The Visual Editor
Honing your ‘eye’ and getting a good story
What’s the story?
Working with a photographer on their photobook requires all of the usual editorial skills: curiosity, open-mindedness, decisiveness, humility and good communication. But there’s another valuable contribution you can make when working with another whose focus is mostly visual: honing your own visual abilities so that both text and image convey a good story.
I worked with Patrick Marriott, a photography student whose subject came to him early. He showed me photos of his grandfather, Graeme Marriott, an eighty-year-old Victorian farmer who was still active on his properties. There were many strong images in the mix, but Patrick was still figuring out how he wanted to present his observations.
Takeaway: had I known to do this sooner, I would have encouraged Patrick to meet me again after our initial, quick catch-up so that, over a coffee or a drink, we could give time to time and talk through the possibilities. Brainstorming with another is invaluable as it usually forces you and them to talk through all of the options and to come to some decisions, even if they aren’t definitive. It essentially speeds up the sorting process for a narrative and that can only be helpful for the photographer, especially if they haven’t taken all of their shots. In other words, you can make suggestions about taking extra shots that will add to the project.
Building the book
One of our most fruitful meetings was the day we met with a copy of all of the images that had been taken. Patrick laid them out on a table in his preferred order. At this point he had only written an introduction and a few captions. Looking at the selection this way gave us an immediate sense of what was missing and what areas were repetitive and boring.
Once we got our images in the best possible order, we numbered each page. I was able to ask Patrick very particular questions about each image and where I wanted to know more information. Since it was a book about his grandfather, it became clear that we needed his voice in the book as well. This process of laying out the book enabled us to see where we could ask particular questions of him to enhance the viewer/reader’s experience. Things like: why are you still farming at your age? (next to a pic of Graeme climbing a ladder).What was farming like when you started, compared to now? (prompted by a pic of a modern ute).What do you think or feel about the livestock?(a question inspired by the simple loveliness of a steer’s dark eyes).
Takeaway: whenever and wherever it’s possible, meet with your collaborator and look at the project in draft form. Get an overview of its layout and take time to play with different options and outcomes. There are already stories within the images that can be explored further. Take the time to see what the images prompt in you to ask.
Hero shots
Patrick had chosen a strong image for the start of his book. For him it was all encompassing as it showed his grandfather on a quad bike at the rear of a herd of cattle, but I had to admit to not even seeing his grandfather in the picture until he pointed it out to me. There were a lot of shots of his grandfather on the farm, but none that featured a close up or offered a sense of his personality. Patrick agreed and went back to take more photos.
Takeaway: Since this was a book about one man, it made sense to begin and end with strong shots of him. Graeme bookending his own book is a nice touch and reminds the viewer what the project is about.
A man is not an island and behind every great man …
A whole book about a man and his cattle can be limiting. While it was not my book, I wanted to get the best results and share my observations with its creator. I was curious about who else was in Graeme’s life supporting him and how he spent his leisure time. Patrick was able to source some excellent family photos that showed warmth and the marking of time. He also added pertinent text so that the combination was nuanced and interesting.
… grandchildren arrived, filling the empty house with the love and chaos that young families bring whenever there are gatherings. Having the property encourages everyone to spend time outdoors; riding horses, horse-drawn lorries and motorbikes, or helping Pa in the ample vegetable garden whenever the weather permits.
Takeaway: don’t be afraid to make suggestions that take your collaborator out of their comfort zone and might mean that they will need to do more work. As an editor you want to flesh out the story to maximise its potential, whatever that is.
The visual editor gets to extend their abilities to consider what story lies behind an image, where one image best sits within the whole and what words will add to the viewer/reader’s experience. This is an extension of the editor’s skill-set that can ensure you work on fascinating projects, adding your own suggestions and observations, in the service of a multifaceted outcome.
