Guidelines for Photographers
Our Photography Needs
We look for fresh, unusual approaches to familiar landmarks and subjects in our photography, as well as seeking out the rare, exotic, strange, unfamiliar, and remote in B.C. Study recent issues of British Columbia Magazine to understand what we do, but don't limit yourself just to the types of stories in past issues.
Strive to make your photographs walk the narrow path between art and magazine journalism. Yes, our readers love the unsullied scenic photographs. But they also want pictures that are true to life: the negative with the positive, the ugly with the beautiful. We want to take our readers where they've never been before, geographically and visually.
Unusual pictures often require innovative methods. Shoot a variety of perspectives, very distant to extremely close-up. Mix horizontal and vertical shots. Vary your lenses, wide angle to long telephoto, and your angles, shooting from very low to very high. Punctuate a series of scenic landscapes with shots of real outdoors people in the environment. And when you do shoot people, try to catch natural, enthusiastic facial expressions -- avoid shots of your hiking partner's back or the rear end of a train of packhorses.
Take advantage of the beautiful light before and after sunrise and sunset, and don't stop shooting if the weather isn't perfect. We like to mix some moody images into our magazine content. Good photographers are not "snappers" -- they know their equipment and film, and they work hard at scouting and setting up shots. Superior photographers go a step beyond, bringing an intuitive or journalistic perspective to the work to produce a compelling series of related images that tell a story. They cover their subject completely, with opening and closing shots, middles, close-ups and details, double-page spreads, overviews, and the perfect cover. Though British Columbia Magazine is a full-colour magazine, occasionally we will run a black-and-white essay, depending on subject matter, or mix black-and-white shots with colour in our features.
First-Time Contributors
Because of our high standards for photography, it is difficult for unknown photographers to break into our magazine. That said, we're always on the lookout for exceptional new talent. To be considered as a freelance contributor, submit a small selection of images for review, with a list of the stock subjects you have on file. Your best bet is to send a series of images on a feature subject, or you may submit a varied mix of your best shots. Please send no more than 60 images. We don't need more than that to make a decision -- our review staff is small, and if we receive too many images, we may be predisposed to send them all back. Include your phone number, as well as a prepaid courier package or SASE for return of your images. If we're excited by your shots, we'll invite you to present a wider selection and discuss your ideas.
Amateur photographers often send in "one great picture" that their friends tell them should be published in the magazine. Please understand that British Columbia Magazine only publishes images that tie in with stories we have planned for our issues. The only place we are able to use single, standalone images is in our annual scenic calendar— for which there is much competition among our professional photographers. These images must be horizontal, visually striking, and technically superior 35mm slides or large-format transparencies. We do not accept prints or negatives.
Note: Please do not send links to images on your personal website. Our staff is limited and we simply do not have time to review websites, given that the image quality on such sites generally does not represent the sharpness and overall quality of the original.
Covers
We don't always know in advance what our cover story will be; most often, we choose our cover from a picture story in the issue. When you're shooting for us, please keep that in mind. If you see a potentially great cover shot, shoot it that way as well as for inside the magazine. Leave plenty of room at the top of possible cover verticals: our magazine nameplate is larger than many. Composition should be bold, simple, uncluttered, and the subject easily recognized at a distance. Bright colours are desirable.
Freelance Photography
British Columbia Magazine works with freelance photographers on every issue, using images from assignments and stock. We accept photographic material on speculation year-round and welcome proposals for photo essays. We especially welcome text-photo proposals from photographers teamed with top-notch writers (though we reserve the right to select text or photos separately). We review stock submissions for possible feature story and department material, and for our annual insert calendar (compiled May/June).
Assignments: The procedure for the few assignments we make (generally to photographers whose work we know well) is to review story and photo feature proposals we have received, outlining pictures envisioned and number of days required in the field. We do this early in the year (December/January) to establish our next year's editorial plan. Sometimes, we will assign a photo feature and come up with a written text to accompany the images; other times, we will assign a photographer to illustrate an article we have selected. Before making a photo feature proposal, research your subject well enough to sell us on the story idea and to give yourself a base from which to start shooting.
Stock Photography: We hate to miss the opportunity to use your great stock because we didn't know you had it -- feel free to send your updated stock list any time. Once we have reviewed your work (see "First-Time Contributors," above), we may opt to add you to our mailing list for photo calls. If you are selected to receive our annual British Columbia Magazine photo-editorial planner, use it to indicate subject areas for which you have strong stock, and do let us know if you add new material in areas where future story coverage is planned. Please do not submit stock for upcoming projects until you are specifically asked to do so. And note, photographers who take advantage of our photo-editorial planner to present themselves as "on assignment" for the magazine while shooting stock will receive no future photo calls. No kidding: that makes us really mad.
