Photos Wanted For Book Project

[tombuch 0]

Hey Folks:

I’m writing a book for McGraw-Hill called ‘Jump! Make Your First Skydive Fun and Easy.’ It is targeted at whuffos who are interested in making a skydive, but don’t know anything about our sport. I’m looking for some photographs to use inside, and also looking for a cover shot. I’ll describe my needs, and if you have appropriate photos I would sure appreciate receiving copies for publication.

There is a small budget for the right cover photo, but sadly, no budget for inside art. The cover should be color. The inside photos will all be printed in black and white, but they can be provided as color originals or high resolution scans. All photos will be credited in the back of the book, and it may be possible to mention a specific drop zone in some of the captions. This is a great way for a beginning photographer to get in print, and also a great way to promote a local drop zone.

The ideal cover photo will be a vertical image of a tandem skydive showing the airplane, and it will be gender neutral. It should have great lighting, and the student should look happy. It should be well composed with room for the title and type. Other shots will be considered for the cover if they are related to student training, or otherwise show the sport in a way that will attract a whuffo.

The book is very supportive of USPA, so photos should be from USPA dropzones. The text covers both large and small dropzones, and favors large DZs by just a little bit. I would like the photography to show both big and small DZs where possible, and photos should feature Cessnas in a positive way. Most of the photos will be from The Ranch, where I am S&TA, but I would like to feature other dropzones too, and am especially interested in including dropzones from other regions of the country. I already have a bunch of great contributions from some outstanding photographers, but can always use more. The cover is needed ASAP, and the inside art is deadlined within about a week.

I need some very specific inside shots as follows:

1) Two good general tandem freefall photos, one showing a drogue.
2) One good tandem exit photo.
3) Two good freefly photos.
4) Two photos of skydivers jumping near, but not in clouds.
5) A Skyvan or CASA exit showing the airplane and jumper(s).
6) A camera person shooting a tandem opening, or a tandem in freefall.
7) A cameraperson in freefall with a helmet loaded with cameras.
8) A Cessna exit or Cessna interior shot with jumpers on the floor.
9) Other cool instructional shots, including ground photography.

If you have any of these images and would like to share them, please drop me a line along with a thumbnail. Again, there is no budget for inside art, but the cover will be paid at a reasonable rate.

Thanks,

Tom Buchanan
Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem)
Commercial Pilot, Rigger, etc.
[email protected]
(203) 431-9748

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[quade 3]

Tom --

I'm going to step out of my moderator shoes here for a minute and I just want to write you as a freefall photographer.

I sympathize with your budget issues, but if you really want good photos and you plan on selling the book for a profit, then you should expect to pay and pay well for the photos.

I know some terrific freefall photographers that would love to make a living doing this type of work, but the sad fact is that for the most part, they get paid far under what their work is worth as it is.

Look at the circulation numbers of Skydiving Magazine and Parachutist and see what rates the photos go for as opposed to almost ANY other publication of similar size. Pitiful.

Therefore, I personally can not recommend that ANYONE fulfill your request.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[tombuch 0]

***"I sympathize with your budget issues, but if you really want good photos and you plan on selling the book for a profit, then you should expect to pay and pay well for the photos."

I've been a professional photographer for 20 years and clearly understand your point. Unfortunately, McGraw-Hill just isn't paying for photos at all. Period. Yes that sucks, but that is the way of the publishing world at the low end of the scale. This is the very first time a major publisher has shown any interest in the skydiving market, and they do not anticipate much of a profit potential, thus there is no budget for photos. Sorry. That isn't my decision...it is McGraw-Hill.

I'm shooting most of the original images myself and really don't want the whole book to focus on just my DZ, thus the request for images from other places. Ideally, dropzones would have images to provide, but most don't own any photos, so the image need to come directly from photographers. Actually, there are a few DZ's that have deals with their local photographers that produce some images for promotional use, but those are pretty rare.

