Portrait of Pat Jordan, photo copyright John Loomis Photography & used with permission.

“Mr. Jordan like most journalists (discounting of course broadcast “journalists” who haven’t qualified for that distinctive title for, oh, well, 30 years) does not like to have his picture made, even though the dude is in ridiculously good shape. It’s an ego thing, a mistrust of how things end up feeling once they leave the careful control of scribblers and shooters into the morass of editors and account reps along 6th Ave.”

New York and South Florida photographer John Loomis wrote a nice piece about his recent portrait of journalist Pat Jordan for Men’s Journal magazine. What I appreciate so much about John’s post is the before-and-after comparisons between images used for publication and those (like above) that missed that edit. As a photographer, it’s easy to grumble when publications don’t see it your way through the final product. You have a really great image, and you ponder the edit while waiting for the run date, and when it shows up not like you imagined you get bummed out. For newspaper photographers, that’s practically a daily occurrence anymore. Last week I spent an entire day covering a prominent housefire, and after filing a dozen images, a story and video, nothing shows up in the paper and they forgot the byline credit on the story. Ho hum. So, like John said, “that’s life” because sometimes you really have to just focus on getting the photograph you want and letting others satisfy their needs and knowing you delivered a quality image, first choice or not. But like most photographers, it doesn’t end there. John wants to pursue it more.  That’s a characteristic of a motivated photographer –moving beyond the paying client and the assignment.

“There was something at stake for me and I didn’t get what I wanted, i.e. something iconic of this complicated and experienced subject. I’d like to go back again and again until I nailed it, but I’m not sure Pat would be up for it… but I’ll give him a chance on my own time and dime, and maybe next year we’ll get it.”

I love this portrait of Mr. Jordan. The shrubbery makes the perfect set, and the cigar and smoke adds the perfect touch. The subdued lighting lets the subject’s personality come through, and the wood chair adds an Americana feel. I Love it love it.