Bring narratives to life with editorial photography.

Stand out with editorial images.

Traditionally, editorial photography means the images that accompany an article in a publication. But editorial images can also exist on their own and imply a narrative or outline a creative concept. “What distinguishes it from advertising is that there’s an element of storytelling to it,” says professional photographer Amanda Lopez. Different from an unstaged photo of a football game or political rally, editorial images require more planning and preparation.

Typically when an article highlights a specific subject matter, like a person, fashion show, or piece of architecture, it’s photographed in a more intimate or elaborate way that highlights the narrative. “It’s about capturing those in-between moments. I make sure that I’m not only focusing on whoever’s in front of my camera, but on capturing what’s around them,” says photographer Allie Hine.

Editorial is a different type of photography.

“There are so many different kinds of editorial photography,” says Lopez. “For example, my editorial focus is people, but there are food photographers, fashion photographers, photojournalists — and all of that falls under the umbrella of editorial photography.” Plus, images in magazine articles and newspapers are often for editorial use only, meaning their usage rights are limited, and they can’t be repurposed for advertisements.

While certain kinds of photography are more prone to be editorial in nature, like fashion photography, almost any subject can be photographed in an editorial style. Editorial portraits can focus on an individual’s life or passions, while a fashion editorial could focus more specifically on an individual garment or fashion line.

How to plan an editorial photoshoot.

For editorial imagery, a creative director, photo editor, or publisher will probably be the one to reach out to you about planning a photoshoot. But before you can bring out the camera and get to work, you need to prepare for the big day.

Photo by Amanda Lopez

“I always ask myself: How has this person been photographed before? And in what way can I shine a new light on them? Because you always want to create new, different work. You don’t want your photo to look like someone else’s,” says Lopez. As you research your subject, you can start brainstorming ideas for the photoshoot.

Depending on the client and the story, you’ll probably have a conversation about what the client wants and needs from the shoot. “It happens a lot with me. I’ll go over the top before I go for the safe route because I’d rather the client tell me to bring it down than need to turn it up,” says photographer Stephen Hudson.

“I always ask myself: How has this person been photographed before? And in what way can I shine a new light on them? Because you always want to create new, different work. You don’t want your photo to look like someone else’s,” says Lopez. As you research your subject, you can start brainstorming ideas for the photoshoot.

Depending on the client and the story, you’ll probably have a conversation about what the client wants and needs from the shoot. “It happens a lot with me. I’ll go over the top before I go for the safe route because I’d rather the client tell me to bring it down than need to turn it up,” says photographer Stephen Hudson.

“I’ll always create a moodboard of inspiration. But a lot of times when I have a client come to me, they already have a moodboard in mind, so then we’ll kind of hash it out together,” says Hine. “Print out your moodboard for the shoot day. Because we live in such a digital age, it’s refreshing to see the vision we’re trying to capture pinned up on the wall.”

Editorial photography tips and tricks.

Photo by Stephen Hudson

Photos by Allie Hine