Featured on the cover of Australian Photography magazine (Sep, 2011)

[Xenedis]

A few weeks ago I received some very pleasing news from the editor of Australian Photography magazine (http://www.yaffa.com.au/cmag/aph.html).

One of my seascape images, Long Reef Longing (http://www.xenedis.net/viewimage.php?i=4449154806), was chosen to feature as the cover image for the September, 2011 edition of the magazine.

Here's a photo of the front cover of the September edition of Australian Photography:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6082371432_f1ecf64175_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/6082371432/)


It was naturally quite rewarding to receive the magazine this afternoon and see my image on the front cover.

Has anyone else had an image featured on the front cover of Australian Photography? I have every edition dating back to November of 2005, so if you've had an image featured on the cover, I'd be keen to hear and see it again.

[hawko02]

Wow. Congratulations. That is wonderful and I am sure well deserved.

[Tjfrnds]

Congratulations! Fantastic work:th3:

[MiniFighter]

Well done, i see that issue receiving a frame along with a spot on the wall ;)

Great work, Congrats!

[Xenedis]

Thanks gang. Receiving the magazine was a nice way to finish the week.

[Art Vandelay]

Congratulations, will go pick up a copy. :th3:

[mongo]

It is not surprising recognition - well done.

[Cyclorama]

I hope you have been paid well for giving that photo!

[crazymorton]

can we get the back story please?
how'd you come you have this awesome photo chosen?

[enVision]

Congratulations mate! Very well deserved and a stunning image. You must be proud!

[ricktas]

Congrats again, as already done in Dylan's thread. Well deserved cause it's a brilliant landscape shot.

[Xenedis]

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Rick:

Glad you like the image; it remains one of my all-time favourite images, and when looking at it on the cover of a glossy magazine, it makes for very pleasing viewing to see one's image that way.

MiniFighter:

Oh yes, I'll be framing a copy of the cover for posterity. Family members also want to see it, so we'll be buying a bunch of copies and sending them around the place.

[Xenedis]

can we get the back story please?
how'd you come you have this awesome photo chosen?

As you may be aware, Dylan (dtoh) has had a few of his images featured on the cover of the magazine.

A few months ago, I felt inspired and motivated to submit some of my images to the editor of the magazine for consideration. I figured I had images of a standard required for magazine covers, and I also figured that someone's images had to feature on the covers, so why not mine?

I chose three of my images which in terms of orientation, composition, technical quality and 'cleanliness', I thought would be suitable for magazine covers. In June I sent them to Robert Keeley (editor) for his consideration.

A month later (he's insanely busy and correspondence from magazine editors dealing with reams of stuff isn't something that happens quickly) he replied, told me that he'd looked at some of my images and that they could be suitable for magazine covers. He needed to talk to me urgently, so I rang him. He conveyed to me a lot of information on how the process of image selection works, what the editor and art director needs in an image, and even how to shoot images for magazine covers.

Now, I didn't go out and shoot my images with the intention of having them published on a magazine cover, but I already knew that compositionally they had to meet certain criteria. For instance, they need to be in vertical format, and there needs to be space to accommodate the masthead and to allow for subheading text down the sides. There's more to it than that, but I chose my images based on visual appeal, the composition, and clean, uncluttered subject matter.

These were the images I submitted (click them to view them larger):

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/5000919298_648017a419_m_d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/5000919298/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4824922497_49cbfe614b_m_d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/4824922497/)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4449154806_d3d4ec0b9c_m_d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/4449154806/)


Throughout our discussions, he also viewed more images on my site. He was particularly keen on this one:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5048931971_84402840d6_m_d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/5048931971/)

He thought that image, and my Long Reef image (which was eventually selected) were the strongest for a magazine cover.

I also submitted this image for consideration, as at the time I had only recently shot it and thought it might work:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6001/5944493863_897371d999_m_d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xenedis/5944493863/)

During a long phone conversation, he looked through quite a few of my images and asked about quite a few that grabbed his attention. Unfortunately some were in landscape format, which counted them out; but he was also looking at the subject matter and composition, knowing what makes a cover image. In a lot of cases, there was a potential cover image if only it had been in vertical format, or if there was a slight change to the composition.

