Photog question

I'm wondering about the standard protocol for photos in your various departments. How does it work? Do the photogs come back with a variety of shots (horizontal, vertical, etc.) for you to pick from or do they come back with one or two for you to use?

I'm talking strictly deadline, game-coverage only. Not feature.

I'm wondering if I'm out of line for asking for a variety of shots, or to ask that the photogs get a shot that would fit the design.

Thoughts....

 

Our photogs generally give us what they consider their best shots. But they're usually pretty flexible about getting us a particular player or something if that's what we need.

I don't think you would be out of line to ask for a variety of shots, as long as you do so in advance. I guess it sort of depends on how much of a hassle it is for them to prepare the shots for publication, though.

 

When it comes to making deadline, no request is unreasonable.

You don't have time to tear up a page when a shooter brings you an extreme horizontal when a vertical is needed.

A good shooter will respect being properly briefed on your needs before heading out on assignment.

(On feature assignments, I expect the shooter to bring me both horizontal and vertical versions unless we've decided differently.)

 

Our shooters are pretty good about giving us the photo type we need.

Sometimes we'll leave a hole that can use either vertical or horizontal.

 

I'm asking because I'm having some creative differences with our photogs about it. I was always under the impression that a photog should come back with at least one vertical and one horizontal. Apparently I'm crushing their artistic freedom.

I completely understand that their job isn't just to fill a hole, but if an editor says my story is 10 inches and not 18, I write 10 inches. I don't write 18 and tell my editor that he or she is crushing my artistic freedom.

 

See, you just don't think like a photog.

Seriously, though, the best thing to do is to massage their egos whenever possible. On a day when you get photos early, design around what they say is their best photo. Do this several times, and they might be more amenable to giving you one that fits when they come back 15 minutes before deadline. Working with photographers is an art form.

 

So you might be so locked in to your wonderful design that if a photog comes back with an absolutly great photo that:
A. Tells the story perfectly but
B. doesn't fit your beautiful design...
you'll blow off the great photo for a lesser one rather than adjust your precious design to tell the story properly with a great photo?


Paging DyePack .....

 

Yeah, massage their egos, since we all know photogs aren't real journalists but just a bunch of narcissistic artistes whose visions can't be constrained by minor details such as putting a newspaper together.

Seriously, as a designer I've never had a problem telling a photog to bring back a photo to fit a specific shape, and as a photographer I've never had a problem being told to do so.

Talk to them as professionals and expect that they'll respond in kind.

 

I'd be happy if they just stopped coming back with the same damn shot every time. Or give me one piece of art that makes the girl look like she has down sydrome, then say "well, it's different" and "unusual."

 

Thanks for the advice. I have no problem at all ripping up a design if they come back with a great photo that tells the story, but often times I either get a play at second base or someone catching a fly ball. The other night we got a square photo on deadline. That was fun to deal with.

We're going through a deadline change, so we don't have as much time to dink around with this stuff as we did in the past. I'm planning to meet with the photogs next week to discuss it and I'll definitely use the advice offered here.