Submissions
Send slides in vinyl sheets, well protected and insured for shipping. The magazine is not responsible in any way for material provided for editorial consideration. Enclose a prepaid courier package or SASE for return of materials. Make certain your name is on every slide, and number each image with a unique code. Always include a list of those unique image codes with your submission; alternately, back-lit photocopies of sheets of slides clearly showing images and numbers are acceptable. If you send duplicates, please clearly identify them as such -- most dupes do not meet our technical requirements, and we need to know if better originals exist. Carefully count your images before submitting and record this on your image list. Our photo librarian will double-check the count on receipt and advise you immediately of any discrepancy.
Photo Identification
All images submitted must be accompanied by accurate caption information, either on image mounts or a separate ID sheet. We can't emphasize enough your responsibility in captioning images correctly. Be as specific as possible: name and locate that river, mountain, waterfall, park, plant species, etc. In most cases, we have no way to confirm that a landmark is as stated. We rely on you to get it right, and we reserve the right to refuse payment for published photos incorrectly identified by the photographer.
Digital Submissions
Please see Digital Photography Requirements.
Photo Rates
Assignment fees are negotiable, depending on the relative difficulty of the proposed shoot, number of days required, and so forth. We pay for assignments on acceptance (30-60 days after receiving an invoice), and pay page rates for selected, published images about 30 days after publication (no invoice required). Page rates are: cover: $700; double page: $400; one page plus: $300; front cover inset: $200; one page: $200; 3/4 or 2/3 page: $175; 1/2 page: $150; 1/3 page or less: $100. British Columbia Magazine also prints photographer credits with pictures; this exposure often results in assignment queries and requests for prints, which we happily pass along to our contributors.
Usage Rights
Because British Columbia Magazine is shipped to a worldwide audience, we buy first worldwide rights on assigned images, and one-time worldwide rights on stock photography. This includes promotional rights, so long as your picture is used in the context for which we acquired it. (That means we can reproduce our own magazine covers and pages in promotional material.) For assigned material, these rights extend six months beyond the off-sale date of the issue containing your images. Inquiries about secondary usage will be referred to the photographer.
Photo Returns
Incurring shipping charges is part of the cost of doing freelance business. Photographers invited to submit on a general photo call are expected to pay for one-way delivery of their images; British Columbia Magazine will pay the return charges. In the case of photo assignments, British Columbia Magazine will reimburse the photographer for shipping if documentation of the charges and an invoice for those costs is supplied. British Columbia Magazine does not accept packages delivered C.O.D, or provide its company courier account numbers to any photographer. Unsolicited photo submissions must be accompanied by a prepaid courier envelope or SASE for return.
If your images are selected for publication, please, have patience. Remember, we are a quarterly: from the time photo calls are made through to our press date, four months may elapse. Normally, our procedure is to wait until our prepress perfects all photo scans and then return your entire submission -- selected shots and outtakes -- in a single package. This is the best way for us to verify a complete and accurate return. However, if you have a pressing need for your images, please let us know: we can often arrange an earlier return of your outtakes once photo selection is complete.
Liability and Responsibility
Publishing magazines is a manufacturing process in every sense. Your transparencies will be logged in by a photo coordinator, reviewed by editors, viewed on light tables, and, if selected for publication, sent to our prepress for scanning. Finally, they will be returned to you. As part of this process, your transparencies will be carried, shipped, and mailed by messengers, couriers, and mail services. All along the way, each person will do his or her best to handle your images with the utmost care.
For more than 40 years, British Columbia Magazine has been a publisher of superior photography -- we understand the value of quality images and of our relationship with our freelance photographers. While we do all we can to protect images sent to us, understand that submitting images to British Columbia Magazine confers no responsibility on British Columbia Magazine. We do not accept the premise that all lost or damaged transparencies are automatically worth a minimum of $1,500 as suggested by some photographic agencies. British Columbia Magazine does not pay research or holding fees, and British Columbia Magazine does not automatically accept or agree to conditions or stipulations printed on delivery memos, packing slips, and related correspondence submitted with photographic materials. Exceptions to this disclaimer must be prearranged, in writing, and signed both by the photographer and British Columbia Magazine prior to shipment of the materials involved.
Contact Us
Thank you for your interest in contributing to British Columbia Magazine. We value your ideas and your photographic suggestions. With your help, we can keep British Columbia Magazine vital, interesting, and unpredictable. Please address all photo story proposals or picture submissions to:
Anita Willis, Editor
British Columbia Magazine
3rd Floor - 1803 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC, V8T 5C3
Phone: 250-356-5860 Fax: 250-356-5896
E-mail the Editor