I’m lucky enough to have worked in a small publishing company in the past wearing a number of hats including photo editor. Getting a good idea of what an art director wants and needs out of commissioned photography is something I’m eternally grateful for, and it certainly changes some photographic approaches. Looking for negative space, title room, full bleeds and, hopefully, DPS opportunities are key in getting assignments nailed – give them options but drowning them with every frame.
Then there’s the challenge of telling stories, encapsulating the feel and mood of a place or event into a string of binary, which is the best, can be rolling with a writer and finding it yourself. That’s possibly the most fun.
