Q: What is a "bellows"?
A: A bellows unit is used for macro, and in some cases for "tilt"
and "shift", photography. It's a device that puts more space between
the lens and the film plane. You can also use a dedicated macro lens, or extension
tubes for macro and other close-up photography.
Q: How do you define a "good" stock photograph?
A: The short answer is, one that sells over and over again.
You're looking for photographs that can be used to illustrate something. Look
in any newsstand magazine. Take away all the ads. What's left in there are good
stock photographs. A good stock photograph should evoke a mood and the viewer
should be able to read something into the photograph.
Q: What is the "living room floor test"?
A: This is perhaps the easiest, cheapest and most accurate
way for you to find out if your photographs are "pro grade". Take
a bunch of the magazines you want to work for along with some of your own images
and sit down on a floor where you have ample space to spread out. Open up the
magazines to photographs you like or that are similar to your own images. Then
compare the published images with your own images. If your own images are similar
or of a better standard, you're in good shape. If not, you will probably have
to improve your technical skills before you should start to try to market your
photographs.
Q: How do I check a photo buyer out before sending a large submission?
A: You can call the Better Business Bureau where the photo
buyer is located and ask them how long the photo buyer has been in business
and if they have any complaints on file. Another way is to contact a photographer
that currently works for that photobuyer and ask him/her if he/she is happy
with how they deal with photographers. Most professional photographers are very
willing to help with information if they can.
Very few photobuyers treat photographers poorly. Editorial stock photography
is a small world and if someone isn’t playing by the rules, this information
normally makes the rounds in express speed. Photobuyers need a continuous supply
of professional photographs and can’t afford to treat photographers and
photo-suppliers poorly.
Q: Why should I spend time editing my own photographs? Doesn't the photo
editor do that at the magazine?
A: Strict, critical and honest self-editing is the first step
toward selling your images. If a magazine is only interested in tack sharp photographs
of kittens, then send only that. If you send images less than pro grade and/or
images that depict something the photo editor doesn't want/need, you will waste
their time and your own money. Chances are that the photo editor will give your
images a quick glance, realize that what you have sent is not at all when he/she
needs and just return the images to you without spending one more minute looking
at them. Sure, a still life of fruit can be a technically perfect image, but
if sent to a photo buyer that wants images of kittens only, it doesn't do any
good, for you or for the photo buyer.
Q: I have sent many submissions to many magazines, all the big ones
that buy a lot of photographs, but I always get my photographs back and never
hear back from the magazines. What am I doing wrong?
A: First of all, ask yourself if your images are "pro
grade". If they are, look at the magazines you have sent your images to.
Do they publish the kind of images you have sent them? If not, you might be
sending the wrong kind of images. If you are sending the right kind of images
and the images are of pro grade, your timing might be off. If you haven't requested
photo guidelines from the magazines you are sending images to, do that. Read
the guidelines and try to figure out what the problem might be. Perhaps you
have been sending prints when the magazine only wants slides?
Follow digital submission guides to the letter. If they are asking for low-resolution
jpg files and you are sending something different, expect that your photos probably
will not even get looked at.
Q: What are "captions"?
A: Captions are basically text that describes photographs.
Captions should be short, to the point and informative enough for a person viewing
the photograph to be able to determine what it is.
Q: What is a "tear sheet"?
A: A tear sheet is a magazine/newspaper/book page or a product
where one or more of your photographs appear and where your byline, your name,
is published. It is used to show that you have been published. Normally, a photocopy
of a page will do nicely since the photo buyer really only wants to know that
you have the experience from being published before.
Q: I have photographed for a couple of years now and know the basics.
I am ready to move on though and would like to get a good book that teaches
some advanced techniques. Any recommendations?
A: That's a tricky question to answer without knowing what
you want to specialize in. Generally speaking, there are hundreds of highly
specialized books out there that are extremely handy for any given specialty.
