and illustrations for editors

* Editors typically are not visual people. * Editor training and practice traditionally was not in photography and illustrations

* Some antagonism traditionally between editors’ and photographers’ approaches. * But today photographs and illustrations have become essential to most publications and online.

* The growth of professional graphic design in print and online has required editors to become more visually oriented.

* In many mass media style publications and websites, the words have taken a second place to the power of the visuals. * On the other hand, stand-alone photo stories are not as common as they were in the past. * The photographer’s work has become sometimes just another element of an overall design concept.

* Editors need more and more to learn visual thinking, to be part of a team that produces a multimedia package or graphics-based publication design.

* Photoshop and pagination software has made possible the kind of design considerations artists and printers in the past could only do with difficulty and considerable expense. * Editors don’t have to know this software extensively. But they do have to be familiar with it.

* Editors also are expected to choose photos and graphics—and to know the good from the not- so-great. * They may work with photo editors and art directors. But usually the editor has final say.

* Editors don’t take pictures, usually. They employ photojournalists. * Magazine editors may hire freelance photographers or independent studies. * Most publications of any size also employ illustrators, although freelancers also may be hired.

* Editors also may find images in digital clip art files, or stock agency files. * Stock agencies provide high-quality work for a price. * Digital clip art may be free, or available at a nominal price. * Normally free clip art is not as high quality, and professional editors tend to avoid it.

* “Royalty-free” art and photos from the Web may still require editors to pay a fee for use. * Usually the images can be used after that for a variety of ways, including advertising, without further payment. * Images not royalty-free require a payment for one-time, or certain use.

* Today we also have a new option. Editors may search for Creative Commons approved photos and images. Flickr has a lot. What is this? Creative Commons

* Editors need to know the system well, and avoid just using any image found on Google Images. * These often are copyrighted. That means you need permission to use it.

* Editors often generate photo assignments. * It may be up to editors to consider photo or illustration possibilities for stories, or multimedia packages for the Web. * Editors may assign illustrators or photographers to produce this material, instead of looking online. Professional publications avoid using generic online photos.

* Photographers and writers often go on assignment in teams. * Most commonly editors ask photographers to produce photos of people to illustrate a story.

* Portraits may be offered to editors in two ways: * mugshots—a typical head-and-shoulders studio portrait. * Environmental/personality portraits—photos of a subject in an interesting environment or doing something interesting.

* More sophisticated editors choose environmental portraits over mugshots, if possible. * They will be more likely to attract readers, and they emphasize the goal of the media: to report about people doing things.

* Editors try to avoid choosing photos of people posing, or staring at the camera.

* Also amateurish are “grip ‘n grin” photos, that is, photos of people shaking hands and getting awards.

* Fishing/hunting trophy photos offend some readers.

* Group shots are boring, and hard to see individuals. Most professional editors avoid these as well.

* Editors avoid so-called “cheescake/beefcake” photos as sexist in news media.

* Magazine editors, however, know these kinds of photos sell magazines.

* Editors aren’t expected to fix photos, but can request photographers or artists to do so. * If that’s not possible, poor quality photos must be rejected. * What is poor quality?

* Poorly exposed photos, either too dark or too light, will only get worse when published. Dark photos especially do not reproduce well.

* Out-of-focus photos look amateurish.

* Photos taken with a flash on the camera look like amateur snapshots, and generally are avoided.

* Most photos will need some cropping, unless the photographer has done it. * Mass media editors look for the poster effect: the photo should have a clear center of interest, should be direct, and should contain a minimum of subtle detail. * This is because the printing process lowers detail, and media consumers don’t give full attention to photos. Average is 2-3 seconds.

* Crop distracting backgrounds.

* Editors avoid empty space between subjects. In this case, it’s probably better to reject the photo, as cropping will ruin the context of the speaker with audience.

* Editors should crop large empty expanses. This includes sky, walls and ceilings. * Distracting backgrounds should be cropped as much as possible. * But cropping can be overdone—we don’t want to lose context of a photo. Cropping decisions also are ethical decisions.

* Photos should be published reasonably large, except mugshots. * Consider in large-format publications printing a horizontal at least three columns, a vertical at least three columns.

* Album-size photos all the same size look amateurish in mass media publications..

* Photos are usually published in column width, abbreviated: 1 col, 2 col, 3 col etc. * A mugshot may be ½ column, sometimes called a half-column runaround, because the text wraps around it. * Photos that do not match column width may have white space surrounding. These are called floats.

* Photo pages allow editors to tell a story through photos. Normally these have limited text. * A theme-setting photo is published largest. * Usually also included are medium shots and closeups. * Photos are not published the same size, album style, but vary to help tell the story.

* In mass media work, all photos must have cutlines. * This gives the photo context, and helps to orient the reader to the activity taking place in the photo. * Sometimes cutline are called captions.

* Cutlines should be written in present tense. * They should be fairly short. * They should identify the people in the photo. * They should not describe what’s obvious.

* They should not include unnecessary words such as “This photo shows,” “above is depicted,” or “The subject is posing.” * Include a byline for the photographer or artist. * Avoid using only the name for a cutline, unless it’s a mugshot.