Procase study
LexieNewis a naturephotographerand photo administrator at
CarouselCalendars.ShediscussesherowncreativedifferencesI’ma Devon-basedwildlifeandlandscape
photographerwitha passionforBritish
nature.In 2013 I setupmyownbusiness,
sellingphotographiccards,printsandother
items.In 2015 I wasHighlyCommendedin
theBritishWildlifePhotographyawardsfor
myfightingcorncrakeimage.I alsowork
forCarouselCalendarsasa photographic
administrator,whichinvolvesselecting
imagesforpublicationincalendarsand
diariesthatarepublishedaroundtheworld.
I chooseimagesfora hugerangeof
titles,fromBritishregionallandmarksand
landscapestocomedyphotosofpets,from
trainstowildlife.Withregionaltitles,I look
forpicture-postcardimageryofwell-known
landmarks– therearesomelocations
thatyouwouldexpecttoseeina calendar,
suchasEdinburghCastleintheEdinburgh
calendar.Thebestimagesareaestheticallypleasing,withnice light and not too much
contrast.Theuse of leading lines, symmetry
andruleofthirds to make a pleasing
compositionwill always go down well, as
imagesneedto stand out and catch your eye.
Imagesforcovers in particular need to have
space– ideally sky – in the top-third of the
imageforthetitle.
Themostcommon reason for rejecting an
imageissharpness. I look at each image at
100%magnification before selecting it, so
it needstobeacceptably sharp at the point
ofinterest.Other reasons that images aren’t
selectedarescaffolding or temporary fencing,
anyidentifiable people, images featuring
crowds,waste bins or other distracting
elements.Images need to be visually
accurate,asI often select up to 18 months
aheadoftime, and things can change. I also
tendtoavoidgrey, flat skies.Consider the end use
Above left
Subject oriented
Think about the framing
of your subject before you
shoot so that you aren’t
including distracting or
obtrusive elements in your
images, advises LexieAbove
Copy space
Images with copy space
in the top-third allow for
titles to be added, while not
compromising the integrity of
the image – include areas of
low-frequency detailI certainly have different mindsets
for each of my roles (photographer
and editor). This is particularly stark
with wildlife photography: when
shooting I look for natural behaviours,
encompassing the subject’s habitat in-
frame. When I’m selecting for a wildlife
calendar, though, I look for clean images,
where the subject is isolated through
shallow depth of field, with no distracting
elements – essentially a portrait. This
can lead to many of the photos I take of
wildlife being the exact opposite of what
I would select for a calendar!x3 © Lexie NewGO PRO