What Stays, What Goes
Selection is a skill most photographers ignore.
Welcome to This Week’s Edition of The Carty Method Magazine
Most photographers don’t struggle with taking photos.
They struggle with choosing the right one.
This week exposed a clear gap between creating images and recognizing which ones actually hold up.
Some submissions looked good.
A few stood on their own. That’s the difference.
What you choose to show defines how your work is seen.
This week’s assignment, Open Submission, removed the brief entirely.
No direction. No concept to lean on.
Just one decision: Which image represents your work at a professional level?
WHY THIS MATTERS
If your portfolio feels inconsistent, it’s rarely because you can’t shoot.
It’s because you’re not editing with intention.
Open Submission forces you into that role.
You’re no longer the photographer.
You’re the editor.
Deciding what stays. What goes. And what actually represents you.
This week made one thing clear:
Not every strong image belongs in a portfolio.
The ones that do, don’t need explanation. They hold.
Khaligraphy
What made this image the one you chose to stand behind this week?
The moment was genuine.
Nothing was directed.
She’s was just being her joyful self, and that’s exactly what made it the perfect shot for me.
At what point did you recognize this image was stronger than the others?
I don’t see any one photo from this session that I’ve selected is stronger than the others.
There’s a balance between them that works together to tell the full story.
What decisions helped ensure the image holds on its own without explanation?
Given the challenges I was facing, choosing and shifting into the right compositions became a big part of the process.
What did you leave out or simplify to strengthen the photograph?
I stepped back from creative direction.
In that moment, it felt like I walked onto her set, and she was willing to let me work as long as I let her be herself and focus.
There wasn’t room for interruptions or adjustments, just the flow of what was already happening.
Was there a photographer or reference image that influenced this shot? What did you study, and how did you adapt it to your own style?
This session wasn’t something I prepared for.
No mood board, no setup.
It all happened spur of the moment.
Social Media Handles:
Website: khaligraphy.art
Instagram: khaligraphy
Jessica Mendez
Social Media Handles:
IG: drjessicahughes
Sonny Warren
What made this image the one you chose to stand behind this week?
I was experimenting with long exposure rear curtain sync and I wanted show some more variety of technique in my portfolio.
At what point did you recognize this image was stronger than the others?
There is a quality with the ghosting of her arms that draws in the viewer and invites thought.
What decisions helped ensure the image holds on its own without explanation?
It is a strong image on it’s own because there is a journey and an attention that the dancer has that is compelling as a single image.
That said, it is part of a series.
What did you leave out or simplify to strengthen the photograph?
I had the model really simplify her movement.
Was there a photographer or reference image that influenced this shot? What did you study, and how did you adapt it to your own style?
It was more the technique than a specific photographer that I was studying.
I was using a mix of constant light and rear curtain sync with a long exposure to get movement and ghosting but also a sharp final image.
Social Media Handles:
Website: sonnywarrenphoto.com
Instagram: sonnywarrenphoto
RC Castrejon-Perez
What made this image the one you chose to stand behind this week?
I love the contrast between his skin and the dark background, and the subtle rim light on his right side.
At what point did you recognize this image was stronger than the others?
This was part of a set of rowers during my daughter’s regatta, and I felt a connection with the kid’s natural expression.
What decisions helped ensure the image holds on its own without explanation?
Simplicity.
What did you leave out or simplify to strengthen the photograph?
Overthinking the pose.
Was there a photographer or reference image that influenced this shot? What did you study, and how did you adapt it to your own style?
I have been observing in detail Platon, Rankin, and Lipsky.
I tried to adapt their simplicity to an outdoor setting, reducing background distractions and popping out the subject with soft Rembrandt lighting.
Social Media Handles:
Website: portraits-rc.com
Instagram: portraits.rc
Jim Sinicki
Social Media Handles:
Website: charliejamesphoto.com
Instagram: charlie_james_photo
Denise Tuggle
What made this image the one you chose to stand behind this week?
This image was a complete reimagining of my previous submission, requiring me to revisit the concept and approach the assignment from a new creative perspective.
