This week, we’re all about opportunities to get your articles and photos published.

Wednesday, I told you about a paid writing gig at Bootsnall.com. Thursday, we revealed a brand new stock agency, called Snapixel.com. And yesterday we told you about a hidden travel publication in need of travel adventure stories.

Today’s opportunity is a little bit more unusual.

It’s a photo contest with a chance to win $3,000 in fine travel/safari clothing from the acclaimed J. Peterman collection... so you’ll look like a true jet-setting professional on your next writing or photo assignment.

After all, even if your next assignment is down the street at your local museum or coffee shop, it can’t hurt to look worldly and sophisticated.

Scroll down for details...

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. While it’d be nice to win a new wardrobe with a photo, you can do better -- by writing off an entire vacation on your taxes this year. As a freelancer, you may be entitled to more government help than you know. Get over 35 strategies to save on your taxes this year and for years to come with The Freelancer’s Tax Guide... FREE when you agree to test-drive the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program now.


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March 13, 2010
The Right Way to Travel
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J. Peterman: Travel in Style -- Or at Least Look Like You Do

By Bonnie Caton in Portland, OR

Peterman’s Eye, a travel community spun off of the J. Peterman clothing catalog, is hosting its second annual photo contest, titled, “Is it Peterman or Not?”

If you’re not already familiar with J. Peterman clothing, it’s safari-themed and old-fashioned with a worldly, well-traveled air to it. The catalog site reflects its vintage clothing style with soft browns and tans. A “Peterman” personality shines through, as everything on both the catalog site and the travel community, from product descriptions to blog posts about chateaux in France, is written in first-person from J. Peterman.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Because if you’d like to win the “Is it Peterman or Not” photo contest, familiarizing yourself with the style of both J. Peterman sites (the catalog and travel blog) will give you an edge. Or so the contest page states.

Photos can be of a person, place, or “oddity,” and will be scored on how “Peterman” they are. Here’s the complete scoring criteria.

Your photo can win in either of two categories: Peterman’s Eye community votes (once you sign in, you can vote, too), and Peterman’s Choice judges.

The top photo chosen in each category gets $1,500 in J. Peterman merchandise, followed by $750 for second place and $250 for third. It is possible to win in both categories, so you technically have two chances to win.

Sign up and enter your photo.

[Learn professional strategies to target your photos to a specific contest, publication, or stock agency -- and make more money from your shots -- at The Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop, coming up this April 16-18 in Nashville, TN.]

More Opportunities and Resources for Photographers:

Turn Your Pictures into Cash

Quick & Dirty Guide to Stock Photography

The Lazy Man's Guide to Stock Photography

The Business of Photography -- Everything you need to know about photo copyright, model releases, editorial guidelines, etc

AWAI's Photo Tip Cards

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(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact

To LEARN MORE, visit:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com
http://www.thephotographerslife.com  

Last month’s Photo Challenge results are in. Scroll down to see who won...

All monthly winners and honorable mentions throughout the year will be entered into the Hall of Fame, and have a chance at winning the yearly $2,000 Grand Prize in October.

These Challenges are absolutely free to enter and open to everyone. Next month’s theme is My Green Thumb. Check out details for entering.

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. Photo contests and challenges are a great way to practice your craft and win cool prizes and extra cash. Just be wary of the rights you give away when you enter. In our monthly Photo Challenge, you keep the rights to your photograph so that you can sell it later (to magazines, newspapers, stock agencies, etc.). But in others, you often give up those rights. Be sure to read the fine print. And if you’re new to all this and don’t want to get bogged down in buying rights, copyright, etc., check out our Business of Photography guide.

If you like taking pictures... enjoy the creative outlet... but don’t have the time or the energy to figure out how to sell them -- you don’t have to.

The Business of Photography lays out all the money-making solutions for you. So you can spend your time behind the camera, enjoying all the “fun” stuff.

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March 4, 2010
The Right Way to Travel
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Will You Be My Valentine -- Winning Entries

Last month’s Photo Challenge theme was Will You Be My Valentine? And let me just say...

As time goes by and readers are implementing the photo tips we share here and improving their photography, the task of judging gets ever more challenging.

January’s winner, amaing, was our guest judge this month and had the difficult task of choosing the first-place winner. Here is her choice below.

