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October 6, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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David Kross |
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Every week the photo editors of the leading travel guidebooks receive dozens of phone calls, emails and portfolios from photographers seeking to be published. With limited space in each book, the photo editors must narrow the pool down to a highly selective group of images for each edition. This formidable responsibility requires an impeccable understanding of what constitutes a great travel photo, the ability to coalesce the interests of the publisher and the general marketplace, and excellent communication and project management skills.  Prestonfield House, Edinburgh, Scotland, Neil Setchfield Photography As photo editor, Fox is the liaison between the publisher and the general marketplace. With each book he amasses the opinions of art directors, marketers and publicists, and juxtaposes their perspectives with images made available to him via travel photographers, stock agencies, and other resources. Fox’s primary focus is selecting images for the covers of the guidebooks. Unlike interior photos, which are typically a mix of stock images and assignment work, Fox usually selects cover shots from the wide pool of submissions he receives from professional photographers.  Sir Walter Scott Monument, Edinburgh, Scotland, Neil Setchfield Photography “The cover shot is a once in a lifetime chance to get a person to look at your book and pique their interest above and beyond your competition, and I’m very dedicated to the proposition that one has to find the perfect photo,” Fox explained. “The image needs to be clear, concise and memorable in a visual sense. We do round after round of looking at pictures until everyone on the publishing side agrees that’s the perfect way to present the book.” Fox’s methodology has changed considerably over time. Initially, he’d narrow the pool down to about 400 slides and show 20 images per sheet at a meeting. “Every editor has their own particular way of getting a picture selected,” he explained. “I had people who wanted more choices, so I’d show a lot at once until they picked an image in a single meeting.”  Stained Glass of St. Vitus, Prague, Czech Republic, Richard Nebesky Photography “It’s a very different kind of reality,” Fox said. “Frommer’s series have expanded and new series have been created so there are more books to complete and less time to do them. We had to create different systems. It’s as much time management as it is getting the perfect picture.”  Harvey Nichols Department Store, Edinburgh, Scotland, Neil Setchfield Photography
Though Fox has a wide range of photographers and stock agencies to pull from, he is constantly looking for new sources and creating new contracts. If he’s editing a city guide, he tries to find a photographer in that city who can do the job. Frommer’s works six months, or two seasons, ahead so Fox must always be thinking well in advance. “We have to carefully monitor how we want the books to look each year,” he explained. “The styles of photos change over time, and sometimes a photographer’s personal style becomes dated.”  Tiger at Prague Zoo, Prague, Czech Republic, Richard Nebesky Photography When Fox reviews a photo, he focuses on the composition as well as the application of the image. If he’s searching for a cover shot, for example, he considers not only the design and sentiment of the photo but also whether the book title at the top of the page will obstruct any particularly important element of the shot. “The photo must fit the need,” he said. “I tell any photographer, ‘Do your research. Who are you targeting?’” Fox suggested photographers submit images that are clear and focused. A food shot, for example, should focus on the food, not the entire restaurant. Fox favors bright colors and recommends photographers avoid sending editors images that are too monochromatic. Most of the images he chooses for the guidebooks feature people, which he said gives the visual a “sense of humanity and warmth.”  Art Deco Galerie, Prague, Czech Republic, Richard Nebesky Photography “You don’t want models, but you want people that won’t make you flee,” Fox explained. “A beautiful photo is absolutely spoiled when someone is standing there with a Hawaiian t-shirt and baggy pants. How do you find an image of a normal looking human being who doesn’t look posed, who looks spontaneous, who is at the spot you want to illustrate in the book? A lot of elements have to come together.” Fox is a very democratic editor, and he’s open to any photographer who can provide the right picture. He regularly reviews the photos he receives from photographers and, if he likes what he sees, he calls them. “You don’t need to send everything,” he said. “If you send 40 brilliant images, you’d be doing your job better than sending us your whole portfolio.” * * * * * * *
