An Unfiltered Conversation With Rangefinder Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Tobin

March 9, 2016

By Laura Brauer

Have you ever wanted to have a one-on-one conversation with Jacqueline Tobin, editor-in-chief of Rangefinder? Attendees at Richard Photo Lab’s booth this morning had their chance in an intimate, unfiltered interview where the editor herself spoke about what it takes to become one of the 30 Rising Stars, licensing your images and other totally random topics!

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Photo © I Heart New York Photography

Some of the many photographers joining Tobin in the Richard Photo Lab lounge were Columbus, Ohio-based wedding photography couple Seth and Beth Kerechanin, 2013 Rising Star Eric Kelly and New York-based photographer Jen Huang.

When asked what it takes to make the coveted annual 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography list, Tobin says “We’re looking for something different. You can hang a dress on a tree and it may look great, but we see 20,000 of those shots, so you need to make it different to really stand out.”

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Photo © I Heart New York Photography

Another hot topic of discussion was licensing your images. As pointed out by Huang, wedding photographers don’t usually have reps, so figuring out how to price your work for commercial or editorial use can be a challenge.  In response, Tobin advised that “if a magazine is reaching out to use an image of yours, ask if there’s a budget and be sure to specify the usage rights.”

And while picking the brain of Rangefinder’s editor-in-chief offers unique insight into the world of wedding photography, audience members also learned that Tobin prefers vanilla over chocolate, savory over sweet, Michael Jackson over Prince, and that she’s at level 450 in Candy Crush. No—she’s not afraid to admit that she loves the game!