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Proper etiquette when dealing with magazine guys???

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Hot Rod To Hell, Sep 18, 2008.

  1. Hot Rod To Hell
    Joined: Aug 19, 2003
    Posts: 3,036

    Hot Rod To Hell
    Member
    from Flint MI

    Hey guys... my "friend" had a photo shoot a few weeks ago; they are supposedly doing a feature of "his" car in their magazine.

    At a recent car show, they gave him a cd with the photos on it.

    The photos are TERRIBLE.
    This guy was supposedly a pro photographer with a bunch of years experience... I could have easily taken better pictures myself.

    The pros:
    The pictures are in focus
    The car is cool
    The girls "posing" with the car are quite attractive

    The Cons:

    He had crap on his lens for a lot of the pictures
    There was stuff (other cars, people, distracting objects) in the background of almost every shot
    He put the girls in awkward, un-natural (and goofy looking) poses
    Almost every single shot was taken with him standing, so he's looking DOWN on the car, and the girls. He never lowered himself down and shot "up".


    So what "my friend" is trying to figure out, is should "he" call the magazine guy and raise these issues, or just wait and see what, if anything, they can do in photoshop.

    I understand that crap on the lens and stuff in the background is an easy fix, but photoshop isn't gonna change the angles the pics were shot from, or the goofy poses the girls are in.



    Anybody have any advice for "my friend"?
     
  2. billbrown
    Joined: Dec 24, 2007
    Posts: 595

    billbrown
    BANNED

    uh, what is the point of this again? Oh yeah, none with out any pics.
     
  3. JimA
    Joined: Apr 1, 2001
    Posts: 4,795

    JimA
    BANNED

    Crap in, Crap out. If he doesn't like the pictures now they cannot "fix" them that much in photoshop. And if the pics are that bad and the mag uses them it can't be a very good magazine. Some people justify "it's my only shot at getting in a magazine" but that's not always worth it.
     
  4. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    You have friends??? :eek:
    .
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    .
    .
    :p
     
  5. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    Proper etiquette is to trust a pro to know their own game. Are you in the car mag or photography business? And if it's a ratrod mag he got what he asked for, weird lens filters & effects from odd angles with pinup girls.
     
  6. 3wLarry
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 12,804

    3wLarry
    Member Emeritus
    from Owasso, Ok

    I'm thinkin' a good editor will catch the problem...case in point...

    A well known photographer shot the coupe at Indy at high noon and sent them to R&C. Kevin Lee contacted me to reshoot the car at the Nats in l'ville.

    He scouted an uncluttered location, and took the pics himself and did it with the sweet light at dusk (black car). my .02 cents
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  7. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    The only people who naturally view cars "up" are winos who passed out and happen to look up as they are puking in the gutter.
    This angle of picture should be blurred and at least a double image.

    Pics that are some weird angle that NO ONE SEES just looking at them while STANDING on the street are what led to all the "Lay it on the ground or it isn't low enough" cars that were built just to get photographed in the low angle profile you suggested instead of the more natural angles of observation that you described these pics to be instead of driven on streets with dips or Botts Dots.

    I'm so sick of seeing cars shot in studios against a blank screen where you can't even tell if the car is a really well made scale model or not, I'd like seeing a few telephone poles growing out of roofs or old men "scratching themselves" in the background occasionally.

    They will probably only use half a dozen pics even if it's a big feature so the crap on the lens in a few shots will go away.

    All "Professional photographer" means is someone is going to pay them for their pictures.
    The really "good ones" are the ones who delete the fuck ups before showing them to anyone else.

    Besides, what the hell ya want from a guy the (typical) magazine barely pays minimum wage to, if that?
     
  8. 29 sedanman
    Joined: Mar 22, 2005
    Posts: 2,282

    29 sedanman
    Member
    from Indy

    The coupe was in a magazine? Huh, I guess I missed that issue....

    Just razzing you Larry! :D
     
  9. Like any photographer they probably took upwards 300-400 shots. So they more than likey gave you the worst of the batch. They will then take and edit, touch up the cream of the crop photos and whala. Tell your buddy stop pissin and moaning and be happy that he got a spread and enjoy it. :D

    Even if all the photos sucked, it's still coverage of your buddys car. ANY coverage or media attention is good attention. :)
     
  10. Bumpstick
    Joined: Sep 10, 2002
    Posts: 1,409

    Bumpstick
    Member

    Was the shoot for Old school rodz or rebel Rodz? Then he's got nothing to worry about. Hahahahahaha.........
     
