Before I vote:
The rules did not specify the format simply a cover photo.
I was thinking in line of a full cover photo?
My standard magazine sizes are mostly 8"w x 10.75"h
Are we suppose to be concerned with the format or crop?
What if a photo is 10"w x 8"h? not quite for a magazine cover unless it is only a portion of the cover.
Or do we simply vote on the quality of the shot and the effort put forth (Technical)?
I totally spaced on this. Didn't even think about the format until my first comment. Then I though, "Crap!" I could have cropped it right before I submitted and I even think that my photo would have had a little stronger composition if I did as well. I just didn't think of it.
That's a good question Calvus. I intentionally went for the proper format as far as aspect ratio and, in so doing, left a significant area at the top of my photo which is very distracting and doesn't fit at all with the rest of it. I figured it would be ignored during scoring since on the magazine, it would likely be faded out and covered by the title. Judging by my votes, people aren't consider that at all. Granted I only have 17 votes, but I am sitting below 4. I guess people are looking at the entire photo as though it were to stand alone, not as though it were meant to be a cover.
I am totally looking for magazine cover shots, correct orientation, space for the title, etc.... I have seen a lot of great photos that did not meet the challenge because of it and I feel the need to mark them down. They only loose a point or two depending on if I can see it used as a cover shot in any way. I was surprised to see how few of the entries actually took these things into consideration.
What about all those shot in landscape format....that is a bit of a mistake I feel.
Inexperience showing through again...I never even gave it a thought.
Although my submission isn`t landscape, it`s not magazine format either.
Oh well...we live and learn. (hopefully)
Gordon
I've been marking down images that are landscape and have been telling people exactly why.
As far as I'm concerned, a landscape pic with plenty of negative space is OK with me but images which are landscape with out the scope for being cropped furhter to a portrait format are losing out in my scoring.
That's a good question Calvus. I intentionally went for the proper format as far as aspect ratio and, in so doing, left a significant area at the top of my photo which is very distracting and doesn't fit at all with the rest of it. I figured it would be ignored during scoring since on the magazine, it would likely be faded out and covered by the title. Judging by my votes, people aren't consider that at all. Granted I only have 17 votes, but I am sitting below 4. I guess people are looking at the entire photo as though it were to stand alone, not as though it were meant to be a cover.
Oh well. Live and learn.
Righ there with ya. Same problem I think. I left some negative space at the top also. I think I am getting drilled for it. Not to mention the having to look at it longer than 10 seconds. Oh well...as you said.
Should remember to just send in the pertiest pic to score better. (C;
and exactly what jon said. it is PART of the challenge. and editor would just throw it out, if not what they asked for.
I've been marking down images that are landscape and have been telling people exactly why.
As far as I'm concerned, a landscape pic with plenty of negative space is OK with me but images which are landscape with out the scope for being cropped furhter to a portrait format are losing out in my scoring.
I follow your reasoning up to a point....Where I start to lose it is with your description of a landscape format with plenty of negative space which can be cropped.....presumably without ruining the composition and balance ?
I wouldn`t think that you will find many of them ..unless the shot was wrong in the first place and if so..why should that score better than a well composed and balanced shot that isn`t presented in the format you wish to see ?
I recently provided landscape shots - by editor request - to a magazine. Annoyingly, I had much better full-frame portrait shots that would have been perfect!
It's not going to be your high-volume mags that want landscape covershots, but smaller mags seem to deal with them, from my small amount of experience. Such magazines commonly have 1.5"-2" coloured strips top and bottom.
I follow your reasoning up to a point....Where I start to lose it is with your description of a landscape format with plenty of negative space which can be cropped.....presumably without ruining the composition and balance ?
I wouldn`t think that you will find many of them ..unless the shot was wrong in the first place and if so..why should that score better than a well composed and balanced shot that isn`t presented in the format you wish to see ?
For instance there is a particulr shot with a green background, the image could be cropped further to allow the image to be portrait and not lose the main focus of the image.
However other shots featuring large focus of interest couldn't be cropped sutiably to fit.
As I say though, anyone who did landscape is going to lose points from me, even those that are recoverable.
In this particular challenge, I feel it's important to consider:
1. The resolution should be normal Magazine size
2. There should be space above for title and on the sides for additional text.
Then the standard voting comes to mind, composition, does it fit the "Magazine title", colors, lightning, techniq, etc.
I am totally looking for magazine cover shots, correct orientation, space for the title, etc....
I used a portrait orientation and left space for title and received comment that specifically mentioned that they didn't like the empty space on the top of the image. Oh well - I guess not everyone understood the challenge properly.
I feel the same way this time as I did the first Magazine Cover challenge: The instructions are to take a photograph for a magazine cover. When given an assignment, I don't think a photographer bothers with aspect ratio's and orientation. I could be wrong. But it seems to me that the photographs they are taking are coming out of the same or similar cameras we are using. No magic there.
I`m intrigued by all the different interpretations of what`s required for this challenge....and we still haven`t mentioned the controversial coloured borders yet !
I can understand the preference for landscape as it fits the magazine format (wish I had thought about it)but some people seem to see it as being necessary to meet the challenge..yet I can`t recall the challenge rule specifying that it was compulsory.
Gordon
I've been asked by magazines for landscape shots for covers - though when shooting those you want space on the upper right for a title, and the main focal point to be about the middle right somewhere - so that it can be a full bleed front and back cover.
But the majority of the time when I'm shooting something that could be used on a magazine I'll take it portrait, and leave some head room for a title. Certainly this is normally a very big part of what gets considered for a title - landscape shots would normally be ignored unless exceptional and for a front/back panel.
Actually, often when I find a good scene, I'll shoot it landscape and portrait anyway, for reasons like this.
As is often the case, confusion can be resolved by a close reading of the challenge details.
... and try to take a cover photo!
Taking a cover photo is not the same thing as laying out the cover. Any aspect ratio will fit the challenge and leaving space for text is not necessary.
I didn't enter this one. I won't be marking down landscapes when I vote.
As is often the case, confusion can be resolved by a close reading of the challenge details.
... and try to take a cover photo!
Taking a cover photo is not the same thing as laying out the cover. Any aspect ratio will fit the challenge and leaving space for text is not necessary.
I don't really understand this comment. The point is that the majority of magazines require cover images to follow certain style guidelines - typically portrait, typically with the top quarter or so relatively free for titling.
yes there are exceptions, but these are fairly common conventions that photos suitable for a cover should follow. Landscape images for example are often not suitable for cropping for a cover - mainly due to resolution issues.
Given I work in a print shop, I was going to shoot a photo suitable for American Printer. That would be a square or landscape photo, to be placed below the type on a solid-color flood background.
Why don't you all just judge the quality of the photo, and assume the photographer knows what kind of photo the magazine (which you've never heard of) wants? Is everyone so anxious to boost their score by a few thousandths they have to constantly look for excuses for photos "not meeting the challenge?"
To vote down a photo in this challenge merely because it is not in portrait format is (insert favorite derogatory term meaning very much not what most smart people would do).
I think a thread should be started AFTER the challenge where we can post our magazine shots in their full glory, text and all. Then we'll see who's works as a cover.
I took the brief to create the cover minus the text
Therefore I created the whole cover and then took the text layer away. I may be marked down because of this but in my mind I did exactly what was asked and I have the finished article on my hard drive to prove it.
