Baker's Dozen Update No. 2

By exact count, there are 126 submissions for the Baker's Dozen (entries are closed as of yesterday afternoon). Here's an outline of the editing process:

• First I'll go through and flag what I think are the best prospects, maybe 25 to as many as 35. I've already looked through all the submissions three times and I'll probably make three more passes while doing this step. There are certainly some beautiful shots among those that are not flagged.
• Next I'll set aside the "must include" shots that absolutely have to be included in the final set. I'm guessing there might be four or five of those this time.
• Then I'll decide on the first and last shots in the set, a strong opener and a strong, or amusing, or appealing "thirteenth," with the other "musts" in the middle. But I'll remain flexible about where those go.
• From there I'll build the rest of the sequence from the remainder of the flagged pictures, which might be influenced by the stories and the meaning of the pictures and how they relate to the theme. I'll be looking for variety and balance in the set, which sometimes leaves out good pictures, and other times argues for inclusions. In this case a lot of people sent in pictures that specifically say "film"—for instance, people looking at strips of negatives or pictures with film cameras in them, pictures of contact sheets or with film edges showing—and I'll be looking to not overdo those kinds of pictures but also to include a fair number of more straightforward photographs that were simply made on film. I do look for for interesting techniques, though, and those have to be balanced as well—for instance, if there were three cyanotypes (there aren't!), I'd be likely to include no more than one.
• When I have a sequencing with the flow and variety that I'm provisionally happy with, I'll go back and take one last pass over all 126 submissions to see if there might be something I missed, or overlooked, or dismissed too hastily, or that has grown on me in the meantime, and see if there is something that might better fit the finished sequence as it has evolved.
• Finally, I'll add the captions and other verbal information. Then let it all sit overnight and come back fresh for one more proofreading, and post.

Mike

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[William Lewis]

126. What an amusingly appropriate, dare I say almost "instamatic" number of submissions?

I honestly doubt mine will be one of those chosen though I believe that I like it best of all the shots I've ever submitted to any of the baker's dozen compilations. I am looking forward to seeing what does make the cut from those 126.

[Rod B.]

126 submissions. A more subtle number than 35, or 20, or 80.

[Chris Kern]

Go to it, Mike: sure sounds like a piece o’ cake.

[Daniel]

Darn it! If I knew, I would have included a cyanotype. Straight path to glory