How to Win $2,000 for the Year's Best Photo
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The Right Way to Travel
Edited by Lori Appling in Arlington, VA
January 19, 2007
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." -- Douglas Adams
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Today:
*** How to Win $2,000 for the Year's Best Photo
*** Are You Making One of These Six Fatal Mistakes in Your Writing or Photography...
*** Practical Writing Prompt of the Week: How to Write about a Popular Destination
*** Reader Feedback: Is There a Minimum Resolution for Digital Photos?
*** More Opportunities and Resources for Writers
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*Highly Recommended*
"When I was 22 years old, I traveled all across Asia for six months. I dined with the Privy Counsel to the King of Thailand... met the late Mother Teresa... shook hands with the Dalai Lama. I took a week-long, four-wheel-drive journey across Tibet... went trout fishing in a pristine mountain stream in Bumburet, a hidden valley in the Hindu Kush... and I got to see secret religious ceremonies rarely witnessed by outsiders.
"When I returned home I was contacted by a text book company that offered me $6,000 for the pictures I took along the way. What's more, a few years later, the publisher offered to pay me AGAIN when it went to second edition." -- David Morgan, freelance photographer and travel writer
Now you too can take pictures that look good enough appear in a magazine... pictures your neighbor will drool over. What's more, you can turn those pictures (and your writing) into a lifetime of lucrative travel.
Join us in Fort Lauderdale this February for our Lucrative Traveler's Conference where you'll learn how you can travel the world and make a six-figure income doing it.
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/countup1
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Dear Reader,
It's a good thing I'm not the judge of this month's photo contest. These are just a FEW of my favorites...
And, of course, cute kids always win me over...
This month's first-place judge, Heather Hicks, has her work cut out for her. Heather was the first-place winner of last month's contest so she gets to pick this month's. (Professional photographer, Shelly Perry, picks second and third place, and I think she's going to have a hard time too.)
If you have a photo that fits this month's theme -- Blood, Sweat, and Tears -- enter it before January 29th for a chance to win. We're giving away $2,000 at the end of the year for the year's best photo. So the more monthly contests you enter, the better your chances of winning. Details and contest rules are posted here: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/photo_contest/guidelines.
But before you check out the latest entries, scroll down for today's practical writing prompt.
Editors love articles about the world's most popular tourist spots -- Orlando, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, New York among them -- because they are a sure bet when it comes to attracting readers. But even though there's an extremely large market for articles about popular destinations, the secret to selling them lies in coming up with a unique angle.
Read on below for more on just how you do that...
And don't forget to keep me up-to-speed on your travel-writing or photography success. If you have a story to share, send me a quick note at lori@thetravelwriterslife.com.
-- Lori
Lori Appling
Director, AWAI's Travel Division
P.S. Know a friend or two who'd enjoy the freedom and independence of a writer's or photographer's life? They, too, can sign up to receive this free e-letter here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com.
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Advertisement
Odds Are, You're Making One of Six Fatal Mistakes in Your Writing or Photography, and it's Undermining Your Success...
In all likelihood, you don't even know you're doing it.
It happens again and again... a little thing, something you could fix easily, stops an editor in his tracks. It costs you a sale.
To find out how you can make 2007 a better year, visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tel/website
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PRACTICAL WRITING PROMPT OF THE WEEK
Some people think you have to travel to exotic destinations to write a good travel article. But that's just not true.
Truth is: Editors love articles about the world's most popular vacation destinations because popular destinations are a sure bet when it comes to attracting readers.
But even though there's an eager readership for these articles, the only way to sell one is to come up with a unique slant.
One way to do that is to write counter to the popular perception of a place.
This month's Delta Sky magazine, for instance, features an article titled: "In Jackson Hole: It's NOT All Just Downhill from Here." It's an article about what to do, aside from skiing, in ski-popular Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
To write an article like this yourself, think about your own town or someplace you've visited and try to nail down the "typical" perception potential tourists have about it. What's the most popular thing to do there?
Then, based on what you come up with, think of an article idea that casts a new or unusual light on your destination... one that might surprise, enlighten, (and please) readers.
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Members of the ITWPA hail from around the globe. Their mission is simple: bring like-minded professionals together and provide them with educational opportunities to enhance their travel writing and photography skills, and also help them sharpen their marketing expertise... so they're not only producing better articles and photos, but selling more, too.
Visit: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/itj/website to find out more.
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READER Q&A: Is there a minimum resolution for digital photos?
Q: Is there a minimum resolution for digital photos? I usually take mine at 1200x1600 pixels, although my camera offers more.
A: "Setting your camera to take pictures on anything but the highest resolution your camera offers is like only wearing your seat belt when you know you're going to get in an accident. You should ALWAYS set your camera to take pictures at the highest resolution possible because you never know when a great photo opportunity will present itself. A great picture at a low resolution will be hard to sell. Your only choice is to be prepared so that when the time comes, you'll have the most lucrative photo possible." -- Rich Wagner
[Ed. Note: You can meet Rich Wagner in Fort Lauderdale this February at our Lucrative Traveler's Conference. He -- like the rest of our lineup of accomplished speakers joining us there -- is set to deliver techniques, tips, and secrets that would take you months, even years to figure out on your own.
Rich knows his stuff -- his images hang in public corporations and private foundations from San Diego to Boston and in homes from the Americas to the Far East. This February, he'll be your guide into shooting digitally, and even teach you how you can turn your own hometown into a lucrative opportunity to fund your travels around the globe.
You don't need years of experience and you don't need high-tech equipment to start making money as a photographer... at least, not when you have an instructor like Rich on hand to explain the must-know techniques to taking professional quality photos... fast.
Photography, of course, is only one of three skills you'll learn at this year's Lucrative Traveler's Conference. Add to that travel writing and import-export, and you'll have at your disposal three skills that not only compliment each other, but which can fund a lifetime of lucrative travel...
Please remember: Time is of the essence.
Our pricing "count-up" is in full swing, which means there won't be a more affordable time than RIGHT NOW to reserve your place for this year's event.
Do so TODAY, and you'll save $600 and pay just $1,697 to attend.
Tomorrow, the price goes up by $100. And the next day it's another $100 on top of that.
The message? Reserve your place NOW to save the most. You'll find details and your savings here: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/tpi/countup1
Or, feel free to call Sue Wright today toll-free at (866) 415-1425 or direct at (831) 274-2779 or email: sue@thephotographerslife.com. ]
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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) 2007 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
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To LEARN MORE, visit:
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