18
Contents FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 • ISSUE 15
12
22
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Alex Broadway doesn’t horse around when it comes to his freelance sports career
ADD WORDS, ADD VALUE Boost your income by supplying words as well as pictures to clients
MONEY MAKERS This may be one of the most inhospitable places on earth – but it can still make money!
COVER STORY
Can’t Sleep by Paul Stefan Paul’s regularly sells images to magazines and hopes to eventually be fulltime pro photographer. This superb HDR image was taken in Reykjavik harbour. He processed the RAW file three times using different exposures in Capture One, blended them in Photomatix, then made final tweaks using Photoshop CS2.
PART TWO
THINK SMALL Why smaller magazines are worth a shot…
8
GET ON THE WEB Our three-part series continues with an introduction to blogging
Pic spec
Camera: Canon EOS 20D Lens: Sigma 10-20mm Exposure: 1/60sec at f/5
News and leads
4
Our round up of what’s going on in the freelance market, including clients who are after your pictures and details of the forthcoming Focus on Imaging show.
So you want to…
8
…get on the web. Part 2. Last time, Nick Lewis explained how to get started with a website, in this issue, he explains how to master the delicate art of blogging.
Money Makers
12
A selection of shots from FPME subscribers that have made money, along with the stories behind how they were taken.
Member Spotlight
18
Alex Broadway is just 22 years old, but he’s already enjoying a good level of success as a freelance sports photographer. Here, we showcase some of his excellent images, find out how he got into this competitive market and learn what it takes to stay at the top of the, ahem, game.
| FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
Add words to add value
22
If you want to boost your freelance income and make yourself editorfriendly, then writing articles to accompany your images can work wonders. Sheila Atter explains how to take your first steps and add an extra string to your freelance bow.
Get me the commissioner!
25
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work on a commission to a tight deadline? Dan Santillo did just that and learned some valuable freelancing lessons along the way.
Think small for BIG results
28
Tony Morgan explains how lower your sights can reap rewards
Re-subscribe
24
32
If your subscription is due for renewal, sign up now and get a healthy discount. • The FPME Business Advisors are taking a well-earned issue break. But feel free to send in your freelancing questions to: roger@fpme.co.uk.
Who we are Freelance Photography Made Easy is produced six times a year by Jump Media for Magezine Publishing Ltd, Units 31/32 The Turbine, Shireoaks Triangle Business Park, Coach Close, Shireoaks, Notts S81 8AP • e-mail: members@fpme.co.uk
Web address: www.fpme.co.uk Editor Roger Payne roger@fpme.co.uk Design Jules Payne Advertising Director Tracey Johnson tracey@fpme.co.uk Web Developer Web support team support@fpme.co.uk Publisher Peter Bargh peter@fpme.co.uk The views expressed in this magazine are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher, unless otherwise stated. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors contained within the publication. We welcome articles or photographs in digital or traditional form. Every care will be taken with any material submitted, but neither the publisher nor any of its employees, members, contractors or agents accepts any responsibility for loss or damage to photographs, illustrations, manuscripts or any other material submitted, however caused. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope for any material that is to be returned to sender. All advertisements are accepted, and all material is published in good faith. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from Magezine Publishing Ltd.
December/January 2008 £4.99
Subscription rates: subs@fpme.co.uk
6 issues including post £35 (UK & Eire) £41 (Europe) £44 (Worldwide)
S
hortly before I turned freelance, I was sitting in the pub with a mate who had already taken the plunge. He was doing really well for himself and I was amazed at the range of projects he had on the go. When I asked him how he’d managed to rack up such a diverse portfolio of projects, he told me, quite simply, that it was just a case of working out his key strengths, then thinking of as many different ways as possible to apply those strengths in business. That advice has stuck with me
ever since – and there are a couple of features in this issue of the magazine that, I hope, will encourage you to think laterally and maximise your photographic skills. The first is Sheila Atter’s excellent piece on how supplying pictures and words can boost your freelance coffers (see page 22), then there’s Tony Morgan’s story about how spotting a need in a small market kept him extremely busy (see page 28). Both are aspirational and inspirational in equal measure. That just leaves me to encourage you to come and say hello at Focus on Imaging at the end of February. I’ll be
alex broadway Thanks to everyone
who helped get this issue together. Here are just some of the contributors who made it all possible:
Alex is the subject for this issue’s Member Spotlight. He’s only been freelancing for a year or so, but his sports photography is of an impressively high standard. See his work on page 18.
attending the show on the Monday and I’d love to meet as many FPME subscribers as possible. See News for details. Roger Payne, Editor
nick lewis Blogging may sound a little rude, but Nick knows it inside out and he’ll tell you all you need to know to set up a blog of your own on page 8.
tony morgan Everyone wants to get their pictures in the big magazines but, as Tony proves on page 28, if you’re a capable photographer, big isn’t always best.
Rog’s shot I must admit, that things have gone a little quiet on the photography front for me of late. It’s my own fault; I’ve been too busy with writing to take any pictures. When I do find the time, however, I’m always looking for shots that I can add to my ever-growing selection of images to send to a stock library. This shot was taken at an open day at a local farm centre where a raptor society had a small display. I only took a handful of shots, but this is the only one where the owl isn’t obviously tethered. Pic spec Camera: Olympus E-510 Lens: Olympus 40-150mm lens at 128mm setting Exposure: 1/100sec at f/5.6
sheila atter For a second issue running, Sheila passes on some unmissable advice! If you ever wanted to submit words as well as pictures to magazines, turn to page 22 now!
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 |
18
Contents FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 • ISSUE 15
12
22
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Alex Broadway doesn’t horse around when it comes to his freelance sports career
ADD WORDS, ADD VALUE Boost your income by supplying words as well as pictures to clients
MONEY MAKERS This may be one of the most inhospitable places on earth – but it can still make money!
COVER STORY
Can’t Sleep by Paul Stefan Paul’s regularly sells images to magazines and hopes to eventually be fulltime pro photographer. This superb HDR image was taken in Reykjavik harbour. He processed the RAW file three times using different exposures in Capture One, blended them in Photomatix, then made final tweaks using Photoshop CS2.
PART TWO
THINK SMALL Why smaller magazines are worth a shot…
8
GET ON THE WEB Our three-part series continues with an introduction to blogging
Pic spec
Camera: Canon EOS 20D Lens: Sigma 10-20mm Exposure: 1/60sec at f/5
News and leads
4
Our round up of what’s going on in the freelance market, including clients who are after your pictures and details of the forthcoming Focus on Imaging show.
So you want to…
8
…get on the web. Part 2. Last time, Nick Lewis explained how to get started with a website, in this issue, he explains how to master the delicate art of blogging.
Money Makers
12
A selection of shots from FPME subscribers that have made money, along with the stories behind how they were taken.
Member Spotlight
18
Alex Broadway is just 22 years old, but he’s already enjoying a good level of success as a freelance sports photographer. Here, we showcase some of his excellent images, find out how he got into this competitive market and learn what it takes to stay at the top of the, ahem, game.
| FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
Add words to add value
22
If you want to boost your freelance income and make yourself editorfriendly, then writing articles to accompany your images can work wonders. Sheila Atter explains how to take your first steps and add an extra string to your freelance bow.
Get me the commissioner!
25
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work on a commission to a tight deadline? Dan Santillo did just that and learned some valuable freelancing lessons along the way.
Think small for BIG results
28
Tony Morgan explains how lower your sights can reap rewards
Re-subscribe
24
32
If your subscription is due for renewal, sign up now and get a healthy discount. • The FPME Business Advisors are taking a well-earned issue break. But feel free to send in your freelancing questions to: roger@fpme.co.uk.
Who we are Freelance Photography Made Easy is produced six times a year by Jump Media for Magezine Publishing Ltd, Units 31/32 The Turbine, Shireoaks Triangle Business Park, Coach Close, Shireoaks, Notts S81 8AP • e-mail: members@fpme.co.uk
Web address: www.fpme.co.uk Editor Roger Payne roger@fpme.co.uk Design Jules Payne Advertising Director Tracey Johnson tracey@fpme.co.uk Web Developer Web support team support@fpme.co.uk Publisher Peter Bargh peter@fpme.co.uk The views expressed in this magazine are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher, unless otherwise stated. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors contained within the publication. We welcome articles or photographs in digital or traditional form. Every care will be taken with any material submitted, but neither the publisher nor any of its employees, members, contractors or agents accepts any responsibility for loss or damage to photographs, illustrations, manuscripts or any other material submitted, however caused. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope for any material that is to be returned to sender. All advertisements are accepted, and all material is published in good faith. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from Magezine Publishing Ltd.
December/January 2008 £4.99
Subscription rates: subs@fpme.co.uk
6 issues including post £35 (UK & Eire) £41 (Europe) £44 (Worldwide)
S
hortly before I turned freelance, I was sitting in the pub with a mate who had already taken the plunge. He was doing really well for himself and I was amazed at the range of projects he had on the go. When I asked him how he’d managed to rack up such a diverse portfolio of projects, he told me, quite simply, that it was just a case of working out his key strengths, then thinking of as many different ways as possible to apply those strengths in business. That advice has stuck with me
ever since – and there are a couple of features in this issue of the magazine that, I hope, will encourage you to think laterally and maximise your photographic skills. The first is Sheila Atter’s excellent piece on how supplying pictures and words can boost your freelance coffers (see page 22), then there’s Tony Morgan’s story about how spotting a need in a small market kept him extremely busy (see page 28). Both are aspirational and inspirational in equal measure. That just leaves me to encourage you to come and say hello at Focus on Imaging at the end of February. I’ll be
alex broadway Thanks to everyone
who helped get this issue together. Here are just some of the contributors who made it all possible:
Alex is the subject for this issue’s Member Spotlight. He’s only been freelancing for a year or so, but his sports photography is of an impressively high standard. See his work on page 18.
attending the show on the Monday and I’d love to meet as many FPME subscribers as possible. See News for details. Roger Payne, Editor
nick lewis Blogging may sound a little rude, but Nick knows it inside out and he’ll tell you all you need to know to set up a blog of your own on page 8.
tony morgan Everyone wants to get their pictures in the big magazines but, as Tony proves on page 28, if you’re a capable photographer, big isn’t always best.
Rog’s shot I must admit, that things have gone a little quiet on the photography front for me of late. It’s my own fault; I’ve been too busy with writing to take any pictures. When I do find the time, however, I’m always looking for shots that I can add to my ever-growing selection of images to send to a stock library. This shot was taken at an open day at a local farm centre where a raptor society had a small display. I only took a handful of shots, but this is the only one where the owl isn’t obviously tethered. Pic spec Camera: Olympus E-510 Lens: Olympus 40-150mm lens at 128mm setting Exposure: 1/100sec at f/5.6
sheila atter For a second issue running, Sheila passes on some unmissable advice! If you ever wanted to submit words as well as pictures to magazines, turn to page 22 now!
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 |
NEWS
NEWS
Bubbles needs help with the aged Bubbles picture library specialises in supplying lifestyle and people images to a wide variety of markets. The library always welcomes new contributions and currently has some specific groups of images to add to its collection. ‘Our collection covers every aspect of life from pregnancy and birth to old age,’ Bubbles’ Sarah Robinson told FPME. ‘We currently have over 20,000 images on our website, but we do need more shots, specifically of elderly people and education. Both of these markets are growing and so good images depicting these are likely to sell well. It would be a good opportunity for a photographer with a family including children in education and older relatives who are happy to have their picture taken. We prefer images that are natural looking, although there will need to be some direction from the photographer. Sarah pointed out that the library isn’t looking for a oneoff contributor, rather someone who could supply quality images on a regular basis. ‘We do tend to get inundated with NEWS IN BRIEF one off CDs from photographers who we never hear from again,’
she said. ‘I’d be more interested in seeing work from photographers who would be able to contribute a CD of, say, 30 decent images every couple of months.’ Any FPME subscribers interested in this opportunity should e-mail the library first to get submission guidelines. Naturally, the library is completely digital so any transparencies will have to be scanned to be suitable for consideration. Visit the library’s website at www.bubblephotolibrary.co.uk or e-mail info@ bubblesphotolibrary.co.uk.
