Books:

Discovered! 505
Odd Enterprises

Hidden Dollars

How to Make
Money at Home

Small Business
of Your Own

You Can Own
a Business

Expensive, true. Often the simplest hobby becomes expensive if there is never a return. But photography can pay, as it has for me, and I know now that many more of my early attempts could have been sold had I only known how to go about it.

Subject matter is the key for the beginner, since technical perfection is only gained with suitable equipment in the hands of a master darkroom craftsman. Almost everyone has at some time seen photos of oddities such as a two-headed calf or a "scrambled" egg with the membrane on the outside of the shell, such as I shot for a small local newspaper. Many small magazines and newspapers are always interested in simple pictures like these because the subject is unusual and the human interest is strong. Any amateur can take them, even with equipment as common as the inexpensive camera found in almost every home.

Oddities are not the only saleable subject—far from it. Actually, probably thousands of picture possibilities go unnoticed every year. In the city, every store that puts on an unusual sales campaign, a new type of store front, or uses unusual counter displays is good subject matter for some trade or industry magazine. The country cameraman may hear of a new use for old equipment, of a wolf trapper with a huge catch, of a one-armed farmer who designed special controls for his machinery, or the invention of a new-type automatic hog feeder.

WHEN YOU find the subject key, inspiration and imagination will start it turning. An example is the picture I shot of a young owl, a pet of a small-town girl who found it after it had fallen out of a tree and provided it with food, a nest, and a small "graduation" cap. By placing the owl upon a book to further the "scholastic" atmosphere, and adding a cutline about the "wise young owl that never went to college," I placed it with a small daily newspaper. Later the Sunday magazine section of the Minneapolis Tribune published it for an added $5.

Every picture, even scenic photos taken on vacation, should express this "idea" quality if possible. Some time ago a friend and I stopped to take pictures of an old farmhouse settled cozily among the hills. Both of us took several pictures of the scene. My last shot was a posed picture with my friend placed carefully in the picture with his camera on a tripod, obviously about to take a picture of the farmhouse across the way. My other pictures of that scene are lost in an album; that snapshot sold to the Chicago Sunday Herald-American for $7.50, as their "Picture of the Week."

I have sold pictures of Santa Claus beaming at two sleeping children, of a little girl sitting before a fireplace on which her stocking hung waiting for Santa's arrival, of little boys sitting on the ground watching while fireworks filled the sky, of Boy Scouts saluting while the American flag waves proudly before them. Only in a very few instances have I been able to sell pictures in which the subject was looking at the camera and doing nothing. My photographic sales batting average has risen mostly by learning to have my subjects engaged in activities they know and enjoy. Somehow the feeling of relaxation and enjoyment is apparent in the finished photographs.

Very often, I have been stumped by the problems of posing. It has never yet stopped me from taking the picture, sometimes according to the subject's ideas. Most people know very well the activities they like, or the positions and objects with which they feel natural. I have given a little girl her doll, a boy his fire truck, an adult swimmer a beach towel to spread over the sand. The technique is nearly always the same: give your subjects something to do with their hands, and watch them relax.

After a first quick picture, I move around on all sides, looking at the subject in the viewfinder of my camera. Sometimes a shift of a foot from side to side or up and down makes the subject look more interesting, more exciting. I think no one, not even an old-time professional, can find the best angle without looking at his subject through his camera viewfinder from all angles.

EXCEPT IN the case of news stories, I have plenty of time for marketing by planning ahead. Most amateur photographers will use the commercial finishers, either through preference or because, like me, they cannot at first afford their own darkroom. Photo finishing at home is actually the cheapest, the best, and the most satisfying. It can be learned easily by watching a demonstration by an experienced photographer, or, again as I did, by reading how in a book.

I think the best all-around book I have ever read on photography is "This Is Photography," by Thomas Miller and Wyatt Brummitt. Another interesting volume at a reasonable price is "How to Make Good Pictures," published by the Eastman Kodak Co.

As soon as the pictures are finished they should be considered for market. Had I planned ahead in earlier days as I have learned to do now, I would never have made the mistake of sending one of my earliest Christmas shots to a magazine in November with the fond hope it would make the December edition. That shot was returned very, very quickly, with an editor's underline on the rejection slip beneath the sentence which explained the magazine planned all editions about four to six months ahead. My chances of making a sale would have been far greater had I enclosed an Easter or early spring picture.

Exactly what a magazine or newspaper wants in the way of pictures is sometimes hard to determine, even after looking over several issues, but a few generalizations can safely be made. Newspapers are interested in unusual photographs for their news and feature columns, and may hold photo contests at regular intervals. Company publications are interested in pictures of employees of their company engaged in hobbies or civic activities, or with unusual objects found or made by them. Industry magazines are often good markets for any pictures of unusual events or procedures involving anyone making a living at the type of work with which the magazine is concerned.

To make the last example clearer, let us consider just one concrete example, the Locksmith Ledger published at 505 Marlboro Road, Woodridge, New Jersey.

