Selecting photos from a series. ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR
If you’re sending pictures in to an editor, they’re only going to use one out of any series. So, why not choose the best one and send it to them? If they’ve only got one image to use, you can take complete control over their choice, by sending them the one that you consider to be the best image.
This article provides some pro tips on selecting photos from a series:
Compare backgrounds
Obviously you should compare backgrounds where necessary. For example, in the situation with the one minute’s silence covered in my blog post on choosing backgrounds, I deliberately didn’t choose the shot with the lad with his chip packet in his hand.
The first two images in this series are not good enough because the chinook is obscured behind the union flags. While the third image is better, the fourth wins on dramatic impact. ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR
When selecting photos, find the most impressive shot
When you’re doing sports action shots, you’re going to take at least three shots of each piece of action. Ideally, you will have timed it so that you’ve got the players together in front of a good background, so you can take background out of the equation.
So, you’ve got three images that are basically the same. But which shot is the most impressive? That’s something to get into your head. Which shows the power of the interaction between players? Which best demonstrates the emotion of the game?
The person in the background immediately rules out the first shot in this series. The second image is OK, but the Herald Cup winning skipper is more animated in the third, so that’s the one I sent to the press. ©Al Macphee/MiraclePR
“If you’re sending pictures in to an editor, they’re only going to use one out of any series. So, why not choose the best one and take complete control over their choice?”
Which shot shows the full context?
Your shots should always make the context of the match, event or occasion clear – even without a caption. Take a football match: you should almost always have the ball in the shot. The first thing people are likely to ask is, ‘Where’s the ball?’ If you’re asking someone to cheer without a trophy in their hand, people will be thinking, ‘What’s he cheering for?’
Think about your client when selecting photos
Whether you’re shooting static shots or action shots, always think about which shots show the client or their organisation in the best light. For an example, read the case study of the Torbay Go Tri, where every image needed to demonstrate fun and enjoyment.
“Which shot is the most impressive? That’s something to get into your head. Which shows the power of the interaction between players?”
Watch out for obscured faces
There’s nothing worse than being in a group photo, and having your face blocked by someone else. You can’t always control this in camera. Take a cup final winning squad shot. You’ve done the boring one, where you’ve moved everyone around and can see everybody’s faces. Then you tell them to go nuts and cheer. That trophy is always going to go up in front of somebody’s face. You can’t take complete control of that, especially with the kids. So, you need to be thoughtful when making your final selection.
Have a burning photography question you would like Al to write about in his next blog post? Email info@miraclepr.com with your request.