Bevy of SLR launches
This time of year traditionally sees a flurry of SLR activity, due to the PMA show in the USA and his year was no exception. Canon introduced the EOS 450D, a 12.2megapixel replacement for the EOS 400D, while Nikon unveiled the D60, which replaces the D40X – the D40 and D80 remain current. Not to be outdone, Pentax released the K20D and K200D, which replace the K10D and K100D respectively, while Samsung showed the GX20, essentially a re-badged K20D. Most prolific, however, was Sony which unveiled the Alpha 200, 300 and 350 models along with details of a full-frame pro spec DSLR that’ll offer an impressive 24.6megapixel resolution when it’s launched before the end of 2008.
Copyright laws under review A consultation process is underway following the government-commissioned Gower’s Review of Intellectual Property. Under Lord Gower’s recommendations, greater emphasis is being put on the copyright of music and film than on the rights of photographers and photography. The report’s main area of concern seems to be that of format shifting, where content is transferred from one format to another. Copying a music CD or film DVD to a computer, for example. Clearly, the advent of iPods and other MP3 players requires the law to be clarified as an increasing number of
6 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
people want to view DVDs or listen to CDs on more than one device. But where photography is concerned, this is left open to interpretation as to whether scanning an image from a book or magazine is also classified as format shifting. If it is, this means that if you have had your pictures published in a book or magazine, there’s no reason why someone, who has subsequently bought that book or magazine, can’t scan and then re-distribute your image without having to pay you any money. The consultation period runs until April 8. If you wish to submit your comments you can do so by e-mailing the Intellectual Property Office on copyrightconsultation@ipo. gov.uk or by phoning 01633 814912.
Adams expansion opens door for freelancers The Adams Picture Library (APL) is a general interest stock library that covers a diverse range of subject matter. They’re keen to expand their business and, as such, are looking for new contributors to add to their growing collection of online images, which currently includes wildlife, travel, landscapes and entertainment, among other things. ‘Although we have work that covers the globe, it’s our British shots that sell well,’ explained APL’s David Jarvis. ‘That means we need a constant supply of quality images of wildlife, landscapes etc to satisfy the needs of our clients.’ In addition to this, APL publishes an extensive wish list of subjects on their website. At the time of going to press, this covered images as diverse as families eating together, recycling Christmas trees and weird musical instruments. Also on the website at are fully detailed guidelines for photographic contributions, just click on the Photographers tab at the bottom of the home page. ‘Our wish lists are loosely based on either image requests we’ve received and haven’t been able to fulfil, or areas where we recognise we have a gap in our current images, so it’s worth keeping an eye on,’ David confirmed.
NEWS IN BRIEF Sigma combat camera shake
‘We like to see an initial submission of around 100 images,’ David told us. ‘Any less than this and it’s very difficult to judge the quality of someone’s work, 100 images gives us a good idea of range and style. It’s worth noting that it can take a while for images to be looked at and processed. If we accept a contributors shots, it could be up to two months before we start marketing them.’ For further guidelines, look on the library’s website at www.adamspicturelibrary.com.
Sigma has introduced a 150-500mm telezoom lens that comes complete with the company’s Optical Stabiliser (OS) to reduce camera shake. The lens is due on sale in April when prices will be confirmed. It’ll be available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon fit. Further new releases from Sigma at the PMA show include an 18-125mm OS lens and a 120-400mm OS lens. Furthermore, the company’s 70300mm optics are now compatible with all Nikon DSLRs and the 50-150mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 optics are now out in Pentax and Sony mounts. Visit www.sigma-imaginguk.com for more.
2010 is just round the corner for Judges We may only just be getting into 2008 but Judges, one of the UK’s leading calendar and card manufacturers are looking much further ahead than that. ‘Our 2009 ranges are all set up now, so we’ll be looking for images for our range of 2010 products,’ advised Judges’ Melanie Hall. Judges produces a wide range of products, many of which use photography and Melanie advises potential con-
tributors to look at the range of products on the company’s website at www.judges. co.uk to get an idea of the sort of images that are required. The good news is, now is the time to start thinking about putting a submission together as picture selections for the 2010 ranges won’t be made until the summer. ‘We prefer submissions to made on a CD,’ says Melanie. ‘They’re easier to pass around the office for consideration. Contributors should make sure that any CD is clearly labelled with their name and contact details.’ If you have some images that will either be suitable for one of the existing products in the range, or may present a new opportunity, post a CD to: Judges, 176 Bexhill Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 8BN.
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 5
NEWS
NEWS
Bubbles needs help with the aged Bubbles picture library specialises in supplying lifestyle and people images to a wide variety of markets. The library always welcomes new contributions and currently has some specific groups of images to add to its collection. ‘Our collection covers every aspect of life from pregnancy and birth to old age,’ Bubbles’ Sarah Robinson told FPME. ‘We currently have over 20,000 images on our website, but we do need more shots, specifically of elderly people and education. Both of these markets are growing and so good images depicting these are likely to sell well. It would be a good opportunity for a photographer with a family including children in education and older relatives who are happy to have their picture taken. We prefer images that are natural looking, although there will need to be some direction from the photographer. Sarah pointed out that the library isn’t looking for a oneoff contributor, rather someone who could supply quality images on a regular basis. ‘We do tend to get inundated with NEWS IN BRIEF one off CDs from photographers who we never hear from again,’
she said. ‘I’d be more interested in seeing work from photographers who would be able to contribute a CD of, say, 30 decent images every couple of months.’ Any FPME subscribers interested in this opportunity should e-mail the library first to get submission guidelines. Naturally, the library is completely digital so any transparencies will have to be scanned to be suitable for consideration. Visit the library’s website at www.bubblephotolibrary.co.uk or e-mail info@ bubblesphotolibrary.co.uk.
Bevy of SLR launches
This time of year traditionally sees a flurry of SLR activity, due to the PMA show in the USA and his year was no exception. Canon introduced the EOS 450D, a 12.2megapixel replacement for the EOS 400D, while Nikon unveiled the D60, which replaces the D40X – the D40 and D80 remain current. Not to be outdone, Pentax released the K20D and K200D, which replace the K10D and K100D respectively, while Samsung showed the GX20, essentially a re-badged K20D. Most prolific, however, was Sony which unveiled the Alpha 200, 300 and 350 models along with details of a full-frame pro spec DSLR that’ll offer an impressive 24.6megapixel resolution when it’s launched before the end of 2008.
Copyright laws under review A consultation process is underway following the government-commissioned Gower’s Review of Intellectual Property. Under Lord Gower’s recommendations, greater emphasis is being put on the copyright of music and film than on the rights of photographers and photography. The report’s main area of concern seems to be that of format shifting, where content is transferred from one format to another. Copying a music CD or film DVD to a computer, for example. Clearly, the advent of iPods and other MP3 players requires the law to be clarified as an increasing number of
6 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
people want to view DVDs or listen to CDs on more than one device. But where photography is concerned, this is left open to interpretation as to whether scanning an image from a book or magazine is also classified as format shifting. If it is, this means that if you have had your pictures published in a book or magazine, there’s no reason why someone, who has subsequently bought that book or magazine, can’t scan and then re-distribute your image without having to pay you any money. The consultation period runs until April 8. If you wish to submit your comments you can do so by e-mailing the Intellectual Property Office on copyrightconsultation@ipo. gov.uk or by phoning 01633 814912.
Adams expansion opens door for freelancers The Adams Picture Library (APL) is a general interest stock library that covers a diverse range of subject matter. They’re keen to expand their business and, as such, are looking for new contributors to add to their growing collection of online images, which currently includes wildlife, travel, landscapes and entertainment, among other things. ‘Although we have work that covers the globe, it’s our British shots that sell well,’ explained APL’s David Jarvis. ‘That means we need a constant supply of quality images of wildlife, landscapes etc to satisfy the needs of our clients.’ In addition to this, APL publishes an extensive wish list of subjects on their website. At the time of going to press, this covered images as diverse as families eating together, recycling Christmas trees and weird musical instruments. Also on the website at are fully detailed guidelines for photographic contributions, just click on the Photographers tab at the bottom of the home page. ‘Our wish lists are loosely based on either image requests we’ve received and haven’t been able to fulfil, or areas where we recognise we have a gap in our current images, so it’s worth keeping an eye on,’ David confirmed.
NEWS IN BRIEF Sigma combat camera shake
‘We like to see an initial submission of around 100 images,’ David told us. ‘Any less than this and it’s very difficult to judge the quality of someone’s work, 100 images gives us a good idea of range and style. It’s worth noting that it can take a while for images to be looked at and processed. If we accept a contributors shots, it could be up to two months before we start marketing them.’ For further guidelines, look on the library’s website at www.adamspicturelibrary.com.
Sigma has introduced a 150-500mm telezoom lens that comes complete with the company’s Optical Stabiliser (OS) to reduce camera shake. The lens is due on sale in April when prices will be confirmed. It’ll be available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon fit. Further new releases from Sigma at the PMA show include an 18-125mm OS lens and a 120-400mm OS lens. Furthermore, the company’s 70300mm optics are now compatible with all Nikon DSLRs and the 50-150mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 optics are now out in Pentax and Sony mounts. Visit www.sigma-imaginguk.com for more.
2010 is just round the corner for Judges We may only just be getting into 2008 but Judges, one of the UK’s leading calendar and card manufacturers are looking much further ahead than that. ‘Our 2009 ranges are all set up now, so we’ll be looking for images for our range of 2010 products,’ advised Judges’ Melanie Hall. Judges produces a wide range of products, many of which use photography and Melanie advises potential con-
tributors to look at the range of products on the company’s website at www.judges. co.uk to get an idea of the sort of images that are required. The good news is, now is the time to start thinking about putting a submission together as picture selections for the 2010 ranges won’t be made until the summer. ‘We prefer submissions to made on a CD,’ says Melanie. ‘They’re easier to pass around the office for consideration. Contributors should make sure that any CD is clearly labelled with their name and contact details.’ If you have some images that will either be suitable for one of the existing products in the range, or may present a new opportunity, post a CD to: Judges, 176 Bexhill Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 8BN.
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 5
NEWS
NEWS
Prestigious wildlife competition gets underway The search for the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 is underway. The world famous competition, which is owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine, is inviting entries from nature and wildlife photographers across the globe and it’s your chance to test your photographic mettle against some of the planet’s finest animal snappers. There are 11 adult categories, four special awards and a competition for those aged 17 and under. Prizes range from £250 for a category runner-up to £10,000 for the main Wildlife Photographer of the Year gong. It goes without saying that you’re competing against the best in the world, but don’t let that put you off – a number of Brits were successful in last year’s competition. Entries can either be made online or by post. Online entries cost £20 and should be saved in as size 12 JPEGs in Adobe RGB (1998) colour space. Postal entries cost £27 (the higher fee is due to increased administration) can be either transparencies of digital files. The competition’s closing date is March 31 for online submissions and March 24 for postal entries.
NEWS IN BRIEF SanDisk boosts card capacity Photographers using SDHC cards in their DSLRs will be grateful for SanDisk’s latest releases. The Ultra II SDHC cards offers capacities of 16Gb and 32Gb making them the highest capacity consumer flash memory cards the company produces. Both cards also include a MicroMate USB 2.0 reader in the price. Find out more at www.sandisk.com.
Budget flash Kenro has introduced a budget studio flash outfit comprising two heads, brollies, stands and a carrying case for just £395. For more details on the Kenro Compact 300, visit the website at www.kenro. co.uk.
For full information on the competition, the judges and tips for entry, visit the website at www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto, e-mail wildphoto@nhm.ac.uk or phone 0207 942 5015.
