What is Editorial Photography?
Editorial photography illustrates stories that are used in newspapers, magazines, books and websites. With editorial you are usually briefed by the publication's editor or picture editor regarding the story.
The benefits of working in this genre:
Working in studios and on location
More creative freedom than advertising photography, although the majority of the time you are working to a strict creative brief.
Publications cover almost every area of interest such as bridal, Sports, News etc.
Editorial shoots help the photographer get exposure.
The negatives of working in this genre:
Extremely competitive
You must be flexible
Tight deadlines
Copyright
Images become copyrightable soon as the photographer takes the image. When photographing for an editorial piece copyright has become a huge factor, working for some publications they are expecting you to give all the rights to your images away without any charge.
Publishers right buyouts for two reasons they are:
Images will receive royalties.
The publisher wants to cover themselves for electronic usage such as internet.
Sometimes the publication will win if the photographer gives into the publisher’s demands.
A photograph cannot be copyrightable if it has no artistic value and you cannot copyright a concept.
Image Editing Ethics
The following procedures are allowed for editorial work unless stated by the publication:
Cropping an image
Darkening or softening to reduce or eliminate unnecessary material that will conserve the context of an image.
Enhancing an image.
The following procedures are not permitted for editorial:
Adding or removing material that the event of the context is changed or edited.
Altering a subjects clothing, facial expression, gesture or body parts.
Retouching an image.
Using motion to create a misleading impression on the viewer.
Using effects or colouring that will alter an image to give a misleading impression.
Using other post production procedure in a way will also create a false impression.
If an Editorial is going to be published by the publication, in some cases it is not required to pay hair stylist, makeup artists, models, or wardrobe. Their payment for the editorial is exposure received through publication and work for their portfolio.
When shooting a bridal editorial, the person publishing the work usually expects to have many different looks. If your image from the editorial goes on the front cover of a publication, you have more right to request payment. This can be change of clothing, change of hair style or makeup. So I have made sure when I have taken my images I have used a variety of different dresses and models.
Metadata
Metadata is the information about a photograph, such as the author’s information, copyright etc. It is inportant that you have metadata because this will protect your work. File information of the image is stored using the Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) standard.
This following link is information on metadata for Lightroom and Photoshop.
Example of metadata Lightroom, Photoshop and Aperture. They all have bascially the same information.
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The way we look at work
We have given a task for apart of the editorial unit which will undertake research into magazines and magazine culture to raise awareness into the following:
Branding
Target audience
Style - design, page layout
Magazine Spread Example
This task is called "the way we look at work" its how we interpret it. I thought it would be interesting if I looked at photographers that photograph in the stereotypical way people are perceived at work. These are some example I have found.
Ideas
Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts photographed mechanics in the stereotypical way. Realistically mechanic don't work like this and you would only really see mechanics like this in women's magazines.
Bob Carlos Clarke
Bob Calos Clarke photographed French Maids.
Bob Calos Clarke photographed French Maids.
Ellen Von Unwerth
I have been looking at stereotypical images of nurse. These following image of nurses are photographed to look sexual.
I have followed on the theme of nurses, unfortunately I couldn't find the name of this photographer.
Steven Klein
This image of a nurse is quite a sadistic image.
I have been researching uniform and they all seem to made out of latex and they are not how you would see these uniforms at work.
All images from Ann Summers
Nurses outfits
Police Outfit
Sailor
Pilot
Lifestyle / Documentary Editorial
I have had a look into lifestyle documentary editorial because I thought it would be intresting to photograph a local restaurant and show behind the seens and how hard they work. The sort of magazine you would see this is Ribble Valley magazine. This is not really my style of photography but I would like the challenge of it.
These are the kind of image I would like to achieve.
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Proposal
I have two different proposals for the editorial brief "the way we look at work". I am not sure which one to do.
Proposal 1
How are you interpreting the brief?
I would like to show fantasy worker vs. Real life worker. I am using a real nurse who is also a model and photograph her in the style of how the media portrays a nurse. I would use this as a fashion editorial. I would shoot this in the studio.
Which magazine is your project aimed at? Who is
your audience?
your audience?
I would aim this at fashion magazines for example Elle, Company, Glamour etc. The audience would be young women.
Outline the story you are telling consider captions/text-
image relationship.
image relationship.
Fantasy vs. Reality something on them lines
Proposal 2
How are you interpreting the brief?
What style of editorial are you exploring?
Documentary, lifestyle
Who/where/when do you plan to
shoot? Provide a schedule?
What style of editorial are you exploring?
Documentary, lifestyle
Who/where/when do you plan to
shoot? Provide a schedule?
If proposal one doesn’t go ahead. This shoot would be on location.
Which magazine is your project aimed at? Who is
your audience?
Which magazine is your project aimed at? Who is
your audience?
Magazines like Lancashire life, Ribble Valley Magazine
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Contact Sheets
These are the contact sheets for the editorial brief, I have put both photo shoots into the same contact sheet.
Layouts Examples
I wasn't to sure if to make the images black and white or have them in colour. So
we have tried a few different layout to see which is best.
I like the layout but I dont feel the type face fits the images and layouts.