The Ledger often uses single pictures of locksmiths in various parts of the country, with a 150-200 word account of his home, hobby, or civic activities. Price for the story and picture is $10. A good market for the amateur? Certainly, but no more so than dozens of others, including some listed at the end of this article.

In the case of either newspaper or magazine, I usually write a very short letter of inquiry whenever I have pictures I think may be saleable to them, with a stamped, self-addressed envelope enclosed. Return mail very often brings either a request to send in the picture on approval or an expression of "no interest," sometimes written on the back or bottom of my letter.

THE NEWSPAPER market is nearly as large as the magazine field, and is friendly to anyone who will take just a little trouble to see what makes it tick. Anyone who lives in the Middle West, for example, will find three friendly markets for unusual pictures in the Sunday editions of The Minneapolis Tribune, The Milwaukee Journal and The Des Moines Register. These three, good examples of the larger newspapers that use a large amount of work by amateurs, are typical of others in all sections of the country. The Minneapolis Tribune likes photo series with captions, at $3 and up per picture, and unusual snapshots for the "Upper Midwest Oddities" section. The Journal uses striking snapshots in its roto section, and picture stories on events of state and national significance in its other sections. Payment runs from $5 on up, per print.

Pictures submitted to one newspaper are often picked up by other newspapers or syndicates, with added benefits to the photographer. One day I drove out to a farmhouse to investigate a possible picture opportunity: a swarm of wasps had taken over a former wren house. As I looked over the nest from a respectful distance, only the roof was visible through the coating of paper with which the insects had covered the rest of the bird house. I held my camera in front of me, advanced as close to the nest as I dared, and took my picture from about eight feet away just as the first wasps buzzed angrily toward me. The picture, and the story of how I escaped being stung, was printed first in the small Crookston, Minnesota, Daily Times, and then syndicated to the $5 markets of the Associated Press and the Minneapolis Tribune. I was told afterward it narrowly missed purchase by Wide World photo agency in New York, for international distribution.

For professional use, the 8-by-l0-inch size print is considered a standard, with most editors accepting good 5-by-7s and a very few, 4-by-5's. Obviously, an amateur should try for as large a picture as he can get, to increase its chances of acceptance. The standard jumbo print size can often be used in newspapers if the subject covers most of the print, although small enlargements are often preferred. Even then, many newspaper editors prefer to have the negatives sent in for enlargement in their own darkrooms. There is no percentage in sending in negatives without prints unless they are requested or unless they concern a very "hot" news story. The negatives would probably not even be looked at, and the sender has very little chance of ever seeing them again.

THE TYPE of camera is not by any means the most important element in photography, whether for profit or merely entertainment, but an amateur about to buy a new camera, and interested in using it to produce high quality pictures with good reproduction qualities, could buy some very excellent machines at a very reasonable price by purchasing one of the used models of German plate-back or film pack cameras available in nearly any large-size photo store for prices from $15 to $35. Manufactured in two negative sizes, 6 by 9 centimeters (2¼ by 3½ inches) and 9 by 12 centimeters (3½ by 4¾ inches), they are slow, somewhat bulky, and awkward to handle, but they produce sharp negatives which can be enlarged to huge sizes.

One of my favorite cameras for portrait or closeup work is an old 9-by-12-centimeter film pack I purchased years ago for $12.50, equipped with sunshade and green filter. The negatives produce 16-by-20-inch enlargements every bit as sharp as those with my $300 Rolleiflex.

The accessories I mentioned are extremely useful for any photographer. The sunshade cuts out stray light from the sides, and makes the negatives sharper. The green filter makes skin tones reproduce more as they look in natural life, and keeps the blue sky from appearing white in pictures.

In working with a flash bulb on my camera, there are three points I like to observe whenever possible to make pictures which will reproduce better. First, if I am photographing a person about eight feet away, I will usually try to place him about four feet in front of a light-colored wall; contrast of his hair against the lighter wall will make his head stand out more clearly. Second, I cover the flash reflector with a handkerchief or refrigerator-bowl cover, to diffuse the light. Third, if at all possible, I take the flash reflector off the camera and hold it at arms length high and to the side.

Pictures which are purchased are seldom returned. Even unused pictures are not returned, however, unless return postage is enclosed. The best method of handling prints is to enclose the pictures with a stiff cardboard for protection in a manila envelope, which in turn fits inside another envelope. The outside envelope is addressed to the publication and stamped, the inside envelope self-addressed and the stamps clipped to the corner for use if the pictures are returned. Editors are usually more impressed, and somewhat more likely to buy, when first-class mail is used. Both envelopes are marked "Photographs—Do Not Bend."

Pictures are marked with my name and address on the back in pencil or pen and ink, lightly without injuring the surface. Complete information on who, what, where, when and sometimes why the picture was taken is typed or written on a sheet of paper fastened to the back so the editors may read it below the picture. This sheet is folded over to help protect the face of the print.

