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Post Magazine
This Week:
Washington -- the Real and the Ideal
With Keith W. Jenkins
Washington Post Magazine Photo Editor
Monday, June 3, 2002; 1 p.m. EDT
In Sunday's special issue of The Washington Post Magazine, four photographers with four distinct visions created one cumulative portrait of Washington. Those photographers, Silvia Otte, Jerome De Perlinghi, Chris Earnshaw and D.A. Peterson, explored both the mythic metropolis and the real bricks-and-mortar-and-people city as it exists at the beginning of the 21st century.
Washington Post Magazine Photo Editor Keith Jenkins fielded questions and comments about the special issue on Monday, June 3 at 1 p.m. EDT.
A transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Hyattsville, Md.:
Thank you for a Post Magazine filled with photography to examine -- it's a fresh change!
Why weren't any technical details shared for the portfolios? Most serious amateur and pros would like to see this information, and even though the general public doesn't care, the audience that will most appreciate the photos would like technical details.
For example, why do all the photos in the first portfolio contain so much dark vignetting in the corners? If an ultra-wide angle lens was used, was the vignetting intentional?
Thanks.
Keith Jenkins: Glad you liked the issue. As for technical details, we usually leave that to the photo magazines...most of the photogs we work with have developed their own styles of work over the years so what you end up seeing is usually NOT just the result of putting film through the camera.
Most who shoot color, for instance, do their own darkroom printing as well. Hope that's enough of a hint!
Rockville, Md.:
Does Chris Earnshaw have earlier images of pre-demolition D.C.? Does he ever exhibit?
Keith Jenkins: Chris may have....If you want to forward an email address, we can pass it on to him. I'm not sure if Chris has exhibited over the years; most of his work is taken with 3 1/4 by 4 1/4 (or so) Polaroid cameras; not always the best for gallery display!
Duck, N.C.:
I loved your photo collection. Excellent work! Question: Who are the construction workers featured in the first picture? Are they single?!
Keith Jenkins: I will have to ask the photog (Jerome De Perlinghi) for more details I see!!!
Waldorf, Md.:
I loved the photographs in Sunday's magazine, but I hate the special editions because they omit the usual columnists and the puzzle! You keep all of the advertisements when you do a special magazine, but remove all of the weekly treasures I love to spend Sunday afternoon with. Makes me want to cancel my subscription!
Keith Jenkins: Sorry you missed your regular features. We only have a limited number of pages to play with each issue and, despite its look, we did not do a special issue. Soooo our editors decided that, in order to get the most out of the photos, we would leave out some of our regular features (and move the crossword puzzle to style) just for this issue. Hope you will rejoin us next week when we are back to normal!
Disenfranchised in Washington, D.C.:
The pictures in this weekend's magazine were terrific. Is it possible to get copies of any of them? I am particularly interested in several of Jerome DePerlinghi's photos.
Keith Jenkins: If you want to send an email address or phone number, we can pass it on to Jerome. Glad you liked the photos!
Washington, D.C.:
Why not use Post photographers, I would
have been interested to see how they
view Washington.
Keith Jenkins: We were hoping to use a few Post staffers, but unfortunately there primary responsibilities to the newspaper made it hard for them to contribute. The magazine is a separate publication and uses freelancers for the majority of our photography, so thats who we went with.
Arlington, Va.:
The pictures are great, but I think they would have been more compelling if accompanied by longer explanatory captions. Was there a concious decision to keep the captions to the absolute minimum?
Keith Jenkins: We did decide to keep them consistently brief. One reason was that each of the photogs worked differently. Some keep extensive notes, while others moved quickly, capturing images on the fly. Given space considerations as well ( we didn't want to penalize note takers by running more text and fewer pics) we decided to present the photos with location info only.
Washington, D.C.:
Who are the five guys on the first page in
construction hats? Where are they standing, and
how old are they?
Keith Jenkins: The workers in this photo (taken by Jerome De Perlinghi) were shot near McPherson Square.
I'm not sure how old they are!
Alexandria, Va.:
Dear Sir,
I simply have to express my vexation at this week's Washington Post magazine format. While the photo spread was certainly lovely -- although it contained far too many photos of "official" Washington (tourists and monuments) versus "real" Washington for my taste -- I was tremendously annoyed to find myself deprived of my favorite columns and features, seemingly without warning. (If you mentioned this in last week's issue, I missed it completely.) I noticed that Dilbert found a temporary location in the Style section, but where was Gene Weingarten's column? And Dave Barry's? And Jeanne Marie Laskas'? And the "Home Front" feature (the exact name of which escapes me)? Their complete absence was frustrating, and completely ruined my morning. (I am aware I have no life.) I feel that more of an effort could and should have been made to find a temporary home for these other features as well.
If they were located elsewhere in the paper and I simply missed them, I apologize for the needless complaint. (Although my failure to find them and resulting rant might perhaps have been avoided with a simple footnote indicating their location, some advice to be noted for future special issues.)
Thank you for your attention.
Keith Jenkins: Sorry to have caused so much confusion! Most of this past weekends regular features took a holiday - Dilbert and the crossword migrated to Style as noted on the first page of the magazine.
Not to worry, everything will be back to normal next weekend.
Washington, D.C.:
How long was the photo selection process and how many people collaborated on that?
Keith Jenkins: The total photo process really took place over the better part of 6 months, from the assigning, though the final edit. I was the primary arbiter of this process, making the assignments based on the styles of the individual photographers and how we thought they would look in a book together.
Once we got images in (most shooting took place between March and the end of April) I did a preliminary edit and grouping with the 2 assistant photo editors, and then did a final edit and layout with the Art Director, Brian Noyes. We then got final sign off from our editor and managing editor.
Silver Spring, Md.:
What does a photo editor "do?"
Keith Jenkins: My primary responsibilities are for assigning and editing the photos which we use in the magazine. Along with that I often consult with the editors on story submissions and the art director on design and layout. My staff and I also work with photographers on developing story ideas for submission to the editors of the mag. We have one such story being shot now for publication later this summer.
Washington, D.C.:
I tink the magazine should consistently feature more photography. Too much illustration going on there.
Keith Jenkins: While I agree that more photography is a good thing, I am also a strong believer in the need for the variety and insight that great illustration can bring to a story.
Woodley Park, Washington, D.C.:
Did your photographers encounter any difficulties with keeping the increasing proliferation of jersey barriers, fences and planters out of some of the shots of the monuments? I noticed the jersey barriers around the base of the Washington Monument were somehow minimized by the photographer in one shot. It's a shame these ugly security barriers are marring our otherwise beautiful city!
Keith Jenkins: One of the reasons we selected Silvia Otte (who shot the cover and many of the monument shots) was that she able to go into chaotic environments and make wonderful images. For one of last year's travel issues she photographed the new Berlin, which is undergoing massive changes to its physical appearance. She was able to make many a construction site there look beautiful!
There were no specific instructions to avoid barriers and such, but I think each photographer simply want to show our city in the best possible light and found the angles from which to do that.
Washington, D.C.:
How does the black photographers felt about taking pictures in D.C.?
Keith Jenkins: While we regularly use black and asian and hispanic photographers in the magazine, none of the photogs in this specific issue were black.
Speaking for myself ( I am a former Washington Post staff photographer and black). I have found photographing this city much like photographing anywhere else in the world. Things and people may look different, but the underlying themes of life are all pretty much the same.
Virginia:
I was wondering where the Weekly Crossword been moved to in this week's edition, or has it been skipped?
Many thanks!
Keith Jenkins: Its in Sunday's style section.
Keith Jenkins: Thanks for all the wonderful questions.
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