This is my favorite layout so far, I like how the graphic designer has arranged the images and he used a quite a classy type face.
These are the kind of images you would see my images in, Lancashire Life and Ribble Valley Magazine. Both magazines fonts are bold and white with very distinctive images.
Example of Editorials in the Ribble Valley Magazine. I like how they are both laid out but both very different with very similiar contents.
Here are my final layouts
This layout has a variety of quotes added and this makes the overall layout look bold.
This layout is quite simplistic.
This is my favorite layout, I like how the graphic designer has changed the image of the pepper mill, this has given the overall image a different diemension.
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Ideas
For the actual editorial brief, I would like to do an editorial on wedding dresses or pregnancy and this would also fit in with my individual study.
Examples of Wedding dresses
Examples of bridal Editorial Spreads
Wedding Editorial spreads are quite busy and exciting looking.
Images are all different sizes.
Images are all different sizes.
Pink is colour that frequently used in spreads.
Busy looking spreads
These spreads below have used coloured text boxes, this makes the page stand out and more appealing.
The font's in bridal magazines use a lot of scroll type faces and also blocked capital letters. The layouts are very busy looking and have a lot going on.
Bridal Covers and Magazines
The target audience these types of magazine would be brides or anyone working with wedding to keep up to date with fashions.
Pregnancy
Target audience for this type of magazine would be mum's to be and new mum's.
Target audience for this type of magazine would be mum's to be and new mum's.
Front cover spreads are colourful than wedding covers.
Pregnancy editorials are more simplistic than wedding spreads.
Other examples of editorial genres.
For editorial I am going to photograph wedding theme, I have chosen to do this because there is only a short time span for maternity. For the images to look interesting they have to be quite heavily pregnant and pregnant women don't always feel well enough around this time.
I have arranged to photograph a bridal shoot in a wedding location, using a variety of different models, wedding dresses and a make up artist.
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After Researching different types of editorial themes I have decided that I wanted to photograph a wedding style theme. I am going to do an editorial on brides on their special day. I have been to a wedding venue and photographed a variety of models in different wedding dresses using a hair stylists and a makeup artists. When photographing these models I have photographed the whole and the finest detail of each bride.
When post processing each image I have made a virtual copy of most images and turned them into black and white because black and white images at weddings are extremely popular. From this photoshoot I have learnt so much about wedding photography. One of the main thing I learnt was getting the correct exposure, the dresses being white and it being quite a sunny day made it difficult. I also learnt alot about different postioning of the brides and what lenses were required.
These are some of my favorite images from the day.
First Model
When photographing upclose I have used a 50mm to get achieve a shallow depth of field.
On this image I have used quite a deep depth of field.
Second Model
Third Model
Forth Model
Fifth Model
Sixth Model
This is the contact sheet from the bridal shoot.
These are the types of magazines my images would go in Bridal magazines.
The type face of each of these magazines are bold and are in caps lock and the colouring in the majority of these magazines are pink and black.
The type face of each of these magazines are bold and are in caps lock and the colouring in the majority of these magazines are pink and black.
Wedding Style Magazine
Editorial Photographers
Mario Testino
These images by Mario Testino were taken for Vogue.
These are the cover for his bridal shoots.
Hugo Burnand
Hugo Burnand photographed Will and Kates wedding and also Prince Charles & Camilla.
Joe Buissink
Ryan Brenizer
Jose Villa
Elizabeth Messina
Elizabeth Messina body of work has been an inspiration to me throughtout this brief. She is a wedding photographer that has worked for Instyle, Town and Country and Elegent Bride.
This is a monatge of some of her work. Her work is very elegent.
Editorials
Her photography has appeared in endless editorials these are just a few.
The spreads appear busy.
The spreads appear busy.
Covers of her work
She has appeared in countless cover for bridal magazines.
She has used here an natural enviroment and a shallow depth of field.
Annie Leibovitz
Editorial on vinatge wedding dresses.
Editorial for Vanity Fair Magazine
Other Photographers I have looked at:
Alisha Brook
Magazines shes has been featured in:
The Knot
Destination Weddings
Elegant Bride
Studio Photography & Design
American PHOTO
Kodak's ProPass Magazine
WPPI MonthlyRangefinder
Professional Photographer
Get Married
Aurora Crowley
Christian Oth
Photographed an editorial for Vogue
Final Spreads
Final Layout
These are my final layouts all was created in INDESIGN. From research, wedding editorials are usually quite busy looking and the images are usually quite mix matched.
I have used the title "Beautiful brides & their big day" because I felt that it was appropriate for the spread. Quotes I have used are:
"Every detail matters" for a bride every detail does matter to them.
" I have planned this day in my head since I was a little girl, it had to perfect".
This first layout has a white back ground, and white and black text where need.
On this spread I have put the text in a box.
This spread is the same as the first spread but I chnaged the background to a light pink colour to see how it would effect the overall spread image.
This spread is different to the first, I have used the same main image and rearranged the images and text on the opposite side. For the quotes I have used a drop shadow as this makes the quote stand out more. I have also used white frames around the images.
The background on this spread is a light pink colour.
I have made the quote n the right on hand side a light pink colour.