My first priority was refining the lighting.
I knew it needed to be crisp, clean, and carefully controlled in order to produce the strongest refraction and enhance both the water’s reflective qualities and the product itself.
Achieving the final image required balancing multiple elements, precise lighting, clean reflections, and dynamic splash movement that added energy without obscuring the product.
Ultimately, the final photograph was the result of thoughtful technical execution, careful product positioning, and a great deal of patience in timing each splash perfectly.
At what point did you recognize this image was stronger than the others?
I recognized the strength of this image when I successfully created a water splash that captured movement without overpowering the subject.
Through experimentation, I dropped a weighted object into the water using different techniques to generate the ideal amount of motion.
Just enough to create drama and visual interest, but controlled enough to keep the product clearly visible.
Since the water was intended to serve as the central character of the photograph, its movement needed to feel intentional and balanced.
Combined with tack-sharp focus on the product, that harmony between motion and clarity became the winning formula behind the final image.
What decisions helped ensure the image holds on its own without explanation?
A key decision was to focus equally on both movement and product clarity.
I wanted the image to present the product in a way that felt authentic to its natural environment while still maintaining a strong visual presence.
Conceptually, I explored the idea of the product interacting with moving water.
Capturing the energy of motion while keeping the product itself grounded and stable.
By keeping the product stationary and creating movement around it, I was able to emphasize both strength and elegance within a single frame.
What did you leave out or simplify to strengthen the photograph?
Simplification played an important role in strengthening the final composition.
I carefully controlled the water level in the tank to ensure there was enough volume to create impactful splash movement without overwhelming the frame.
I also streamlined my lighting setup, relying on one primary light, one spotlight, and a Neewer strobe with a five-burst sequence to freeze motion effectively.
By reducing unnecessary complexity in both setup and execution, I was able to focus on the essential elements of light, motion, and composition.
Resulting in a striking and memorable final photograph.
Was there a photographer or reference image that influenced this shot? What did you study, and how did you adapt it to your own style?
My strongest inspiration came from product imagery created by The Ordinary.
I was particularly drawn to their clean lighting techniques and the sophisticated way they capture motion in product photography.
I studied their use of water movement, reflections, and product placement, then adapted those visual principles through my own creative lens.
My goal was not simply to replicate the style, but to interpret it in a way that reflected my own artistic approach.
Combining strategic composition, technical precision, and a strong sense of visual storytelling.
Social Media Handles:
Website: denisetugglephotography.com
Instagram: denisetphotography
Mike Howell
Social Media Handles:
Website: N/A
Instagram: N/A
Jason Young
What made this image the one you chose to stand behind this week?
It was my favourite photo of the shoot because it represents her well.
You can see her amazing skin, great eye contact, and her soft smile.
It’s intimate without being posed or overstylized.
At what point did you recognize this image was stronger than the others?
The lighting and the perfect depth of field stood out to me.
Also, the photo only needed a few minutes of post-processing to bring out the best in her and minimize any blemishes.
The compression afforded by the 70-200 lens worked out well, too.
What decisions helped ensure the image holds on its own without explanation?
It’s a very clean, standard headshot.
There’s no mistaking what this photo is and what it will be used for.
You want to know what she looks like? Here she is.
What did you leave out or simplify to strengthen the photograph?
I left out the busy background with a shallow depth of field and a low ISO setting, letting it fall off into darkness.
I filled the frame with her face, leaving plenty of headroom.
No other distractions in the frame were allowed.
Was there a photographer or reference image that influenced this shot? What did you study, and how did you adapt it to your own style?
I didn’t have a reference photo, but I tried to blend a commercial headshot and a studio portrait style.
I didn’t use diffusion on the 7-foot parabolic umbrella because I wanted a little more specularity and contrast to highlight her features.
That ended up being a nice lighting style that I will carry over to others when it suits them.
Social Media Handles:
Website: photojason.com
Instagram: jasonyoungphoto
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Watch the replay of these photo submissions below.