Nature Friend Magazine
A publication of Dogwood Ridge Outdoors
PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES and HELPFUL HINTS
for Professional Photographers
June 2010
We encourage serious photographers to also be subscribers so you can more easily see the type of photographs we want, and how we use them.
We have several on-going photographic needs, and I'll mention them first.
Back Cover:
Six times a year, we want a gorgeous nature-related photograph, and it can be on any topic. Unlike the front cover, this photo does not need to relate to an article within the magazine. We are looking for a vertical image with room at the bottom for address information.
Caption This Feature/Back Cover:
For the alternating six months, we want a humorous photo that will work well for readers to caption. This photo will first appear inside the magazine in our "Caption This" feature. Four months later the photo will be used on the back cover along with a selection of captions from those submitted by readers.
The Story Behind the Photo:
We use this feature to showcase excellent nature photos. Along with the photo, we need a couple of paragraphs from the photographer telling about the events leading up to the opportunity to capture the photograph. We do not need technical camera settings, rather the story leading up to the opportunity. Occasionally technical information may be so much a part of the story that you want to include it, and that is okay. However, most of our readers are not looking for technical information.
Click for sample of photos with longer stories
Click for sample of photos with shorter stories
Let's Take a Hike:
This is a fun photograph just inside the front cover that may or may not have a paragraph or two of text about it. When a caption can add interest or identity to the subject of the photograph, we like to see some text. Other times, a gorgeous photography may stand by itself on its own merits.
End of the Trail:
This feature is the inside back cover page, and, like the "Let's Take a Hike" feature, showcases a gorgeous photo on any nature topic. We like to have a paragraph or three telling something about how the photo was gotten, or something interesting about the photo.
Monthly Selections:
Photographs are selected, month-by-month, based on articles selected that need illustrations, along with a front and back cover photo. What this means to a photographer is that photographs are secondary to writings and cannot be anticipated and selected far in advance. Photographic submissions that require us to return material in a specified number of weeks will likely not be useful to us.
For years we have said high resolution photographs that are in our files the day we are making selections will stand a greater chance of being selected than photos we need to order. However, in this day of digital photos and e-mail, we realize we usually find a photographer with the photo we need through e-mail or phone communication, and then the photographer sends us a high resolution photo via e-mail. We appreciate photographers working with us in this way.
We respect photographers as copyright holders of their work and will secure permission for each photo selected. Our policy for photo selections is to send the photographer, a Photo Acceptance Form that spells out the photograph we wish to use and our terms. The photographer signs the forms and returns them to us. We will then pay on publication and send a complimentary copy along with payment. We will return one form to show what the payment is for.Submitting Photos:Photos should be appoximately 8.5 x 11 at 300 ppi, when possible. You may send via e-mail saved as a jpeg file on the 10 setting. Photos may also be submitted on CD or DVD, but please include a contact print so we can view subjects without needing to load in computer. Be sure to include name, address, and phone number with all submissions, and on all hard copies.
Tips:
- When we are on a deadline, high resolution images on CD in-house are more valuable than small photos that require ordering.
- We search for photos by paging through a notebook of contact sheets. These are cross-referenced to CDs. If contact sheets are not included with your CD, your photos will be reviewed much less frequently.
- Keep material coming for our on-going needs, including photos with background stories.
- Put address and phone number(s) on all communication including CDs, so we can easily know how to get in touch.
- While we appreciate high resolution images on CDs as noted, we are increasingly using e-mailed communication/photos over looking through the notebooks. Computers can crash, so notebooks are a good thing too. However, you are welcome to send material via e-mail.
- Content: We are about wild nature. Very rarely do we use domestic animals, birds, plants, etc. Also, obvious zoo backgrounds are not useful to us. If we have need for zebra photos, we will use wild zebras. Fences and buildings in background do not work well for us.
- I'm sure this is obvious, but we are looking for technically sharp, artistically pleasing photos. I must mention this because some folks send in the whole spectrum of what they have shot. Please edit your work and send only the best. Thank you.
Payments:
We pay $75 for front cover, $50 for back cover, and $25 for inside editorial use.
Contact Information:
Nature Friend Magazine is published monthly by Dogwood Ridge Outdoors.
Kevin D. Shank
Nature Friend Magazine
Photo Department
4253 Woodcock Lane
Dayton, VA 22821
(E-mail address below disguised so as to not attract spam)
E-mail: photos (at sign) naturefriendmagazine (dot) com
www: naturefriendmagazine dot com
Office: 540-867-0764
Fax: 540-867-9516
Subscriptions: 877-434-0765