** First Place goes to PhillDanze for “Courting”

** Second Place goes to butterfly12 for “Mountain Magic”

** Third Place goes to Deborah Kolb for “Take My Heart LA!”

** Honorable Mention goes to DeBeagley for “Near to You”

FIRST PLACE -- COURTING

Here’s what amaing had to say about her first-place pick:

“This photo speaks to me because courting is an act of showing love, which matches the Valentine theme.
 
“The black and white color of the birds is complimented by the gray of the rocks. The lighting, focus, and composition are all well done, and nothing is cut off at the edges. The rocks in the foreground provide some copy space for writing if the photo is chosen for a magazine cover. This photo will go well with a travel article, too.”

SECOND PLACE -- MOUNTAIN MAGIC

This is a perfect silhouette with amazing detail on the couple and around the edges where black meets blue. Notice what appears to be grass at the left edge. It nearly looks like a drawing. And the framing from the rock formation adds a wonderful element of interest.

The photograph is correctly exposed giving a rich blue sky, and leaving the rest to mystery and wonder. This shot has plenty of copy space, and while it tells a story, it’s still generic enough to be useable in a wide variety of situations. A great stock shot.

THIRD PLACE -- TAKE MY HEART LA

I really like the enthusiasm that comes through in this shot. It feels authentic, energetic, and full of action, even though it may very well be a staged shot. Nice use of a building as a background, and with a shallow depth of field, it becomes a more generic pattern and wash of color. Also, good use of natural lighting.

HONORABLE MENTION -- NEAR TO YOU

Though I see many takes on this type of shot, this one is well done and compelling. The placement of the hands is nice and the red nail polish is a plus.

What I like most about this shot is the casual feel -- the clothing and the necklace are secondary features here, but they set the stage and frame it well. I’ve seen shots like this work well as stock.

Congratulations to each of our winners!!

The first-place winner will get a $30 gift certificate to the AWAI E-Bookstore, and all winners will be entered into the Hall of Fame, to compete for next year’s $2,000 Grand Prize.

[ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shelly Perry from Portland, Oregon, specializes in people photography, what she calls documentary or lifestyle portraits. She is known especially for her imaging of children. Shelly’s concern for people is reflected both in her sense of purpose and the images she produces. Her images have been seen all over the globe on music CD covers, books, magazines, catalogues, web sites, ad campaigns and even on TV. Her work has also appeared in several local exhibits and gallery shows.

Meet Shelly in person, get your photos critiqued, and learn hands-on how to take saleable shots at The Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop this April 16-18 in Nashville, TN. Just a few days remain to save $300 with our Early Bird discount.]

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(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact

To LEARN MORE, visit:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com
http://www.thephotographerslife.com

March's Photo Challenge Theme: My Green Thumb

To sell fine art photos locally, the quickest way to get started -- and to consistently sell -- is to start in your hometown, according to professional photographer Rich Wagner.

"It doesn't just sell because it's pretty,” he says, “it sells because it's meaningful to the viewer."

Two of our readers recently took Rich’s advice and wrote in about their success.

** Vera Kerr, a full-time nurse, took photos in her hometown and made them into postcards. A friend of hers started selling them in her café and before long, had to ask for more because they had sold out.

** Reader Helen Murray started to sell fine art photos locally, too. Thing is, Helen’s hometown is in remote Australia... with a population of just 45 people. A historic tourist destination, the town had been photographed before. But Helen decided to look at it differently, and take photos that no one else had. Since then, she’s been selling her larger photos as fine art and smaller ones to tourists and passers-by.

Here are four tips from our Turn Your Pictures into Cash program for sprucing up your hometown photos so you can make a fast sale, too...

** 1. Capture reflections. Skyscrapers and storefront windows offer a lot of opportunities for great reflection photographs.

** 2. Go out in the rain. Few photographers like going out in the rain so you’ll likely have the market on these moody shots.

** 3. Go back at dusk. Power lines, street trash, and ugly storefronts disappear at night. This is your chance to get a completely different view of the city than you got earlier in the day.

** 4. Capture all the seasons. This winter certainly brought enough snow to fill your portfolio full of winter shots. Mark your schedule to add spring, summer and fall to your collection too.

