Editing 'It Must Be Color'

Two ideas for future Baker's Dozens: subtle color, and matching colors. More about this later...I think if I announced another BD before presenting the acutely late "It Must Be Color," a number of you guys would put out a hit on me.

In editing the "It Must Be Color" submissions I suspect the big problem is that the concept isn't entirely secure in my mind. Mostly I'm pretty confident when it comes to editing; I have my methods and my typical "queries" with which I approach any given picture. But I recognize a number of different ways that readers approached the challenge—that is, the criteria by which you chose your own selections—and I recognize that many of them are somewhat different, but that your choices are valid nonetheless. This makes it more than usually difficult to eliminate contenders.

As you might expect, the big challenge, accordingly, is...eliminating contenders. Usually, the easiest parts of editing are the outliers: the obvious "nos" and the obvious "yesses." It's those "hmm, maybes" that are maddening. But in this BD, there just aren't as many obvious yesses and nos.

I would say in general the easiest ones to eliminate are pictures that I think are clearly good but that I'm not convinced have to be in color...rightly or wrongly, I think they'd work in B&W as well. And, the pictures that I admit have to be in color, but nevertheless don't seem to be entirely successful as photographs.

Two other kinds of submission I've been able to be a little harder on are standard naturey subjects, and pictures that are mostly just "of" subjects that happen to be colorful. But even these aren't easy to dismiss, because there are some of each kind that are very good.

I'll put up examples of each of these types, but not until I pick the final Baker's Dozen. Never know what's going to make the final cut until the final cut is made.

All in all this has been more than a bit humbling for Yr. already Hmbl. Ed. I can't say I've done much more than circle around the task for weeks, without getting down to work, but that's because I know I'm not on footing that's as solid as I usually stand on.

More anon; I'm gaining on it. Thanks again for all the submissions, and no, I haven't forgotten about the Younger Photographers group.

Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Joe: "I've been in your position, Mike, and it sure helps to be part of a small group making such decisions. It's also easier when there's a hard deadline with no extensions. Might not make for better decisions, but it makes for decisions."

Curt Gerston: "I’m looking forward to seeing your choices for this...I’ve recently assigned 'color' as a subject-assignment to my students, and it’s a bit difficult to explain the concept to middle-schoolers. I’m hoping to show your contest winners as examples."

Comments

[John Camp]

I can't complain too much about the idea of a Younger Photographers Group -- well, actually, I can: the little twerps have a whole lifetime of photography ahead of them, during which they should get better, so what's the point of a celebration now? -- but I suggest you also have an Older Photographers Group, for people, say, 70+. Best photo of a lifetime, maybe? That should give you nightmares. "Dear Sir: The best photo of your lifetime just wasn't quite good enough..."

[Dori]

I'm surprised you didn't mass convert them all to b&w and removed those that still work as a first pass filter.

[Dave Riedel]

Be careful that you don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

During my years in the corporate world such a preamble was called “sand bagging”, to which my superiors would have quickly said, “Just get on with it.”

[Nigli]

I for one am in no hurry. I loved the B&W BD, and realised then how much thought you'd put into the final selection. The problem with setting a high standard is then it takes a lot of effort to keep to it.

[Michael T.]

No worries Mike as you’ve had other challenges recently. It seems this BD has been particularly challenging given the amount of virtual-ink you’ve devoted to it. With this latest thinking an idea that struck me is to take the current submitted photos and edit them into your own defined sub-categories. And the results certainly don’t need to be a BD; six photos or even one or two along with your thoughtful insights would be interesting. Not that I want to increase your already taxing workload. Perhaps, at heart, you’re just a B&W kind of guy!

[Daniel]

I thought the idea was pretty simple.
Images that just don't work in B&W compared to seeing them in Color. Full color, partial color, muted color, saturated color - whatever mass of color there is. Images that rely partly on the use of Color for their impact or effect. Images that, if in B&W - lose the feel and character that has them as images worth looking at in color.
Not necessarily Color for the sake of Color. Not a gimmick. Just images that do not look nearly as good without the color.

[robert e]

I don't think any of us would mind if you split the field in two based on approach, whether that results in two baker's dozens or two baker's half-dozens.*

That said, I think Daniel and Dori are on to something.

* Is that even a thing? I mean seven, but I suppose it could be 6+6+1.