Workflow tip: how to expedite picture editing

My system for quick editing and filing on deadline

As an addition to my previous post about editing photos after an assignment, here is the system I developed which helped me file fast and never miss the deadline. To save time, I do not import photos into Photoshop until I have picked my final selection in PhotoMechanic.

1. Copy all photos from memory cards to the computer. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid editing from the memory card – it is faster to browse through pictures residing on the computer than through a card-reading device. It also removes the possibility of the files getting damaged while being read and re-saved from the card. I usually shoot with two cameras and copy pictures from both cards to two separate folders on my lap top.

2. Using picture browser (I use PhotoMechanic), edit pictures in one folder, choose (“tag” in PhotoMechanic) the photos you like, then copy them into a new folder. To avoid having files overwritten if another file has the same filename, I rename selected files using PhotoMechanic’s copy-and-rename function. Repeat the process with photos from another folder and copy the selection into the same location.

3. Open the folder with all selected pictures in image browser (PhotoMechanic) and batch caption them with a generic caption for that assignment. Names and particulars will be added later. Make the final selection by picking only the pictures you consider the best.
Here I quote Stephen King from his book “On Writing” – when re-editing his manuscript he advises to “kill your darlings,” meaning to be merciless editor of your own work and kill all unnecessary photos. Leave only the best of the best. Try to imagine what would you like to see in the paper as a reader. If you have doubts whether a photo is good enough to be published, it probably isn’t.

4. Open the final selection in Photoshop for color correcting, cropping and final captioning. My generic caption contains the location, date and the event description which will be the second sentence of my AP-style caption (check my previous post on proper captioning). In this step I add the first sentence, containing the names and description of what is in picture.

5. Send pictures via ftp or any other method your employer uses. Try to send all edited pictures at once so the editors can see the whole selection and make the final choice for publication. If the pictures are arriving with long gaps between the two (i.e. some colleagues prefer to send each picture after they correct it in Photoshop and before they move onto the next one) the chances are that the ones you sent first will be picked even if they are not the best.

6. (Optional) Since you saved time following this method, pack your equipment and go to have a drink! If you find these tips useful, you are welcome to buy me one too. :)

Editing photographs: do not overfile, do not underfile, but where is the middle ground?

How many photos from an event should be sent to the editors?

In already forgotten times of film photography, the restricting factor was amount of film used, which needed to be processed, then scanned. Photographers shot less and edited their materials more carefully, resulting in less pictures on the editor’s desk. Digital cameras changed all of that. Now photographers, liberated by practically unlimited storage for digital pictures, shoot hundreds of frames in an event that used to be shot on a single roll of film – that’s 36 frames for those out there unfamiliar with that artifact. The editors, in turn, end up going through dozens of, for example, portraits, differing from each other by a slight tilt of a subject’s head. When photographers can not decide between several almost identical frames, they tend to send them all to the editors. And, just as often, they complain afterwards: “why did they use that picture, when I gave them the better one?” The fact is – you gave them the lousy one too!

Each of us out on the field has the opportunity to control the quality of pictures that are being used. We just need to make sure only the best photos are sent to the editor. Usually, one shot per situation is enough. Instead of sending a “variety” of similar shots with insignificant changes in detail, focus on creating different situations by changing the angle, lights, background, scene, or the pose of your subject. The same rule goes for portraits too, unless the subject’s expression changes radically between frames. Even then, one shot of each different expression should suffice – one smiling shot, one serious shot, one crying shot, etc.

In newspapers world, from a smaller event involving small number of subjects, i.e. news conferences, portraits, etc., 5 pictures is often enough, in choice of vertical and horizontal shapes whenever possible. It all changes, of course, with the importance of the event – if there is a chance that the event will be considered for the front page, wider selection would be wise – another 3-5 strong pictures, for example.
Bigger events such as protests, celebrations and similar, with many different participants, will need more pictures. From my experience, a choice of 10 good shots including verticals and horizontals, details and overalls, is usually enough. The questions I ask the editor when being sent on an assignments were:
- How big are we playing the event? or How many pictures are expected from it? – meaning how much space for coverage the newspaper has? If it’s a one-picture story, it falls under small event.
- How many photographers from our paper are going to be there? – if there are more of us shooting the same event, we should edit tighter and send less pictures each than if only one is covering the whole thing.
- Do we need filers from it? – file pictures, to be used later, can be sent separately.

Magazines operate under different rules. Magazine photo editors prefer wider selection of photographs per story to choose from. That means wider variety of different situations, rather than greater number of similar shots. To establish exactly how many is too many, the best way is to talk to the photo editor when starting a new job for a magazine, or a newspaper.

