whats up with parachutist

[fincher 0]

Whats the deal with that staff? Are they not receiving any good submissions. the pics in there lately have been.........well......not so good. This month was a horrible shock when I got my mail and saw this horrible colored, grainy, shot of some canopy with a industrial littered background. I mean seriously....the cover? I almost want to tear the cover off that issue. The best shot in that issue is the one in the atricle about jump planes. The shot of the shark otter with the jumper geeking the camera is badass.

i'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your packing tent down

[The111 1]

Send in some better ones then.

I liked the cover this month.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[PharmerPhil 0]

I like the cover shot too. Too many of the covers look the same, or are of the same subject matter. This one was different, and I like the light.

My too sense...

[fincher 0]

The subject matter is skydiving and canopies. There was nothing unique about the shot. Except that its one of the worst covers I've ever seen. This is why professional photography is difficult.....because people dont know enough to know what makes a "good" photo. That shot is fine for someones personal enjoyment and I dont mean to insult the person who took it, but for a publication this photo is weak.

And I have sent better. I havent sent many but they were some good shots. but so far they have overlooked them or just havent gotten around to publishing them.

i'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your packing tent down

[PharmerPhil 0]

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...There was nothing unique about the shot...

Industrial/urban setting, light reflecting off the canal, sunset load. Haven't seen that stuff on the cover in a while.

FWIW, that photographer is one of the tops in the industry and is often hired to shoot things like World Team jumps, event footage at the U.S. Nationals, etc. I can't convince you to like something you if don't like it, but like I said, I do.

[Laszloimage 0]

I agree. Lot of other people had the exact same feeling about the "industrial back ground".
That was my first impression too...
It's unfair to show my shot as an example (submitted, but never published), but I know others submited similar ones and never been used either.
exampe: http://laszloimage.com/Jan%202006%20New/pages/Jan_16th_2006_Tony.htm

[tonyhathaway 0]

Now THAT would make a great cover!

My O.C.D. has me chasing a dream my A.D.D. won't let me catch.

[Peej 0]

As someone who doesn't get Parachutist i have to ask, is anyone willing to scan and post it? Pretty please?

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[NickDG 23]

Here you are . . .

There's some glare in the copy I made that's not in the original and the cityscape in the bottom portion is a good bit darker on the actual cover . . .

Art is very subjective but I don't think it's all that bad.

But my vote is canceled out by my girlfriend who looked at it and thought it was rather depressing looking . . .

My beef with PARACHUTIST, which I've been getting since 1975, is the amount of repetitive content. This month we get yet another Joe Kittinger article. No offense to Joe, and the piece is well written, but it's got to be the 30th time I've read the same story.

But on the other hand before we bag on PARACHUTIST too much we need to understand what it is exactly. It's not fair to compare it to mainstream magazines you see on newsstands. It's really a "house organ" or a publication meant to circulate inside an organization.

So by nature the tone of it is, "everything is fine here in happy land." And while they have recently loosened up on some archaic editorial policies, like the prohibition of running first person articles, if you send them something with an "edge" to it forget about it.

Article-wise I've been published several times in SKYDIVING but I can't crack PARACHUTIST (except for several photos) and have been rejected more than a few times by them. I could write exactly what they want but it would be pure Pablum and too embarrassing to put my name on.

Another thing PARACHUTIST is besides a house organ is an ad-well. They make good coin selling advertising space. And I suppose because we pay dues you can’t moan too much about that. And besides SKYDIVING Magazine and the Web these advertisers have nowhere else to go for so many skydiving eyeballs. But it means if you write something unflattering about an advertiser, or their product, your stuff goes right into the trash. I'll never forgive USPA for waiting so long to pull the adverts for Glidepath's Nova canopy even after so many jumpers in the field knew there was something wrong with it, and it was killing people. A good friend and former student of mine wound up paralyzed when his Nova collapsed on a demo jump.

