Matt Blalock, I like your site and found your advice useful. I hope I can produce photo essays as interesting one day.

I’m not sure if this question has been discussed elsewhere in the forum. I have not seen it yet.

You mentioned earlier that when editing you have two choices, how many and which photos. I understand all the comments about how many, I see the value in it, but I’m still working out the “which ones” part :-)

When you are putting a story together do you include less strong photos because then are important for the story, or do you just stick to the best of the best? My guess is that you would answer to show only your best photos, but what if that doesn’t complete the story? Some documentary work must just happen as the story unfolds before you and once that moment is gone…

thanks for your advice

As some of you know I am starting a documentary photography “magazine” or website. As we have put out requests for photographers I have received hundreds of e-mails. Most of the photography isn’t even close to anything I could vaguely call “documentary”.

As I saw another photo editor post above, follow the directions of the request, don’t waste the time of the editor with things they are not interested in, it only wastes YOUR time.

When I do get a good photographer, there are a few things that seem always to be true:

1. They have a personal website (not Flickr, Carbonmade, etc) that is easy to use.
2. The website has galleries that are descriptive and I know quickly what it is I am interested in. I.e. “Documentary”, “Reportage”, “Art”. Often when I get into that gallery I am given options of their recent work, say an essay on the 2008 Presidential campaigns.
3. The e-mail is short, it has a few links, and offers advice on how to view their work and usually, it tells me what I might be most interested in.
4. They have full contact information included.

Of course, when I get bad photographers, they usually have some things in common too:
1. Flickr account or similar
2. No contact information
3. Attached images of weddings, children, pets, trees, or homeless.
4. The message is something to the effect of “whats up? check out my links. let me know if you want to buy stuff. -xoxo”
5. The e-mail was sent from an e-mail address like seXXXykitten69@hotmail.com

Essentially, the level of professionalism in their communication (whether it be via e-mail or on their website) often equals the professionalism of their work.

Sorry for the long winded message but, I sometimes get a little worked up about it.

As for editing, I am terrible at editing my own work. Never been able to. I like to think I am alright helping others with their work though.

Matt

still looking for your second page and a link with my first edit…please please…..we have one or two more rounds of editing to do….

peace, david

I NEED FOR YOU TWO TO MOVE FAST…PLS SEND YOUR BEST EDIT TO MICHAEL COURVOISIER….courvoisierm@hotmail.com

i totally thought Katharina work was already in…my mistake…..again, not sure whether i will use both of you for Look3, but there is a good chance i will….

when putting together a slide show , i like to have “balance”….you cannot go black if you do not go white…

HURRY PLEASE PLEASE…MANY THANKS

HERVE..
“MICROCOSMOS”?!!!!…
now you talking..!!!

. I mean , now you talking Greek to me..
thank you for your care and support..
especially last week..
peace..
are you going LOOK3??

Wow, love the essay very much!…breaks my heart…that pic of people inside “room” with TV and gravestone is harrowing stuff…i’ve never heard of this play nor even apprehended such a place could be possible, even amid the squalor that exists around the world….

great job…

cheers
bob

LOL Ill put things back in and wait hah

Ok everythings back in the set. The first 10 is what i edited thanks to input from some others, after that its what was in there before.

if you do want to give me a crit here, could you possibly email and tell me when you do? Otherwise I’ll probably miss it. That would be very nice and save me from the tenterhooks I’m on ’til I hear your worst. Thank you, Amy

you are right on….

cheers, david

NO, NO…do not worry about what others are doing!!!

just do your thing…everyone works at their own pace……please do not feel under pressure….

some photographers may not show us anything until the very end…maybe this will be your approach….fine.

others will want a running critique and discussion…

either way is fine from my point of view…

i always tell photographers to work hard, but relax at the same time…seems contradictory , but it is not…you must concentrate, be “on the case” and yet be totally tranquil….

if you get “uptight” you will not be able to do anything…turmoil and frustration of some sort are normal and good…but, do not “lock up”!!!

enjoy, relax….

peace, david

Congratulations to James and Panos work (the latest I could see)

I couldn’t find the link to Jarle assignment photos yet (despite visiting his site)…

Cheers

I have thinking that while I photograph my ” mixed heritage “, the others are already publishing or editing theirs assignements (and it looks good). Your are too fast for me. ;). I don’t even want to think about editing right now. Maybe I’m wrong. I just do my thing. But I feel a kind of good pressure.

I am reminded of Pattaya in Thailand, but with the free-spiritedness added, and the American Freedom, that both graces and strikes the Venice denizens.

Rafal, I hope David guides towards a selection that privileges one emotion, not too many. If we convey or awake one feeling, this will help your work stick with people better than an overall synopsis.

From everything David tells us, Editors, looking for new talents, value emotion (I don’t mean sentiment or touchy-feely stuff), more than good coverage. It’s harder of course, but unmistakably ours.

Funny thing is that I’ve been looking at my site feeling that there is far too much work on there. I think I need to take out some projects that don’t relate to the kind of work I am doing right now.

Srini
http://www.srinivaskuruganti.com