A portrait by Natalia Mantini of Yalitza Aparicio, star of the movie ROMA, published in The New York Times Culture section. Photo © Natalia Mantini
As picture editors for the Culture and Metro sections of The Times, Jolie Ruben and Jeffrey Furticella collectively have their hands in features across the publication, from the arts to relevant news stories in the New York Metropolitan area. For all of their stories, they are looking for photographers who are setting themselves apart from “the pack,” as a result of their unique skills, expertise or way of presenting a subject. Here, they discuss the kind of photographers and photography projects that catch their eyes.
Jeffrey Furticella
Jolie Ruben
PDNedu: Can you briefly describe your role with The New York Times?
Jolie Ruben: I am a picture editor in the Culture section. We handle photos for the arts, including music, theater, film, television, dance, fine arts and architecture.
Jeffrey Furticella: I am a picture editor in the Metro section. We are responsible for coverage of news and enterprise stories centered around New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
PDNedu: Can you describe the types of stories you work on, some photographers you work with regularly and why you work with them?
JR: In Culture, I work on profiles of actors and musicians, so I work mainly on portrait shoots. This past week, Natalia Mantini photographed Yalitza Aparicio, the star of ROMA, in New York, and Magdalena Wosinska photographed the musician Maggie Rogers in Los Angeles.
I went with photographers who I thought could shoot these subjects in a unique way. We shoot celebrities who are photographed all the time, so I’m always looking for photographers who can come up with a way to present subjects in a different light.
JF: From Gabriella Angotti-Jones documenting the prevalence of children in New York’s shelter system to Amy Lombard’s colorful GIFs of an Italian restaurant bridging its storied past with its Instagram-ready future, the Metro report transforms a hometown newspaper for a global audience. We pair photographers with assignments that not only highlight their skills, but also push them to find something surprising and fresh.
PDNedu: Can you provide an example of a project where you decided to hire a new photographer?
JR: My colleague Alana Celii introduced me to Ana Cuba. I thought her work married an artful refinement with a biting sense of humor. When critic Roberta Smith profiled the British sculptor Sarah Lucas I thought Ana would be a great fit for the shoot based on what I knew about Lucas’s artwork and her personality.
JF: In March of 2018, I was introduced to Alexey Yurenev, who was working on a personal project about Brighton Beach. After seeing an image sample, I knew that we wanted to work with Alexey. As a Russian immigrant living in Brighton Beach, he was uniquely poised to define this place.
PDNedu: How important is it that photographers can also incorporate video? Are there other skills you look for when hiring a new photographer?
JR + JF: Photography is a competitive industry, and it is critical for photographers to distinguish themselves from the pack. Standout skills include: video or lighting expertise, being multilingual and the ability to report and author a story.
At The Times, visuals are at the forefront. Employing video is one of the ways we bring stories to life. For example, during the World Cup last year, Jonah Markowitz was assigned to cover the crowds at watch parties in different ethnic enclaves of the city. This gave our audience the window to experience New Yorkers of various nationalities as they watched their clubs compete, and video was critical to bringing these fans and venues to life.
PDNedu: As The New York Times continues to grow its digital subscriber base, do you see a changing need for visuals?
JR + JF: Print-focused editing has given way to prioritizing digital-first approaches. We are fortunate to have the resources and talent in the building to present the work of our photographers in engaging ways across myriad platforms.
This past fall, we published a feature profiling the puppet that would be the star of “King Kong” on Broadway. We knew we wanted both beautiful portraits, as well as video, that would bring the puppet to life. A photo and video team worked collaboratively to tell the story. Erik Tanner applied his sensibilities to the “portraits,” and Ezra Hurwitz was able to focus on the video component and give the puppet a sense of humanity.
PDNedu: What advice do you have for students and emerging visual storytellers to help grow their careers and get on your radar?
JR + JF: Photography is a process, and the most important thing you can do is develop a voice. Embrace who you are, what is important to you and how you see the world. Editors will hire you because of what you bring to a story, not because of what you think editors want. EDU
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