Jury 2010

Chelsea Stickel

PHOTO EDITOR, AMERICAN PHOTO (USA)

A keen photographer since age five, Chelsea Stickel says she found her calling as a photo editor and currently works at American Photo, as well as Garden Design magazine.

Stickel studied visual communications at Ohio University before “getting her feet wet as a photojournalist at a couple of small newspapers.”

“I’m still a photographer at heart,” she says. “A great photo captures a moment and allows the audience to experience an emotion or reaction to that image.

“While technical excellence is important, the content, composition, emotion in that photo needs to be strong enough to engage a viewer.”

She takes a professional interest in Red Bull Illume: “I am always on the lookout for new talent – photographers who are on the front lines taking a new approach to a timeless subject.  

“Sports and adventure photography has been around through the ages, but I’m interested in what this generation is doing to make it different and exciting.”

Although she views thousands of images each week, she finds her job regularly provides a new challenge.

“No day is ever typical. As a photo editor, I’m responsible for the photography in each magazine, so I do whatever it takes: working with elite photographers to select images for their profiles, researching stock, setting up and sometimes shooting photo assignments.

“This month, you may have seen me attending photography classes and meeting with emerging photographers at some of the nation’s finest photography conferences.”

Stickel is acutely aware of the change in the industry, mainly brought about by the advent of digital photography.

“With so many great photojournalists losing their jobs, it is crucial for photographers to find their niche, and pull away from the pack.  There are so many photographers that can make a good picture, but today’s industry demands to know what makes you different, more creative, unique.”

However, she sees photography as a medium with an important future.

“As photographers, we are able to capture moments in time that might otherwise be forgotten. They can be as simple as a hug or as complex as a natural disaster – but they are important to preserve nonetheless.”

www.americanphotomag.com