Roy Ramsay
Roy Ramsay of Markham was our guest speaker for this first program of the year. As editor of Outdoor Photography Canada Roy about his favorite subject – Outdoor Photography Canada – and how to get published. Article by Mark Singer
The January meeting was one of education how to get your photographs published. Our teacher was Roy Ramsay publisher/editor of Outdoor Photography Canada. The magazine started in April 2007 and is distributed throughout North America. NOTE: PHSC members attending the presentation are offered a 20% on a subscription to Outdoor Photography Canada. Contact info@phsc.ca for the discount code. Attendees also received a free copy of the recent issue 18, Summer/Fall 2011.
He first showed a short slide show highlighting the works of the 9 photographers in the magazine. They were beautiful images of both wildlife and nature scenes. The relationship between the photographer is special and that is how he chose the images for the magazine. Shown below are a sample of the images Roy showed in his video. The last thumbnail at the far right shows editor Bob Lansdale photographing Roy with John Linsky on the flash and George Dunbar on the white reflector. Click any image to see a slide show of larger images including the cover of the summer/fall 2011 issue of the magazine. Allow a few moment for the HTML5 resources to load.
He then gave tips on how to get their photographs published. There are many places to get photographs published such as magazines newspapers and greeting cards. Each editor views photographs differently and has a different criteria for accepting the photograph to be published. He showed some insider tips on how to get noticed easier and quicker.
Point number one is knowing the type of magazine or newspaper you want to get published in. Study the magazine and see the type of pictures already published. Submit according to the wish list, which sometimes the editor will provide. Also you can submit to a particular theme in the magazine such as seasons or activities. Ask what the lead-time on the magazine is to meet submission deadlines. It can be six months or more. Get it to the editor on time.
Put your best foot forward and follow the guidelines of the magazine or paper. You can submit either by snail mail or the web. If you submit by mail and you have photographs and text, put the text in the middle and photographs on either side facing outwards so when it is opened they will see the photographs first. If the first thing they see is text, they may get to it later or put it on a big pile and never see it. The photographs you submit must have that wow factor. If you submit by e mail, already have a web site that has your images on it make sure the web site has pictures related to the subject you are submitting and send a link to the editor.
If the subject is time sensitive, such as events news etc, it usually is by coincidence that you catch it so always have your gear ready. He gave an example that he was driving by and saw Brampton police on bicycles and captured a shot of one policeman riding down a set of stairs. He submitted it to the Mississauga News and got paid $50.00 for the shot.
You should be patient. Wait 2 or 3 weeks before contacting the editor or art director about your submission. You also have to develop a thick skin. Keep submitting to any print media that uses photographs even calendars. Even great photographers get rejected. If you submit to one media, do not submit the same photograph to other media at the same time.
He gave his address for submitting photographs to his publication and thanked the audience. His magazine is still in print and is thinking of going to a digital version but since his audience is mostly over 45, he will always keep a print edition. He also gave prices he pays for images submitted and published in his magazine from $600.00 for a cover shot to $50.00 for a shot under a 1/4 page. The photographs submitted should be in JPEG or RGB mode and at least 300dpi and manipulated to the way you want it. It is then changed to a CMYK or a TIFF file for publication. You keep the RAW data.
It was an interesting view into the world of getting your photographs published.
Mark Singer
January 31, 2012
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