And when you start to sell fine art photos locally, let us know. We love to get success stories from readers.

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. While you’re out shooting fine art photos in your hometown, look for stock-worthy shots, too. Snap clean, well-composed photos of a piece of pie in the local diner, a red stage curtain at the theater, or friends and family on a picnic, for example. To try your hand at taking saleable stock photos, join us at the Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop this April 16-18 in Nashville, TN. Sign up now and you’ll save $300.

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The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.

(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.

245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact

To LEARN MORE, visit:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com
http://www.thephotographerslife.com

Armed with his new plastic camera, David Morgan didn’t know a thing about photography (or pricing photos to sell) when he hopped on a plane bound for Tokyo.

Six months later, his photos were selling on coffee shop walls for $200 a-piece.

Check out his story below…

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. David did a lot of traveling when he first started taking and selling photos. You can, too.  OR… you can start in your own hometown. Find out what sells and what doesn’t in different photo markets, including fine art, editorial, and stock.  And how you can get started in your own backyard at The Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop this April 16-18 in Nashville, TN. Early birds get the worm... get $300 off when you reserve your seat today!

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February 26, 2010
The Right Way to Travel, Weekly Photo Tip
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HOW TO PRICE (AND SELL!) YOUR PHOTOS AS FINE ART

By David Morgan in Knoxville, TN

When I finished college more years ago than I care to count, I took some money I had saved from working construction in the summers and left on a trip to Asia. I got a plastic-bodied Vivitar SLR camera as a graduation present, which I'm sure cost less than $100, but it had a great lens.

I didn't know a thing about photography (or pricing photos to sell) back then. I read the camera's manual on the flight from New York to Tokyo. I started taking a few pictures in Thailand, then in Bangladesh. A few weeks later in Kathmandu, I got the first few rolls developed.  (This was back in the film days when you had to wait to see how your pictures turned out.)

To my surprise, one or two pictures per roll were the sort of thing you'd see in a magazine... or hanging above a café table. So I started taking more photos.

A month or two later, in India, I had the good fortune of traveling with a young artist who taught me a great deal about composition. And then when I got kicked out of Tibet, I traveled with a German biology professor whose true love was photography.

He taught me the interplay of shutter-speed and aperture, and how to manipulate those to create even better photos.

** FROM WAITER TO PRO PHOTOGRAPHER IN SIX WEEKS **

When I got home to Tennessee, the only job I could find was waiting tables, which I hated. One day, after months of misery, I went to work but just couldn't bring myself to open the door. I got back in my car and went home. That was the day I committed to “making it” as a photographer.

I took some prints to a coffee shop near the local university. Most of the clientele were students and faculty. The owner liked the photos, and he said I could hang them for sale the next month. He didn't charge a commission. (He should have charged the standard 15%, as he went out of business about a year later.)

I needed money desperately, so I decided to try pricing photos to sell. To keep costs down, I mounted and matted the photos myself. Each photo cost me $17 to print and mat. So I decided to sell them for $35 each.

The local student paper printed a story about my travels and it drew a crowd to the café on opening night. I read some poetry I had written on my trip and told the stories behind how I got some of the shots.

The first week I sold five or six photos. The next week I sold even more. I was working like a dog to get the photos mounted. My ego was sufficiently stroked with all the praise I was getting.  But I wasn't really making enough money to live on.

So I raised the price to $75. Suddenly I was selling fewer prints. Students weren't buying them anymore, professionals were. And I was making slightly more money while working less.

The last week of the show, I raised the price again to $200 a print. It was more money per print with much less work. And a funny thing happened. People started taking me seriously as a photojournalist and art photographer because I was charging more. Later that week I was asked to shoot a wedding documentary-style, even though I didn't know the first thing about indoor lighting.  And, soon after, a geography textbook author asked for rights to several of the photos for her book. 

Today, if I could offer up one piece of advice for new photographers, it’s this – don’t underestimate yourself and sell yourself short.

If I can do it with a cheap, plastic camera and no formal training, you can certainly do it with the auto-everything cameras on the market today and the training you’re getting here at AWAI.

Lori has asked me to speak at your upcoming photography workshop in Nashville and help out in some of the studio shoots.  I’ll be glad to help anyone that wants it.

Hope to see you there!

