Hussain Sujel (right) laughs with a customer at his corner store in Montreal, Quebec. Photo: Myriam Rafla and Moe Ments.

The first round of submissions for our Assignment Wired project are in, and we’re impressed by the efforts of those who submitted. Every participant put in the time to photograph their corner store and write an accompanying story with quotes and research — no small feat.

We summarize a select number of submissions below, along with advice for each. We also choose three submissions for editing and image processing so that readers can get an idea for our process and what effect that has on the final story.

In general, our advice for almost every photographer who submitted would be to commit to one photograph at a time, pick the right spot and wait for the decisive moment. Making good photos can be like stalking prey, and the more patience you have, the better the final product.

A great photo sometimes involves a fair amount of boredom. If you can figure out where something interesting is likely to happen, you can compose your shot and then sit and wait for the magic to happen.

The assignment was a bit of a challenge. Not a lot is likely to happen in a corner store unless you spend significant time there. The real work is squeezing quality photos out of whatever assignment you’re given. Many assignments in the professional world are a word puzzle in need of a visual solution and it’s up to the photographer to make lemonade from lemons.

Before we get into the submissions, a small disclaimer: Value is in the eye of the beholder. Our opinions are just that, opinions. If you have something constructive to say about our critiques or the work of the participants, please say it politely in the comments. If what you read or see here is so offensive that it drives you to profanity and malice, please head somewhere else.

Without further ado, here are the critiques, followed by the three edited stories in their entirety.

Jon Bormet

“We are normal people. Different regimes will come, but we will stay. This is our home.” – Uncle Wakil of Wakil Ahmad Store in Kabul, Afghanistan

Jon’s story of a convenience store in Kabul operating in the face of violence and destruction was insightful and well-done. While he managed to grab a couple of good shots, it looks like he struggled a bit with the flash and focus on the interiors.

Download Jon Bormet’s unedited submission.

Jessica Tilley

Jessica’s behind-the-scenes photos of her local bakery were thoughtful and well-executed. The copy for the story was highly detailed, but the first-person perspective and focus on the food ventured into Arts and Entertainment writing rather than conventional journalism.

Remember to write from the third person and use the brevity of a traditional newspaper story as your guide. Less detail about the food and more background information on the bakery and its proprietors. Also, not every noun needs an adjective — use them sparingly and they will have more impact.

Download Jessica Tilley’s unedited submission.

Margaret Jean Campbell

Margaret wrote a well-researched profile of an organic produce market in the California Sierras. She included a few interesting quotes and lots of detail about the people, but there are no names in her article. Whenever you quote anyone, be sure to get their full name, age (if possible), occupation and town of residence.

Click here to download Margaret Jean Campbell’s unedited submission.

Read on for the edited stories of three more participants.

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