Now, bear in mind, this guy is incredibly busy. He just doesn't have time to sit on the phone with someone for over an hour, browsing through some photographer's Web site. It's a mad rush to select a cover image and he has very specific requirements. He deals with a lot of matters, and for him to have invested so much time in me, trying to get me over the line, was an enormous privilege.

He rang me later the same day to advise me that his art director was interested in my Long Reef image. I was told that when the AD asks for a high-res version, it means an image has been shortlisted for publication. It's not just the editor or AD who decide upon a cover image; a committee, on which they sit, reviews the images and decides upon what gets published. There are several other people who need to sign off.

That afternoon I sent the image in the required format, to the AD. I was told that my image was in the top two or three under consideration for publication.

At that point after numerous emails and phone conversations, it was a matter of waiting.

Eight days later, Robert told me my image had been chosen for the September cover of the magazine.

What a wonderful way to end a Monday!

Apart from the personal honour of having my image featured on the cover of a magazine such as this, the entire journey was very enlightening, and I learned a lot about not only what it takes to get on the cover of the magazine, but how the process works, and the kinds of constraints and timeframes under which the editor -- and the magazine itself -- works.

The long and the short of it is that not only do you have to have the right stuff as far as images (and shooting covers is quite different to just shooting dramatic images), but you need to give the editor/AD precisely what is required, in the format required, very quickly. These people have a lot of stuff through which to wade, and you've got to stand out and give them exactly what they need so they can push out the material quickly. The easier you make it for the editor, the more likely you'll get to where you want to go.

I'm sure Dylan and Marianne can attest to this, as they've been through it before.

So, all in all, it was a very interesting journey.

[NikonNellie]

Congratulations John! It's always been one of my favourite images in your portfolio. I hope you will still join us on our meets so that we can continue to learn from your expert advice. :D

[Xenedis]

Congratulations John! It's always been one of my favourite images in your portfolio. I hope you will still join us on our meets so that we can continue to learn from your expert advice. :D

Thanks Narelle.

I do plan to attend more meets in the future, for if nothing else, it's fun to simply socialise. The only thing more fun about these meets than the image making process is the breakfast, lunch or dinner afterwards.

At the moment, despite my latest news, photography has taken a back seat to matters of a higher priority, but I'll be back shooting and BSing again in a little while.

[Chris Michel]

gorgeous and congrats

[Lance B]

A hearty and well deserved congratulations!

[William]

Well done and congrats also John, Never made the cover , But had a few printed in this Mag http://www.avhub.com.au/index.php/Magazine/Camera/

[Milbs1]

Congratulations John, looks great :)

[CherylB]

Congrats John! Well deserved win with the Long Reef image, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of yours on the front of Australian Photography. Between you and Dylan, you might have started a revolution of APers taking over all cover shots! ;)

[Xenedis]

Thanks William. Good onya for getting into the mag. I think I've seen it at the newsagent before.

Thanks Cheryl. We're trying. ;-)

I'm still curious if anyone else has graced the cover before.

[Xenedis]

Here is an updated image of the magazine cover (made from a scan rather than my bad photo of it):

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6082371432_07f05946ba_b_d.jpg

[ksolomon]

Congratulations Xenedis on the publication of your photo for the cover, can't wait to get my issue in the mail and know that the cover is yours :). I have been collecting APM for 2 years now and keep every issue.

Your photos are amazing and thanks for sharing the experience with all of us. I could only aspire and wish to have my photographs one day chosen to appear in a magazine

[Xenedis]

Congratulations Xenedis on the publication of your photo for the cover, can't wait to get my issue in the mail and know that the cover is yours :). I have been collecting APM for 2 years now and keep every issue.

Your photos are amazing and thanks for sharing the experience with all of us. I could only aspire and wish to have my photographs one day chosen to appear in a magazine

Thanks for such a nice compliment!

The experience of having an image selected for a cover was quite interesting, as there's a lot more to it than meets the eye, and those who haven't been through it before, as was the case for me until recently, wouldn't necessarily be aware of what goes into selecting a cover image.

I'm glad to have lived and related the experience, and hopefully a few others will give it a go and be rewarded, just as I was, with the sight of one of their prized images on the cover of this magazine.