BONUS TIP: If you decide to take the road I did and sell your photos on coffee shop walls, here’s a piece of advice -- size matters.

Big prints look more impressive and professional and you can ask for more money for them. For a nice 16x20 photo, you can ask $200 or more if you’re in the right location. For 8x10", keep the price under $100. And don’t bother selling prints under 8x10".

Most importantly, have fun!

[Ed. Note: David also gave us a few photo subjects that sell well as fine art, including pictures of old, young, or exotic-looking people, wildlife, and local monuments. Professional photographer Rich Wagner sells photos of more than local monuments in his hometown... some of his popular fine art shops include the local bagel shop, egg farm, and pumpkin patch. Find out more about how to turn your hometown or neighborhood into a photo goldmine at The Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop, coming up this April 16-18 in Nashville, TN.]

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(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.

245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact

Rich’s fine art photos hang in public corporations and private foundations from the Americas to the Far East.  He’s been a hobbyist photographer for over 48 years, though he just starting selling his work publicly 10 years ago.

Attendees coming to our event in Nashville this April (link) will not only learn how to sell their photographs as fine art in their local community like Rich, but they’ll also learn how to set their fees (so that they’re doing the least amount of work for the most amount of dollars)…and how to present their work so that it looks as professional (and expensive) as possible.

I also just heard back from David Morgan – a photographer you may have read about in our promotions for the Turn Your Pictures into Cash program.

A few years ago, David started selling photos from his backpacking trip across Asia as fine art on the walls of a local coffee shop.  But then they started selling so well he had a hard time fulfilling orders.  He ended up raising the price in hopes that he’d get less orders and still make the same amount of money…and that’s exactly what happened.

David’s starting price for a matted 8 x 10 photograph was just $35.  But by the time he finished testing higher prices, those same photographs sold at $200 each.

David has agreed to meet with us in Nashville and talk specifically about selling vacation photos as fine art and to magazines and newspapers.

You can join us in Nashville, too.

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. We’ll cover a vast selection of markets for fine art photos -- including one surprising, extra-lucrative market right in your backyard -- this April at The Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop in Nashville, TN. If you want to start selling your photos -- whether printed and framed, in glossy magazines, or online in stock agencies -- you won’t want to miss this workshop. You don’t need any experience to start. Sign up now, and save $300.

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(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact









]]> tag:www.thephotographerslife.com,2010://1.418 2010-02-24T21:44:54Z 2010-02-24T22:00:27Z

Here's what I found -- All of these are from different websites:

In this first image, Photo Workshop attendee Cheryl Bigman's stock photo of pillows on a bed is being used in a sale ad... 

In this second photo, another one of Cheryl's photos (far right) is used to market scuba products to avid divers...  

In the third photo, workshop attendee Gloria Marchand's stock photo of fruit and vegetables (second from left) is featured on this website's homepage.

Remember: If you’re just now starting out -- or even if you’re only considering the possibility --you don’t have to limit yourself to just one market.

Some of your photos might be stock-worthy, while others would be best suited to glossy magazines or newspapers, and still others would look best framed and sold as fine art.

This April at the Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop in Nashville, I’m bringing in professional photographers, designers, editors, and more to talk about selling your photos to each of these markets. Find out more, here.

If you love taking photos, you won’t want to miss this event. You CAN make money selling them. It’s not hard. It’s fun. And, as I mentioned before, you don’t even have to limit yourself to one market.

The past workshop attendees I mentioned above have learned how to sell their photos as fine art, to glossy magazines AND as stock. And you can do the same.

Join us this April 16-18 in Nashville, TN, and you’ll not only hear from our panel of professional photographers how to combine all three markets and make an income doing something you love, but you’ll also get hands-on time in the studio, out on the street, and in the post-processing labs. No matter your level of experience when you enter the workshop, you’ll leave with the skills you need to make money fast. Sign up now and get $300 off.

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. No need to take my word for it... here’s what past attendees are saying about the Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop:

“It’s a total experience -- lots of learning, lots of socializing, extremely professionally done. You don’t let us down in any area.” -- Viki H.

“Just great as always. I always learn something important to change the way I photograph. It motivates us to do things on our own and opens our eyes to possibilities available in the world.” -- Scott M.