As a conclusion, how many photos we file from each shoot draws an image of what kind of professional we are:
Sending too many photos usually shows inexperience and/or indecisiveness. It could be justified if a photographer didn’t have enough time for proper edit and decided to rather give too much than not enough.
Sending too few photos shows hastiness and/or a photographer unfamiliar with the need of employer.
To find the balance, get familiar with the need of the publication and the style of photographs it uses, then talk to the photo editor about how many is enough photos per assignment.

Guidelines to proper photo captions

All you need to know about captioning your photographs, but never bothered to ask

You shot that awesome image, but didn’t have time to caption it! Sure, it made the front page, but now it sits in eternal darkness of digital archives with no one able to find it, because the caption is incomplete or the names are misspelled.

As a photographer, I found that the least thrilling part of preparing the pictures for filing to the editors was – captioning it. Only when I started working the desk as an editor and a researcher, I realized how important proper caption is. Whether working on staff in a newspaper, magazine or an agency, or as a freelancer hitting the market all by yourself, same rules apply – the more terms relevant to your picture are included in caption, the more likely a photo researcher or a potential customer will find it. After all, the main purpose is to have a good photograph used more than once, which means it has to be easy to find.
Since all the search goes through the text embedded with the photograph as a caption, IPTC or file info, a standard widely accepted in the English speaking photography market is the AP (Associated Press) captioning standard:

The caption should follow a simple formula. The first sentence describes what the photo shows, as well as when and where it was made. The second sentence gives background or other significant information. The caption should end like this: (Photographer's Name/Newspaper Name).

Student’s guide to AP Style Photo Captions gives a following example and explanation:

Victory signs held high, Peggy Broxterman leaves federal court in Denver, Monday, June 2, 1997, after a jury convicted Timothy McVeigh in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Broxterman’s son was killed in the blast that claimed 168 lives. (Photo/Kevin Moloney)

Your caption MUST answer these questions:
1. WHO is in the picture? Are the names spelled correctly with the correct name on the correct person? Are ages included for minors?
2. WHAT is in the picture? Complete the story.
3. WHEN? The DATE the picture was taken, including the day of the week, day and year must appear in the body of all captions. Your images will be history some day.
4. WHERE was it taken? Be specific. Follow AP style for geographic locations. Use city, state and country.
5. WHY? Explain the circumstances, but avoid hyperbole. Remove as many adjectives as possible from the final caption.
6. Is it specific?
7. Is it easy to read?
8. Is it grammatically correct and written in AP style?
9. Did you check your spelling? Avoid spell checkers. Use a stylebook and a dictionary.

Captions are generally made of two parts, each composed of one or more sentences. The first part, almost always written in present tense, describes the action seen in the photo (see the first complex sentence in the above example). The second part gives context to the image. This part is usually written in past tense (see the second sentence in the example) and describes why the action, situation or content of the picture is important or interesting. NEVER WRITE A CAPTION WITHOUT HAVING THE PICTURE IN FRONT OF YOU!

Using Adobe Photoshop’s File Info, here are captioning guidelines for all IPTC fields:

Description
1. Document Title: either the assignment name or the name of the photo,
2. Description: this is the caption field - it needs to be AP style, completely filled out (5 W's & H), with complete ID's on all subjects within the photo
3. The Caption Writer (“Description Writer”) box should list the initials of the writer.
4. Keywords: any words that might give a basic description of the photo
5. Copyright Status: slide the menu so that it reads copyrighted. With this option it places a copyright symbol © at the top window bar of the photo when the document is opened
6. Copyright Notice: Your Name/Source, © and Year.

Origin
1. Date Created: the date the image was made,
2. City: the city the image was made,
3. State/Province: the state or province the image was made
4. Country: the country the image was made,
5. Credit: you, the photographer
6. Source: institution or publication the image was made for
7. Special Instructions should list things such as, Stand Alone Photo if it is a feature, date of file photo, advance line or outs and limitations (i.e. "INTERNET OUT").

Setting Your Price

One of the most common questions asked by freelance photographers is "How much should I charge for photo"? The answer is very complex and depends of many elements. Here are some questions a photographer should ask before setting the price for his or hers photo:
1. What is the circulation of the publication which is going to use the photo? That number will tell you if you are dealing with a small newspaper (with small budget), or the one that can pay more. Circulation numbers for most of the newspapers in Canada can be found at Canadian Newspaper Association web site
2. Where in the publication is picture going to be used and how big? Usually the pictures used on the front page are paid more than ones used inside. Also, price may vary if the picture is used full-page, half-a-page, quarter-page or smaller.
3. Is the picture going to be used for online edition, and for how long? Some photographers treat online rights separately, as it should be. Therefore, the online edition adds to the price of the picture. Duration could be set from 3 months to a year or longer.

