BootsnAll Travel Community

I've been looking at books like the Writer's Market and checking out submission guidelines for various publications and have realized that everyone wants high quality photographs to accompany the article/story.

Any thoughts on the best solution for this? I know many publications prefer transparencies but is the digital 'revolution' changing this at all? I'm about to leave on a 4 month roadtrip throughout the Western US and Canada and am wondering about submitting articles by email along the way and if publications would accept digital photos. I haven't had a chance to contact anyone yet regarding this but thought I'd ask here.

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Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from [the gods].

Depends on what you're submitting to...digital images aren't generally high enough resolution for magazines. I'd say stick to slides because that's still the standard way to do things.

(How are things in Hamilton? Heard the snow is finally melting...)

Slides are definitely still pretty standard - heck, some publications still don't even accept email submissions or queries.

Digital photo quality also varies. Digital cameras usually allow high- or low-res, or different options, and the higher-res levels should take images with a high enough quality for print - they'll just be bloody big.

What you could do markus, is decide if you want to target publications that accept digital submission for both text and image. It'll vary by publication, but there should be enough out there to where you can pick a good variety. That'd be my personal inclination, as it saves time and money for you, and if the editor's said they accept e-submission, then they're obviously down.

You type everything up, you attach some photo files, and send it off in one email or a series of. That will save you time and money - no trips from the writing desk to the photo lab to the post office etc etc. You also don't have to pay developing fees and postage.

Have backpack, will scribble,
Anthony

4 months, 1 continent, a loopy Yank writer and a lot of trains. Oh my.

Eurail Blog.com

quote:

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(How are things in Hamilton? Heard the snow is finally melting...)

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Well, the snow did melt and we were all walking around in shortsleeves...

then last night the ice-storm started and everything shut down. It's looking a little better this morning, but yesterday all of our doors were frozen shut.

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Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from [the gods].

markus - did you have any luck with any of those submissions yet?

What are some of the markets you've been checking out?

I actually just bought my digital camera a week ago (a few weeks after the original post) and am leaving on a 4 month trip with my gf tomorrow morning (in about 8 hours). I'll be attempting to submit from the road and I'll try to let you know the responses.

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Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from [the gods].

Brilliant mate - what kind of digicam did you wind up getting? What sort of storage does it use? Will you be trying to upload from cybercafes and what-not? If so, please let us know how that goes; it's a question that comes up a lot on here!

If your trip takes you through Oregon, btw, be sure to stop in to see my and the lads.

Have backpack, will scribble,
Anthony

4 months, 1 continent, a loopy Yank writer and a lot of trains. Oh my.

Eurail Blog.com

So I've been bad. I've drafted the odd article but haven't gotten around to attempting any email submissions yet. I seem to have gotten too caught up in travelling with my girlfriend

The camera I'm using is a Canon Powershot A60. It's only 2Megapixel so I don't anticipate photo editors being to pleased about recieving such low res images but it's working for the purpose of posting on my blog. As for uploading to the web, I've been fortunate enough to have made friends across the US and have been uploading from thier computers. On dial-up it is pitifully slow and can take all day to upload my 128 Smartmedia card onto my website. The camera downloads the photos to the computer fast so batteries haven't been a problem (using 2 sets of NiMH recharchables with a plug in charger). Shooting without a flash I run out of storage space before battery power and I use the display to review and edit photos quite frequently.

Asking around I've gotten the impression that it depends on the internet cafe as to whether you can upload photos or not. One alternative was suggested that if the photo card was taken to a copy shop or photo store with the ability, then they will put the photos online for a fee. It should then be possible to move them over to your site or something, I don't really know the process.

As for the travels, yes we are headed through Oregon but we're visiting friends in Portland, Smith Rock and somewhere called Shady Cove so I'm not sure where Eugene is on that list. If we're in the area then we'll probably show up at the BnA office =)

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Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from [the gods].

Sweet - thanks for that tip on taking the memory card to copy shops and what-not. That could be another option for me once I'm abroad.

And btw, we actually just moved to Portland, so if you're coming through here then defo let's see if you can swing by the new place.

And no rush on the pieces, markus - main thing is to focus on your trip. There'll be time for writing when you can or want; but right now, focus on living the trip!

Cheers, Anthony - Eurail Blog.com
And yes, this marmoset still can be bribed with pints.

Another option is to take the photos and have them burnt to a CD if you can't get to them online - some photo companies will only keep them posted for a certain amount of time until they delete them.