Yesterday while editing an assignment I ran into a problem where I had narrowed down an assignment to two photos, and had to pick one for publications. Now this isn't anything new, in fact it's something I do everyday. Yesterday, However, I kept second guessing myself. Self-editing is something I would like to think I'm good at, but from time to time I get stymied on one set of photos. I think the problem usually comes when we get attached to a photo, but often don't want to admit it to ourselves. Usually I can step back and objectively look at things, other times I can't. Yesterday's conundrum wasn't helped by the fact that I didn't have the luxury of time, I had another assignment I needed to get to, and I couldn't step away for a few minutes as I often do. You'd be amazed at how different photos can look to you after taking the time to step out get a drink or water or a soda and maybe a quick visit with a co-worker.
The photos were not going with any story, the one I picked was to run as a stand alone piece of art on the page. The girl scouts in the pictures had just donated several books related to girl scouting to the local library and were getting a tour of the children's area by a librarian. I picked the first one to turn in despite the fact that one of the girls was looking in my direction. I liked the moment with the girl in front and I'm a sucker for framing. I had a really tough time, and in hindsight I think it was my love of the framing technique that won out. It doesn't make me very proud to say so because that's not a very good way to pick out photos. The second one has its flaws as well, one of the girls faces is obscurred by the book and the girls in the back aren't even paying attention. It does tell a little more about the event since you can tell the girls are brownie scouts and with the woman in the foreground holding a book it's a pretty easy guess that she may be a librarian. Since this ran without a story, the second one does convey more info to the reader than the first. However, the first photo does have the interesting angle and composition going for it. Feel free to leave any comments you have about my decision, the photos themselves or which one you would have picked.
2 comments:
I think the second one would be best for print as you can you say in the cutline the other girl looks to another book on the cart. With a story I think the first one would be good but for the extended cutline def the second one. There is more to narrate and set the scene. First one would just be any girl at the local library. You have the sashes showing they are Brownies in the second one, which is the whole point. Good stuff though!
oh ya, its me ... dW
Post a Comment