1997 Fools: Combo photos do double duty
Subject: Combo photos do double duty
From: "Tom Burton, The Orlando Sentinel" <TWBurton@AOL.COM>
Date: 1997/04/01
Message-Id: <970401100921_1185613470@emout13.mail.aol.com>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.nppa-l
Fellow photographers;
We have a new graphics/photo editor who has been brought in to give our our
visuals some "punch." She is trying to make her mark here and in the industry
by introducing new concepts. One of her ideas is especially strange.
On April's first day, she proposed the idea of "combo photos." The idea is to
use one photo that will illustrate two very different stories in the
newspaper. For example;
When I shoot a fashion illustration, I would have the model get dressed, do
her make-up, then have her ride with me in the car. Using a police scanner, I
would track down some spot news. At the scene, I'd work the model into the
crowd while including the car wreck/house fire/drug bust. The picture would
run on the front with the news story on one side and the fashion story on the
other.
Some other ideas are to take a Tickle Me Elmo doll to the County Commission
meeting and put it in the foreground of the photo with commissioners in the
background. The one photo would be packaged with both the news story of the
commission and the features story on popular toys.
April's reasoning is that these combo photos would serve several purposes.
They would address readership survey results that say many people only read
on section of the newspaper. These photos would serve to bring together
several readership bases. Also, the photos would be more efficent in the use
of space in this time of shrinking newshole. And, she said, we will maintain
our editorial intergrity because we won't be using a computer to combine the
photos. She's a purist on that point.
Since I work mainly with features stories, this will be a concept I have to
address. I'm not as concerned about our use of these images on our web site -
you can't believe half of what you read on the internet - but I am concerned
about the newspaper. I have a meeting scheduled with our ME. Any thoughts on
how I should argue this point? I'd hate to look foolish.
Tom Burton
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