Jury 2010
Calvin Bradley
PHOTO EDITOR / ASSISTANT EDITOR, ZIG ZAG MAGAZINE (SOUTH AFRICA)
Calvin Bradley is the assistant editor and photo editor at Zig Zag magazine, the undisputed authority on surf and beach culture in South Africa since 1976.
After studying graphic design and working as a clothes designer for a local surf company in South Africa, Calvin found his way back into photography after moving into the graphic design and publishing industry. "What these endless hours of retouching photos has taught me is that a great photographer is a gift from God as little or no work is needed to get their photos print ready."
What does he enjoy about being a photo editor? "There are moments when you secure some amazing photographs for the magazine that feel pretty special, especially if I was involved with making the shoot happen by tipping off the photographer where the surf will be good and organizing a crew of surfers to be there for the photograph."
What advice would he give to a rookie photographer hoping to make it in action sports photography? "Sometimes it helps to focus tight on the action so you can see the commitment and focus in the athlete’s eyes. Other times the photo calls for the photographer to pull way back to get the scenery in the background and give the viewer a feel for the scene of the action."
What makes a great photo? "The difference between an average photo and a great photo is all in the artistic eye of the photographer. Some photographers know their equipment and the lighting conditions like the back of their hand, yet they don’t take very inspiring photos as they are missing the artistic flair of a great photographer."
For Calvin, great photographs are those that truly inspire the viewer to be at that moment. "I think it is really special to be able to capture a moment in time so that all those who were not present at that moment can still get to enjoy it. That’s the beauty of photography. Being able to see an image that makes you excited and dream of being there in that moment is a pretty special thing."
How has the job changed in the last decade? "The basics of photography have remained the same. A good photographer from ten years ago is still a good photographer today. But everything is so ‘instant’ now."
What has exactly changed in the photo editing process? "Ten years ago, if our publication sent a photographer and a bunch of surfers on location to some distant country we wouldn’t even get to see the images until a few days after they have returned back from the trip. Even then we’d need to power up our light-box, grab the magnifying glass thingie - which I only recently learnt is called a ‘loupe’ - and squint at the slides until we could decide which to use in our magazine. Then you had to send those slides off to our reproduction department to get scanned and before you know it, it’s two weeks later and your magazine isn’t finished and deadline is looming."
As Calvin explains, the photo editor's work flow has changed considerably. "Nowadays while they are still on the trip they can send us a daily slideshow for our website and drop the Hi-Res images onto our FTP server ready to be touched up and placed in the magazine – instantly."
Why is he getting involved with Red Bull Illume? "Competitions like Red Bull Illume are a great way to showcase just what great photographers there are out there in this big world of ours."