Amherst Media in New York and F&W Publications in Chicago are known as publishers
of high quality photo books. Request their catalogs and try to find books that
deal with the areas you are interested in. You can also check out our BookStore
at http://www.photosourcefolio.com/bookstore.htm.
RELEASES, SELLING, GUIDELINES, PAYMENT
Q: What does "payment after publication" mean? What if I
sell a photograph to a book publisher in January and the book isn't scheduled
to be published until December, must I wait almost a year before I get paid?
A: Different photo buyers handle this differently. After publication
generally means after publication. More exact information is normally found
in the photo guidelines of the photo buyer you want to work with. We would generally
advise newcomers to stay away from photobuyers that insist on paying after publication,
simply because this is generally where many newcomers run into problems with
slow payment, non-payment and so on. We're not saying that all photobuyers that
pay after publication are like this, but the risk of running into problems is
greater with photobuyers that pay after publication vs. photobuyers who pay
on acceptance.
Q: Where can I find out which photobuyers want what kind of photographs?
A: The book "Photographer's Market" is a tremendously
effective tool in finding buyers for your photographs. The book lists magazines,
newspapers, book publishers, greeting card publishers, stock agencies and more,
including some general information about them as to what kind of photographs
they want, what they pay, when they pay and so on. Photographer's Market is
published by F&W Publications.
We at PhotoSource International offer a range of market letters that not only
will send current photo needs your way directly from photobuyers, but will also
allow you to start building a list of photobuyer contacts. Find out more at
(link to catalog page or similar)
Q: What is the difference between "commercial" and "editorial"
photographs?
A: Commercial photographs are normally advertising and/or product/service
endorsements of some kind. Editorial is illustration. As Rohn Engh puts it,
"Tear out all the ads in a magazine. The photographs that are left in there
are editorial, the ones you tore out are commercial".
Q: When I was taking a photograph of my husband inside a local mall,
the security guard came and told me I couldn't take any photographs inside the
mall. Is this true?
A: It depends. Different malls have different rules. Most consider
themselves "public places" and you are free to make pictures there,
some doesn't consider themselves public places and you need permission to make
pictures there. If in doubt, call the specific mall you want to photograph in
ahead of time and ask them what their rules are. Talk to the person in charge
of public affairs or similar department. Explain what you would like to do,
why, and ask him/her to let the staff know when you will be coming. If your
approach is open and honest from the start, you will find that most companies
are more than happy to assist you in any way they can. It is always better to
ask permission first, especially since many businesses would welcome, and sometimes
pay you, for making pictures of them.
Q: What are photo guidelines and how can I get them?
A: Photo guidelines are basically a manual, or information
sheet(s), that photo buyers have on hand to send to photographers that wish
to submit photographs. In photo guidelines you will normally find information
on what kind of format the buyer wants, when to submit, how to submit, how much
they pay, when they pay and so on. You should always request photo guidelines
from all photo buyers you want to work with. You get photo guidelines by writing
the magazines, book publishers, newspapers and requesting a copy of their photo
guidelines. Include a self addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) when you request
guidelines. Also, request an editorial calendar when querying magazine and periodical
publishers. It will give you a heads-up on what they're looking for in the coming
months.
Q: What is a model release?
A: A form the model, any person you photograph, signs that
says that you can use that photograph. We offer a sample pack that includes
a sample model release, a sample property release and general guidelines as
to when they are needed. This pack can be ordered from us for $14.95.
Q: What is a property release?
A: A form the owner, proprietor and/or designated person signs
that allows you to use images depicting a specific property (building, statue,
artwork, etc.). For instance, if you were to shoot photographs inside a restaurant
for use with an article on restaurants in a magazine, you probably would not
need a property release. If the same image was used to promote that restaurant,
you should get a property (and model) release. It's always better to have one
release too many than one too few. We offer a sample pack that includes a sample
model release, a sample property release and general guidelines as to when they
are needed. This pack can be ordered from us for $14.95.