When all is agreed upon, do not forget to ask for an email confirmation from the publication. Email is considered a legal document in Canada. Also, make sure that the caption of the photo you are selling bears "One Time Use Only" warning along with your copyright information, unless you sold rights for multiple use in the same publication. If no other use is paid for, include all the limitations in the caption, such as: "Internet Out", "No Archives", "CP Out", or, if the publication is a part of the media chain, e.g. "Sun Media Out" or "CanWest Out." However, I advise to leave open the possibility for more re-sales by including "Contact Photographer For Usage Rights" instead of the limitations and outs. Include your contact email and phone number in the caption.

This is all nice, but what price should you quote when the call comes? Here is a helpful link to help establish the negotiating value:

American NPPA (National Press Photographers Association) Pricing Calculator
There is also the "Photographer's Market" book which lists contacts for newspapers, magazines and books publishers across continent and gives the average price per photo information.

Photoshop Tip: Reducing Noise in High ISO Digital Picture

There are no photographers around who haven’t been in a low-light situation, but unable to use flash for any reason. With digital cameras the solution is easy – just boost the ISO value! Unfortunately, as ISO value gets higher, so does the digital noise. It shows in those weird-colored pixels, usually yellow, greenish or bluish in the shadow areas of the picture. Here is a quick tip how to reduce some of that noise using Lab Color mode in Photoshop:

- Open the noisy image in Photoshop, then select from the menu bar Image->Mode->Lab Color (this changes the color mode of your picture from RGB to Lab)
- Open Channels palette by selecting from menu bar Window->Channels (“a” and “b” channels contain color information, “lightness” contains the details)
- Select “a” channel
- While in “a” channel, select Filter->Blur->Gaussian Blur. Increase the pixel radius in the dialogue window until the details in the picture are completely blurred. Make sure you blurred all the rough edges and grain in the picture. You can easily go to radius of 4 pixels or more.
- Select “b” channel and repeat the Gaussian Blur filter
- Select “lightness” – if the edges are not so crisp, sharpen the picture a little using Unsharp Mask filter. Do not over-sharpen!
- Change the mode back to RGB (select Image->Mode->RGB Color

When working with files of the same size all the time, it may be useful to record this procedure as a Photoshop action.

Interviewing for a job or introducing your freelance portfolio?

Portfolio submissions - the basics!
by Phill Snel
Deputy Photo Editor, National Post

Having been the recipient of dozens upon dozens of portfolios, for two staff photographer jobs this past year, I'd like to make a few general recommendations to those who submit material for either staff or freelance positions. Perhaps you don't realize it, but the time you spend putting together your images (whatever form), letter, package, et cetera needs to be thought out logically. What you're putting in front of someone, perhaps your hopeful employer, has their complete attention for a couple of minutes.... more if you've got great presentation and great material.

I mention material and presentation separately, as you can have great work, but it may not shine through if everything else looks sloppy. This little list of minor, indeed "basic", things is pretty much what irked me the wrong way with many applications.

MANTRA: You are your brand. Make your brand stand out with excellence at every opportunity.


OVERVIEW
1 - "Brand" yourself with a logo or information of some type
2 - neatness, consistency and accuracy count
3 - when in doubt, leave it out, or do it over
4 - have someone else review your package / portfolio
5 - the following ought to be considered "the basics" ....

ENVELOPE
- nice envelope that's properly sealed (amazing how often they're not)
- it's nicer to have a logo for your sticker / printed envelope
- a nicely printed out address sticker is better than handwritten, unless you've extraordinary printing (neatness counts)
- always have your return address information on front (that's where a logo sticker is good branding point #1)

FOLDER
- a folder is not necessary, but is great for holding everything together
- another opportunity for a logo with name and contact information!

LETTER
- spellcheck your letter
- grammar check too!
- spell the addressee's name PROPERLY (call if you have to)
- ditto for getting their title correct
- SIGN your darned letter (can't believe how often this was NOT done)

IMAGES
- good work will stand out no matter what ....
- unless it's totally technically crummy!
- please make sure your images are toned and colour-corrected properly
- also please watch out for really rough dodging and burning
- a flow to the presentation would be good; transition from one theme to another smoothly where possible

CD
- a nice cover is great, but not always necessary (especially if you've a clear front)
- a sticker would be ideal
- another chance for a logo with name and contact information!
- format is pretty flexible (web-based, jpegs in a folder, DVD, etc)
- sometimes sending two formats is okay, so as to give the recipient a choice is fine
- include instructions as to what to do ... if you need to click a certain file/folder, then please indicate that
- BUT make sure you send what your recipient asks for
(if asked for small JPEG files, please do NOT send 100MB TIFF files ... it's happened!)
- you can also include a title slide with your name, logo, contact info, etc... yes, again!