 “It’s so hands on with simple learning techniques. Great people and all instructors are so nice. I didn’t realize I would love it so much and I can’t wait ‘till the next one!” -- Pamela S.

“It is PRACTICAL!! And the content aimed at helping you make money at something you LOVE to do is great -- whether fine art, stock, or magazine publications. There’s something for everyone.” -- Nitza R.

"Every presenter was amazing! I feel I got way more than my money’s worth from this workshop. You packed into three days everything I ever wanted to know about the business side of photography and I learned so many wonderful new technical skills! I’ve had a wonderful time and loved every minute." -- Roni J.

Be sure to read more rave reviews.

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(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact

Be sure to check out yesterday’s e-mail from Bonnie on how to prepare your photos for sale as stock, in case you missed it.

Today, we interviewed reader Phill Danze. Phill was accepted by his first stock photo agency three years ago. But after attending our photo expedition in Australia last month, Phil has already landed one of his pictures in a coffee table book on Australia Day and added a few more stock shots to his portfolio -- some of which have already sold.

He explains how he does it and offers advice if you’re just getting started and want to sell photos as stock, below...

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. It’s not just about the money when it comes to stock photography (though there’s no denying it can be very lucrative). It’s also really fun to see where your photos end up once they’ve been purchased from an online agency and you’ve received your royalty check.

I just recently got word that one of my wedding pictures is on the cover of photo paper at Office Depot. We’ve also seen our photos on magazine covers, websites, and even in picture frames at Ross and The Dollar Store.

On Monday, I’ll send you some images I’ve collected over the last few months from our previous workshop attendees. One woman’s photo was used in a bedding sale advertisement. And another was used on a website selling wetsuit cleaner.

It’s fun to see how our workshop attendees evolve. Join us in Nashville this April and join their ranks. You’ll find details and a $300 savings, here.

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February 20, 2010
The Right Way to Travel, Weekly Photo Tip
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Sell Photos as Stock: From Client Manager to Stock Photographer, Reader Reveals His Tips

By Bonnie Caton in Cotacachi, Ecuador

BONNIE: Phill, would you mind giving us a little background about yourself and how you came to start taking photos?

PHILL: I went on a holiday about eight years ago with a new point-and-shoot digital camera and enjoyed composing shots to make them more than just your average snapshot. I also traveled a lot internationally with my job, so upgraded to a digital SLR and took some courses on how to use it. In my day job, I’m in client management for a large global company.

BONNIE: How long have you been submitting photos to stock, and how’s it going so far?

PHILL: I started submitting to stock agencies almost three years ago just to try it out and hone my skills. It pushed me to be a better photographer in many technical aspects. I mainly use two agencies for stock and have found most sales success with iStock. It’s not enough to give up my day job, yet, but over time I’ve earned enough to upgrade my equipment and get the satisfaction of seeing my work used in the marketplace.

BONNIE: After you attended the Australia photo excursion with Rich Wagner, you submitted a few photos you took there to iStock and Dreamstime. Not only were nine out of 11 accepted, but one of them sold right away. That’s great. Were you thinking about shooting for stock the whole time, or did you shoot first and then decide later to submit a few to stock?

PHILL: When out on the shoots with Rich in Sydney and Melbourne, I looked first at refining my composition skills with the techniques Rich taught us. I then found that while thinking about my composition, more shots jumped out at me.

The key I’ve found in stock is to have strong composition and a high-quality file. Some pictures I made with the intention of stock, but most that I submitted were not intentionally taken as stock. I was just practicing how to make a good picture.

When reviewing them later, I realized they had the qualities of a stock photo. The shot that sold quickly was a simple photo of a sign that reads “Public Trustee.” Simple, but someone had a need for it so I am not complaining!

BONNIE: What sorts of photos do you like to shoot best, and what do you find sells best as stock, so far?

PHILL: I am fond of nature so enjoy wildlife photography. I also enjoy architectural shots and close-up detail shots. I have found that some of my wildlife pictures from a trip to Antarctica have sold well, but my shots on the themes of urban recycling and personal well-being have sold well, too -- some a few hundred times.

BONNIE: Wow, that’s pretty good. How much post-processing do you usually do before submitting your photos to stock sites?