By the same token, while there is some latitude in the letters section, if you do a thoughtful article on how their Instructional Programs (my pet area) might be better by pointing out inherent flaws in the current system it too goes into the trash. If you write just a letter you can't do the subject justice in three paragraphs without sounding like a kook.

Just reading these forums you can plainly see there is a lot of exciting, scary, and controversial things occurring in the skydiving world. But you won't read about much that in PARACHUTIST where the word of the day is the same everyday. "Don't rock the boat!"

NickD

[dragon2 0]

I likes.

Who's the photographer?

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[PharmerPhil 0]

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Who's the photographer?

Wendy Smith.

http://wendysmithaerial.com/

[dragon2 0]

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Who's the photographer?

Wendy Smith.

Kewl shot from a kewl lady

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Peej 0]

Thanks Nick
Not being a USPA member i have no place commenting on your thoughts but i will say i like the shot

Advertisio Rodriguez / Sky

[azureriders 0]

YOU would think so, wouldn't YOU?

[sinjin 0]

that is a sexy canopy, i wish i had one like that !!!!!!

dont let life pass you by

[Acoisa 0]

The photo is great.. Nice light, good composition, unusual background...

The background makes you wonder what will happen next because the setting is so unusual.. The photo tells a story.. which is the most important thing a photo should do.

I Love it and think it's a great cover photo!

[fincher 0]

Laszlo's pic is how that shot should be done. very sharp high quality image. Camera setup prepared for the lighting conditions. The colors in that shot are awesome.
Now compare it to the grainy post apocalyptic looking photo on the cover. I agree with whoever said it was depressing. As a matter of fact it was so depressing that I saw the mailman driving on the wrong side of the road after he delivered it.

i'll huff and I'll puff and I'll burn your packing tent down

[dragon2 0]

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how that shot should be done

No such thing Photography is an art, not a science

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[BirdWoman 0]

I have been sending them plenty of awesome shots. I don't know how they choose their cover but I agree with your thoughts about this month. It almost seems like they only publish the "big pics" from well-known names rather than give the rest of us a chance to make a name for ourselves.

"I don't know where it is that I'm going, but wherever it is there I'll be!" --quoted by me

[BETO74 0]

I also agree with you!

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[Fast 0]

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I have been sending them plenty of awesome shots. I don't know how they choose their cover but I agree with your thoughts about this month. It almost seems like they only publish the "big pics" from well-known names rather than give the rest of us a chance to make a name for ourselves.

I have managed to get 1 photo in the magazine since I started sending pictures. Sent in some really awesome stuff too. I don't bother anymore for the most part.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[PhreeZone 15]

I got 2 published a while ago and 1 as part of an article this month. I've sent in some photos I thought were nice but then again not everyone has the same opinion that I do.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[stratostar 5]

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Sent in some really awesome stuff too. I don't bother anymore for the most part.

ditto!

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[Icon134 0]

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Sent in some really awesome stuff too. I don't bother anymore for the most part.

ditto!

they do seem to stick to certain relatively well known photographers. But it's possible that the well known photographers just send in a lot more pictures... or a lot more better photos.

I don't consider myself an outstanding photographer... I did get several pictures published for an article a year and a half ago... but most of those were taken on the ground. Only one of them was taken in the air.

Scott

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[The111 1]

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I did get several pictures published for an article a year and a half ago...

Ding ding. You have better chances getting something published if it fits in with an article or photo spread. If you are at a fun boogie and nobody else is writing and article, write one yourself and submit a few photos that go with it. You might just get them all published.

There are a few "random" photos in every issue that don't fit with an article, but your chances of getting one of those are very low, so don't count on it, no matter how good your images are... though it will still happen from time to time if you are persistent.

I've probably been lucky since wingsuits are somewhat of a niche and not too many wingsuit photos get submitted, but I've had dozens of photos published in the past two years, and I am barely even have 200 jumps with a camera on my head. Certainly not bragging, since I don't consider myself incredibly talented, nor a "big name." Just got lucky and was in the right place at the right time more than once.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com