Successful images by UK entrants to the 2007 comp. Above: A meal of a worm © David Maitland/ Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007. Left: Mallard’s eye view © Graham Eaton/Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007. Below left: Vole at the hole © Danny Green/Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007. Below: Swallow in the frame © Stephen Powles/Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007.
Come and say hello at Focus FPME magazine will be at Focus on Imaging this year, and we’d love as many subscribers as possible to come along and say hello. As with previous years, we’ll be sharing stand LK3 with ePhotozine, which is handily placed next to the visitors lounge and a coffee shop! FPME’s editor Roger
Payne will be attending the show on the Monday and is keen to hear the views of FPME subscribers. ‘It was great to meet so many FPME subscribers last year and I hope we get a similar turn out this time around,’ he said. ‘In addition to giving me feedback about the magazine and website, I’d also be keen
to hear potential feature ideas. If I like what I hear, I’ll commission on the spot!’ The show runs from Sunday February 24 until Wednesday February 27 and it stands to be one of the best yet, with the welcome return of Canon along with many other leading manufacturers. If you haven’t done already, you can beat the queues by registering online by February 20, otherwise you’ll have to pay £6 on the day. Car parking is £8. The show is open from 10am to 6pm on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday, and from 10am to 5pm on the Wednesday. For more information, take a look a the website at
www.focus-onimaging.co.uk or phone the hotline on
Re-mortgage ahoy! Canon has unveiled two new pro spec telephoto lenses – but you better start saving. The 200mm f/2L lens goes on sale in April for £4500, while potential buyers of the 800mm f/5.6L have a little longer to save up the £9000 asking price. Both feature image stabilisation to counter camera shake.
New Nikons In addition to the D60 SLR, Nikon also introduced three tasty new lenses. These are a 60mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor, a 16-85mm with Vibration Reduction and a 24mm f/3.5 perspective control lens. For details on these, and a whole host of new digital compacts that were also shown at PMA, visit www. nikon.co.uk.
01489 882800.
FPME BACK ISSUES
we do have a limited number of Issues 1-14 still available. Back issues cost £4.99 and can either be bought off the FPME website or by e-mailing backissues@fpme.co.uk.
ISSUE 1 n How to get started as a freelance snapper n What stock libraries want n Getting the best from RAW files
ISSUE 2 n Setting up a website n What photo editors want! n Who needs to know about your freelance income
ISSUE 3 n Market your landscapes n Submitting to online libraries n How to sell images to High Street shops
ISSUE 4 n Be an extreme sports photographer n How to re-size images n Get your images published
ISSUE 5 n Top tips from a nature professional n Get published in travel mags n Selling shots at craft fairs
ISSUE 6 n Getting your shots in the national papers n How to win competitions n Opportunities with aerial photos
ISSUE 7 n Lee Frost on shooting stock that sells n Be a top sports photographer n Make perfect inkjet prints
ISSUE 8 n Make money from music photography n Selling winter landscapes n Photo mag editor interviewed
ISSUE 9 n How to shoot weddings (Pt1) n Make money from local anniversaries n Submitting to local newspapers
ISSUE 10 n How to shoot weddings (Pt2) n Why giving images away can be profitable n Mount your own exhibition
ISSUE 11 n How to join the paparazzi n Shoot garden centres to grow your business n Landscape member portfolio
ISSUE 12 n How to contribute to magazines n Novice wedding snappers tell all! n How to buck up your shots
ISSUE 13 n How to shoot lifestyle images n Royalty free or licensed stock? n Balance freelance with a full time job
ISSUE 14 n How to get yourself on the web n Is it worth working for free? n Why shooting the same stock images makes money
To subscribe to FPME, visit our website at www.fpme.co.uk or e-mail subs@fpme.co.uk 6 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
NEWS IN BRIEF
NEWS
NEWS
Prestigious wildlife competition gets underway The search for the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 is underway. The world famous competition, which is owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine, is inviting entries from nature and wildlife photographers across the globe and it’s your chance to test your photographic mettle against some of the planet’s finest animal snappers. There are 11 adult categories, four special awards and a competition for those aged 17 and under. Prizes range from £250 for a category runner-up to £10,000 for the main Wildlife Photographer of the Year gong. It goes without saying that you’re competing against the best in the world, but don’t let that put you off – a number of Brits were successful in last year’s competition. Entries can either be made online or by post. Online entries cost £20 and should be saved in as size 12 JPEGs in Adobe RGB (1998) colour space. Postal entries cost £27 (the higher fee is due to increased administration) can be either transparencies of digital files. The competition’s closing date is March 31 for online submissions and March 24 for postal entries.
NEWS IN BRIEF SanDisk boosts card capacity Photographers using SDHC cards in their DSLRs will be grateful for SanDisk’s latest releases. The Ultra II SDHC cards offers capacities of 16Gb and 32Gb making them the highest capacity consumer flash memory cards the company produces. Both cards also include a MicroMate USB 2.0 reader in the price. Find out more at www.sandisk.com.
Budget flash Kenro has introduced a budget studio flash outfit comprising two heads, brollies, stands and a carrying case for just £395. For more details on the Kenro Compact 300, visit the website at www.kenro. co.uk.
For full information on the competition, the judges and tips for entry, visit the website at www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto, e-mail wildphoto@nhm.ac.uk or phone 0207 942 5015.
Successful images by UK entrants to the 2007 comp. Above: A meal of a worm © David Maitland/ Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007. Left: Mallard’s eye view © Graham Eaton/Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007. Below left: Vole at the hole © Danny Green/Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007. Below: Swallow in the frame © Stephen Powles/Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007.
Come and say hello at Focus FPME magazine will be at Focus on Imaging this year, and we’d love as many subscribers as possible to come along and say hello. As with previous years, we’ll be sharing stand LK3 with ePhotozine, which is handily placed next to the visitors lounge and a coffee shop! FPME’s editor Roger
Payne will be attending the show on the Monday and is keen to hear the views of FPME subscribers. ‘It was great to meet so many FPME subscribers last year and I hope we get a similar turn out this time around,’ he said. ‘In addition to giving me feedback about the magazine and website, I’d also be keen
to hear potential feature ideas. If I like what I hear, I’ll commission on the spot!’ The show runs from Sunday February 24 until Wednesday February 27 and it stands to be one of the best yet, with the welcome return of Canon along with many other leading manufacturers. If you haven’t done already, you can beat the queues by registering online by February 20, otherwise you’ll have to pay £6 on the day. Car parking is £8. The show is open from 10am to 6pm on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday, and from 10am to 5pm on the Wednesday. For more information, take a look a the website at
www.focus-onimaging.co.uk or phone the hotline on
Re-mortgage ahoy! Canon has unveiled two new pro spec telephoto lenses – but you better start saving. The 200mm f/2L lens goes on sale in April for £4500, while potential buyers of the 800mm f/5.6L have a little longer to save up the £9000 asking price. Both feature image stabilisation to counter camera shake.
New Nikons In addition to the D60 SLR, Nikon also introduced three tasty new lenses. These are a 60mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor, a 16-85mm with Vibration Reduction and a 24mm f/3.5 perspective control lens. For details on these, and a whole host of new digital compacts that were also shown at PMA, visit www. nikon.co.uk.
01489 882800.
FPME BACK ISSUES
we do have a limited number of Issues 1-14 still available. Back issues cost £4.99 and can either be bought off the FPME website or by e-mailing backissues@fpme.co.uk.
ISSUE 1 n How to get started as a freelance snapper n What stock libraries want n Getting the best from RAW files
ISSUE 2 n Setting up a website n What photo editors want! n Who needs to know about your freelance income
ISSUE 3 n Market your landscapes n Submitting to online libraries n How to sell images to High Street shops
ISSUE 4 n Be an extreme sports photographer n How to re-size images n Get your images published
ISSUE 5 n Top tips from a nature professional n Get published in travel mags n Selling shots at craft fairs
ISSUE 6 n Getting your shots in the national papers n How to win competitions n Opportunities with aerial photos
ISSUE 7 n Lee Frost on shooting stock that sells n Be a top sports photographer n Make perfect inkjet prints
ISSUE 8 n Make money from music photography n Selling winter landscapes n Photo mag editor interviewed
ISSUE 9 n How to shoot weddings (Pt1) n Make money from local anniversaries n Submitting to local newspapers
ISSUE 10 n How to shoot weddings (Pt2) n Why giving images away can be profitable n Mount your own exhibition
ISSUE 11 n How to join the paparazzi n Shoot garden centres to grow your business n Landscape member portfolio
ISSUE 12 n How to contribute to magazines n Novice wedding snappers tell all! n How to buck up your shots
ISSUE 13 n How to shoot lifestyle images n Royalty free or licensed stock? n Balance freelance with a full time job
ISSUE 14 n How to get yourself on the web n Is it worth working for free? n Why shooting the same stock images makes money
To subscribe to FPME, visit our website at www.fpme.co.uk or e-mail subs@fpme.co.uk 6 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
NEWS IN BRIEF
So you
want to...
So you
want to...
“Some bloggers post something every day, but you needn’t be that fastidious, every other day or even just a few posts a week are more than enough.”
get on the web PART TWO
Blogging is simple, fun and could well boost your freelance business. Nick Lewis explains how to get started and why a blog is a handy marketing tool
I
n the last issue of FPME, I gave you some basic advice on how to get a website up and running. This month I’m turning my attention to blogging. Here, I’m going to explain how having one can benefit photographers, how to set one up, how to maintain it and how they get Googled. If you’re prepared to put the time and effort into maintaining one, blogs can work very well as a serious business tool. The word blog is derived from the phrase web log, a journal (of sorts) through which its author can publish a mixture of text and images in reverse chronological order, the very latest posts appearing first. My first foray into blogging was through Blogger (www.blogger.com) that’s now owned by Google. Blogger is very easy to use and you can be up and running in minutes without the need for your own web server. If you just want to get a feel of
8 | FPME AUGUST/SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 2007
what it takes to create and maintain a blog, this could be a good way of dipping your toe in the water. However, its simplicity may not be enough for some people and there are a number of other more sophisticated services available. These include Typepad (www.typepad.com), Wordpress (www. wordpress.org), Tumblr (www.tumblr.com) and Movable Type (www.movabletype. org). Most of these offer free services, but in a lot of cases you may be required to pay a subscription fee in order to benefit from some extra functionality. If you already have your own website, you can also install a blog system on your server, so that you host it yourself. Wordpress and Movable Type are the best known in this respect as they both offer the software for free to install on your own system. This may sound complex but,
thankfully, it’s quite easy to do. Follow the instructions carefully, though! My site is driven by Wordpress and, like most good blogging systems, it supports templates. Templates allow you to customise the look and feel of your pages very easily. If you are not too hot at web design (like me!) then you can download some great designs for free from a number of excellent sites. You will be gob smacked by the sheer choice and the number of different types of templates there are. They come in a variety of types including single column, two and three column and many more. You can then tweak them if you wish by adding your own logo and other details.
Photo-blogging A normal blog will typically display the most recent posts in reverse order of age; the content being a mixture of images, text
Nick’s top five blogging tips n Keep you blog updated frequently, three times a week is ideal or more if you have time. n Use RSS feeds. n Configure you blog to use Friendly URLs. n Whether you enable commenting for your blog is up to you, but they can provide you with valuable feedback. n Use informative titles for each post.
and links. A photo-blog, on the other hand, displays a single image with very little associated text. Clicking on the image takes you to the previous entry and so on. It works more like a slide show and is a great way of showing off your photography. To give you an idea of the difference between the two, look at my blogs on www.nicklewis.net/blog and photoblog.nicklewis.net. Whichever format you choose is entirely down to you, if you can’t decide, why not try both! A good piece of software for photo-blogging is Pixelpost (www.pixelpost.org). Once you have set your blog up, you will need to look after it by giving it plenty of content to keep it happy! Some bloggers post something every day but you needn’t be that fastidious, every other day or even just a few posts a week are more than enough. It’s more important to make quality posts that your visitors will enjoy reading or viewing than it is to post several pointless entries each day. In short, keep it compelling. Once you have made a post to your blog, you really want it to be seen by as many people as possible. Hopefully you will have a decent number of RSS subscribers (see panel on page 10) who are keeping a keen eye on your blog, but you want to keep this number growing. This is where pinging comes into the picture, as it can help you syndicate your posts to further sites where people will discover your blog and the more the merrier! There are only a few blog listing sites that are worth their salt out there and two spring to mind when it comes to photography. Technorati c
FPME FPMEOCTOBER/NOVEMBER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 2007 | 9
So you
want to...
