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We get many image submissions from photographers who either have high hopes of some future publishing or they submit pictorials intended for Playboy and numerous other publishing outlets. In order to get publishing in the first place there are many things that you should consider.

Consider this: your images are your business card and what you get out of your camera speaks for you and your skills. Make sure that you study and understand the tips below before you jump into something that can range from the best thing that ever happens to you to the worst thing that will haunt you for the rest of your life. That being said, do not be scared of publishing. It’s just a vehicle that has to be driven well.

Keep these tips in mind when conducting your next shoot:

Cover it. You need to capture comprehensive coverage – different perspectives, focal lengths, wide, medium, and close-ups. When you shoot stills you need to get a variety of angles as well as a variety of focal lengths because editors need plenty of images from which to choose when editing a pictorial or putting a picture story together.ibook-store-widget

Get sequences. Get a variety of mini picture stories with one or multiple people interacting. Get accustomed to thinking how your “shots” will come together as part of the whole pictorial that you are working on. Consider the approach of a still editorial assignment as it’s kind of a moving pagination of the imagery in your head. Editors get bored very quickly looking at framed models without any life to them.

Get storytelling images. With still photography you need to make sure those independent shots or moments in time also tell a story and stand on their own in a single image. Most complaints from an editorial point of view are that the model just stares at the camera and does nothing. Just because your model is beautiful that is often not enough.

Action/motion. Make the images “feel”. Motivate your model to start exploring motions that portray different emotions and do this even when you are doing action shots. “Action shots” does not always mean “Sports Photography”. It means that something more is happening in your image than just a model staring at the camera. Photographers seem to find this task difficult and those who understand how to capture emotions will be heading to the favorites list of the editors. Conveying the feeling of motion in a still image will bring them alive.

Give the images visual dimension. Often I hear from demanding clients that the image needs that certain something that they can’t quite describe but they long for that extra pop that will knock their socks off. It’s an extra layer or dimension that can be achieved by an illustrative environment that gives the image a meaning and sets a mood. Photographers often settle for the girl in some of the most boring environments or a studio with flat lighting. This is like a serving lousy wine and guaranteeing a hangover! (If you do shoot in the studio, then make your lighting interesting and flattering for your model.) The extra visual dimension is all part of pre-production. It’s not how about how quickly and easily you get out of the gate, it’s about how strong your finish is!

Shoot more. From an editor’s perspective, give me more to choose from. Again, you can never have enough images when you are shooting stills. Clients love having the abundance of options from which to choose their favorites. Evaluate carefully before you criticize your model’s delivery capabilities. Models also have their limits and if you have done your homework well and have some experience, then you already know how to get the best possible images out of her. Do not shoot repetitious patterns and poses. An experienced client/editor can measure your skill sets and categorize who you are within first minute by looking at your images. The conclusion is to shoot content-rich variety that gets the editors excited because your work is different and outshines all the other submissions sitting on their desks.