In any event, this is a great way to promote the sport, and that should bring us all more jumpers and more money. The primary benefit is to dropzones, and there is a secondary benefit to photographers who want to be published but do not otherwise have an outlet.

This project is a great way for shooters to support the skydiving industry, and a great way for DZ's to get some ink in a book targeted at beginners.

I wish McGraw-Hill was willing to pay real dollars, but they aren't. Providing free photos to a project like this isn't a super great thing, but it isn't that bad either.

On the other hand, the cover is a paying project, so the right tandem photo could bring an interested photographer a reasonable payment.

I'm sorry I can't offer more. If anybody is interested in sharing images I'll be happy to use them, and I do think the book will have a positive effect on the skydiving industry overall. If a photographer doesn't want to participate, I understand that too.


-Tom Buchanan

[quade 3]

Quote

I'm sorry I can't offer more. If anybody is interested in sharing images I'll be happy to use them, and I do think the book will have a positive effect on the skydiving industry overall. If a photographer doesn't want to participate, I understand that too.

Fair enough.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[CameraGeek 0]

I have to agree with Quade and tell you that your deal with McGraw is a bad one. I had done an identical project for Discovery Books - they tried to have me give them the photos. I held out - and the payment covered a new canopy.

My philosophy is simple - and often irritating to those who do not fork out the cash for the equipment. Want free photos? Find a free camera - or pay me (or someone else - doesn't bother me a bit).

I realize that sounds like a lot of things - but in reality, its business, which is what it boils down to. I can no more afford to give you photos than I can afford to give any other publication photos - which they all want, for free - and since you're a photographer I have to admit I am stunned you ask for high quality images for free.

Sorry - my work is worht more than that, and it took years for me to be able to say that and stick to it. No disrespect intended to anyone, but my advice to every single photographer is the same - charge for your work, give nothing away, insist on credit, and get mad when someone steals or uses your work without proper credit or payment.

Anything else is selling yourself and every other freefall photographer short of what they earned.

One last point -- you said : This is the very first time a major publisher has shown any interest in the skydiving market, and they do not anticipate much of a profit potential, thus there is no budget for photos. Sorry. That isn't my decision...it is McGraw-Hill

That is not correct - not at all. Major publications and publishers have and do publish work on skydiving and do pay well. My project was for a textbook used in schools - I have seen others and know they paid well. There is profit potential there - they're just being cheap. Sorry - I stick with Quade - make them pay what its worth or don't help them a bit.

Robbie Culver

[fleafry 0]

Goin to hav to take a similar stand on this one - truth is, if a publication is looking for an image, they will almost always have a go at saying there is no budget for photos and u should do it for the exposure. If u hold up they will invariably concede that there actually is real dollar value to your work - either that or they will look elsewhere for a way to rip off an image.

IMHO I think your book project is all good except that they haven't given realistic consideration to the value of what's going into it - at least the illustration part, that is.

FBJ

Images by FBJ

[JGarcia 0]

Quote

Sorry - my work is worht more than that, and it took years for me to be able to say that and stick to it. No disrespect intended to anyone, but my advice to every single photographer is the same - charge for your work, give nothing away, insist on credit, and get mad when someone steals or uses your work without proper credit or payment.
Anything else is selling yourself and every other freefall photographer short of what they earned.
Robbie Culver

I learned a lesson last Holloween that definately opened my eyes: Hogflop Boogie, Skydive Palatka...Saturday evening, all videos were transferred to one of the DZs cameramen's video camera for "judging purposes." The next day, this cameraman used the footage given to him by all the videographers to make "boogie" videos which he sold for profit. Did he ask permission to use the footage for this purpose? Of course not. Did he share the profits with all the other camerapeople? Nah. Not even credit for the work was given out. Total number of dives on the video: 12 (one for each team). Total filmed by him: two. Needless to say, I'll never make that mistake again.
So thanks, Robbie Culver, couldn't have said it better myself.
Jairo

Low Profile, snag free helmet mount for your Sony X3000 action cam!