Source of article 2's Company - Magnus Insights.

I was writing a report recently and recommended that a client “focus” the jurors’ attention on a certain point. Given my 40+ years of photographic experience, I decided to test myself with this post to see if I can come up with analogies and metaphors between photography and litigation/trials. Focus is the starting point because it is important for attorneys to direct the audience (jurors, judge, opposing counsel) to see your focal point and shed some light on the subject. All of these are descriptions valid for photography, as well as litigation and/or trials. Further, sometimes during a trial, the attorneys need to provide the big picture, something photographers might use a wide angle lens to capture. Other times, there are details that must be grabbed “out of the forest,” details that might require a telephoto or zoom lens to reach out and isolate. Other times, one might need a macro lens to isolate a small object, from a very close perspective – a single detail to pull from the background. With lenses, it is all about perspective. Again, it is a valid reference to trials – what perspective do the trial jurors bring along with them? Their perspective is more important than anyone else’s in the courtroom! In photography, “aperture” is the lens opening that allows light to pass through the lens. Opening the aperture lets in more light; in a trial, sometimes the attorneys have to shed more light than would otherwise be shown on an issue or detail; in other words, they have to open the aperture. Or, the attorney could stop down the aperture if he or she wanted to obscure that detail. Shutter speed is another aspect to consider, is the attorney’s presentation fast, like a high shutter speed, or does it need to be slowed down by using a slower shutter? Is the trial of short, medium, or long duration? In the film days, that might equate to the length of the roll of film, 12, 24, or 36 exposures; now it would be a question of memory card size. But, more so with film than digital, you never know what develops until you process the film. With litigation, something is always developing, even if one wishes the development could be deleted like a bad photo can be deleted today with the press of a button. I could go on, but I’ll end with these thoughts. Sometimes mental exercises provide a frame of reference (oh, there’s another one) that helps master the medium.