So you
want to...
“Some bloggers post something every day, but you needn’t be that fastidious, every other day or even just a few posts a week are more than enough.”
get on the web PART TWO
Blogging is simple, fun and could well boost your freelance business. Nick Lewis explains how to get started and why a blog is a handy marketing tool
I
n the last issue of FPME, I gave you some basic advice on how to get a website up and running. This month I’m turning my attention to blogging. Here, I’m going to explain how having one can benefit photographers, how to set one up, how to maintain it and how they get Googled. If you’re prepared to put the time and effort into maintaining one, blogs can work very well as a serious business tool. The word blog is derived from the phrase web log, a journal (of sorts) through which its author can publish a mixture of text and images in reverse chronological order, the very latest posts appearing first. My first foray into blogging was through Blogger (www.blogger.com) that’s now owned by Google. Blogger is very easy to use and you can be up and running in minutes without the need for your own web server. If you just want to get a feel of
8 | FPME AUGUST/SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 2007
what it takes to create and maintain a blog, this could be a good way of dipping your toe in the water. However, its simplicity may not be enough for some people and there are a number of other more sophisticated services available. These include Typepad (www.typepad.com), Wordpress (www. wordpress.org), Tumblr (www.tumblr.com) and Movable Type (www.movabletype. org). Most of these offer free services, but in a lot of cases you may be required to pay a subscription fee in order to benefit from some extra functionality. If you already have your own website, you can also install a blog system on your server, so that you host it yourself. Wordpress and Movable Type are the best known in this respect as they both offer the software for free to install on your own system. This may sound complex but,
thankfully, it’s quite easy to do. Follow the instructions carefully, though! My site is driven by Wordpress and, like most good blogging systems, it supports templates. Templates allow you to customise the look and feel of your pages very easily. If you are not too hot at web design (like me!) then you can download some great designs for free from a number of excellent sites. You will be gob smacked by the sheer choice and the number of different types of templates there are. They come in a variety of types including single column, two and three column and many more. You can then tweak them if you wish by adding your own logo and other details.
Photo-blogging A normal blog will typically display the most recent posts in reverse order of age; the content being a mixture of images, text
Nick’s top five blogging tips n Keep you blog updated frequently, three times a week is ideal or more if you have time. n Use RSS feeds. n Configure you blog to use Friendly URLs. n Whether you enable commenting for your blog is up to you, but they can provide you with valuable feedback. n Use informative titles for each post.
and links. A photo-blog, on the other hand, displays a single image with very little associated text. Clicking on the image takes you to the previous entry and so on. It works more like a slide show and is a great way of showing off your photography. To give you an idea of the difference between the two, look at my blogs on www.nicklewis.net/blog and photoblog.nicklewis.net. Whichever format you choose is entirely down to you, if you can’t decide, why not try both! A good piece of software for photo-blogging is Pixelpost (www.pixelpost.org). Once you have set your blog up, you will need to look after it by giving it plenty of content to keep it happy! Some bloggers post something every day but you needn’t be that fastidious, every other day or even just a few posts a week are more than enough. It’s more important to make quality posts that your visitors will enjoy reading or viewing than it is to post several pointless entries each day. In short, keep it compelling. Once you have made a post to your blog, you really want it to be seen by as many people as possible. Hopefully you will have a decent number of RSS subscribers (see panel on page 10) who are keeping a keen eye on your blog, but you want to keep this number growing. This is where pinging comes into the picture, as it can help you syndicate your posts to further sites where people will discover your blog and the more the merrier! There are only a few blog listing sites that are worth their salt out there and two spring to mind when it comes to photography. Technorati c
FPME FPMEOCTOBER/NOVEMBER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 2007 | 9
So you
So you
want to...
want to... (www.technorati.com) and Photoblogs (www.photoblogs.org) all offer services where your posts can be picked up and listed automatically! I have seen a good mix of blogging from fellow photographers. Some simply post a new image every day with little text, preferring to let the photography do the talking and others are more text orientated. There is no right way of running a blog, it’s entirely down to you. Above all enjoy doing it and make it part of your weekly routine.
Friendly URLs You may have heard of the term friendly URL. If you’re not exactly sure what it means, the following link should help you
understand the concept better: www.nicklewis. net/2007/10/17/ fpme-feature-hasgone-to-press/. This link is quite informative, you can tell that the blog posting has something to do with this great magazine and an article I wrote for it earlier in the year. That’s exactly what friendly URLs are about. When you consider that this link really points at a more complex URL such as:
Blog
RSS feeds – gain extra blogging power! You may have heard of RSS feeds and you may indeed already use them in order to subscribe to your favourite sites. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and its name is very much self-explanatory, it allows you, the publisher, to syndicate information around the globe to people who subscribe to your feed. Most blogging platforms include RSS as standard, so as soon as you start publishing your blog, the feed is being published. RSS is truly ingenious and by far my most favourite Internet technology of recent years. You can even use it to publish your feeds via social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Plaxo. You can create your own audience and once people take an interest in your photography, who knows what marketing power this will give you. You may find that sales and indeed business opportunities may pick up simply as a result of utilising RSS feeds within your website. Its power is phenomenal!
10 | FPME AUGUST/SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 2007
“Search engines like sites that are updated frequently and have a healthy bunch of links contained within them.”
www.nicklewis.net/viewpost. php?post=123455667. This simply illustrates what a great idea friendly URLs are, they hide the real techie jargon that means nothing to anybody but the guy who originally coded the site. So how do they work? Your web server takes care of it by doing some cunning translations behind the scenes to locate the actual content and render it within the browser, plus ensures that the URL you see in the browser is the friendly version. Why go to the bother? I am sure you’ll agree that the former link is far easier to comprehend than the latter and easier to remember. The point is, though, search engines also prefer the friendly URL format and as a result websites that use them are indexed far more efficiently which in turn is a bonus when it comes to drawing relevant traffic to your site. Search engines like sites that are updated frequently and that have a
ABOVE: Photo-blogging is ideal for telling the world about your recent trips, just make sure you upload images regularly to keep search engines happy
healthy bunch of links contained within them. Blogs are therefore very good at achieving this and every post will be indexed within a short period of time. If your posts contain references to other sites (my earlier example links to the FPME site) this adds extra weight to a link when it’s indexed and, as a result, can push your content higher up into the rankings that search engines maintain.
So, what are you waiting for? Blogging was at first thought to be a fad, something that would catch
“Blogging is a great platform because you can share your latest images with the world, write about current projects and even share tutorials with fellow photographers.”
on quickly and die out equally as fast. It has turned out to be a bigger success than even its creators could have possibly imagined. Every day you hear about blogging on the news and most journalists have now started to blog, simply because they love writing. I, for example, keep up to date with many sites and people through a fantastic service called Google Reader, as it allows me to cast my eye over a series of headlines, read the ones that catch my eye and save the others for a rainy day. It’s worth saying that when blogging, your opening paragraph is the most important, as that’s
what people will see first, so make sure you pack some good vocabulary in there! Blogging is a great platform for photographers because you can share your latest images with the world, write about current projects, promote new services and even share tutorials with your fellow photographers. I have seen some great tutorial sites around that are entirely based on the blog concept and, as such, work brilliantly. I have no doubt that such sites, which include www. chromasia.com and www.picaday.com, are massively successful and receive fP many thousands of hits each day. ME
About Nick
Age 34 Location Slough Gear Nikon DSLRs with a range of lenses covering 18 to 300mm Experience Nick currently has over 1000 images with the Alamy online library Website www.nicklewis.net
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 11
So you
So you
want to...
want to... (www.technorati.com) and Photoblogs (www.photoblogs.org) all offer services where your posts can be picked up and listed automatically! I have seen a good mix of blogging from fellow photographers. Some simply post a new image every day with little text, preferring to let the photography do the talking and others are more text orientated. There is no right way of running a blog, it’s entirely down to you. Above all enjoy doing it and make it part of your weekly routine.
Friendly URLs You may have heard of the term friendly URL. If you’re not exactly sure what it means, the following link should help you
understand the concept better: www.nicklewis. net/2007/10/17/ fpme-feature-hasgone-to-press/. This link is quite informative, you can tell that the blog posting has something to do with this great magazine and an article I wrote for it earlier in the year. That’s exactly what friendly URLs are about. When you consider that this link really points at a more complex URL such as:
Blog
RSS feeds – gain extra blogging power! You may have heard of RSS feeds and you may indeed already use them in order to subscribe to your favourite sites. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and its name is very much self-explanatory, it allows you, the publisher, to syndicate information around the globe to people who subscribe to your feed. Most blogging platforms include RSS as standard, so as soon as you start publishing your blog, the feed is being published. RSS is truly ingenious and by far my most favourite Internet technology of recent years. You can even use it to publish your feeds via social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Plaxo. You can create your own audience and once people take an interest in your photography, who knows what marketing power this will give you. You may find that sales and indeed business opportunities may pick up simply as a result of utilising RSS feeds within your website. Its power is phenomenal!
10 | FPME AUGUST/SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 2007
“Search engines like sites that are updated frequently and have a healthy bunch of links contained within them.”
www.nicklewis.net/viewpost. php?post=123455667. This simply illustrates what a great idea friendly URLs are, they hide the real techie jargon that means nothing to anybody but the guy who originally coded the site. So how do they work? Your web server takes care of it by doing some cunning translations behind the scenes to locate the actual content and render it within the browser, plus ensures that the URL you see in the browser is the friendly version. Why go to the bother? I am sure you’ll agree that the former link is far easier to comprehend than the latter and easier to remember. The point is, though, search engines also prefer the friendly URL format and as a result websites that use them are indexed far more efficiently which in turn is a bonus when it comes to drawing relevant traffic to your site. Search engines like sites that are updated frequently and that have a
ABOVE: Photo-blogging is ideal for telling the world about your recent trips, just make sure you upload images regularly to keep search engines happy
healthy bunch of links contained within them. Blogs are therefore very good at achieving this and every post will be indexed within a short period of time. If your posts contain references to other sites (my earlier example links to the FPME site) this adds extra weight to a link when it’s indexed and, as a result, can push your content higher up into the rankings that search engines maintain.
So, what are you waiting for? Blogging was at first thought to be a fad, something that would catch
“Blogging is a great platform because you can share your latest images with the world, write about current projects and even share tutorials with fellow photographers.”
on quickly and die out equally as fast. It has turned out to be a bigger success than even its creators could have possibly imagined. Every day you hear about blogging on the news and most journalists have now started to blog, simply because they love writing. I, for example, keep up to date with many sites and people through a fantastic service called Google Reader, as it allows me to cast my eye over a series of headlines, read the ones that catch my eye and save the others for a rainy day. It’s worth saying that when blogging, your opening paragraph is the most important, as that’s
what people will see first, so make sure you pack some good vocabulary in there! Blogging is a great platform for photographers because you can share your latest images with the world, write about current projects, promote new services and even share tutorials with your fellow photographers. I have seen some great tutorial sites around that are entirely based on the blog concept and, as such, work brilliantly. I have no doubt that such sites, which include www. chromasia.com and www.picaday.com, are massively successful and receive fP many thousands of hits each day. ME
About Nick
Age 34 Location Slough Gear Nikon DSLRs with a range of lenses covering 18 to 300mm Experience Nick currently has over 1000 images with the Alamy online library Website www.nicklewis.net
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 11
Money makers
Allan Coutts Allan has recently made his first submissions to stock libraries, but with images of this quality, we’re sure it won’t be too long before he’s making plenty of sales. “This is the dramatic and evocative ruin of Dunnottar Castle, which is near Stonehaven on the East Coast of Scotland.” Allan told
Successful images and their stories from the people who took them
us. “I had photographed this location before, but as I had recently purchased a Canon EOS 5D I was keen to utilise its full frame capability and larger file sizes for submitting to stock libraries. The weather forecast was good and I new that if I timed it right the light would just catch the castle as the sun set. I used a ND grad filter to balance the sky, castle and foreground. “I submitted this image along with a few others to the Scottish Viewpoint image library in August last year. It was the first image I sold and received a cheque for £37. Since then I have sold a couple more with them and had my images accepted by Alamy. I am now busy increasing the number of images with both libraries, as I know from FPME it is a numbers game and long term investment.” If you would like to see more of Allan’s work, visit www.allancoutts.co.uk.
