Photobook: A Beginners Guide for Editing Text and Image

Interpreting visual images can be challenging. Here are some helpful tips so you’re not left overwhelmed.

Being an editor means that we are always meeting new challenges and adapting to them. Usually, we are most comfortable with words, so working with images can feel a little daunting.

Recently, I worked on a photobook for the first time. As part of the process, I had to navigate working with someone from a visual background rather than an editorial one, as well as find ways to weave the text and images into a coherent narrative. The book, Martial of Arts by Jasper Chan, followed Dagny’s dreams to become a musician in Australia. The experience was a good learning curve for me, and while I am proud of the result, I now know how to work more efficiently for next time.

The best way to start is to do a bit of research and confide in your peers. To help other editors who may be tackling a similar situation for the first time, I’m sharing some tips I wish I had known a little earlier.

What does the image say?

The first thing a reader is going to do when they open a photobook is look at the images. Before you familiarise yourself with the text portion of the book you need to acquaint yourself with the images

You are by no means expected to edit the images as a photographer would. However, it’s important to keep an eye on layout and narrative flow.

Do a first read of the images in the order your photographer has laid them out. Go through each page and jot down your initial thoughts and impressions just like you would when doing a first read of a fiction manuscript.

If you find visual language a challenge, just remember it doesn’t have to be complicated. Ask yourself:

- What is happening in the image?

- How does it fit with the narrative in the other images?

- Overall, what kind of story do the images tell?

Take this image as an example:

‘Dagny is concentrating on his music practise. This image shows that he takes his music seriously and that he can play more than one instrument.’

It can be as simple as that.

What does the text say?

Now that the images have given you an idea of what the narrative is about, you can marry it to the text.

Remember, when you start editing the captions, always relate the text back to the image.

The purpose of captions is to drive home the significance of the image and to give supplementary information.

If a caption reads ‘Suzy rides a horse’ next to an image of Suzy riding a horse, this may be a bit too literal to be deemed essential information. Instead, try to find some details related to the backstory of the image. You may need to chat to your photographer to discover these details, provided they have built a strong relationship through photographing their subjects.

If the text repeats what is obvious in the image then it doesn’t complement what we see and needs to be rewritten.

You’ll also start picking up little holes in the narrative, parts of the story that could be clearer or that may need a smoother transition.

Take this image as an example:

This was a part of a series of images of Dagny’s training exercises. What the image doesn’t show and what the captions failed to express is his complex history with the sport of boxing.

What is the story behind it?

Regardless of whether or not you’ve picked up discrepancies or you feel there is something lacking in the narrative, you should always ask your photographer ‘What was happening when you took this photo?’

Remember that there is the on-the-surface story that the image presents and then there is the story behind it.

Sometimes you’ll have the opportunity to be on site during a shoot or to meet the subject. This first-hand experience is a great way to observe details that your collaborator might miss, and to help your photographer bring their images to life in the editorial development and copyediting stages.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take a more hands-on approach. The reality is that you won’t always be able to attend shoots. If that’s the case, I would recommend sitting down with your photographer and asking them a million questions after the shoot about each image. This is especially important if there is an image you don’t quite understand the significance of, or if the image doesn’t appear to be that interesting. There is a reason the image is there, and as an editor it’s your job to find out why.

There might be a detail or a quote that will bring the image to life and endear it to the reader.

Take this image as an example:

This is one of the images from Dagny’s band. When I asked about the details it turned out that it was an Italian pop cover band. Also, half of the singers in the band didn’t know Italian. This detail added a little more character to the images.

At the end of the day, all you are doing is applying the same level of curiosity to the images than you would to any piece of written work. Trust your intuition and don’t be hesitant keep asking questions.

I would like to thank Jasper for being so lovely to work with as well as providing me with the images for this article.