well, they need to put teh images SOMEWHERE now that there isnt rom in teh newspapers… wanna bet they are still cutting back on staff photographers AND asking the remaining ones to shoot more for the site?
I’m glad to see the Big Picture’s idea taking hold at other newspapers. I hope that photographer’s aren’t getting pushed too hard to throw up anything and everything, though, at the expense of sanity and quality. I know a photographer at a small paper whose editors lust after page views; they *loved* it when he put up 40+ image page-by-page gallery of images from an after school program-type event. I’ve been in the same place, too, when someone at a newspaper I worked for said, “Why don’t you just throw a bunch of pictures up online.” A small, storytelling selection is fine, but soon enough it’s, “Why don’t you just throw the whole take online.” One of newspapers and magazines greatest roles is that of filter, mediator, and editor, i.e. someone to sort out all the chaff so the wheat can rise to the surface. Sadly, I’ve noticed Big Picture’s image counts slowly rising…we need more signal and less noise.
Another thing I’ve noticed with these new news picture sites is that they’re chock full of wire pictures. That’s all fine and dandy, I suppose, but when we start seeing freelancers and staffers getting into the mix a bit more, we’ll have something to really celebrate. Then show me something presenting photography with a stronger sense of authorship or editorial stylistic consistency (that’s probably not the right way to phrase it), and I’ll bring the beers.
The reception of these sites, also, is incredibly heartening. The Big Picture consistently gets a minimum of 40 or 50 comments per post, often more than 150. And I believe that’s with very little marketing support or tie-ins with the Boston Globe’s regular offerings. Considering that a small percentage of visitors to any site take the time to comment, that’s nothing to sneeze at and shows that the public is hungry for pictures.
I’ve been following the big picture for several months now. I really love this type of photoblog. interesting stuff. i like that it offers a different view, literally, of current events.
Candid, humble, funny and full of great behind-the-scenes back story.
And then there’s TIME’s misnamed “White House Photo of the Day” blog. (It’s not updated daily.) Lots of great imagery from two of my faves, Brooks Craft and Christopher Morris.
Columbia Tribune (Mo.) is a much smaller city, but has a superior photoblog … not sure for how long, but I’ve been following for about a year now called Behind the Scene.
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Also of interest is the The Big Picture by the Boston Globe although it’s more than just staff photos.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/
The Denver Post also has Captured. http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/
It looks like this is catching on.
well, they need to put teh images SOMEWHERE now that there isnt rom in teh newspapers… wanna bet they are still cutting back on staff photographers AND asking the remaining ones to shoot more for the site?
I’ll get excited when they actually incorporate this into their overall design and aesthetic direction, rather than producing some half-arsed add-on.
I’m glad to see the Big Picture’s idea taking hold at other newspapers. I hope that photographer’s aren’t getting pushed too hard to throw up anything and everything, though, at the expense of sanity and quality. I know a photographer at a small paper whose editors lust after page views; they *loved* it when he put up 40+ image page-by-page gallery of images from an after school program-type event. I’ve been in the same place, too, when someone at a newspaper I worked for said, “Why don’t you just throw a bunch of pictures up online.” A small, storytelling selection is fine, but soon enough it’s, “Why don’t you just throw the whole take online.” One of newspapers and magazines greatest roles is that of filter, mediator, and editor, i.e. someone to sort out all the chaff so the wheat can rise to the surface. Sadly, I’ve noticed Big Picture’s image counts slowly rising…we need more signal and less noise.
Another thing I’ve noticed with these new news picture sites is that they’re chock full of wire pictures. That’s all fine and dandy, I suppose, but when we start seeing freelancers and staffers getting into the mix a bit more, we’ll have something to really celebrate. Then show me something presenting photography with a stronger sense of authorship or editorial stylistic consistency (that’s probably not the right way to phrase it), and I’ll bring the beers.
The reception of these sites, also, is incredibly heartening. The Big Picture consistently gets a minimum of 40 or 50 comments per post, often more than 150. And I believe that’s with very little marketing support or tie-ins with the Boston Globe’s regular offerings. Considering that a small percentage of visitors to any site take the time to comment, that’s nothing to sneeze at and shows that the public is hungry for pictures.
I’ve been following the big picture for several months now. I really love this type of photoblog. interesting stuff. i like that it offers a different view, literally, of current events.
Seattle Times sports shooter Rod Mar has a great blog.
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/bestseatinthehouse
Candid, humble, funny and full of great behind-the-scenes back story.
And then there’s TIME’s misnamed “White House Photo of the Day” blog. (It’s not updated daily.) Lots of great imagery from two of my faves, Brooks Craft and Christopher Morris.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/whitehouse/photos
St. Louis Post-Dispatch has Pictures.
Columbia Tribune (Mo.) is a much smaller city, but has a superior photoblog … not sure for how long, but I’ve been following for about a year now called Behind the Scene.
ehh. bookmarked..
Book marked and will visit again. P
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