I was commissioned by Der Spiegel magazine to pay a visit to Leeds University for an editorial portrait shoot to accompany an upcoming feature on climate change.
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine (one of the largest in Europe in fact) so I was delighted when they asked me to visit Leeds University and meet up with researcher Jefim Vogel for an editorial portrait shoot to accompany an interview they were featuring in the magazine.
Understanding What You’re Trying to Communicate in Editorial Photography
Whenever I’m booked for an editorial shoot I always ask for as much information as possible about the article the photography will be accompanying. It’s imperative to understand the purpose and tone of an article to ensure the photography complements and enhances the message.
In this case, the interview focussed on whether climate protection and economic growth can be achieved at the same time. Jefim’s research said ‘no’ and in the article he was pleading for a radical alternative.
Matching Editorial Photography to the Tone of the Article
Having taken the time to understand the purpose and tone of the article there were two key takeaways. Firstly, Jefim’s words were serious and urgent. I wanted to make sure his expression was appropriate and authorititive.
Similarly, the common thread of the article was the conflict between nature and man. We were shooting around the campus of Leeds University and I was keen to incorporate this juxtaposition as much as possible – looking for locations that combined natural elements with stark concrete to force these contrasting elements to collide and support the narrative.
The Importance of Providing Options for Editors
As always with any kind of editorial shoot you have to be mindful of how the image will be used. Is it a full page spread? Does it span multiple pages? Is there editorial copy overlaid? Are there vertical orientations required for social media?
The key is to provide as many variations as possible for the editors to work with to give them maximum flexibility. We had quite low, dramatic light on the day of the shoot. For some of the shots I used a simple on-location lighting setup. For others I was working with natural light and looking for areas of shade or where the harsh sun was diffused by being reflected from the concrete surfaces.
It’s great to provide editors with a range of styles to work with and the harsh sun also offered a great opportunity for me to play with stark shadows and contrast. I used these to create some more dramatic options for the editors to use should they wish. While they didn’t get used in the final article these turned out to be my favourite shots from the day.
“Thank you for the great selection! It was a pleasure to work with you.”
Andrea Huss, Picture Desk – Der Spiegel
