This blog is generally intended to hail interesting use of pictures and well-designed spreads, but sometimes a photograph brings the reader up short for the wrong reason.
Charlize Theron turns up out of the blue on page 15 of today's Times. Why? Because she is beautiful I guess. The caption offers no justification; in case it isn't clear in the cutting above, here it is in full:
'Lighter side Interviewed in Esquire magazine, Charlize Theron says she is not at all like the “dark people” she plays on screen'
It is customary for high-end magazines to demand that newspapers use their covers alongside any newsworthy pictures, hence the baby Esquire on the actress's shoulder.
But how much puffery is required to secure access to a studio shot such as this? Besides the inset cover, the magazine's name appears in the caption and in Terry Richardson's picture credit.
It is a striking photograph, but it belongs in the glossy mag for which it was intended, not disguised as news.
Charlize Theron turns up out of the blue on page 15 of today's Times. Why? Because she is beautiful I guess. The caption offers no justification; in case it isn't clear in the cutting above, here it is in full:
'Lighter side Interviewed in Esquire magazine, Charlize Theron says she is not at all like the “dark people” she plays on screen'
It is customary for high-end magazines to demand that newspapers use their covers alongside any newsworthy pictures, hence the baby Esquire on the actress's shoulder.
But how much puffery is required to secure access to a studio shot such as this? Besides the inset cover, the magazine's name appears in the caption and in Terry Richardson's picture credit.
It is a striking photograph, but it belongs in the glossy mag for which it was intended, not disguised as news.
Ah, but what's this? Looking back through the cuttings file, SubScribe discovers that the light-and-dark Ms Theron has a new film out. For here she is in the Times ten days ago, when the accompanying caption told us:
'A star rises in the West The South African star Charlize Theron at the world premiere of her film A Million Ways To Die In The West, at Westwood, California'
This time she's looking over her other shoulder - so at least it is balanced coverage.
'A star rises in the West The South African star Charlize Theron at the world premiere of her film A Million Ways To Die In The West, at Westwood, California'
This time she's looking over her other shoulder - so at least it is balanced coverage.
The Times is keen on pictures from the arts, particularly if they involve women. A pink hairdo is all that's needed to get in. Even nipples seem to be allowed if they are artistic enough, judging from a nude Drew Barrymore and some painted women contorted into a skull shape. Pop concerts, shows, films, exhibitions and opera are all fair game, but SubScribe suspects that John Witherow's passion is for dance. Barely a day passes without a ballerina or two leaping across the page - today we had ballet on page 5 and Chinese dance on 32.
Here's a far from comprehensive selection of stand-alone arts pictures from the past couple of weeks - including one from the Glyndebourne Der Rosenkavalier, cross-reffing to the review in T2 in which Richard Morrison dismissed Tara Erraught as "unbelievable, unsightly and unappealing". Needless to say, the photograph is not of Ms E.
Here's a far from comprehensive selection of stand-alone arts pictures from the past couple of weeks - including one from the Glyndebourne Der Rosenkavalier, cross-reffing to the review in T2 in which Richard Morrison dismissed Tara Erraught as "unbelievable, unsightly and unappealing". Needless to say, the photograph is not of Ms E.
Most of these pictures are vibrant and attractive, but as SubScribe has written in the past, if papers are going to use stand-alone images, they should give the sub room to craft some words to give the picture some point. Otherwise they are just space-fillers, puffs or eye-candy. The Mail is the master of this game, investing in researchers who can create something special out of the most mundane shots. The Mirror also showed what could be done last week with its Johnny Depp picture, as you can see here.
The Times has shown some exceptional picture editing in the past few months, but the ballet is being overdone. There are rather a lot of cute animals too - but who's going to object to those? Here's a sample:
The Times has shown some exceptional picture editing in the past few months, but the ballet is being overdone. There are rather a lot of cute animals too - but who's going to object to those? Here's a sample:
There are also, it must be said, some dramatic wildlife pictures in the collection that certainly don't qualify as cute.
And finally, an example today of departments failing to talk to each other. The bank holiday girl in Worthing who appears on page four, below, could easily be looking across to the family on the beach 39 miles away in Southsea - or 29 pages away in business.
And finally, an example today of departments failing to talk to each other. The bank holiday girl in Worthing who appears on page four, below, could easily be looking across to the family on the beach 39 miles away in Southsea - or 29 pages away in business.
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