Commercial Photography - How To Shoot For Magazines

The advent of digital photography has caused more people than ever to take the plunge and try their hand at it. No longer intimidated by the darkroom, people are taking the plunge and learning photo editing suites. With the ability to purchase reusable memory cards and the high cost of film no longer an issue, people are now shooting hundreds more pictures than they ever would have dreamed of. So, more people than ever are selling their photographs, which has helped to expand the market both for photography opportunities and for publications. If you would like to make some money for either your hobby or your profession, consider the world of magazine photography.

What Do Magazines Want?

Although there are lots of magazines covering celebrity gossip and trendy news, there are also thousands of other magazines on just about every subject. You can find magazines about computers, gardens, animals, health, fitness - the list goes on forever. Publishers of these type of magazines are always looking for appropriate and useful photographs for their customers.

One way to think about it is that these magazines will always need images of their topics and are happy to pay for them. For example, dog magazines, will never stop needing dog photos, so why not focus on a specific niche?

How to Get Started

First, you should look for a niche that you find interesting. Whatever topic you love, chances are good that there is a magazine focused on that particular subject. Once you've decided on a market, swing by your local bookstore and grab a few magazines off the rack. Take a look at the kinds of photos they are using, and ask yourself if these are the kinds of photographs that you will enjoy taking. It's also important to be honest with yourself at this step - can you deliver photographs that are at or above the quality of the photos they're using? If you don't think that you are ready now, then work on taking more pictures until you are.

When you think that you are ready, find the information in each magazine that gives you the information on how to submit photos or who the photo editor is. Make sure that you know what the magazine's guidelines are before you submit anything, because they won't accept a photo that doesn't conform to their rules. Once you know where and how to send your photo, send it in. When you send in your photos, make sure to accompany them with a note or letter with a link to your portfolio.

The Waiting Game

When you submit a photo to a magazine, be prepared to wait a few weeks for a response. Magazines are a print media, and even if accepted your photographs will not show up for a few months. It is also a good idea to only submit a photo to one magazine at a time, because you might run the risk of having to turn down an offer if your picture is chosen.

Most publications will let you know what their usual wait time is before they respond, and it usually takes from two to eight weeks. If you haven't heard anything after this time has expired its okay to send a follow-up note reminding the editor of your submission. Just keep it polite!

You might be surprised just how easy it is to sell photos to a magazine. All that you need to do is locate it, photograph it, and put it in the mail, then wait a bit. Selling your first photo to a magazine may sound like a crazy dream, but once you get into the habit of making submissions you'll be amazed you didn't try it sooner!


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Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Visit our website online and see our lovely selection of antique picture frames in a wide variety of styles, shapes and sizes. Visit our online picture frame shop and check out our lovely antique picture frames or call 1-800-780-0699.