Inspiration

Photo-illustrations most often begin with a discussion and this one was no different. For a story on how the California Judges Association blasted back against the Administrative office of the Courts, I had an inane discussion about judges at night with pitchforks and torches outside the building. I say “Well that sounds really fun, but we’re gonna need a permit for the torches.” Heads slump. Then I pitch a reasonable solution that involves a reshoot of the Hiram Johnson State Building and later I’m walking up the street with a 24mm and wondering if I should have brought the 16mm.When I arrive I realize I should have brought the 16mm. I can’t fit the building in and I decide to shoot multiple photos and stitch them together. I get on the horn and ring up a courtroom for a gavel and we’re in business. A little later a clip, a snip and were finished. I’m looking it and thinking there isn’t anything wrong with this, but I wonder what it would look like if the hammer was actually blasting out part of the building.

And that’s how it goes.



I thought I would talk about illustrations and how my thought process has evolved. Most of the time you start off with nothing more than an idea and that idea can be quite vague. The secret is to transform a vague idea into a concept that can be executed without becoming overly literal. The key is transitioning the concept into something realistically plausible within a given framework. Budget, cost, availability, and timeframe were all factors why the judges with pitchforks and torches idea wouldn’t work. Avoid ideas that become too factual or literal. Instead try to envision a hyper-real image of something that itself is a concept instantly understandable to the viewer.

The mechanics of the illustration isn’t as important as the concept, but understanding Photoshop and what you can do with it shouldn’t be underestimated. Lastly I’d add that your understanding of photography can help create better, more powerful illustrations. In the coming weeks, I’m going to go over some other illustrations and talk about my process and maybe I’ll throw in a few tips and tricks.