“I am busy increasing the number of images with both my libraries, as I know from FPME it is a numbers game and long term investment.”
Dunnottar Castle
Camera Canon EOS 5 D Lens Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 ISO rating ISO 50 Exposure 1/4sec at f/11
12 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
c FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 13
Money makers
Allan Coutts Allan has recently made his first submissions to stock libraries, but with images of this quality, we’re sure it won’t be too long before he’s making plenty of sales. “This is the dramatic and evocative ruin of Dunnottar Castle, which is near Stonehaven on the East Coast of Scotland.” Allan told
Successful images and their stories from the people who took them
us. “I had photographed this location before, but as I had recently purchased a Canon EOS 5D I was keen to utilise its full frame capability and larger file sizes for submitting to stock libraries. The weather forecast was good and I new that if I timed it right the light would just catch the castle as the sun set. I used a ND grad filter to balance the sky, castle and foreground. “I submitted this image along with a few others to the Scottish Viewpoint image library in August last year. It was the first image I sold and received a cheque for £37. Since then I have sold a couple more with them and had my images accepted by Alamy. I am now busy increasing the number of images with both libraries, as I know from FPME it is a numbers game and long term investment.” If you would like to see more of Allan’s work, visit www.allancoutts.co.uk.
“I am busy increasing the number of images with both my libraries, as I know from FPME it is a numbers game and long term investment.”
Dunnottar Castle
Camera Canon EOS 5 D Lens Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 ISO rating ISO 50 Exposure 1/4sec at f/11
12 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
c FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 13
Natalie Kinnear NATALIE made money from these images as direct result of an FPME image lead. She submitted a selection of themed shots to Photography Monthly and was subsequently contacted by the editor, Will Cheung, who asked if she could add some words to go with her images. “Fortunately for me, many moons ago, I had started a correspondence course in writing, and I therefore had some basic ideas about producing articles, so I accepted the challenge,” Natalie explains. “To be honest I found it really hard work, and did many re-writes and re-re-writes. I think keeping the number of words down was the most difficult aspect for me. I like to write in a humorous way, but I had to cut out all the funny bits as I always ended up with too many words. However, I was fairly pleased with the end result. And so, apparently, was Will, who then asked if I would like to write a second article. I got £187 for the first article, which was published in the January 2008 issue of Photography Monthly. “My second commission came thanks to my website, Will had spotted the images of dogs I have on there and wondered if I would like to write on this. I jumped at this chance because I am passionate about dogs and dog rescue. Consequently, I found it much easier to write, although I still had to cut out the humorous bits in order to keep the word count down.” See more at www.nataliekinnearphotography.co.uk.
“I had started a correspondence course in writing and had some basic ideas about articles.”
Colander
Camera Canon EOS 10D Lens Sigma 28-200mm ISO rating ISO 200 Exposure 30secs at f/32
Wine glass
Camera Canon EOS 5D Lens Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro ISO rating ISO 100 Exposure 1/15sec at f/3.5
| FPME OCTOBER/november 2005
Cutlery set
Camera Canon EOS 5D Lens Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro ISO rating ISO 100 (Knives ISO 160) Exposure One second at f/32 (spoons), 1/2sec at f/10 (knives), 1.3 seconds at f/32 (forks)
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 15
Natalie Kinnear NATALIE made money from these images as direct result of an FPME image lead. She submitted a selection of themed shots to Photography Monthly and was subsequently contacted by the editor, Will Cheung, who asked if she could add some words to go with her images. “Fortunately for me, many moons ago, I had started a correspondence course in writing, and I therefore had some basic ideas about producing articles, so I accepted the challenge,” Natalie explains. “To be honest I found it really hard work, and did many re-writes and re-re-writes. I think keeping the number of words down was the most difficult aspect for me. I like to write in a humorous way, but I had to cut out all the funny bits as I always ended up with too many words. However, I was fairly pleased with the end result. And so, apparently, was Will, who then asked if I would like to write a second article. I got £187 for the first article, which was published in the January 2008 issue of Photography Monthly. “My second commission came thanks to my website, Will had spotted the images of dogs I have on there and wondered if I would like to write on this. I jumped at this chance because I am passionate about dogs and dog rescue. Consequently, I found it much easier to write, although I still had to cut out the humorous bits in order to keep the word count down.” See more at www.nataliekinnearphotography.co.uk.
“I had started a correspondence course in writing and had some basic ideas about articles.”
Colander
Camera Canon EOS 10D Lens Sigma 28-200mm ISO rating ISO 200 Exposure 30secs at f/32
Wine glass
Camera Canon EOS 5D Lens Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro ISO rating ISO 100 Exposure 1/15sec at f/3.5
| FPME OCTOBER/november 2005
Cutlery set
Camera Canon EOS 5D Lens Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro ISO rating ISO 100 (Knives ISO 160) Exposure One second at f/32 (spoons), 1/2sec at f/10 (knives), 1.3 seconds at f/32 (forks)
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 15
Money makers
Andrew Gibson FORTUNE favours the brave, apparently. And if that phrase holds true, Andrew stands to be a very fortunate person. Instead of trying to start a freelance career in the UK, he’s moving a little further afield… “I’m moving to Argentina in February and I’m going to spend at least two years there,” he told us. “My goal is to establish myself as an expert not only on Argentina but the neighbouring countries of Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Uruguay. My aim is to build up a comprehensive library of high quality images and write articles. Argentina is a very beautiful country (I know it well) and I’m very excited about it and looking forward to the challenges. “This photo was taken on an excursion to the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat located in south-western Bolivia. It’s 3650m above sea level in the Bolivian Andes, covers an area of 4085 square miles and contains an estimated 10 billion tons of salt. The crystallised salt forms the hexagonal patterns on the surface. “The image was initially captured in colour using my camera’s RAW file format. I converted it to a TIFF, then changed it to black & white before sepia toning it. All this was done in Photoshop 7.0.” We wish Andrew every success with his freelance career and if you’d like to see more of his work, take a look at his website on www.magicalplacesfineart.com.
Salt flats
Camera Canon EOS 350D Lens Canon EF 18-55mm ISO rating ISO 100 Exposure 1/160sec at f/20
“We often gloss over our locality because we see it every day and don’t explore its potential.”
Peter Davey HOW many of you take pictures in and around the area where you live? We often gloss over our locality simply because we see it every day and don’t explore its potential. Not so Peter, who’s regularly out scouting for money making images near his home. That’s how he grabbed this shot, which subsequently earned him £100. “I took this image last October,” Peter explained. “I live close to a motorway junction and there is always lots of activity due to the high number of accidents on this particular
Are you a money maker?
section. These guys were on the hard shoulder of the slip road and I was there seeing if I
Are you already making cash from your camera? Are you a money maker? If so, we’d like to hear from you. We’re interested in seeing images that have Are you already making cash from your camera? we’d like to hear you. behind successfully sold,If so, and hearing thefrom stories We’re interested in seeing images that have them. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve sold your successfully sold, and hearing the stories first shot forthem. £10 or your matter 100thwhether for £1000. behind It doesn’t you’veIn the sold your first shot forour £10 or your 100th for service first instance, please use Image Buyer £1000. In the first instance, please use our on the FPME website Image Buyer service on the FPME website (www.fpme.co.uk) Money Maker (www.fpme.co.uk)where where aaMoney Maker request beenpermanently permanently posted. request hashas been posted.
for use on the TV. I don’t know which programme it appeared in, but it was used within the
16 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
could capture any images suitable for stock libraries or the local press. “I submitted the image to Alamy and it subsequently sold at the beginning of this year main body of a show, possibly to illustrate traffic officers or some aspect of road safety.”
Traffic officer
Camera Nikon D70 Lens Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 with 1.4x teleconverter ISO setting ISO 200 Exposure 1/320sec at f/10
Money makers
Andrew Gibson FORTUNE favours the brave, apparently. And if that phrase holds true, Andrew stands to be a very fortunate person. Instead of trying to start a freelance career in the UK, he’s moving a little further afield… “I’m moving to Argentina in February and I’m going to spend at least two years there,” he told us. “My goal is to establish myself as an expert not only on Argentina but the neighbouring countries of Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Uruguay. My aim is to build up a comprehensive library of high quality images and write articles. Argentina is a very beautiful country (I know it well) and I’m very excited about it and looking forward to the challenges. “This photo was taken on an excursion to the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat located in south-western Bolivia. It’s 3650m above sea level in the Bolivian Andes, covers an area of 4085 square miles and contains an estimated 10 billion tons of salt. The crystallised salt forms the hexagonal patterns on the surface. “The image was initially captured in colour using my camera’s RAW file format. I converted it to a TIFF, then changed it to black & white before sepia toning it. All this was done in Photoshop 7.0.” We wish Andrew every success with his freelance career and if you’d like to see more of his work, take a look at his website on www.magicalplacesfineart.com.
Salt flats
Camera Canon EOS 350D Lens Canon EF 18-55mm ISO rating ISO 100 Exposure 1/160sec at f/20
“We often gloss over our locality because we see it every day and don’t explore its potential.”
Peter Davey HOW many of you take pictures in and around the area where you live? We often gloss over our locality simply because we see it every day and don’t explore its potential. Not so Peter, who’s regularly out scouting for money making images near his home. That’s how he grabbed this shot, which subsequently earned him £100. “I took this image last October,” Peter explained. “I live close to a motorway junction and there is always lots of activity due to the high number of accidents on this particular
Are you a money maker?
section. These guys were on the hard shoulder of the slip road and I was there seeing if I
Are you already making cash from your camera? Are you a money maker? If so, we’d like to hear from you. We’re interested in seeing images that have Are you already making cash from your camera? we’d like to hear you. behind successfully sold,If so, and hearing thefrom stories We’re interested in seeing images that have them. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve sold your successfully sold, and hearing the stories first shot forthem. £10 or your matter 100thwhether for £1000. behind It doesn’t you’veIn the sold your first shot forour £10 or your 100th for service first instance, please use Image Buyer £1000. In the first instance, please use our on the FPME website Image Buyer service on the FPME website (www.fpme.co.uk) Money Maker (www.fpme.co.uk)where where aaMoney Maker request beenpermanently permanently posted. request hashas been posted.
for use on the TV. I don’t know which programme it appeared in, but it was used within the
16 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
could capture any images suitable for stock libraries or the local press. “I submitted the image to Alamy and it subsequently sold at the beginning of this year main body of a show, possibly to illustrate traffic officers or some aspect of road safety.”
Traffic officer
Camera Nikon D70 Lens Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 with 1.4x teleconverter ISO setting ISO 200 Exposure 1/320sec at f/10
Member
Alex Broadway
covering athletics and horse shows, then selling the prints on the day to the competitors and their families. Working for the same company has also led to a new avenue I’m pursuing: polo photography, I did a little last year, but am aiming to get more into it this year as the polo season kicks off as the football season ends. My aim is to supply a few magazines as well as the clubs and players.
