Visual Editors
Visual Editors, NFP was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2004.
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Maria Choronzuk
Tiki Lounger
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 19
Location: Arlington Heights, IL
Posted:
Wed Jun 27, 2007 1:30 pm
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Hi all! I'm working with our photo director to develop an in-house photo cut-out/photo use/Photoshop “illustration” philosophy training session geared towards our copy editors and desk page designers. For the record, the photo staff and art department already “gets it,” not so much for the various other groups.
I have a lot of notes and samples on this topic. I can also use this training opportunity to reintroduce an updated version of our “Design Style Guide.” It will be a good chance to highlight information already there and talk about what can be added.
Some issues to cover:
1.) Photo illustrations that look too real and cheat the reader
2.) The philosophy behind using cut-outs in our design and how to go about requesting these.
• Understand the context in which the cut-out is being used.
• Include an artist and/or photographer in the process.
3.) How to actually do a cut-out.
• Don't do Quark cut-outs, ever.
• No single blanket technique to use in Photoshop. The content of photo and use on page dictate treatment.
Beyond this, I could use your suggestions, expertise and examples on getting the point across in the most effective way. What is your process for requesting or handling photo cut-outs?
I think it will be fun to contain these into a PowerPoint or flash presentation if I have time. But, in any case, I'd like to do this sooner than later.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts, time and help.
[EDITED BY MODERATOR: Changed subject line to reflect message topic and help direct interested parties here. And fixed the typo I introduced.  -DC] -- OK! Thank you. MC  |
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Clif Page
Maestro
Joined: 09 Mar 2004
Posts: 875
Location: Beaver County Times, Beaver, PA
Posted:
Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:40 am
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| Quote: | | I could use your suggestions, expertise and examples on getting the point across in the most effective way. What is your process for requesting or handling photo cut-outs? |
For the most part, the requests are handed to me and I do them. My background is in photography, so many times I look at the photograph a designer wants me to cut-out, and I ask them:
1.) Cutting out an out-of-focus image is difficult and will not address the needs of the reader. Why?
2.) Are you looking to create stength or tension on you page? A tight crop might accomplish the same thing.
3.) If you are looking to cut-out this photo to add contrast to the page, why is the guy wearing white clothing?
4.) Okay, you want this person cut-out. What I am supposed to do with the arm or tree limb or telephone pole that blocks part of his face or body?
5.) The next day question: So you asked me to cut-out a side shot of a guy riding a bicycle, and I spent an hour cutting-out the image below his torso, and then you cropped the image to a mug shot. Why is my time of no value to you? In other words, be specific in your request. Don't ask for the whole image if the head is all you want.
Seeing is the most important part.
Look at the image and the space you have to tell the story. Too often cut-outs are used as a way to eliminate "non-essential" parts of a photograph to make way for more text. Very few think that there might be "non-essential" parts of the text.
Cut-outs should be used to create movement and flow on the page.
I think you are on the right track. If you have any questions, PM or post.
_________________
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
Douglas Adams |
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Pattie Quackenbush
Tiki Lounger
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Posts: 7
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posted:
Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:21 pm
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1. Agree on the limbs thing. It looks weird placing cut off people in the piece.
2. Disagree on the limbs thing. Depending on the package, we may run half a body on the side of the box to illustrate a certain point. I know one package we initially ran on lingerie had a part of a woman's body on the bottom of the box, showing her curvature and the corset piece she had on. However, our editor-in-chief was conservative at the time and we scrapped that idea and moved it inside and did no creative packaging with it.
3. To create white space, we'll use cutouts from time to time to focus on a certain person in a profile or show a bunch of athletes head-to-head on stats and what not. In this case, the photo must not have shadow cast on it and some sort of emotion or action must be seen in the photo.
4. A favorite of some of the peeps I work with is to use a photo, cut out the person, put a screen on the background of the photo, and then replace the cut out, so the person "pops" out of the photo.
Sometimes, I think, a photo just works best without extra tinkering.
_________________
"Be careful who pretend to be because you are who you pretend to be."-K. Vonnegut
Pattie "PQ" Quackenbush
Senior Photographer
Pressman's Assistant
Purdue Exponent |
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