PRINTS
- a formal portfolio case can have your logo, name, etc (yes, again!) on the front / first page
(this is a taste issue, and is probably case-by-case)
- a nicely put together set of inexpensively printed inkjet prints on regular paper can be effective too
- sometimes made as a book, or even a booklet, with basic binding (find solutions at a business supply store)
- PLEASE don't make the viewer constantly turn the pages to view your alternating horizontal and verticals
(it interrupts the flow of viewing your work)
- instead, print horizontals and verticals about the same size on the vertical paper

QUANTITY
- this is the big question
- sometimes showing simply "more" will bore your viewer
- if you'd like to showcase work that you're working on as a project, then perhaps keep it as a separate (second) presentation
- if your first batch of images has impressed the viewer enough, then they'll certainly want to see more
- they'll also appreciate that you didn't try to smash them over the head with a whole ton of images right off of the top

CARDS
- a "must" for everyday meetings, etc
- the most basic of basic business tool to give our your contact information (yes, and logo again)

LEAVE BEHINDS
- can be just a card, or can be something like a postcard
- this is your chance to leave a potential lasting impression ... or at least a little longer one

THANK YOU
- send a "Thank You" card (e-mail is copping out)
- another chance to send a postcard image with logo, name, info, etc

HANDSHAKE (if visiting)
- firm (not overly squeezy) handshake while looking into the interviewers eyes
- remember their name (never say "dude" to someone to fake it)

Quick Tips to expedite picture editing

Not so long ago I created a 12-page manual to help photographers from our newspaper deal with the workflow. It explains how to quickly edit, caption and enhance your photos using PhotoMechanic and Adobe PhotoShop. Steps included are selecting, batch captioning, exporting to Photoshop and quick color balance. If you are looking for ways to expedite your picture editing on a tight deadline, you may find this QuickTips pdf useful.

Some neat photography links

Here are few very nice photography links:

Jim Fiscus photo

Eric Myer photography - when you enter Stereotypes, click top part of one photo, then bottom part of another and see what happens.

Liquid Sculpture - recently, Canadian photo group PhotoSensitive had an exhibition on the subject "Water". Although this web site has nothing to do with PhotoSensitive, the subject is the same, but approach is quite different and quite unique.

Dust on the camera sensor

For all of us out there who occasionally – or very often - change lenses on our cameras, bringing dust to the sensor in doing so, here are useful tips how to clean the camera sensor from Ben Long of creativepro.com

Aperture

Last Wednesday Apple presented a preview of a new photo software called Aperture, an application aimed at professional photographers which is supposed to be in stores in November. Aperture, according to Macworld magazine, is not going to compete with Adobe's Photoshop, but rather help the workflow of professional photojournalist. Apple programmers claim to have listened to demands from some of the most prominent names in the photo industry and implemented features from photographer's wish-list into this new application. Aperture imports digital images from the memory card and opens them in a browser, thus replacing popular image browsers, like PhotoMechanic. It has basic photo-manipulating features built in, like tone and color correction, cropping, sharpening, etc. It is built to work with raw camera formats, and the beauty is - it preserves the original file from the camera. All the changes photographer applies to a digital image Aperture stores on a separate "layer" within the file, not changing the original. The adjustments are applied only when the file is exported in some of the popular formats - jpeg, tiff, psd or others. There is no “Save” command – Aperture records the changes to the file continuously and allows us to undo certain steps at any time. It can export and import files to and from Photoshop. However, Macworld noticed that Aperture uses a lot of processor power – minimum requirement is, according to Macworld, 1.25GHz, while Apple recommends running it on 2GHz machines. It is, obviously, built for new generation new dual-core, dual-processor Power Mac G5

World Press Photo 2004

Congratulations to Arko Datta, Indian photographer for Reuters, winner of the World Press Photo of the Year!

For the first time in many years, World Press Photo of the Year for 2004 is also the winner in Spot News category. In past years we’ve seen the most illogical fact of the World Press Photo awards – previous Photo of the Year winners did not win in the category they were entered, yet they won overall!
This year the choice was obvious – the strongest image in tidal wave of impressive images from Asian Tsunami coverage won it all. However, the other winners by categories are more than worth a look.
Click on the image to see all winners.