time was running out.

#2
Had a Paris based photographer interested in the job, then left me hanging for a few days and I burned a bunch of time waiting for an answer

#3 Had the this photo dude I know named Rob post some things for me.

Thanks for the questsion
Heidi

Well, the crew over there is doing a fantastic job both creatively and editorially and I would think we complement each other. They just kill it when it comes to service and have the pages to support the indepth information. They do alot of thing really well actually, I love their sense of humor, use of photography, incredible voice in that magazine, great writers. All great elements when it comes to a consumer magazine. We are more of a news magazine, that is sometimes funny and do a little bit of service so we are kinda different animals.

I would say we compete with them only in that most of the staff that is there has worked here at one point. We lost a lot of great people to them this year.
Thanks for the question and I’ll check out your site.

Heidi

Scott

Really like what you’ve been doing with the magazine. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better under Nan Oshin, you’ve taken it to a whole new level. Congrats.

With LA Magazine being such a force in this town, do you see your magazine as competition or partner in crime when it comes to covering all things Southern California?

Would love to shoot for you sometime.

Steve

Well I think photography should inspire design but design can also lead you to how you want something shot, how the type will integrate with the image, fit on the page and what not.

I love it when you go into a shoot with an idea, you get that, then you push and get images that go beyond what you originally had in mind.
Shoots need to stay somewhat organic b/c it is a dynamic situation.
Plus who doesn’t love surprises ( and options )

“The ultimate control” is mine, not the photographer, and what I mean by that is I have the unique position of being the photo editor and the art director / designer so I know exactly what I am going to do with the images on the page, how those images will fit and flow with the rest of the book.

I do let the photographers shoot their craft, that’s why I hired them.
So they do have a lot of control but the end game is all mine. Make sense?

Heidi

So in an ideal world its photography first, then design? When does the photographer “having ultimate control” become counter productive?

Thanks for another view from the inside Rob.

Chris

What does HD mean? Hard copy? If you want an issue, I’ll send you one, just give me your address. Plus we have an online presence and photo galleries for our pictorial narratives.

latimes.com > look for Magazine in the menu bar on the left

Heidi

Email is the best.

heidi.volpe@latimes.com

Nice to hear from you. You are at Portfolio right? Looks great and lucky you for working with RP. Let me know if you are ever in LA for a shoot.

Some Santa Fe people were just here, they got shot for Outside and I finally got to meet Leslie Meyer.

Heidi

First off, welcome to CA. I would like to see both. I am an art direction, remember? it’s all about options. Plus it’s always good to show range as long as it’s organized in separate books. I especially like to see personal work because it’s what you respond to, gives me a little window into your head. I like seeing what people are interested in, because if an assignment comes us that can tap into their own personal passion, they’ll bring that extra layer to the images.

Thanks for the question,

Heidi

Jana

A question for Heidi: Want to look at my book? HA…Just kidding.

My real question is:

I’m in the middle of relocating from a place I’ve worked for over 20 years and my books are pretty much all personal work – most of the people in this area know of my commercial work. So, it works just fine. However, I’m moving to California and no one knows my commercial work.

So, when you look at someones book, who you’ve never heard of before, do you like to see personal work or more commercial photographs?

Thanks.