How do you choose?

Hi,

How do you think when you choosing pictures for publication? I guess it depends on what the pictures should be used for, but in general.

The reason why I ask this question is that I'm going to have a portfolio in a dive magazine and they want me to send them 25 pictures and I'm having a hard time to choose which 25 to send.

I guess that a big variation is good and of course the quality itself.

I’ve got 50 to choose from so 25 should go away.

Which one would you send in from these pictures? dive magazine pictures

Regards

Peter

Great shots!

I would think about leaving out duplicates (ie the same subject shot on the same dive) and go with the strongest shot of each subject: particularly of the jellyfish, manatees, oceanic whitetip etc. If you still have too many, then drop the ones that look like everyone else's: reef, sunburst and anthias, for instance. I think your own vision comes through in some of the images more than others.

Tim

B)

Hi Peter,

I would choose a selection that shows variety.

Variety of techniques: macro shots, fish portraits, large creatures, scenics and scenics with divers.

Variety of uses: include some strong frame filling competition shots, also incude some with good negative space (ideally with divers in) which the magazine might eye up for editorial use. Then maybe they will be back to you for more shots.

Variety of subjects: show that you shoot a range of different subjects UW. Marine life, people, patterns etc etc.

Variety of audience: pictures that make the non diving public coo, pictures that make other UW photographers jealous, pictures that make editors sit up and take note.

Hope that this helps. Choose pictures that serve you and promote the diversity of your work.

Alex

It used to be said in the days of film that if you found nineteen good shots and just tucked any old shot to fill up the space on the twentieth slot in the viewing sleeve, that would be the shot the art editor chooses!

It never ceases to amaze me that art editors make the most odd choices. Today, if you send in a sheet of trannies and a CD with digital images, the art editor will inevitably choose from the trannies because he can see them immediately (by holding them up to the window), even though the digital images will make a lot less work for everone in the long term.

So what can I advise? I advise you to send a variety and do not get precious when they choose what you consider to be the wrong ones!

Everyone has a point-of-view and the POV of most art editors is that it is they that choose which pictures to print!

I would NOT choose myself from left to right:

1, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 45, 47, 50. That would leave me 28 from where to discard 3 more but I wouldn´t know. I guess it depends on the kind of the mag: tourism, general diving, UWP specific.....

It depends on what you are sending them for. Cover shots generally require verticals. Full page shots the same. As Alex stated, if you are just sending in a set for review, mix em up, horiz, vert, macro, WA, split etc. Make damn sure the key points are sharp, rule of the thirds applies and they are interesting. Same ol' same ol', no matter how crisp and colorful don't attract editors because they already know where to get those. Your images have to be different and something that generates interest.

Joe

I saw your portfolio printed in the magazine yesterday. I really liked it. Congratulations!

My favourites ware http://www.pedda.com/polish/pages/School_Goatfish.html

and http://www.pedda.com/polish/pages/Dugong_2.html

Especially the second one is a kind of shot I think I will remember and easily recognize as yours if I see it somewhere else.

I did not like the way this one (http://www.pedda.com/polish/pages/Lisa_VS_Stingray.html) came out in print (colours were a bit odd, oversaturated maybe). But I guess it may vary from one copy to another. It looks better on the net than it did printed.

Regards,