Our Picture Editor
Interview with Fraser Hall
Expert Picture Editor Fraser Hall has worked at Robert Harding for 15 years, and his job is the perfect fusion of his two passions, travel and photography. From his home in Essex, where he lives with his wife and two young daughters, he has travelled to more than 35 countries around the world. This first-hand experience makes him perfectly placed to judge the hundreds of images that he receives daily of the world’s far flung cities, landscapes and resorts.
"I first became interested in photography in my teens but it became a career about 20 years ago," he says. "I've always enjoyed travelling and photography so the two just merged."
Fraser is the picture library's crucial quality control, making sure only the best images make it through to the library. "On average around 2000 new images come into the library each week but it can be many more," he says. "It's my job to make sure the strongest, most appropriate images appear in their image searches. Picture buyers work to tight deadlines and are fairly stressed individuals, so they want to find the best photos fast," he says.
Asked how he chooses which images should grace the archive, he replies:
"The over-riding factors are visual impact and strong subject matter that will appeal to buyers in all the various markets we work with. Buyers want images that are fresh and up to date."
Fraser acts as the contact point for an amazing team of photographers based across the globe: "Many have been with us for 20 years or more," he says. "Our outreach has grown enormously thanks to the internet, so photographers from all over the world can find us and us them. Now, many of our newer contributors are based anywhere from Alaska to the Far East."
Fraser admits to feeling extremely proud when he sees his photographers' work published, especially if their images are chosen for covers or big ad campaigns. However, he also sees demand for a whole range of picture styles, from editorial images for book publishers and magazines through to more 'aspirational' images that appeal to commercial buyers.
Asked what advice he would give to photographers who want to sell their travel images, he replies: "Travel is a very broad subject - find a niche that interests you and work hard to make yours the best images in that niche. Of course, it has to be a niche that has a market for images," he adds.
"Travel is one of the toughest and most competitive areas of stock photography," he continues. "There are millions of travel images out there. To get their work accepted by an agency like Robert Harding a photographer has to make his or her work stand out from the ordinary. That doesn't necessarily mean having to travel to obscure, far-off destinations though - it could be good use of colour and finding interesting or original viewpoints."
In terms of destinations that are big sellers, he sees images of the big, well-known locations being popular year after year. However, with the world's attention about to focus on London and the UK with the 2012 Olympics, he predicts an increase in demand for images of his native country.
But although all eyes will soon be upon British shores, Fraser's own thoughts are often focused on his next, far-flung trip. What are his favourite places? "There are almost too many to mention!" He replies. "As experiences go, diving on the Great Barrier Reef is right up there, but I also love big cities with lots of character - New York, Hong Kong and San Francisco, to name a few."
Click here to see Fraser's pick of the latest images
"I first became interested in photography in my teens but it became a career about 20 years ago," he says. "I've always enjoyed travelling and photography so the two just merged."
Fraser is the picture library's crucial quality control, making sure only the best images make it through to the library. "On average around 2000 new images come into the library each week but it can be many more," he says. "It's my job to make sure the strongest, most appropriate images appear in their image searches. Picture buyers work to tight deadlines and are fairly stressed individuals, so they want to find the best photos fast," he says.
Asked how he chooses which images should grace the archive, he replies:
"The over-riding factors are visual impact and strong subject matter that will appeal to buyers in all the various markets we work with. Buyers want images that are fresh and up to date."
Fraser acts as the contact point for an amazing team of photographers based across the globe: "Many have been with us for 20 years or more," he says. "Our outreach has grown enormously thanks to the internet, so photographers from all over the world can find us and us them. Now, many of our newer contributors are based anywhere from Alaska to the Far East."
Fraser admits to feeling extremely proud when he sees his photographers' work published, especially if their images are chosen for covers or big ad campaigns. However, he also sees demand for a whole range of picture styles, from editorial images for book publishers and magazines through to more 'aspirational' images that appeal to commercial buyers.
Asked what advice he would give to photographers who want to sell their travel images, he replies: "Travel is a very broad subject - find a niche that interests you and work hard to make yours the best images in that niche. Of course, it has to be a niche that has a market for images," he adds.
"Travel is one of the toughest and most competitive areas of stock photography," he continues. "There are millions of travel images out there. To get their work accepted by an agency like Robert Harding a photographer has to make his or her work stand out from the ordinary. That doesn't necessarily mean having to travel to obscure, far-off destinations though - it could be good use of colour and finding interesting or original viewpoints."
In terms of destinations that are big sellers, he sees images of the big, well-known locations being popular year after year. However, with the world's attention about to focus on London and the UK with the 2012 Olympics, he predicts an increase in demand for images of his native country.
But although all eyes will soon be upon British shores, Fraser's own thoughts are often focused on his next, far-flung trip. What are his favourite places? "There are almost too many to mention!" He replies. "As experiences go, diving on the Great Barrier Reef is right up there, but I also love big cities with lots of character - New York, Hong Kong and San Francisco, to name a few."
Click here to see Fraser's pick of the latest images
