Navigating the World of Editorial Photography
Things I learned the hard way over a decade of working with magazines.
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Last spring, I taught a workshop on editorial photography at the SVA BFA program. To cover this in a three-hour class is insanity, because it is just enough time to communicate the difficulties and intricacies of editorial practice without giving all the necessary answers. I blietzkrieged through a decade of photos and stories, looked at students’ work, and answered questions. It was a mad afternoon.
The first thing I asked was everyone’s reason for wanting to work with magazines. One young man answered, with enviable optimism, “because I would like to make a good living as a photographer and have creative freedom over my work.” Everyone nodded. I sighed. For a starting-out photographer, the only thing more impossible than having creative freedom while working with magazines is making a realistic living, especially if paying rent in NYC. For the rest of the class, I tried to set realistic expectations while sharing tips and tricks that I have gathered throughout my career. I am sharing some of them in this newsletter.