When a photographer goes off on assignment, they often take hundreds of pictures. Of those, perhaps two to three make it to final publication. That decision making process, plus the inexact science of reader preference is covered in the seventh chapter of Kenneth Kobre’s book Photojournalism: The Professionals’ Approach.

1. Right off the bat, I found it very interesting that on average, a person spends less than three-quarters of a second looking at a photograph. While accompanying text and reporting can help tell the story, the goal of every photograph editor is to select the photo that best conveys the story being told in the shortest amount of time. Imaginative assignments and talented photographers go a long way toward helping to select the perfect picture, but it’s no exact science. (pp. 125-128)
2. There are various strategies for photo selection, and the book mentions Washington Post photo editor Joe Elbert’s values amongst the strategies. The utmost value is placed on intimate photos, followed by emotional, graphically appealing, and lastly, informational. Elbert views informational as the “lowest common denominator”, with photographs ultimately striving for intimate pictures that allow readers to feel close to the situation. (pp. 130-132)
3. There are no definitive answers on readers’ preferences. Though most readers might not necessarily like photos containing dead bodies, those are likely to be amongst the most evocative pictures. Various studies mentioned suggest that an editor sorting photos based upon their readers is little more than guesswork. More often than not, an editor’s assumption that graphic and violent pictures should be used goes against the mindset of most readers, who would prefer to avoid those types of photographs. Based on the research, the book suggests a middle-ground needs to be struck between photos depicting carefree fluff and those containing violence. (pp. 134-136)
4. Though not always necessary, cropping is a useful tool that can take a cluttered photograph and make it an easy-to-understand picture, but it comes at the cost of reduced quality. Most editors will chose a superior composition that reduces sharpness and pixelation, but will rarely, if ever, magnify a cropped portion to such a degree that the picture becomes noticeably blurry. It’s important to remember that while cropping, much the same way as in audio editing, a photo editor can trim effectively without altering the mood or message of the picture. In short, cut out the nonessentials and leave the importance of the picture wholly intact. (pp. 138-141)
5. Not every picture needs a caption, but providing context to an otherwise unclear situation is a must on most occasions. Captions can influence the meaning of a picture and change a readers interpretation of the subject, so emotional objectivity is almost always required (the exception being in the event of disasters or terrorist attacks). A clear and concise caption can help the reader determine their level of interest in the article, and whether they’ll continue to read. In most cases, a caption should be two short sentences, the first describing the picture, the second providing background. (pp. 147-153)