Occasionally, an editor will write to inquire if I have signed a model release from persons shown in my photos, or to request that it be sent on to him. In cases where such a release is requested, I use the following:

Model Release

Date  __________
Place __________

In consideration of the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) and other valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, I do hereby consent to the sale, reproduction, and/or use of my photograph by
(name of photographer) ___________________
or any publication, agency, or client nominated or designated by him, in any or all manners, including advertising, trade, display, editorial, or exhibition purposes.

I declare I am more than 21 years old.

Signed __________
Witness _________

If the subject is less than 21, I merely leave the last sentence out and have the parents or guardian sign.

ONLY ONE person in a million will ever have a camera ready and in use at one of the real news "scoops," but it is wise to know how to handle it, should it ever come my way or yours. Most persons will not remember the name of Arnold Hardy, but many will remember the now-famous Pulitzer prize-winning photograph he took of a plummeting woman's body as she fell from an upper-story window of the furiously-burning Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta a few years ago. Hardy, a Georgia Tech college student and amateur photographer at the time, took a new and untested camera to the fire and sold the films to the Associated Press almost immediately afterward. Speed and picture news quality both paid off there; Hardy has received almost $1,300 for those pictures.

I recall the night I stopped in a small Minnesota city earlier this year. There, while three persons burned to death in a blaze that leveled a hotel and damaged two other buildings in one of the most spectacular fires in many years in that area, I slept soundly only two blocks away, completely unaware of the biggest photo opportunity of my lifetime. Quick action the next morning brought in one $3 sale on a picture of the still-smoking ruins.

The key is not hard to turn, or the doorway difficult to open. With patience, planning ana persistence, anyone can cross the photo market threshold to financial gain as well as added enjoyment from this truly satisfying hobby.

SOME ADDITIONAL markets friendly to amateur photographers are:

American Farm Youth Magazine, Jackson Blvd. at Van Buren, Danville, Illinois. Photos must be of interest to farm boys 14 to 24 years of age. 50 cents—$5 inside, cover $5. Payment on publication.

American Carbonator and Bottler, 56 Marietta St., N. W., Atlanta 3, Georgia. Photos showing activities of soft drink bottling plants, or successful sales-promotions. $3.50 on acceptance.

American Field, 222 W. Adams St., Chicago 6, Illinois. Sporting dogs, hunting scenes, upland game birds. $2 up, on receipt.

American Fruit Grower Publishing Co., 1370 Ontario St., Cleveland 13, Ohio. Photos of fruit on the tree, and good tree photos. Likes to have varieties of fruit identified. Also good picking photos, or of snow-covered orchards. Payment depends on size and quality.

American School Board Journal, 540 North Milwaukee St., Milwaukee 1, Wisconsin. Wants photos of modernistic type school buildings, classrooms or other interiors. Same type pictures sell to School and College Management, 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York City.

Better Farms, 928 Broadway, Buffalo 12, New York. Solicits unusual "lucky" farm shots, likes photos on soil conservation and animal agriculture, preferably northeast. $2 minimum.

Bit and Spur, Box 1458, Billings, Montana. Horse scenes of individuals or groups. $1-5, on publication.

Family Times, 3132 M. St., N. W., Washington 7, DC. Oddities, $3 up. Payment after publication. Purchase first publication rights.

Farm, Home and Garden, The Oregonian Publishing Co., 1320 S. W. Broadway, Portland 1, Oregon. Agriculture, gardening, home decorating, home construction and repairs. $1.50-22.50. Purchase publication rights in Oregon only.

Grit, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Personalities, odd and strange, sports, hobbies, inventions, picture stories. $3, on receipt.

Gleanings in Bee Culture, A. I. Root, Medina, Ohio. Beekeeping. $2, on publication. Cover 6¼ by 9¼, $7.50.

The Improvement Era, Mutual Funds, Inc., 50 North Main St., Salt Lake City 11, Utah. Unusual scenic: landscapes, seascapes, lighthouses or patriotic subjects. Address Elizabeth Moffitt, manuscript editor.

Mechanix Illustrated, 67 W. 44th St., New York City 18. Illustrations of kinks, shortcuts, $5.

Popular Science Monthly, 353 Fourth Ave., New York City 53. New gadgets and inventions, $5-12 on receipt.

Science and Mechanics, 450 E. Ohio St., Chicago 11, Illinois. Scientific, mechanical, how-to-do-it. Prefer inquiries first. $5 up.

Ships and Sailing, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 1027 North 7th St., Milwaukee 3, Wisconsin. Shipping and maritime interest, people at work. $2-8, on publication.

Ski Magazine, Hanover, New Hampshire. Six issues from November through March. Snow scenes, skiing pictures, prominent skiing personalities. $2-10, on publication.

Travel Magazine, 115 W. 45th St., New York City 19. Peoples, places, architecture, unusual and distinctive pictures.

Western Live Stock Reporter, 1408 First Ave., N., Billings, Montana. Livestock scenes, beef cattle, good horse pictures, western range scenes. $2, on receipt.