PHILL: For stock photography I try and keep the photo editing to a minimum. The inspectors don’t like too much enhancement. I shoot in RAW and only use Lightroom for processing. I will adjust contrast, color temperature, clarity, and exposure. I also inspect the file for fringing and artifacting. I also always try and shoot at 100 ISO for stock and get the exposure as correct as possible in camera as adjusting these too much in post can introduce artifacting.

[Note: You can fix some fringing and artifacting issues in your photos with post-processing. If you’re not sure whether your photos have fringing or artifacting, bring them with you to Nashville, and we’ll explain exactly what it is and what to do about it. Sign up for our Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop.]

BONNIE: You mentioned that two of your Australia Day celebration photos are also going to be published in a book. How did that come about?

PHILL: I am a member of an online photographic community called photoartgallery.com. It’s an Australian-based online community where you can promote your work, sell it, and connect with like-minded photographers. They ran a competition to collect photos taken during the Australia Day celebrations this year. And as you know, the Australia Day celebrations were on our agenda during the photo workshop with Rich. I submitted pictures that were not stock quality in my opinion so that I wouldn’t have to worry about selling the same picture to two different markets.

I was very pleased to see that they selected my fireworks picture. I had no idea how to shoot fireworks until that night’s lesson with Rich so I was glad to see his training paid off.

BONNIE: Do you have any stock or general photo tips you gleaned from the workshop that you can share with our readers?

PHILL: Sure. Keep your photo editing to a minimum and only submit files you have inspected for at least artifacting and fringing.

Give them some punch with contrast. But don’t overdo it. And get the color balance and exposure right (preferably in camera).

On the not-so-technical side, I think that in stock you can’t judge what someone might buy. There is someone out there somewhere who will probably need a picture of what you might think is silly -- so take the shot and get it out there.

I once took a picture of a weathered pedestrian sign on a pathway. I took a chance and uploaded it as stock and it was accepted and sold within a couple of weeks.

Also, upload your photos to a couple of different agencies, but not too many as it takes time and effort to submit files and manage your portfolio. I’ve found that what one agency might reject as “not what we are looking for” or “limited use,” another accepts so you still get a chance of making a sale. This is exactly what happened with my weathered pedestrian sign!

Check out some of Phill's photos, below:

[Join us in Nashville this April and find out how you, too, can sell your photos to online stock photo agencies, magazines, newspapers, websites, and more.]

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(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.

245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact

Last week, I asked you to upload three photos that showed me what kind of photographer you are and what kinds of photos you wanted to learn to sell.

Then I asked art director Alicia Noack which ones she thought could be saleable as editorial -- in glossy magazines, on websites, and in newspapers. If you missed that interview, be sure to check out her favorite reader pics.

Today, I asked professional stock photographer Shelly Perry to do the same --  pick out her favorite reader photos that are stock-worthy photos, meaning they would likely sell as stock.

Shelly used to be a photo inspector at iStockphoto.com so she’s highly qualified to make the cut.  

Take a look at her favorites.

Stock photography is a fun and simple way to sell your photos -- and it’s virtually recession-proof.  Just last month Shelly told me:

“I just had my best month ever -- and nearly doubled last year’s best. My overall portfolio performance has shifted from the top few photos carrying the bulk of sales to many photos getting some sales throughout the month, so it’s more evenly spread with less "superstar" images.

“There have also been a lot of changes with the company and with the site recently. For one, iStock launched Vetta (a new, premium collection) where contributors get higher royalties. This has been very good for my sales.

“Though I am a year behind in processing and uploading, I continue to increase my portfolio size in the belief (and so far proven experience) that I can basically count on an overall portfolio performance of $1.00 plus per image, per month now.”

The best part is, if your photos are saleable, they’ll sell all the time -- even while you’re out doing other things like vacationing with your spouse, playing with your kids in the snow, even sleeping. (Shelly makes enough money in her sleep to more than cover her rent every month.)

Attendees coming to our Ultimate Money-Making Photography event in Nashville this April will not only learn how to set themselves up as a stock photographer like Shelly but they’ll also get personalized feedback about their photography – what they’re doing well, what they need to improve, and how they can edit their photos so that they look like a pro and sell better online.

We’ll talk a little bit about processing your photos for sale at a stock photo agency tomorrow so stay tuned.

And don’t forget to check out Shelly’s favorite reader photographs. 