[tcdev]

Well deserving of a cover! :th3:

[Mary Anne]

Well done and Congratulations what beautiful images..
Still waiting for the Postie to deliver my copy and looking forward to seeing it all the more now :th3:

[Analog6]

Congratulations! Can I be so bold as to ask do they pay anything for a front cover shot?

[BecdS]

That's fantastic news!! A stunning image too, so very well deserved. Good one! :th3:

[CapnBloodbeard]

Brilliant stuff - though they're all top images. Nice little ego boost!

[jeffde]

Congratulations - Great image and looks great on the cover - funny i had picked it up in the newsagent and looked at it but don't buy it that often anymore.....

Organise yourself to sell some prints.....

[Xenedis]

Well done and Congratulations what beautiful images..
Still waiting for the Postie to deliver my copy and looking forward to seeing it all the more now :th3:

Thanks Mary Anne. I've seen the mag in a newsagent now, so it's out there somewhere. My two local newsagents didn't have any stock on the day I received my copy in the mail.


Congratulations! Can I be so bold as to ask do they pay anything for a front cover shot?

Yes, there is payment for cover images. I wasn't in it for the money, though, but it's always nice to be paid. :-)

Thanks to all for the nice comments.

I'm hoping to make another appearance on the cover some time in the future.

[peterb666]

Getting difdicult to find Aus Photo in newsagent - at least 4 out of 5 seem to have dropped ir.

Looks good, John.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[Fantasyphoto]

Congratulations Xen, will you autograph my copy please?

[Xenedis]

Getting difdicult to find Aus Photo in newsagent - at least 4 out of 5 seem to have dropped ir.

I don't think the magazine publisher has the budget to deliver to anywhere south of the river. ;-)


Looks good, John.

Thanks Pete.


Congratulations Xen, will you autograph my copy please?

If you pay the bill at the next dinner, sure.

[Sueann]

Great photo, congrats!!

[MiniFighter]

Getting difdicult to find Aus Photo in newsagent - at least 4 out of 5 seem to have dropped it.

Hey John, my local N/agent didnt keep it but after asking, they now get it in for me :)

Might pay to drop in and ask.


Wayne.

[peterb666]

I don't think the magazine publisher has the budget to deliver to anywhere south of the river. ;-)


LoL

Well my local newsagency does carry it but as I work in the city I went looking for it there. None of the Newslink newsagencies I went to carried it. Maybe they had an argument with Yaffa Publishing.

They all seem to be pusing the more expensive UK magazines.

[reaction]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your exp.
Those are amazing pics, very interesting about the masthead considerations etc.

[Xenedis]

That's fantastic news!! A stunning image too, so very well deserved. Good one! :th3:

Thanks Bec. It was quite a nice development in my photography.


Brilliant stuff - though they're all top images. Nice little ego boost!

Indeed. :-D


Congratulations - Great image and looks great on the cover - funny i had picked it up in the newsagent and looked at it but don't buy it that often anymore.....

I've been a subscriber for a number of years, so my copy automatically turns up; but yes, some newsagents don't carry it or supplies are very limited.

Despite the proliferation of online content, I still prefer to read an actual magazine, and it does contain good, relevant, local content.


Organise yourself to sell some prints.....

I did maintain a gallery on RedBubble for a few years, but didn't sell much.

I decided this year that selling images just isn't for me. It requires one to do some marketing, and I'm not possessed of the sales/marketing person's skillset.

[Xenedis]

Well my local newsagency does carry it but as I work in the city I went looking for it there. None of the Newslink newsagencies I went to carried it. Maybe they had an argument with Yaffa Publishing.

It may have been the case that Xenedette cleaned the places out before you got to them. She bought quite a few copies, some of which are still here.


They all seem to be pusing the more expensive UK magazines.

I've never even looked at those. I really prefer local content about local places, events and issues. Besides, the bigger the magazine, the more reams of ads it has...

[peterb666]

Confirms my suspicions. I thought you may have bought a minimum of 60 copies (per day).

[Xenedis]

Confirms my suspicions. I thought you may have bought a minimum of 60 copies (per day).

That's a gross exaggeration; we only bought 50 copies per day.

[yarnella]

Congratulations. That sure is a great image. Well done.

