What does a photo editor look for in a marketable photograph? After all, photography is an art form and art is
subjective, isn't it? This is true! Ask a dozen different photo editors about their
preferences and you'll receive a dozen different responses.
But, there are established criteria by which experienced photo editors can
determine and separate a really good photograph from a mediocre one.
Although
different photo editors evaluate photographs in different ways, I have found there are
five general questions that most photo editors ask themselves during the evaluation
process: Is the photograph properly exposed? Does the photograph have impact value? What is the theme or the subject? Did the photographer successfully emphasize the
theme or the subject? Has the photographer
simplified the image by eliminating nonessential and distracting elements?
Proper Exposure
As unbelievable as it may seem, there are photographers who will submit an improperly
exposed photograph to a photo editor and expect to get a positive response. A photo editor will not waste his or her valuable
time on such unprofessional submissions. Never submit any photographs that are not tack
sharp and properly exposed. To do so may
result in never getting another appointment to see that photo editor again!
What is a properly exposed photograph?
As a working photo editor, I routinely examine the images in a photograph
for absolutely sharp focus, sometimes using a 8x magnifying loupe. Before submitting images to a photo editor, a
photographer should carefully examine his or her photographs for blurring or fuzziness
around objects in the picture. Remove these
photographs from your portfolio. If you are
submitting black and white prints, examine your photographs for a good range of gray
tones.
Here's a professional tip: Invest in a gray scale, which can be purchased in most camera
stores for a few dollars. Compare your black
and white photographs to the gray scale. Unless
the photograph depicts a high-contrast scene (a black cat walking through a field of
snow), a properly exposed image will contain at least half the gray tones on the scale,
including solid black and pure white.
I always examine
the highlights and shadows in black and white and color photographs for detail. The best way to achieve detail in both highlights
and shadows is to use the integrated metering method for determining balanced exposures. Simply take a meter reading of the brightest
highlight and the darkest shadow in the scene you're going to shoot. Determine the midpoint exposure, and then shoot
the scene using the two widest aperture readings beyond the midpoint exposure. For example, your highlight exposure is f/11 and
your shadow is f/2.8. Therefore, shoot one
exposure of the scene at f/5.6 and shoot another exposure at f/4. One of these two exposures will give you the
greatest amount of detail in both the highlight and shadow areas of the scene.
If you're
submitting color images, examine the color saturation in the photographs. Photo editors scrutinize color images for correct
color saturation: Are reds really red, or
have they taken on a pink color? Are blues
really blue, or have they taken on a purple or violet color? And if there are various shades of red or blue or
green in the original scene, have they been accurately reproduced or do they appear as one
color—no separation of shades—in the photograph?
Impact
The lack of
impact is a major complaint of photo editors, and it ranks right up there with improper
exposure. I evaluate more than a thousand
photographic submissions every year, and only ten to fifteen percent of all the images
that pass over my desk have real impact. Impact
is grabbing power! It makes you stop and look
at the photograph. It plays on your emotions. It produces a definite response. Does the photograph make you smile? Does it make you wrinkle your brow? Does it evoke a feeling? Sadness? Happiness? Tranquility?
Power? Anger? Laughter?
Photo editors
want images that make powerful statements. Anyone
with an automatic camera can shoot a properly exposed scene. Ask yourself before you shoot the photo: What is
it about this scene that makes it stand out from all the rest?
Photo editors can
easily tell if a photograph has impact by the way people respond to it. The response can be positive or negative. But, it can't be one of indifference. If I look at a photograph and I'm not moved by
it—I don't feel some kind of emotional tug—then I know the photograph lacks
impact. If I feel an emotional tug, I'll
sometimes display the image to others on the editorial staff and observe their reactions. In fact, I'll usually show the photograph up to a
half a dozen different people before I make a final determination on the impact value of
the image.
An excellent way
to get an honest critique is to display your photograph to members of a local camera club
or to a instructor at a local college or art school.
In the absence of a camera club or photography instructor, don't be afraid
to solicit the opinions of John Q. Public. If
your images have real impact, most people will respond very favorably to them, even if
they don't understand why. And this is
really what a photo editor tries to determine: How will the public react to a particular
image?
Theme/Subject
There should be a
story in each photograph, with a clearly identifiable theme or subject. A good photograph communicates a message to the
viewer. The best images contain universal
themes, meaningful to people everywhere. Youth,
innocence, joy, war, sadness, poverty, love—these are just a few examples of
universal themes, which are hallmarks of exceptional photographs. They grab the attention of photo editors.
For example, a
photograph of a little barefoot smudge-faced girl, in a dirty and tattered dress, sitting
in the doorway of a run-down building, depicts a theme of poverty. Is it a universal theme? You bet it is!
Or a photograph of a grief-stricken mother at her only son's gravesite. Images like these evoke strong emotions and are
excellent examples of universal themes.
A good photograph
emphasizes the theme or subject by focusing attention to it. The most important elements that express the theme
are amplified in the photograph. Photo
editors often complain that they receive photographs with wonderful universal themes, but
the photographer failed to reinforce the theme by forcing attention to it.
For example, the
poverty of the little girl sitting in the doorway of the run-down building can be
emphasized by filling most of the picture with her and including just enough of the
doorway and the shabby building for reinforcing the theme.
By focusing sharply upon the little girl's saddened eyes and her unhappy
facial expression, while keeping the doorway and the building slightly out of focus, the
subject and the theme are forcibly thrust upon all those who view the photograph. Too many times, the photographer includes
irrelevant or distracting elements in the image, thus de-emphasizing the theme.
Professional tip:
I know of instances where photo editors—myself included—have returned
photographs with suggestions on how to improve the images.
Occasionally, a photographer will respond with a curt letter describing in
painful detail the amount of time and effort that went into creating the image, and
chastising the photo editor for not recognizing an "exceptional" work. Instead of recognizing the valuable guidelines and
constructive criticism being offered by the editor for making a good photographic image
even better, the photographer sees it as a personal attack against his or her work.
Beware: This kind
of response will probably cause the photo editor to never use that photographer again. If you submit a photograph to a photo editor and
it's returned to you with suggestions for improvement, re-shoot the image and then
resubmit it. You can be assured the editor is
trying to tell you something!
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