-- Lori

Lori Allen
Director, AWAI Travel Division

P.S. Stock photography is a really fun way to sell photos... and you don’t have to do any marketing or selling to make money. You upload your photos to an agency, and if they’re technically good and timely, they’ll sell on their own -- even while you sleep. We’ll talk a lot about stock at the Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop this April, and even show you how it’s done in hands-on studio sessions and on-location photo shoots. Sign up now and save $300.

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(c) 2010 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
http://www.awaionline.com/contact

How to Publish Photos in Magazines

An interview with reader Ray Batson

TRWTT: How many photos do you usually send an editor to go with your story?
 
RAY: For my African safari article, the International Living editor specified an approximate number of pictures (along with word count) for the article. But, with her permission, I sent three or four times that number for her to choose from. I start by sending low-res .jpg files.

The editor then selects four or five images, and at that point asks for full-resolution .jpg files. And of those, she may use only two or three. I assume that she is working under not only size and space constraints, but how best to fit text, sidebars, and pictures into a given space.

For my North Pole article in 40+ Travel and Leisure, which was unsolicited in the first place, I sent a half-dozen or so low-resolution images, and the editor used them all. However, that was an online publication.
 
TRWTT: How do you keep the high-resolution and low-resolution versions of your photos organized?
 
RAY: I use Adobe Lightroom, and import all my photos at full res into a library, where I can do all the processing, cropping, keywording, captioning, etc. That program then allows me to select a subset and export copies of them to a file, with each photo at a size and file type I choose. The editor then can make a selection, and I go back to Lightroom and export copies of only the requested photos at full resolution.

[Ed. Note: If you’re not sure how to organize your shots like Ray does in Lightroom, we’ll be going over all of the details in Nashville.]

TRWTT: Are you ever surprised by the photos an editor chooses?
 
RAY: Sometimes, but once the article appears in its final form the photos selected seem appropriate.
 
TRWTT: Is there anything you try to keep in mind when you're out on a trip, taking photos for a story?
 
RAY: My wife and I have taken a lot of trips as tourists, and I always liked the Steinbeck line "we do not take a trip, a trip takes us." As an amateur, I always looked for the stories in the trips after we got back.
 
Once we got back, though, stories had a way of popping out, from our memories and our photo collections. As tourists will, we were always eager to share our experiences when we got back, but  dreaded being guilty of writing droning travelogs in diary format. I started looking for stories, not documentations. Same with photos. It is easy to take snapshots that prove you were there. Both of us are striving, sometimes successfully, to meet standards for "fine-arts photography." More and more, we are striving, at the same time, to take photos that tell stories on their own.
 
TRWTT: Since you’re finding and writing your stories after your trips, what are some ways you remember where you were and what you saw?
 
RAY: I am a terrible note taker, so photos are my notebook. Consequently, there are many one- or two-star photos in our catalog. They are for documentation and are not publication quality, but are great for framing a story. Pictures of plaques and signboards are good for keeping track of noteworthy places.

Digital photos are great because the camera keeps a metadata file for each photo. I set the clocks in our cameras to Greewich Mean Time (GMT) so I don't have to keep track of time zones, and my cataloging software is programed to assign the date and time each photo is taken as the photo ID. It is also handy to have a GPS on the camera which will include the geographic coordinates of each picture in its metadata.
 
TRWTT: Do you have any tips for readers who would like to photograph their trips and would like to know how to publish photos in magazines?
 
RAY: Don't give the editor extra work. Stay within the assigned word limit, and don't expect the editor to heal warts for you. Meet deadlines. Keep within the framework you have been given, or one you have already worked out with the editor.
 
My goal is to share a story or two. To that end, I pick a piece of a trip -- probably one that has an obvious theme -- and then try to frame words and assign photos that will convey that story as concisely as I can. "Concisely" being the operative word here.

TRWTT: Thanks, Ray!

[Ray doesn’t take trips to publish articles. He travels for travel’s sake. The stories come to him afterwards. If you find stories are coming to you during or after your trips, follow in Ray’s footsteps and learn how to publish photos in magazines, newspapers, or online. It’s probably a lot easier than you think. Learn how at the Ultimate Money-Making Photo Workshop coming up this April in Nashville!]

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