[SharNSW]

Sorry to bring a thread up from last month but I was browsing through old threads in this section and realised this was the first photography mag I bought and it was because I liked the photo :p

[Mark L]

Sorry to bring a thread up from last month but I was browsing through old threads in this section and realised this was the first photography mag I bought and it was because I liked the photo :p

Don't be sorry, I think that's fantastic. :th3:

[Xenedis]

Sorry to bring a thread up from last month but I was browsing through old threads in this section and realised this was the first photography mag I bought and it was because I liked the photo :p

The September issue of AP was the one you bought?

[SharNSW]

The September issue of AP was the one you bought?


Yep, last week.

[Xenedis]

Yep, last week.

During discussions with Robert Keeley re my cover image, he told me that the cover image is intended to entice people to buy the magazine.

I'm glad to see I've been able to prove him right. ;-)

[Roosta]

A while ago I replied to a post that you had posted with a lot of self doubt,

Well, I'm glad to see fortunes have changed, and well earned indeed...

Hard bloody work counts for something after all, does it not?

This is a just reward for tireless work and self belief in yourself, all be it, some times bashed by self doubt.

What a great set of shots, something to be proud of,

Something to be shared and admired by all that appreciate our art form.

This for all of us is what it's all about, knowing you have it, finding as I think Dylan had said,

A partial view and a critic not looking for just a field that they believe to be a gold stamp.

You have pushed your skills and posted in, what I believe to be some of the best "Landscape" shots on this site, some that don't portray the effects of over PSing images to death. Bring the RAW to life is fine, but when you can't expose an image like some wan't, we seem to rely on the old PS to bring it out.

Well done, accept what your fellow TOGS have be-stowed on you and your wonderful images Xenedis.

Shit mate, you deserve it.

Love your work mate, stand proud.


BUT>>>>>>

Don't just leave it on the bloody coffee table,

Put the bastards on the wall where they belong.

Skill is something, like respect, it's earn't, you deserve it.. Well Done.

[maccaroneski]

Congratulations mate. If I recall correctly I contributed to that image - standing next to you making fun of Canon users. Must have spurred you on :)

[Xenedis]

A while ago I replied to a post that you had posted with a lot of self doubt,

Moreso about my ability to do well in photography competitions.

I've found that photography competitions are a bit like IQ tests.

Much as a low or average IQ score doesn't mean one is unintelligent, failing to do well in competitions doesn't mean one is a bad photographer.

IQ tests measure people's ability to do IQ tests, and photography competitions measure people's ability to do well in photography competitions.

As a matter of interest, I [i]still[i/] cannot do well in photography competitions.



Well, I'm glad to see fortunes have changed, and well earned indeed...

Thanks muchly. It was all a bit of a rush.



What a great set of shots, something to be proud of,

Something to be shared and admired by all that appreciate our art form.

This for all of us is what it's all about, knowing you have it, finding as I think Dylan had said,

A partial view and a critic not looking for just a field that they believe to be a gold stamp.

You have pushed your skills and posted in, what I believe to be some of the best "Landscape" shots on this site, some that don't portray the effects of over PSing images to death. Bring the RAW to life is fine, but when you can't expose an image like some wan't, we seem to rely on the old PS to bring it out.

Well done, accept what your fellow TOGS have be-stowed on you and your wonderful images Xenedis.

Shit mate, you deserve it.

Love your work mate, stand proud.


Thanks mate; those are some very big compliments there!


Don't just leave it on the bloody coffee table,

Put the bastards on the wall where they belong.

We have one framed copy here, and we've sent issues of the magazine to family members too.
also have copies.


Skill is something, like respect, it's earn't, you deserve it.. Well Done.

Thanks again.

[Xenedis]

Congratulations mate. If I recall correctly I contributed to that image - standing next to you making fun of Canon users. Must have spurred you on :)

I'll let you in on a secret.

I told Robert Keeley that I was surrounded by Nikon zealots on the morning I shot the image.

He felt very sorry for me and told me that to ease my hardship, he'd publish my image on the cover of his magazine. It was the least he could do.

He was surprised, though, to hear that a photographer would keep company with a bunch of rabid Nikon zealots.

:-P