Q: What is a "query"?
A: A query is basically a question that you send, in the form
of a letter, to an editor. The query is part of a suggestion for an article/book
script/photo shoot and you are basically asking the editor in advance if he/she
might be interested in your idea. A query saves you, and the photo editor, time.
Q: How do I submit my digital photos to a magazine or book-publisher?
A: Exactly the way they say they want them. Digital guidelines are often very
detailed and will spell out exactly how they want digital photos submitted.
Q: My digital files are large. How can I make them smaller to e-mail
them to photobuyers?
A: Use software such as Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, or similar
to re-size your photos and save them as jpg’s. Pay close attention to
how the photobuyer you are sending your digital photos to wants digital photos
submitted.
Q: I want to send a photobuyer a slide show of digital photos. How can
I do that?
A: Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Apple Aperture, and many other photo editing
programs have built in slide show features that will allow you to create professional
looking slide shows in seconds. Avoid adding music to your slide shows- it will
take up a lot of space and is generally frowned upon.
Q: Why should I use form letters when writing to photo buyers? Isn't
a personal letter better?
A: Form letters are short and to the point. By sending a form letter, instead
of a long personal letter, you show the person that gets the letter that you
know how the business works and that you're not going to take up their valuable
time by giving them information they didn't request.
Q: Why should I spend a ton of money on top-of-the-line paper for stationery
when I can buy nice paper for under $10 per ream?
A: Because you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. The
first thing a prospective photo buyer will see is your package. Then your letterhead
and stationery. Only after that will he/she look at your images. If you have
used poor quality packaging and stationery, the photo buyer will expect your
images to be of poor quality and vice versa.
Q: What, exactly, is a delivery memo?
A: It's a memo you include with images you send to a photo buyer. A delivery
memo normally state things like how many images you have sent, the date they
were sent, what kind of images and so on. We offer a sample pack that contains
sample delivery memos, cover letters that can be ordered from us for $14.95.
Q: In the photo guidelines to this magazine I want to send my photographs
to, it says "include a cover letter with your submission". What is
a cover letter?
A: A cover letter that goes with a submission of images should be very short.
It should state things like how many images you have sent, how long the photo
buyer can hang on to the images and your terms and rates for use of the images.
We offer a sample pack that contains sample delivery memos, cover letters that
can be ordered from us for $14.95.
Q: How do I know how much postage to put on my SASEs that I use for
photo buyers to return images to me?
A: Ask your local post office. Bring an envelope, the same kind you're using
for your image return SASE, into the post office, pack it with as many images
as you normally send to photo buyers and ask them to weight it for you and tell
you how much postage is required.
Q: How do I check a stock agency out before sending a large submission?
A: Most professional stock agencies are members of the Picture
Agency Council of America (PACA) and you can get information about agencies
by calling or writing to PACA, P.O. Box 308, Northfield, MN 55057-0308. Phone
800-457-7222. You might also, in addition to checking with PACA, want to contact
the Better Business Bureau in the area where the agency is located.
Q: I'm thinking about signing up with a stock agency and am preparing
my initial submission. Do you think 100 slides is too many to send initially?
A: It might be too much but it also might be way too few. It
depends on the size of the agency, how specialized they are and what they want.
Your best bet is to contact them and request their guidelines for submitting
photographs. It will state in the guidelines how many images the agency wants
to see in an initial submission.
Q: How can I get an assignment when all the photo editors I have contacted
want to see tear sheets before they give me an assignment? Seems like a Catch
22, you can't get a job unless you have a job already sort of. ?
A: More often than not, it will be hard for you to get an assignment
without having tear sheets to show the photo editor. The easiest way to go is
to wait to get assignments until you have tear sheets to show. Try marketing
your own photographs to photobuyers until you have a number of tear sheets you
can send to prospective photo buyers.
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