Tips for Editors and Authors
The photos in a publication help form a reader's first impression of your work as they glance through the pages. High quality, professional images give readers or reviewers the sense that they are reading a high quality publication. It is hard to overestimate the importance of having great photos in your article, book, or ad campaign.
The information below is intended to help you understand the photo research process so that we can work together to create the best possible photo program for your publication.
The Photo Research Process
1. Photo Specs
The photo research process begins with you. You know your publication and what you would like to communicate. When you write your photo specs, describe the pictures you would like to see in your publication. Feel free to also include the conceptual ideas that you would like to illustrate.
Here are some example photo specs that include both descriptions and conceptual ideas:
•large containers being unloaded from a ship illustrating the idea of international trade
•doctor speaking to a young couple (in their 20's); text addresses birth control
•healthy baby (circa 1950's or 1960's); text discusses use of thalidomide in the 50's and 60's
Photo concepts work best when you create a mental picture with your description of the image you would like to see. Photo concepts do not work well when they include the conceptual idea but do not include a description of the photo, such as "international trade" or "personal finances." More helpful specs would read:
•Tokyo stock exchange
-
•woman in her 30's writing a check or balancing her checkbook
Think photographically: When writing your photo spec, think about what can and cannot be shown in a single photo. For example, it is difficult to show Olympians running on a track and ethnic diversity of the crowd in the stands in the same photo. If it is important to show the Olympians and the ethnic diversity of the crowd, consider illustrating the concepts in two separate photos.
Submitting an example photo: It does not work well to submit an example photo in place of a written spec. Example photos can be helpful when they accompany a written spec, but by itself an example photo can be misleading to the researchers.
If you would like us to acquire a specific photo, please include a copy of the photo and as much information as you can about where you found the photo. In many cases we can get the exact photo you have found, but in some cases, we many need to provide alternative selections.
A note about the Web: As you know, there are many photos published on various websites. If you ask us to acquire a photo you saw published on a website, we will do our best to get that photo for you. Please be aware that photos published on the web are often, to put it nicely, "borrowed." Experience has shown that often the publisher does not have permission to publish the image, nor do they always know who holds the copyright for the image. Also, photos published on the web are most often published at a resolution of 72 to 96 pixels per inch. While this resolution is suitable for viewing the image on a computer monitor, it is not suitable for printing. If a photograph was taken specifically for use on a website, the copyright holder may not even have a version that is suitable for use in print. The best option is for you to provide a spec description and let us find the best images available for your publication.
2. Research:
You know what concepts you would like to illustrate photographically and you have described the photos that you are looking for. Now it is our job to find the best photos for your publication.
Our searches are extensive. We work with the top photo agencies and photographers from around the world to get the exact images you would like to see in your publication. We also work with corporations, libraries, museums, government agencies and individual collections to provide images for your publication.
Rest assured that we will find images that engage your readers and that help convey the ideas you are seeking to communicate.
3. Selections:
For a typical spec, we look through numerous images to prepare a selection of 4 to8 photos. These photos will be posted on our web viewing platform for you to review (see the "Gallery" tab above). As you will see, the galleries are very easy to use. Simply view the images and let us know which image you select for publication. We take care of the rest (i.e. acquiring the high-resolution images and getting permission to publish the photos).
A few notes about the selections process:
•When making selections, remember that the images are low-resolution preview images. Occasionally, the preview images appear grainy, but the high-resolution versions that will be used in your publication will be clear and in sharp focus. (Historical images are not always available in pristine condition, but we will always make our best effort to acquire the highest quality image available.)
•Some preview images contain watermarks. There will not be watermarks on any image used in your publication.
•Identify the image by the number under each image.
4. Acquisition of High-Resolution Images and Permission to Publish:
Once you have made selections, you are finished with the process. We will acquire the images for your publication, prepare it for submission to the publisher, finalize usage details with the copyright holder, and secure the necessary permission to publish the images you have selected.
You are now on your way to having the best and least stressful photo program possible for your publication.
View site map
Contact us for more info
Texas State Capitol Building
Downtown Austin, TX
© Editorial Image, LLC
Welcome!
Services: