Photographers Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in DOG FANCY, the world’s most widely read dog magazine.

TO BE CONSIDERED AS A FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Submit a selection of photos on a CD or DVD to DOG FANCY, Photo Editor, P.O. Box 6050, Mission Viejo, CA 92690-6050.

Send a variety of shots. We mainly want to see outdoor and action photos of dogs alone and dogs with people. Include a few studio or posed shots as well.

Once we review your images, we will notify you whether we will or will not be adding you to our list of freelance photographers. Poor lighting, focus, and composition in photographs are what make a particular photographer a likely candidate for rejection.

SUBMITTING IMAGES FOR CONSIDERATION
We send out a “Photo Needs List” each month for an upcoming issue. Expect a photo needs list to follow within a few weeks of being notified. You are not obligated to submit photos for each category on the photo needs list – or at all. We’d rather get 20 great photos than 100 mediocre ones.

Submit images digitally if they are 300 dpi or more when measuring at least 5 by 7 inches in TIFF or JPEG format. Send all digital submissions on a CD, accompanied by quality color contact sheets. We also have an FTP site available for uploading image submissions. Instructions for doing so will be provided on request.

Effective with the September 2009 issue, we will give preference to digital images over slides. We will continue to accept both types, but slides will be considered only after looking through the selection of digital images. If you wish to submit slides, they must be originals, not duplicates.

Include your name on each CD, contact sheet, and slide submitted. For digital submissions, please indicate whether you expect the disk(s) to be returned.

Submit images to: DOG FANCY, Photo Editor, P.O. Box 6050, Mission Viejo, CA 92690-6050.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR
• Close-up, well-lit headshots of  a “smiling” dog looking at the camera for our cover
• Natural life settings: in the home (living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms)
• Urban and suburban street settings
• Younger, edgier people (think tattoos, modern dress)
• Variety in ages and ethnicities
• Lifestyle shots (images of what dogs normally do)
• Different angles – not just straight on shots
• Sequences of action (e.g. walking/moving along a trail)
• Dogs running
• Personality – dog facial expressions, goofiness, quirks, how they move their body
• Conceptual images
• Negative space – off-center positioning of dogs helps us run type with photos
• Modern backgrounds – solid colors in modern color palettes. This also helps us run text with photos.
• Action shots from different angles
• Macro shots – close-ups of a dog nose, paw, etc.
• Dog body parts isolated (for medical/health items)
• Dog products shot in their natural setting (e.g. bowls on the kitchen floor, beds in the living room)

For sections and features other than breed profiles, mixed-breed shots are welcome and encouraged.

Purebred dogs pictured in the magazine should be good examples of the breed, so as to promote responsible breeding and good health. In particular, for our breed profiles and covers, the images we choose must feature dogs who conform to their breed standard (found at www.akc.org or www.ukcdogs.com)

WHAT WE DON’T WANT
• Busy or fake backgrounds.
• Posed portraits, except for the cover.
• Dogs with dirty ears, runny eyes, or matted fur.
• Leashes and collars, when possible.
• Dark backgrounds; they often compete with the dog's image.
• Backgrounds that blend with the dog’s color and/or coat.

PAYMENT FOR PHOTOGRAPHS
Should we select one or more of your images for use, we will send you a contract to sign. If you would like to see the contract before submitting photos, contact the photo editor. DOG FANCY works four months in advance, and pays on publication. Payment will not be received before the first week of the issue month in which the photo(s) appear. Payment is based on the photo fee schedule we send to photographers on our list. A photographer credit will appear with your printed photo, and you will receive two complimentary copies of that issue.