getting published in a magazine

[jsnonzzr]

I have recently been asked for 2 pictures to go along with an article in a car magazine (who ever would have thought my stuff was worth anything ).

The writer has asked me these 3 questions, some of them I need more help then others, so I have ordered them from most clueless to clueful.

1) Can you send me these 2 as 300 dpi high-res .jpgs?
2) Could I have your permission to use these photos?
3) How would you like the photo credit to read?

With 1, I am using lightroom 2 and 3 (depends on the computer) I get lost every time I look at the DPI and then the pixel's (or inches) blanks, and then further lost when I can select the % quality. So, for publishing purposes, what settings should I actually use? Also, anything else I should do to make the images better eg, sharpening? will the publisher do their own editing on the images besides minor cropping to make it fit on the page?

With 2, the writer is handling all of the picture gathering for the magazine. Is there anything else that is normally expected besides me responding back in email saying, "go for it". I have heard I need to get a release from the driver, car owner, and manufacturer of the car, is all of that true?

3) I know this is just preference, but would you guys send name and site? even when the site is under developed? Or just name?

thanks for any advice anyone can offer me.

Useless additional comments of my own:
I have been published once before, but that was a teacher that just took one of my photo's at the last minute and stuck it on the cover of the school magazine that she published. (she gave me credit). This however is going in a national magazine and will have a lot more than 10 readers which has me super excited.

 

[KmH]

When your photos will be used in a national magazine, it's customary to get compensated with actual money.

Is the writer getting paid for an article in the magazine?

If your photos are being used editorially, you don't need releases from anyone. How a photo gets used is the key to the need (or not) for a release. The publisher of the image is the one vulnerable to legal action, not the photographer.

 

[shuttermountain]

I have had images published in a globally distributed and reputable magazine and they asked the same basic questions.

1) The magazine is asking if you have the images in 300 DPI. If not, then they will probably not accept nor publish the images as the resolution is not high enough.

2) In regards to permissions the magazine should send you a release agreement that spells out exactly what they plan to do with the image in regards to your rights....IOW, read the agreement very carefully and DO NOT send any images (see #1 above) until you are satisfied with the agreement. If the magazine does not have an agreement for you to review, then part ways with them. The payment that you recieve from the magazine should be included in the release agreement.

3) If you do not have a developed (and not amateurish) website then a credit reading something to the effect of "Photographs courtesy of Joe Smith". Some mags will allow you to include your city/state.

 

[Aayria]

Maybe you have already done this, but if not I would seriously recommend paying for an official copyright to any pictures being used for this magazine. I think the fee is $35 and you can register as many pictures as you want at a time.

Here is the link:
U.S. Copyright Office - Online Services (eCO: Electronic Copyright Office)


And as the previous poster said, it's very important how your image is being used, as far as model releases and such. You cannot "get in trouble" for their use, but the publisher can if he is using it for advertising, association with a product, or many other things... They were all discussed at length in an incredibly useful link I was given on these forums:

Model Releases

Oh, and congratulations! =)

 

[jsnonzzr]

Thanks all for the info. So, it sounds like I wont need a release (would be easy to get the owner's release, as he is the one that wants the images).

As far as compensation, the writer is just like me and he is not officiated with the magazine. As best I can tell, he is not getting compensated either. I know I am not dealing with the magazine at all (at least not at this point) Just the writer.

Even when dealing with the writer and not the magazine, should I still be looking for a release agreement? Getting the images copy righted at this point sounds like a good idea.

Any of you know the best way to get my images out of lightroom the way they want? My only experience is getting them small so I can upload them to the internet in a reasonable amount of time. I guess i am looking for a pixel (height x length) vs DPI explanation and where % quality works its way into that equation.

 

[KmH]

Your photos were copyrighted as soon as they were written to the memory card in your camera.

However, to reap all the legal benefits/protections of the copyright requires it be registered with the US Copyright Office. You can register a bunch of photos on a single application form. You can even do it online.

The only distinction is published and unpublished photos have to be registered separately. Visit www.copyright.gov for the details.

A release agreement is for the protection of the publisher. That isn't you, it's the magazine. But, like I mentioned a release is not needed by anyone for editorial use.

Visit www.danheller.com for more information about model releases.

Visit www.asmp.org for information about getting paid for the use of your photos in publications.

 

[Ryan L]

Check toward the bottom of the page for the instruction on DPI in lightroom.

http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=2653

 

[KmH]

...... I think the fee is $35 and you can register as many pictures as you want at a time.

Not quite. However, for your $35 you can register as many as you can upload in 60 minutes. You can't upload thumbnails though.

By mail (and a $40 fee) you can register up to 750 images on a single application. You still need a separate applications for published and unpublished photos.

 

[NateS]

...... I think the fee is $35 and you can register as many pictures as you want at a time.

Not quite. However, for your $35 you can register as many as you can upload in 60 minutes. You can't upload thumbnails though.

By mail (and a $40 fee) you can register up to 750 images on a single application. You still need a separate applications for published and unpublished photos.

So how does this work if you register 750 images that are unpublished...then say 6 of them get published. Do you have to re-register them as published photos, or does that only refer to whether they were published at the time of the copyright form submission? (I know you aren't an attorney, just thought you may know).

 

[KmH]

Not quite. However, for your $35 you can register as many as you can upload in 60 minutes. You can't upload thumbnails though.

By mail (and a $40 fee) you can register up to 750 images on a single application. You still need a separate applications for published and unpublished photos.

So how does this work if you register 750 images that are unpublished...then say 6 of them get published. Do you have to re-register them as published photos, or does that only refer to whether they were published at the time of the copyright form submission? (I know you aren't an attorney, just thought you may know).

Yes, it only refers to their status at the time of registration.

If you mix published and unpublished images in the same application, they will reject your registration application.

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf#page=9 read the whole document if you haven't already, it discusses the differences between published and unpublished begining on page 3.

 

[jsnonzzr]

Check toward the bottom of the page for the instruction on DPI in lightroom.

http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=2653

Ryan, That was a very useful read. Thanks for the link.


To the rest, Thanks for the insight and the extra links to look though as well.