Publishing Your Images

Sorting through some of my files last week I came across an old photo page I had published in the Langley Times. It got me thinking about the whole process of getting an image into print. The idea came about when I recently shared a ride with a gifted photographer who for whatever reason couldn't get his work published.

 Here are some thoughts that might help you get published. Sometimes but not always the pictures themselves can be quite ordinary, they don't all have to be award winners as long as they tell or contribute to a rounded story that readers can relate to. This photo page below was about Brydon Lagoon in the City of Langley. 

The first picture below is straight out of the camera. There's nothing too special about it at all except I have purposely left plenty of space at the top and bottom of the picture to place more photographs, a title and some copy.

As I had other assignments that day I remember having only an hour or so to gather the photos. I had been down to the pond previously and had seen a leucistic Mallard which I knew I could hang the rest the other photos around. As it turned out it wasn't that co-operative so I shot the Canada Geese and Mallards (Fig 1) in the vertical format and used that as the main artwork. 

I used ©InDesign to combine the images and text on the page but it could also be done in ©Photoshop if one is using images only.  

There are some important considerations when contributing to a publication.

Colour files should be jpeg or tiff and be saved at 300 DPI. While 8x12 is usually large enough a higher resolution image can always be supplied if requested by an editor. It is very important to leave some space around the image so that the editor can fit into the available space. If possible send both a vertical and horizontal shot of the subject, that way you may find your shot being used on the cover. 

The Black-necked Stilt had been around the White Rock area for a few days so I sent the picture to the editor of the Peace Arch News knowing that it would be of interest to local readers. It was published the very next issue.

The most important factor of all is actually the submitting your work to publishers, magazines and newspapers when and if you think it might me newsworthy, if you don't try you'll never get published.

John Gordon 

Langley/Cloverdale

BC Canada