Susan Glen – Meet the Emphas.is Reviewers

As Emphas.is opens up its admissions process, we will be relying on our talented, passionate board of reviewers to help us maintain a high level of quality photographic projects on the site. To help you get to know the people looking at project proposals (and what they’re looking for), we are posting interviews with several reviewers. This week, meet Susan Glen, picture editor at The Independent‘s Sunday Review for 15 years.

Please tell us a bit about your history with photography and what you do now.

I have worked for two British photo agencies and as a picture editor for 15 years of The Independent‘s Sunday Review where I assigned and bought photo stories. I have judged photo competitions in Europe, in particular Visa Pour L’image for News and features, as well as the Fujichrome Africa Awards, Scoop, Prix Canon Femme, and the Slovenian Press Awards. I currently lecture in British universities and manage picture editing projects. I’m also an adviser for The London Street Photography Festival.

How did you get involved with Emphas.is and why did you decided to join the Emphas.is board of reviewers?

Karim Ben Khalifa approached me and asked me to join. I said yes straight away because I knew that this method would work. I wanted to be part of the process. I want to see fresh approaches utilized to complement the classic outlets.

What qualities and elements are you looking for when you review a potential project for Emphas.is?

Commitment, solid research, and evidence that the project is underway and has strong potential for completion.

Are there specific things that would make a project not appropriate for Emphas.is?

I dislike bull-shitters and people who don’t know what they are talking about. A poorly researched and half-prepared project will not be supported.

Do you have any advice for photographers who want to crowdfund a project, or are simply working on a long-term and looking for alternative funding?

A strong pitching video is important — and a strong social network is even more important to the success of the project.