The Next Step | Pointe of View

Every Monday, I feature an image and backstory from my Pointe of View series.

The book has been funded, almost all the sessions have been shot, and now comes one of the most difficult parts of the entire process– deciding which images will make the cut. I am very used to the process of culling and editing by now– I sweep through sets of one or two thousand images on a regular basis, getting deliverable wedding galleries out the door in a matter of days or weeks. I have already culled all of my ballerina shoots too… from tens of thousands down to about 200. But now comes the part where I decide which 50 or 60 of these 200 get to make it in to the final book. It’s not an easy choice.

Shoots are always a bit of a collaboration between subject and photographer, and in cases like these where the subjects are just so darn amazing and creative, it can be downright impossible to choose just one image from a series. But that is exactly the choice that a photographer has to make. I have on my side an army of friends who are willing to give their trusted input and a great big pile of images that I really love. In the end, culling is so much a reflection on a photographer’s vision, so I will ultimately have to make some decisions based on the aesthetic and the content that I want this book to reflect. It might be difficult, but I trust that it will happen. I’ll soon be getting cozy with my final set of images, assembling them into a layout… and actually making a book. I am beyond excited to see how this next step unfolds.

 

Ballet dancer: Jessica Boynton
Hair & Makeup: Julianne Chai, PrettybyJulianne
Location: San Francisco City Hall

 

 is a ballerina series by Anna Wu Photography. The raised over $12,000 in a month. If you didn’t get to order your copy of the book yet, sign up here to find out when more copies are available for purchase.


Pointe of View

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