In order to illustrate the elements that make a great travel photo, Fox critiqued a collection of images that have been published in Frommer’s guidebooks. Below is his analysis of each picture.  Smelling the Wine, Provence, France, Matthieu Colin Photography
“This image is very much about this man savoring the wine yet the composition drenches you in the place he’s in. What makes this a good shot is that it draws you into this man’s world. It’s a beautiful ambiance, and if you look at the angle of the composition, it’s interesting how it really flows and culminates with the subject. The man has a nice character and is appropriately dressed. This is exactly what you want for a book on France.”  Inside the Shop, Barcelona, Spain, Quim Roser i Puig Photography
“When you’re looking at a photo, you have to pay attention to the geometries and how the eye will follow the image. The clarity of the composition, more often than not using ultimately simple, basic shapes such as cubes, pyramids, arches and circles, is a huge deal. The composition of this photo is V-shaped, and the V creates a very stable pyramid. It’s a very odd angle but still a very centered photo. You’re eye doesn’t fly around. How do you turn normal objects into really dynamic photos? That’s the key. “Here, we see a well lit interior as well as the world beyond the store. There are all sorts of wonderful shops and you can see the passersby. The composition is very inviting. The creams, mauves and reds give it a warm feeling.”  Perfumier, Provence, France, Matthieu Colin Photography
“Pictures are meant to get people to go to those regions. This photo shows something unusual that you, in your normal world, would never think about doing. This image makes one statement, and everyone knows what the point is with one glance. The color is sharp and it’s an interesting moment. The thousands of bottles make one shape, and the counterpoint is the man smelling the perfume.”  Blue Tea, Beijing, China, Chris J. Stanley Photography
“This is a detailed moment in a clearly large space but it works very well because the photographer focused on these three items. Many photographers don’t know when to quit when composing a still life. They add the kitchen sink. Here, the items dominate the space and the composition draws you into their wonderful designs and color. There’s also a frame on the bottom and left, which makes it just a little more interesting, and the light hit perfectly on this photo.”  Manchego, Barcelona, Spain, Quim Roser i Puig Photography
“This still life is beautifully composed, very graphic, and worthy of a front cover of a book. It immediately sets the eye for contrasts in terms of color and shape. Notice the edge of the rounded plate set against the triangular shapes of the cheese; it leads you into the picture and makes you want to pick up the cheese. In other words, the composition adds to the editorial point of the photo. It makes the food elements appetizing, and inviting."  Les Baux Chapel, Provence, France, Matthieu Colin Photography
“The color is crisp and sharp, and the shadows and foliage frame the buildings in the distance perfectly. The clouds in the sky above adds to the aesthetic quality of the image, as they don't draw attention in themselves, but harmonize and cap off the elements around them. Overall this photo does what a good travel image should: it allows the viewer to imagine being where this photo was taken, and make them want to be there as well.” * * * * * * *
Since Fox became the photo editor of Frommer's in 1996, he has completed over 12 years' worth of new editions per guide, which at 300 guidebooks yearly translates into thousands of front and back cover photos. Before his stint with Frommer's, he worked as a photo researcher for Reader's Digest Books, honing his eye by reviewing thousands of images from stock agencies, museum archives and other sources. Fox started his career doing photo research for various stock agencies. An artist himself, Fox has been drawing since he was five years old and today he is an accomplished painter. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a concentration in painting and minors in philosophy and art history from Queens College. After graduating, he continued to pursue painting while exploring his interest in photo research.     “What I’ve done as a photo editor has definitely influenced me as a painter in the sense that I also compose in reality and like to look at things in odd juxtapositions to create a really dynamic sense of movement,” Fox explained. “Being a photo editor has sharpened my visual acuity where I can at a glance remember moments in time as I lived them and then recreate them later in drawings. I very much feel like my brain is a camera at a certain level and my work reflects that." ”
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