Sports photography is often as competitive as the action you’re photographing, but this hasn’t stopped Alex forging a freelance career from it How did you get into photography? I first picked up a camera about 10 years ago – my Dad’s Minolta X-300 – and loved messing around with that (mostly with no film in!). I did an Alevel in photography, although I’m not sure that I learnt much, but had great
Do you have to adapt your camera technique to different sports, or do you find that the same techniques work regardless of the sport?
fun playing around in the darkroom. After that my interest dropped off, but a few years later, whilst visiting my then girlfriend in Hong Kong, I got my first DSLR; a Konica Minolta 5D – it was amazing! I soon realised that photography was something I wanted to do for my career.
No two sports are the same, but certain techniques do carry through – all require quick reactions and the ability to predict the action. I always work in either aperture-priority or manual, depending on the available light, knowing the camera inside out is essential to making on the fly adjustments when your eye is glued to the viewfinder. I generally work with a two camera set up, one with a 300mm f/2.8 on a monopod and the other with a 70-200mm f/2.8. This set up
What prompted the move into shooting sports?
What does a photoshoot for a local paper typically involve?
I have always had an interest in news and sports, and love watching people doing different things, so it was natural to take pictures of them! The sport side of things really came to the fore last summer when I covered some athletics meetings for a local photography company. I really enjoyed it and my interest and enthusiasm has been growing ever since.
I wish they had something in common! So far none have been similar, sometimes I get a day’s work, sometimes just a specific event - such as a football match. A day’s work generally involves between five and eight jobs, anywhere within a 10-20 mile radius of my home. It goes from presentations and village events to local kids winning national competitions and the local indoor roller hockey team! If it’s a Saturday, I would normally have to do two football matches (as well as three or four other jobs), with the 15 minute half time break for travelling between games! So it does get pretty hectic, but I love it and always found that I work best when the pressure is on.
You now work for a local paper. How did you get that break? Through my Mum! She knows the head photographer at the local paper, and suggested I should get in touch to get a few tips before I attended a some job interviews. I met him and he was impressed by my portfolio! I didn’t get either job, but I did get a phone call from him asking if I would like to do some work on a freelance basis. Since then, I’ve got quite a bit of work, as the paper has two sister titles and only a few staffers spread between them.
Aside from the paper, who else do you work for and what does that work involve? I do regular work for a local event photography company, mainly
c
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 19
Member
Alex Broadway
covering athletics and horse shows, then selling the prints on the day to the competitors and their families. Working for the same company has also led to a new avenue I’m pursuing: polo photography, I did a little last year, but am aiming to get more into it this year as the polo season kicks off as the football season ends. My aim is to supply a few magazines as well as the clubs and players.
Sports photography is often as competitive as the action you’re photographing, but this hasn’t stopped Alex forging a freelance career from it How did you get into photography? I first picked up a camera about 10 years ago – my Dad’s Minolta X-300 – and loved messing around with that (mostly with no film in!). I did an Alevel in photography, although I’m not sure that I learnt much, but had great
Do you have to adapt your camera technique to different sports, or do you find that the same techniques work regardless of the sport?
fun playing around in the darkroom. After that my interest dropped off, but a few years later, whilst visiting my then girlfriend in Hong Kong, I got my first DSLR; a Konica Minolta 5D – it was amazing! I soon realised that photography was something I wanted to do for my career.
No two sports are the same, but certain techniques do carry through – all require quick reactions and the ability to predict the action. I always work in either aperture-priority or manual, depending on the available light, knowing the camera inside out is essential to making on the fly adjustments when your eye is glued to the viewfinder. I generally work with a two camera set up, one with a 300mm f/2.8 on a monopod and the other with a 70-200mm f/2.8. This set up
What prompted the move into shooting sports?
What does a photoshoot for a local paper typically involve?
I have always had an interest in news and sports, and love watching people doing different things, so it was natural to take pictures of them! The sport side of things really came to the fore last summer when I covered some athletics meetings for a local photography company. I really enjoyed it and my interest and enthusiasm has been growing ever since.
I wish they had something in common! So far none have been similar, sometimes I get a day’s work, sometimes just a specific event - such as a football match. A day’s work generally involves between five and eight jobs, anywhere within a 10-20 mile radius of my home. It goes from presentations and village events to local kids winning national competitions and the local indoor roller hockey team! If it’s a Saturday, I would normally have to do two football matches (as well as three or four other jobs), with the 15 minute half time break for travelling between games! So it does get pretty hectic, but I love it and always found that I work best when the pressure is on.
You now work for a local paper. How did you get that break? Through my Mum! She knows the head photographer at the local paper, and suggested I should get in touch to get a few tips before I attended a some job interviews. I met him and he was impressed by my portfolio! I didn’t get either job, but I did get a phone call from him asking if I would like to do some work on a freelance basis. Since then, I’ve got quite a bit of work, as the paper has two sister titles and only a few staffers spread between them.
Aside from the paper, who else do you work for and what does that work involve? I do regular work for a local event photography company, mainly
c
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 19
Would yo u lik in Membe e to feature r Spotligh Want to sh t? are your fr ee
Member
allows me to cover a lot of the action. In my bag I’ll have a 17-55mm and flash to hand if needed. It also helps to have a good background knowledge of the team or individual you are photographing, knowing where the action will take place, who will score the goals, who the favourites are etc. This all gives you an advantage as the game/race/event unfolds.
What, in your opinion, are the hallmarks of a successful sports photographer? Well, I wouldn’t call myself successful just yet! But having a good sense of humour and the ability to talk to the most random of people! If I had £1 for every time a spectator asked for a picture, pulled a daft pose or made a remark about the size of my lens I could retire tomorrow! But being able to banter and laugh at yourself is key at small events like local football. Having a laugh with stewards and die-hard supporters can also lead to some really useful information and contacts. You also need commitment and
20 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
lance exp and wisdom erience with your fellow read Then get in touch. In ers? the first in please up load three stance, low resolu that are in tion imag dicative of es your work FPME web using the site Image R eq A new pic uest servic ture lead e. entitled M Spotlight ember will be pos ted when this issue goes out to subscriber s.
perseverance, along with the ability to work the camera like an extension of yourself, capture the defining moments and deliver the pictures when under pressure.
What advice would you give to fellow freelancers wanting to break into sports photography? If you’re not afraid of hard work, then go for it! Be prepared for lots of hard graft with seemingly little payback. Make contacts, expect to spend time on the phone chatting up press officers, sports desks and event organisers. Don’t give up if the first few knock you back. Approach your local paper and ask about work experience; anything to try and get your foot in the door somewhere. Invest in some decent outdoor clothing – warm and waterproof is key. Get some quality gloves that are warm but allow you to operate the camera – it’s no good when your fingers lose the feeling and you can’t press the shutter release! Finally – practice, find out about local events, and go take some pics.
What are your future plans and how do you intend to achieve them? I guess my main goal is to carry on doing what I love. I want to build a strong enough portfolio to approach a few national agencies. I’d like to do this by the end of summer, before the start of the football season. So the next few months will be crucial, trying to get contacts at as many high profile clubs/ events as possible to give my portfolio some weight. If all goes to plan, I think I will be rewarding myself with a nice long holiday at the end of the summer – just before the football season kicks off of course!
What’s the best piece of photographic advice you’ve been given?
About Alex Location: Ashurst Wood, West Sussex Age: 22 Equipment: Nikon D2x, D2HS, lenses from 10-300mm, bag full of flashguns, battery packs, memory cards and a laptop. Website: www.alexbroadway.co.uk
Don’t give up easily and really get to know your equipment.
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 21
Would yo u lik in Membe e to feature r Spotligh Want to sh t? are your fr ee
Member
allows me to cover a lot of the action. In my bag I’ll have a 17-55mm and flash to hand if needed. It also helps to have a good background knowledge of the team or individual you are photographing, knowing where the action will take place, who will score the goals, who the favourites are etc. This all gives you an advantage as the game/race/event unfolds.
What, in your opinion, are the hallmarks of a successful sports photographer? Well, I wouldn’t call myself successful just yet! But having a good sense of humour and the ability to talk to the most random of people! If I had £1 for every time a spectator asked for a picture, pulled a daft pose or made a remark about the size of my lens I could retire tomorrow! But being able to banter and laugh at yourself is key at small events like local football. Having a laugh with stewards and die-hard supporters can also lead to some really useful information and contacts. You also need commitment and
20 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
lance exp and wisdom erience with your fellow read Then get in touch. In ers? the first in please up load three stance, low resolu that are in tion imag dicative of es your work FPME web using the site Image R eq A new pic uest servic ture lead e. entitled M Spotlight ember will be pos ted when this issue goes out to subscriber s.
perseverance, along with the ability to work the camera like an extension of yourself, capture the defining moments and deliver the pictures when under pressure.
What advice would you give to fellow freelancers wanting to break into sports photography? If you’re not afraid of hard work, then go for it! Be prepared for lots of hard graft with seemingly little payback. Make contacts, expect to spend time on the phone chatting up press officers, sports desks and event organisers. Don’t give up if the first few knock you back. Approach your local paper and ask about work experience; anything to try and get your foot in the door somewhere. Invest in some decent outdoor clothing – warm and waterproof is key. Get some quality gloves that are warm but allow you to operate the camera – it’s no good when your fingers lose the feeling and you can’t press the shutter release! Finally – practice, find out about local events, and go take some pics.
What are your future plans and how do you intend to achieve them? I guess my main goal is to carry on doing what I love. I want to build a strong enough portfolio to approach a few national agencies. I’d like to do this by the end of summer, before the start of the football season. So the next few months will be crucial, trying to get contacts at as many high profile clubs/ events as possible to give my portfolio some weight. If all goes to plan, I think I will be rewarding myself with a nice long holiday at the end of the summer – just before the football season kicks off of course!
What’s the best piece of photographic advice you’ve been given?
About Alex Location: Ashurst Wood, West Sussex Age: 22 Equipment: Nikon D2x, D2HS, lenses from 10-300mm, bag full of flashguns, battery packs, memory cards and a laptop. Website: www.alexbroadway.co.uk
Don’t give up easily and really get to know your equipment.
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 21
FEATURE
FEATURE
Add words to add value Creating articles based on your images can increase their saleability. Sheila Atter reveals her tips for success
F
reelance photographers are often advised that illustrated articles will sell better than single photographs, but for many the idea of becoming a writer as well as a photographer is somewhat daunting. Granted, we might not all have it in us to pen a blockbuster novel, but putting together an interesting and informative article is within the grasp of everyone. The task of adding words to pictures really isn’t that difficult. The secret is to build up the information gradually. Take this photograph of a castle, it’s the sort of picture that almost everyone can, and does, take when they are on holiday. Should we just caption it simply ‘castle’? Well no, almost certainly we will go a little further: ‘Karlstejn Castle’, or even ‘Karlstejn Castle, Czech Republic’. Maybe, in the interest of absolute accuracy, we will include the relevant accent and a little more geographical detail: ‘Karlštejn Castle, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic’. But although this photograph might just sell on its own – perhaps to a guidebook publisher or as an illustration in a travel magazine – it will be fighting for that sale alongside a million other very similar images. This is where our written words can help. What can we write about this photograph that will help us to sell it?
Do your research A little research will give us plenty of facts about the castle and the area. Using a basic structure such as Who, What, When, Why, Where and How can help. Jot down these headings and fill in as much information as you can. Who built the castle? King Charles IV. What was its purpose? Defensive or to impress the neighbours? When was it built? The fourteenth century. Why was it built? As a giant safe for the Bohemian crown jewels. Where is Karlštejn in relation to Prague, where visitors to the Czech Republic spend most of their time? 40km to the southwest. How can you get there? A short and pretty train journey through the picturesque Berounka Valley. By the time you have all the information to hand, and have put it into a logical sequence (don’t forget to use the spell-checker!) you have the
basis for an informative article, so have another look at your files. Are there any other photographs that could be added to turn your words and this single image into a more interesting – and saleable – illustrated article? What about the one over the page of the castle’s Well Tower? It has the advantage that it is vertical rather than horizontal, which gives more variety in planning the design of the finished page. You can almost certainly find some details about this building. Don’t forget how very useful the Internet can be as a research tool – but always make sure that you rewrite the information in your own words. And what about those two flags? The Czech Republic is now a member of the European Union – how has that affected the tourism industry? Might that be another angle to investigate in a different article?
