JPG Magazine

rdlugosz · October 24, 2006

Just wondering if anyone here has submitted anything to JPG Magazine (jpgmag.com). It came up on the first SM Conference Call during a discussion on "getting yourself out there"...

Basically you submit images to their current themes and some of them will be printed in the hard copy version of the magazine. Payment for being selected is relatively poor ($100 + a subscription), but you do get some exposure which is probably the more important part of the deal.

Submissions seem to range from quite good to really terrible.

I haven't actually seen the mag, so I'm not sure what they choose to print, but they do indicate that votes are not the only deciding factor toward publication. I figure I'll submit a few and see where it goes.

I think it may have been Andy who mentioned this on the call... Andy, have you experience here?

BeachBill · October 24, 2006

It was Shay that mentioned it and this month they are giving away a Lensbaby in addition to the $100. Unfortunately I don't know much more about the magazine than you...

System · October 26, 2006

Cool concept and something I'd look at participating in for sure.

However...

After a quick look at their site I am troubled by the lack of "right click" protection. Since they do not allow images that have added text or watermarks to be uploaded to their site and they do display a rather large version of your image the risk for image theft is very high. if they can get this issue solved I'd be all over it. I sent them a message detailing this concern and will post back if I hear from them.

System · October 27, 2006

JPG's reply:

"Your photo is protected by copyright, no matter what. And we do not
display the high res version, only the smaller ones. Still, if you're
not comfortable with the way we do things, then we'll understand."

AntoineD · October 27, 2006

Watermark and everything won't ever avoid your image to be stolen. Besides, it just make it ugly to see when there's some text on it… my own opinion, of course

Your best protection is your style: make something unique, it won't be stolen for everyone will know it's yours

photodoug · October 27, 2006

I was completely underimpressed with the quality of images. And the voting and display format just remind me of an unprofessional pub.

System · October 27, 2006

photodoug wrote:

I was completely underimpressed with the quality of images.

That would seem to be an upside by making it easier for anyone with some skill to actually get published in the mag.

photodoug · October 27, 2006

truth wrote:

That would seem to be an upside by making it easier for anyone with some skill to actually get published in the mag.

I understand that and I see your point. I wonder what benefit there is in getting your photos published in an unprofessional work. Doesn't seem it would boost your creativity or rep. Surely only my opinion and I'm no pro by any means. But I didn't like some of what I saw in print and most of what I saw proposed for print. The popularity vote to get shots in had me wanting for a good art director to do make the choice.

May have been I was being too hard. Probably so.

System · October 27, 2006

photodoug wrote:

The popularity vote to get shots in had me wanting for a good art director to do make the choice.

May have been I was being too hard. Probably so.

Nope, I can see what you're saying. I just have to believe that being published there is better than not being published at all. Good work will always stand out amongst the clutter, the tough part is getting it out there to be seen. Seems a decent place to get some exposure without losing any of the rights to your images.

Art Scott · October 28, 2006

truth wrote:

Nope, I can see what you're saying. I just have to believe that being published there is better than not being published at all. Good work will always stand out amongst the clutter, the tough part is getting it out there to be seen. Seems a decent place to get some exposure without losing any of the rights to your images.

It does have a few things going for it:

1- you recieve a monetary reward.

2- you receive a Lens Baby (could also be figured as part of the monetary reward)

3- you get published with copyright showing you as owner.

So your pics migh be interdispered with some of a lot lesser quality....well....think of it this way.....any oe looking at the pics will (should ) realize which are quality and which are not....so the thoughts should run something like this....
Wow so and so's photos are really good.....but how in the hell did those others ever get in....so and so must not been able to get any more pics in in time for pub, probably out on assignment, so couldn't leave the dead space nd just grabbed something outta file 13 for filler.

so all in all doesn't seem like a bad deal especially with the monetary rewards tossed in.

Jeffro · October 28, 2006

I had never heard of jpgmag.com, so I checked it out. Some of the shots are very good. Some aren't worth a darn. I don't see a problem being published in the mag. Heck you get paid. People see your stuff, granted it's along side good and bad stuff....but if you post on here, it's sometimes next to a so so pic. You don't get paid here. You get exposure here, you get it there. It's up to the individual to decide I guess.

EVOgraphy · October 30, 2006

I have a few of their earlier issues and I will say that the quality in the final magazine is very nice. They make great coffee table books as well. I'm not sure how the new system they have will work out with the voting and all. I think before Derek and Heather picked all the images to be published themselves. And when it first started out you didn't get paid anything...just a free issue.

They are trying to fill the niche in between professional photographers and amateur photographers.... And make a magazine for those who just love the art of photography but might not make any money from it.

cdhames · November 3, 2006

I'm curious whether the "bad" some of you are referring to makes it to print, or whether they're images that have been submitted for voting?

spider-t · November 4, 2006

I've submitted a few times. Never been picked. I have a couple of issues. The product is nice. It seems like it's more of a flicker community project.

But I don't think there's any harm in sending your photos anywhere you feel like. The wider your audience, the more opportunities you get to make more images.

cheers,
Trish

JPG Magazine

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