#editorsinsight

Your Shot: Editor's Insight

On Your Shot we work with a variety of guest photographers and editors from the photographic industry. For the series Your Shot: Editor's Insight, our guest curators reveal a behind the scenes to their editing and photography process.

It was wonderful to see so many of you venture into your own backyards for my "Underwater Beauty" assignment. I think exploring your surroundings is such an essential building block for your knowledge as a photographer. Some of my earliest underwater memories come from observing nature in an aquarium where I used to work while I was studying photography. I began experimenting by photographing the wildlife through the glass, waiting for the right moment as a seal or a little penguin would zoom past.

See Your Shot photograph by Rómulo Rejón (above)

These moments were crucial learning curves for me, as it wasn't until many years later that I got to share the ocean with these animals. One thing I learned was that regardless of photographing on land or underwater, it's important to keep on exploring - discovering new light, working in new conditions, and finding moments when nature and the environment create a spectacular display of light and energy. It is through these explorations that you find your own visual language and develop your skillset.

Personally, I don't get to visit the ocean as often as I would like, but I still try to practice every day. I watch as the light shifts and changes, and I take pictures on whatever tool I have available - whether it's a phone or a point-and-shoot camera. Eventually my hands can easily navigate my equipment without taking too much attention away from the environment and the moments I am there to document and experience. So when I do get a chance to go into the ocean, the camera comes with me and becomes an extension of my practice. It's thanks to these continued learnings that I am able to enter new environments and feel comfortable with my approach, while creating a unique collaboration with the environment.

I was also fortunate to share my work with like-minded individuals-it was a safe space for me to experiment and grow. This group was absolutely essential to my development as a photographer. These connections changed my life and the way I express myself through photography, and our beautiful community exists to this day. This is why I see such incredible value in Your Shot, where a global community of 195 countries come together to share the way they see. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. I hope you keep on exploring and enriching the world with the beauty that you see.

Michaela Skovranova Photographer and Filmmaker

Your Shot: Editor's Insight

On Your Shot we work with a variety of guest editors from the photographic industry. During the assignment submission process a few images always stand out as great examples to our editors. For the series Your Shot: Editor's Insight, our guest curators react to some of their favorite submissions from the assignment so far and give a behind the scenes to the thought process on why these images from our community stand out.

The ambiguity of this assignment makes it challenging—but it also opens up endless possibilities in how you choose to interpret it, and how you choose to communicate that interpretation visually. I wanted to share three images that caught my eye that are each very different in their approach to the assignment.

See Your Shot photograph by Clara K. above.

I was touched by the intimacy and grace captured in this image. There’s a sense of harmony established in the mirroring of the faces, and the cascade of red hair further adds cohesion as well as a nice pop of color (which is especially effective against the green background). Very poetic. This photo is an excellent example of incorporating one’s family as part of an identity.

I often look at an image first and try to really see it on its own without the caption. I turn to captions for additional context, not to sell me on the photo. This photographer’s caption reads, “I created this image during a time where I was facing a deep depression. It represents my inner self and how all my feelings and thoughts just seem to repeat themselves over and over again in perfect never-ending pattern. The perfect glitch.”

If you’re able to evoke any kind of emotion in your image— let alone those that come with an illness such as depression (and as someone with depression, this resonates)—then that in itself is a success.

See Your Shot photograph by Holly Thompson above.

Here is another image that makes great work of light and shadow. Effective use of so much darkness and negative space adds tension to the photo. The soft light hitting half of the face adds to the feeling of vulnerability, and that catch light in the eye is like a cherry on top.

Finally, one more note as you continue working on this assignment: try to resist the urge to over-process an image. There are some photos that are so edited that it’s hard to see past the added effects. Instead, challenge yourself to practice some of the compositional elements mentioned above.

Your Shot: Editor's Insight

On Your Shot we work with a variety of guest photographers and editors from the photographic industry. For the series Your Shot: Editor's Insight, our curators reveal a behind the scenes to their editing and photography process.

Your Shot photograph by Zacho Ho (above)

During my first photo internship at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the director of photography would say the same thing to me every time we sat down to look at my entire coverage from an assignment: "David Lee, make me care." Whether it was the light, the composition, or the moment, something within the frame had to connect with him. Something had to make him pause and want to know more. And because I was motivated to become a better photographer and a more thoughtful storyteller, I took it as a challenge.

I still think about his mantra while I curate the photos in my Your Shot assignments. When I look at photos that aren't my own, I don't have a prior emotional connection with or background knowledge of the scene. I look at the visual strength of your photo: Is it in focus? How are you using the light? Is your composition interesting? Does the moment capture my attention? What is the visual story you are documenting? Have you made me care?

I encourage you to ask yourself those same questions as you study your peers' submissions to Your Shot assignments. Make note of how they take advantage of the light, composition, and moment. Analyze what works, and what doesn't. As you look at each frame objectively and assess the visual strength in the image, you are refining your aesthetic taste-which will inevitably lead to strengthening your own photography.

David Y. Lee, Producer for Nat Geo Your Shot

Your Shot: Editor's Insight

On Your Shot we work with a variety of guest photographers and editors from the photographic industry. For the series Your Shot: Editor's Insight, our guest curators reveal a behind the scenes to their editing process.

The process of editing our "Inspiring Experiences" final story was as exciting for us as viewing all of your pictures. From the over 8,800 images submitted to our assignment, we selected over 1,000 as our editor's favorites. From this collection, we separately identified our favorites based on their visual strength, which brought us down to a combined wide edit of 117 photos.

Then one recent Sunday morning, we got on a Skype call to edit together. We each took turns, articulating why we favorited a photo. Saying “This is a nice picture” was not enough. We talked about the light, composition, and moment; we read your caption. We wanted to feel your inspiring experiences. We both needed to agree that the photo deserved to be considered for the final story — this got us down to 46.

To curate our final story, we first started with the eight photos we both selected from the 117 first edit. One by one, as we edited down to our final story, one concept kept repeating itself in our discussion: "I feel..." There were a lot of beautiful photos with lovely light, fantastic composition, intimate moments — but these 26 in our final story made us both feel something. We felt inspired by your experiences. Each of these 26 photos connected with us, and evoked a reaction.

Then we carefully sequenced these 26 photos looking for an order that flowed well together. Each photo needed to compliment the next frame — visually or thematically. We looked at each picture full frame, one by one, as a slideshow. Immediately any frames that felt out of place presented themselves quickly, so we worked together to find a better organization of the final story.

Because this assignment was inspired by the Sally Mann exhibit, “A Thousand Crossings” at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, we decided to end with the above photo ("Self Portrait of Motherhood") by Your Shot photographer Laura Wood, which reminded us of Sally Mann's Easter Dress.

In the end, the editing process took us over four hours. We were inspired by your experiences and were led by how we felt. These images offer surprising moments big and small that provide deep insight into the many realities of our daily lives. Enjoy!

David Y. Lee Producer, Nat Geo Your Shot