Comments on: Running The Best Photo

By: Andrea LaBarge

Andrea LaBarge — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:20:04 +0000

I recently wrapped up three years as a photo editor at a music magazine, and reading your post gave me flashbacks. I always did my best to include our photographers’ preferences in our edits (at least to a certain degree). The most frustrating thing, however, was when one of our Art Directors would crop an image with no regards for composition. And it happened in every issue he worked on. Instead of asking me for another horizontal shot/option, for instance, he would just take one of the vertical shots that we really liked and lop off the bottom half!

By: the Fashion Spot - Favourite Top African and Black Models

the Fashion Spot - Favourite Top African and Black Models — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:34:46 +0000

[...] ,Stella McCartney , Tim Blanks, Jourdan Dunn models for showstudio Running the best photo: how the magazine pics get decided 1940’s supermodel, Dorian Leigh passes away Naomi deserves to be the diva she is: the [...]

By: Clif Page

Clif Page — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:27:59 +0000

Aphotoeditor said:

“Building the trust of talented photographers is the only way to get amazing pictures on your desk in the first place.”

Words well spoken for any publication.

I work at a small-to-mid-sized newspaper, and I try to send photographers out with the idea that a book about Elliot Erwitt once placed in my mind that a photographer should look for pictures that fulfill the request, and then look for photographs for himself. Interesting photography happens when the visual journalist is allowed to see and respond.

I would much rather edit a bunch of really good photographs down to one well-played photograph than run bad photographs just because we have to do something.

By: Lucas

Lucas — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:16:34 +0000

@4 – Today, I re-learned the lesson of always searching for your next job the hard way. A BIG assignment that was all set to go got pulled at the last minute because the company can’t afford it. The word came down to stop everything. For me, this was big enough to pay for the next 4 or 5 months of my living. Plus, I could get some new equipment I’ve wanted.

I haven’t been looking for any other jobs because this one was so big and taking a bunch of my time. Plus, I’m kind of in the middle of relocating to California. Makes me wish I had kept looking for that other job.

Sorry about being so personal but I’m kind of shell shocked right now. I went from doing great to being broke in a few minute phone call. Well, I’m now free to do that other shoot…..I just need to find it.

By: STONER

STONER — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:57:46 +0000

This is one mantra I’ve carried over from my advertising days: Take Care Of Thy Vendor.

Without the photographers we’ve come to rely on (and I’d like to think vice-versa), we’d be nothing.

And, though we fall flat on our faces sometimes, I can sleep on my back at night knowing that we do our best to take care of the artists who choose to work with us…

By: Giulio Sciorio

Giulio Sciorio — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:26:41 +0000

Reads like this is why I visit this site first every day. It’s evidence that you care about the art and you get it. From a photographers perspective it’s nice to know that someone gives a damn.

Right on.

By: A Photo Editor

A Photo Editor — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:19:45 +0000

A magazine I worked at used to complain that the writers did all their best work for a competitor. Our magazine was a job to them the other was for getting more jobs.

By: Lucas Cichon

Lucas Cichon — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:35:52 +0000

Some years ago, I allowed a small regional startup magazine to use some of my landscapes for a story they were doing. From the sample they showed me of the magazine they had 1/2 page photos. They kissed butt to get photographs for free, with the idea the photographer would get some high quality tears.

With my photos, they cropped two photos into a round format and another had text over it. They had cropped, or “messed” with all the photography in the magazine. I hadn’t really done any work so wasn’t all that disappointed. Things happen. There were photographers who did some work for them on a promise of good tears, and future paid work once the magazine got off the ground. They were pretty upset.

The magazine didn’t make it past a couple of issues. Really, it was just sad for everyone involved.

By: joshua

joshua — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:23:40 +0000

Well said!

By: Saverio Truglia

Saverio Truglia — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:36:20 +0000

Amen. It’s true that I do my best work
for photo editors where trust is mutual. One of my favs are the PE’s at Fast Company. I think the mag as a whole does a great job of paring images with stories but further, we have a good rapport when concepting and trading ideas before the shoot. They help me research my subject and can share the angle of the story I am shooting for (this is surprisingly not always the case). I go into their shoots feeling able to have fun because I’ve done my homework. When I have the magazines trust and partnership, its easier to get the same from my subjects.