“For many, the idea of becoming a writer as well as a photographer is somewhat daunting.”
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 23
FEATURE
FEATURE
Add words to add value Creating articles based on your images can increase their saleability. Sheila Atter reveals her tips for success
F
reelance photographers are often advised that illustrated articles will sell better than single photographs, but for many the idea of becoming a writer as well as a photographer is somewhat daunting. Granted, we might not all have it in us to pen a blockbuster novel, but putting together an interesting and informative article is within the grasp of everyone. The task of adding words to pictures really isn’t that difficult. The secret is to build up the information gradually. Take this photograph of a castle, it’s the sort of picture that almost everyone can, and does, take when they are on holiday. Should we just caption it simply ‘castle’? Well no, almost certainly we will go a little further: ‘Karlstejn Castle’, or even ‘Karlstejn Castle, Czech Republic’. Maybe, in the interest of absolute accuracy, we will include the relevant accent and a little more geographical detail: ‘Karlštejn Castle, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic’. But although this photograph might just sell on its own – perhaps to a guidebook publisher or as an illustration in a travel magazine – it will be fighting for that sale alongside a million other very similar images. This is where our written words can help. What can we write about this photograph that will help us to sell it?
Do your research A little research will give us plenty of facts about the castle and the area. Using a basic structure such as Who, What, When, Why, Where and How can help. Jot down these headings and fill in as much information as you can. Who built the castle? King Charles IV. What was its purpose? Defensive or to impress the neighbours? When was it built? The fourteenth century. Why was it built? As a giant safe for the Bohemian crown jewels. Where is Karlštejn in relation to Prague, where visitors to the Czech Republic spend most of their time? 40km to the southwest. How can you get there? A short and pretty train journey through the picturesque Berounka Valley. By the time you have all the information to hand, and have put it into a logical sequence (don’t forget to use the spell-checker!) you have the
basis for an informative article, so have another look at your files. Are there any other photographs that could be added to turn your words and this single image into a more interesting – and saleable – illustrated article? What about the one over the page of the castle’s Well Tower? It has the advantage that it is vertical rather than horizontal, which gives more variety in planning the design of the finished page. You can almost certainly find some details about this building. Don’t forget how very useful the Internet can be as a research tool – but always make sure that you rewrite the information in your own words. And what about those two flags? The Czech Republic is now a member of the European Union – how has that affected the tourism industry? Might that be another angle to investigate in a different article?
“For many, the idea of becoming a writer as well as a photographer is somewhat daunting.”
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 23
FEATURE
FEATURE
Know your market Unless you are writing for an architectural or historical magazine, images of buildings can sometimes be boring to the average viewer, and this is where your imagination can help. What was it like to live in this castle? Re-enactments or ‘living history’ is a popular ways of bringing days gone by to life. Didn’t you take a shot of those coins that were being made by the blacksmith? A nice close-up or still life adds yet more variety to your work. Before you know where you are you have some interesting facts that will help to sell your photographs. But you still need to do a little more research. There are literally hundreds of newspapers and magazines published in the UK alone, and thousands more worldwide. It is important to send your work to the right one. Every magazine has its own ethos, and time spent looking through recent issues is never wasted. Before you send your package off, check back through your images again and make sure that you have offered the editor a suitable choice. Vertical images are often more useful since they fit the layout better, and it’s always helpful to include one or two that have space to drop in a headline or some copy. It’s vital to know just how long your article must be. Some magazines publish guidelines for authors (and photographers) and you should ensure that you follow these to the letter. There are many openings for single photographs accompanied by what is virtually an expanded caption, probably about 250-300 words. A writer who fulfils the editor’s brief is always popular. If you are asked for 1000 words then that’s what you should aim to send. The editor has a set space to fill, and although you may think that 750 words are sufficient to do justice to your subject, that won’t help to sell your submission. Equally, once you have got into this writing business, don’t be fooled into thinking that more is better. If your piece is good enough, it might be used, but it will certainly be edited ruthlessly to fit the available space. When your article is finished and posted off, forget it! Editors are busy people and really don’t have time to deal with queries from
freelancers. There are many reasons why an article won’t gain acceptance. The magazine may have covered a similar topic very recently, or have something in the pipeline. So don’t lose heart if your first attempt is rejected. But once you see your words and pictures in print you will be bursting with ideas – and the second fP is always easier! ME
BELOW: Sheila has written and illustrated features for a number of different magazines. Don’t restrict yourself to one market sector, you’re limiting your sales potential!
Sheila’s tips for success Do: l Write on a subject that you already know about. l Imagine you are telling a friend about your photographs, and just write down what you would say to them. You can tidy it up later. l Check your facts. l Choose a suitable magazine to submit to. Don’t: l Send the same article to two similar publications. l Pester the editor. l Forget to check your spelling.
FEATURE
Get me the
commissioner! Completing a commission for a client takes time, skill and organisation, as Dan Santillo found out…
I
was driving back from a swimming session when the phone rang, so I pulled over and answered it. My excitement mounted as the lady on the other end introduced herself and explained the reason for the call. She worked for a well-known publisher and was looking for a photographer to supply some top up photos for a book. As I lived in the area, she wanted to know if I would be interested. She wanted landscape shots, which are my chosen subject, but also town shots – something I don’t like doing. This may be run of the mill stuff for established photographers, but at the time of the phone call I’d only been freelancing for two and a half years and this was my first request of this type. I would be paid 1/3 to start, 1/3 on delivery and 1/3 on acceptance, with no expenses as it was such a small commission. I signed the contract, which meant
22 | FPME DECEMBER/JANUARY 2008
I had to submit the requested photos (around 30) in just over two months. I was free to keep any photos not used, but they would take copyright of the ones they wanted. All the photos shown in this feature are rejects from the commission. The first thing I did was to get out a map to find the places I needed to photograph and it immediately became obvious that I could kill several birds with one stone. Secondly, I made out a two-month calendar showing all my other engagements, so I could easily see how much time I had. During the commission, I made sure I kept it up to date and ticked off days. Thirdly, I made my own list of the things needed and ticked them off as I progressed, to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I booked a campsite for £4 per night to keep my costs down and was soon investigating Hay-on-Wye and Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons National Park. I’ve never felt comfortable with street photography, but it
“I had to submit the requested photos in just over two months.” was needed, so I gritted my teeth and got stuck in. To my surprise, I found I eventually started to enjoy it and felt comfortable asking permission to shoot the inside of shops and market stalls. It was an intense two days’ shooting, but I had nailed around a third of the
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 25
FEATURE
FEATURE Dan is a regular visitor to the FPME forums, so if you have a question about this feature, post up a question and he’ll send you an answer.
commission in one go. I had one more town to photograph and then it was all the fun landscape stuff. After scoping out the second town, it became obvious I needed help from the publisher, because not even the local Tourist Information Centre knew where a certain building was! I received a quick response and was soon able to finish the town photography. From the publisher’s point of view, I was an unknown and a risk. To keep their mind at ease, and also to ensure I got the photos they wanted, I created a password protected directory on my Pbase web account and emailed my contact with what I’d shot so far. She showed them around her office to other
26 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
people involved in the book. They were very pleased with my work, so I knew I was doing exactly as they wanted. From the final images I placed online, she chose the ones she wanted and I duly sent them off about a week before the deadline. Only a few days later I was asked to invoice her for the final 1/3. In one of her emails she said: “It is always a pleasure to work with someone who delivers on time!”, which sounds like they often get let down by photographers. I then submitted all the unused and different photos to my local stock library for Wales. I made sure I let her know I was very interested in further work, so who knows? Maybe next time I’ll be offered one of the fP larger commissions... ME
Dan’s tips for success
DO: l Ask the publisher any questions you are not sure of – for example, I didn’t know what area Fforest Fawr covered, so I asked and was given a definitive definition. l Plan your time. I find an A4 page per month calendar knocked up in Word works very well. I printed it out and kept it visible on my desk throughout the commission. l Keep the publisher updated as you go – this will stop any surprises at the deadline for both you and the publisher. l Consider allowing the publisher to choose what photos they want from each shoot. I’m not sure if this is an orthodox method, but it worked very well for me. l Avoid cars in the shots – this will instantly date the photograph. Because I showed the publisher the photos early on, I was able to take this into account.
DON’T: l Sign the contract if you don’t have time to do the work. You’re more likely to be considered again if you’re honest about not being able to do it this time. l Leave everything to the last minute. Make every effort to submit before the deadline rather than on the deadline. l Miss the deadline unless you request this in good time from the publisher and it can’t be avoided. Either way, missing the original deadline may work against you for future work, but if you let the publisher know in advance, they can be prepared for the delay. l Forget to get permission to photograph various places. I phoned the council to get permission to shoot an indoor market and they were very happy to agree, as it would ultimately promote their town.
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 27
FEATURE
FEATURE Dan is a regular visitor to the FPME forums, so if you have a question about this feature, post up a question and he’ll send you an answer.
commission in one go. I had one more town to photograph and then it was all the fun landscape stuff. After scoping out the second town, it became obvious I needed help from the publisher, because not even the local Tourist Information Centre knew where a certain building was! I received a quick response and was soon able to finish the town photography. From the publisher’s point of view, I was an unknown and a risk. To keep their mind at ease, and also to ensure I got the photos they wanted, I created a password protected directory on my Pbase web account and emailed my contact with what I’d shot so far. She showed them around her office to other
26 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
people involved in the book. They were very pleased with my work, so I knew I was doing exactly as they wanted. From the final images I placed online, she chose the ones she wanted and I duly sent them off about a week before the deadline. Only a few days later I was asked to invoice her for the final 1/3. In one of her emails she said: “It is always a pleasure to work with someone who delivers on time!”, which sounds like they often get let down by photographers. I then submitted all the unused and different photos to my local stock library for Wales. I made sure I let her know I was very interested in further work, so who knows? Maybe next time I’ll be offered one of the fP larger commissions... ME
Dan’s tips for success
DO: l Ask the publisher any questions you are not sure of – for example, I didn’t know what area Fforest Fawr covered, so I asked and was given a definitive definition. l Plan your time. I find an A4 page per month calendar knocked up in Word works very well. I printed it out and kept it visible on my desk throughout the commission. l Keep the publisher updated as you go – this will stop any surprises at the deadline for both you and the publisher. l Consider allowing the publisher to choose what photos they want from each shoot. I’m not sure if this is an orthodox method, but it worked very well for me. l Avoid cars in the shots – this will instantly date the photograph. Because I showed the publisher the photos early on, I was able to take this into account.
DON’T: l Sign the contract if you don’t have time to do the work. You’re more likely to be considered again if you’re honest about not being able to do it this time. l Leave everything to the last minute. Make every effort to submit before the deadline rather than on the deadline. l Miss the deadline unless you request this in good time from the publisher and it can’t be avoided. Either way, missing the original deadline may work against you for future work, but if you let the publisher know in advance, they can be prepared for the delay. l Forget to get permission to photograph various places. I phoned the council to get permission to shoot an indoor market and they were very happy to agree, as it would ultimately promote their town.
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 27
FEATURE
FEATURE
Think small for BIG results If the big magazines and publishers are proving elusive, lowering your sights to smaller titles can work wonders, says Tony Morgan
W
hen you are hungry to make money from editorial photography it is tempting to seek out the big boys in the market – household names with huge circulations offering big bucks for the lucky few. For every popular title you can name though, there are a hundred small and limited circulation journals with equally voracious appetites for picture content. I suppose it was the height of arrogance, mixed with a little ignorance that allowed me to exploit my target shooting interests photographically to a point where I could hardly keep up with the deadlines. Publishers know that passions need feeding and that for any given hobby, sport, lifestyle or material object, there will be thousands of people out there eagerly awaiting the next issue of a favourite magazine. In my case, the anticipation was always slightly dampened by the reality of a rather mediocre illustrative content, nowhere near the sophisticated style of its American counterparts. The arrogance accompanied the belief that I could do better. The ignorance encouraged the submission of my photographic efforts and heightened my misunderstanding of how magazine publishing works, especially for niche-market titles.
Reality check I had always imagined that for a glossy magazine to appear on the shelves of WH Smiths it needed the support and backing of a huge production house, staff photographers, in-house design teams, editors and subeditors etc. The truth is that many low-circulation titles are put together on a very low budget and on the proverbial ‘wing and a prayer’. When the editor of the shooting journal called me to discuss my submitted photos, I could almost hear the sigh of relief in his voice as he explained how pleased he was to have found another contributor to help him get the magazine done. This man was a dynamo on steroids. He took his own editorial photos, wrote half the content himself and pieced it all together in an office the size of an ecofriendly car. I never asked, but I suspect he chased some of the advertising as well. The scenario was a bit of a shock. I realised the market was wide open for photographers with a bit of talent and enterprise. The bigger the title, the bigger the fee, but there’s huge competition by that route as well as issues like losing out to library shots. The smaller titles offer less financial reward but appear to be hungry for freelance submissions. They are less likely to have in-house studios and ‘staffers’ and in my experience are more accessible. It’s easier to talk to someone who’s part of a small team and paranoid about filling the last eight pages of editorial than it is to find the right internal extension in a combine like IPC or Haymarket. Most readers of FPME will already have an enthusiasm to make photography pay, but in the early days
of my submissions the driving force was a desire to get a better picture. It wasn’t that difficult as most of the time I was up against contributors who simply took their guns into the back garden and waited for the sun to come out. Whilst a technical review from such people may carry its weight in words, I always felt that the mediocre illustrative content did little to inspire the journal’s readers or enhance the aesthetics and reputation of the title.
Look like a pro My quest was to imitate the style of the American photographers without their ‘big-budget’ facilities. The first step up the image quality ladder was to bring the pistols in from the garden into a more controlled environment. Fortunately, as most firearms are reasonably small, you don’t need a huge studio set-up. A couple of lights, lots of reflectors and a few sheets of opal Perspex and that’s all you need. How you light a subject and the quality of that light is far more important than expensive state-of-the-art camera kit. And we’re not just talking guns here. Think of model aircraft, antiques, dolls houses, virtually anything you can imagine will have an associated media vehicle and if c
“The scenario was a shock. I realised the market was wide open for photographers with a bit of talent and enterprise.”
c
FPME DECEMBER/JANUARY 2008 | 25
FEATURE
FEATURE
Think small for BIG results If the big magazines and publishers are proving elusive, lowering your sights to smaller titles can work wonders, says Tony Morgan
W
hen you are hungry to make money from editorial photography it is tempting to seek out the big boys in the market – household names with huge circulations offering big bucks for the lucky few. For every popular title you can name though, there are a hundred small and limited circulation journals with equally voracious appetites for picture content. I suppose it was the height of arrogance, mixed with a little ignorance that allowed me to exploit my target shooting interests photographically to a point where I could hardly keep up with the deadlines. Publishers know that passions need feeding and that for any given hobby, sport, lifestyle or material object, there will be thousands of people out there eagerly awaiting the next issue of a favourite magazine. In my case, the anticipation was always slightly dampened by the reality of a rather mediocre illustrative content, nowhere near the sophisticated style of its American counterparts. The arrogance accompanied the belief that I could do better. The ignorance encouraged the submission of my photographic efforts and heightened my misunderstanding of how magazine publishing works, especially for niche-market titles.
Reality check I had always imagined that for a glossy magazine to appear on the shelves of WH Smiths it needed the support and backing of a huge production house, staff photographers, in-house design teams, editors and subeditors etc. The truth is that many low-circulation titles are put together on a very low budget and on the proverbial ‘wing and a prayer’. When the editor of the shooting journal called me to discuss my submitted photos, I could almost hear the sigh of relief in his voice as he explained how pleased he was to have found another contributor to help him get the magazine done. This man was a dynamo on steroids. He took his own editorial photos, wrote half the content himself and pieced it all together in an office the size of an ecofriendly car. I never asked, but I suspect he chased some of the advertising as well. The scenario was a bit of a shock. I realised the market was wide open for photographers with a bit of talent and enterprise. The bigger the title, the bigger the fee, but there’s huge competition by that route as well as issues like losing out to library shots. The smaller titles offer less financial reward but appear to be hungry for freelance submissions. They are less likely to have in-house studios and ‘staffers’ and in my experience are more accessible. It’s easier to talk to someone who’s part of a small team and paranoid about filling the last eight pages of editorial than it is to find the right internal extension in a combine like IPC or Haymarket. Most readers of FPME will already have an enthusiasm to make photography pay, but in the early days
of my submissions the driving force was a desire to get a better picture. It wasn’t that difficult as most of the time I was up against contributors who simply took their guns into the back garden and waited for the sun to come out. Whilst a technical review from such people may carry its weight in words, I always felt that the mediocre illustrative content did little to inspire the journal’s readers or enhance the aesthetics and reputation of the title.
Look like a pro My quest was to imitate the style of the American photographers without their ‘big-budget’ facilities. The first step up the image quality ladder was to bring the pistols in from the garden into a more controlled environment. Fortunately, as most firearms are reasonably small, you don’t need a huge studio set-up. A couple of lights, lots of reflectors and a few sheets of opal Perspex and that’s all you need. How you light a subject and the quality of that light is far more important than expensive state-of-the-art camera kit. And we’re not just talking guns here. Think of model aircraft, antiques, dolls houses, virtually anything you can imagine will have an associated media vehicle and if c
“The scenario was a shock. I realised the market was wide open for photographers with a bit of talent and enterprise.”
c
FPME DECEMBER/JANUARY 2008 | 25
FEATURE
FEATURE only did the editor continue the supply of firearms to photograph, but one or two of the advertisers in the journal became interested in my work and sent me products to photograph for their adverts. I got to the embarrassing position sometimes where my editorial pictures sat next to adverts, which also used my work. I suppose it’s the visible equivalent of ‘word-of-mouth’, if you can demonstrate that your work is good in one area there’s a chance you will pick up more from another. A further example of this situation was the approach from a book publisher who was researching images for use in a hardback coffee-table book. He had seen my work in the magazine and wanted to include some of my pictures in his book. Very flattering and reasonably lucrative. Combining photography with another passion to produce an income is like
you have a knowledge base extending into other areas as well as being a photographer, you are halfway there. No matter what your secondary interest is (assuming photography is your first) it’s worth remembering that the majority of writer contributors to magazines do not often possess extensive photographic skills, so if you feel capable of honing the odd thousand words or so into an enjoyable read – and back the story up with better than average images, you have a very saleable combination. It may be that you can persuade an editor to let you produce the illustrative content for a manuscript he already has, especially if you send in samples of work connected to the general trend of the journal. My first foray into manuscript contribution was an unprecedented success, which is probably the exception to the rule. The editor didn’t change one word of my submission and used every one of the twelve illustrations that accompanied the text. The money wasn’t great – I think the publishers paid £45 per page back then but a front cover picture boosted the remuneration by £120. All in all not a bad deal for what was an enjoyable job, and when you have gotten over the hurdle of the first article, the next seems ever so much easier.
Word of mouth It wasn’t long before I noticed a ‘knockon’ effect from my submissions. Not
30 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
working in a sweet shop. It’s just too good to be true. But the theory of researching niche market publications still works even if you have no knowledge or interest in the subject. Just recently a friend of mine completed a long-term woodwork project and produce a wonderful rocking horse. As a favour I photographed it for him but also sent the image to a carpentry periodical. I think because I had spent some time ‘retouching’ out the back garden where the picture was taken and replacing it with a more sensitive background, they published it. Sophisticated ‘pro-sumer’ digital cameras have eroded the environment of the specialist photographer. Now practically anyone can produce a sharp, colourful, well-exposed picture without even trying and it is easy to feel despondent about a swamped
About Tony Tony graduated from Manchester University in the ‘70s and then assisted in a studio for 10 years before turning freelance. He became a registered firearms dealer 15 years ago and shot competitively at county level. He’s now a co-director at a digital print company in the Midlands and is preparing for retirement by spending many hours a day in Photoshop! He uses a Nikon D2X.
marketplace and formidable competition. I’ve proved though, that if you practice a bit of lateral thinking, aim for niche rather than mass, seek out obscure rather than obvious and if you’ve a modicum of fP ME skill, you will succeed in a sale.
“Digital cameras have eroded the environment of the specialist photographer. Now practically anyone can produce a sharp, colourful, wellexposed picture.”
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 31
FEATURE
FEATURE only did the editor continue the supply of firearms to photograph, but one or two of the advertisers in the journal became interested in my work and sent me products to photograph for their adverts. I got to the embarrassing position sometimes where my editorial pictures sat next to adverts, which also used my work. I suppose it’s the visible equivalent of ‘word-of-mouth’, if you can demonstrate that your work is good in one area there’s a chance you will pick up more from another. A further example of this situation was the approach from a book publisher who was researching images for use in a hardback coffee-table book. He had seen my work in the magazine and wanted to include some of my pictures in his book. Very flattering and reasonably lucrative. Combining photography with another passion to produce an income is like
you have a knowledge base extending into other areas as well as being a photographer, you are halfway there. No matter what your secondary interest is (assuming photography is your first) it’s worth remembering that the majority of writer contributors to magazines do not often possess extensive photographic skills, so if you feel capable of honing the odd thousand words or so into an enjoyable read – and back the story up with better than average images, you have a very saleable combination. It may be that you can persuade an editor to let you produce the illustrative content for a manuscript he already has, especially if you send in samples of work connected to the general trend of the journal. My first foray into manuscript contribution was an unprecedented success, which is probably the exception to the rule. The editor didn’t change one word of my submission and used every one of the twelve illustrations that accompanied the text. The money wasn’t great – I think the publishers paid £45 per page back then but a front cover picture boosted the remuneration by £120. All in all not a bad deal for what was an enjoyable job, and when you have gotten over the hurdle of the first article, the next seems ever so much easier.
Word of mouth It wasn’t long before I noticed a ‘knockon’ effect from my submissions. Not
30 | FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008
working in a sweet shop. It’s just too good to be true. But the theory of researching niche market publications still works even if you have no knowledge or interest in the subject. Just recently a friend of mine completed a long-term woodwork project and produce a wonderful rocking horse. As a favour I photographed it for him but also sent the image to a carpentry periodical. I think because I had spent some time ‘retouching’ out the back garden where the picture was taken and replacing it with a more sensitive background, they published it. Sophisticated ‘pro-sumer’ digital cameras have eroded the environment of the specialist photographer. Now practically anyone can produce a sharp, colourful, well-exposed picture without even trying and it is easy to feel despondent about a swamped
About Tony Tony graduated from Manchester University in the ‘70s and then assisted in a studio for 10 years before turning freelance. He became a registered firearms dealer 15 years ago and shot competitively at county level. He’s now a co-director at a digital print company in the Midlands and is preparing for retirement by spending many hours a day in Photoshop! He uses a Nikon D2X.
marketplace and formidable competition. I’ve proved though, that if you practice a bit of lateral thinking, aim for niche rather than mass, seek out obscure rather than obvious and if you’ve a modicum of fP ME skill, you will succeed in a sale.
“Digital cameras have eroded the environment of the specialist photographer. Now practically anyone can produce a sharp, colourful, wellexposed picture.”
FPME FEBRUARY/MARCH 2008 | 31