  11. skwurl
    Joined: Aug 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,620

    skwurl
    Member

    Shoulda went to John Jackson. NOTSTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY.COM. It will get edited and be fine. Magazines wont let any old yahoo shoot for em.
     
  12. 31whitey
    Joined: Jan 2, 2007
    Posts: 2,214

    31whitey
    Member

    just say you have an oppertunity to have your truck(purely hypothetical)...hahaha

    shot for a great mag who you support and respect

    but

    the photographer wants to shot the truck for their mag... but also with some orcabettys...as well

    and lets slip that he has some other mags interested in those orcabetty photos

    who has the RIGHTS to to the photos...should this be addressed in a contract, that states the photos only be used for the agreed mag...

    does this make sense?...

    fortunately my truck hates orcabettys and tends to crap out when it senses their presence...
     
  13. DirtyThirty
    Joined: Mar 8, 2007
    Posts: 2,396

    DirtyThirty
    Member
    from nowhere...

    Proper etiquette when dealing with magazine guys is ALWAYS to pinch their nipples. And, on rare occasions, they have been known to also appreciate a "Glossy Poodle" or two.:D
     
  14. Church
    Joined: Nov 15, 2002
    Posts: 2,844

    Church
    Member
    from South Bay

    A nice car and a hot chick does not a professional photographer make.
     
  15. NotStockPhoto
    Joined: Dec 10, 2006
    Posts: 2,322

    NotStockPhoto
    Member

    Why so you can have crappy pics like this one of your car in the magazine lol

    [​IMG]




    Seriously though I dont care what the magazine thinks about the pictures I care what you the builder/owner thinks. You would be surprised what a magazine will accept just to be the first one to have a feature of a car.
     
  16. Jonny69
    Joined: Jul 24, 2007
    Posts: 275

    Jonny69
    Member
    from England

    Just say you're not happy with the photos. It's as simple as that, it's your car after all.
     
  17. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    Looks like I need to look up a new "term":eek:
     
  18. NotStockPhoto
    Joined: Dec 10, 2006
    Posts: 2,322

    NotStockPhoto
    Member


    Man I am on my way to shoot your car right now you guys sure know how to treat a guy right up north lol
     
  19. How to deal with them? Start by making them buy food and beer.
     
  20. DirtyThirty
    Joined: Mar 8, 2007
    Posts: 2,396

    DirtyThirty
    Member
    from nowhere...

    Some of us like to give a little back, ya' know??? thats all...
    Its "interactive"....:D
     
  21. fuel pump
    Joined: Nov 4, 2001
    Posts: 3,620

    fuel pump
    Member Emeritus
    from Caro,MI

    If its the photographer I'm thinking of I would call him and politely raise your concerns. Tell him you are concerned about his reputation as well as well as getting the magazine good pictures. Being he is a local guy offer to make the car avaiable for another shoot. I think he is also going to shoot Scott's car and maybe he can do both at once. You a threesome of sorts:eek::eek:
     
  22. Big Nick
    Joined: Sep 7, 2005
    Posts: 844

    Big Nick
    Member

    I've had two bikes featured, the first one I hired my own photographer to shoot it cause I was not crazy about what the magazine accepted. The second was shot by the editor himself, and we went over all the photos together and ruled some out and then he picked from what we agreed was good.
     
  23. Church
    Joined: Nov 15, 2002
    Posts: 2,844

    Church
    Member
    from South Bay

    What made them a "professional photographer" anyways? A big lens? A business card? The fact that they had been published?

    Just curious.
     
  24. skwurl
    Joined: Aug 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,620

    skwurl
    Member


    Youre the man!
     
  25. Steves32
    Joined: Aug 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,258

    Steves32
    Member
    from So Cal

    Just because they shoot your car doesn't mean they will feature it.

    4 times- my prostreet 55 was picked for a full day photo shoot. 3 times in a studio & once in front of the NHRA museum.
    That means taking a day off work for the set-up & shoot. All times- they shot more than 200 pics- filled out tons of forms and..........
    Nothing!

    Super Chevy shot my car in front of the NHRA museum & that was probably the closest for production & the most involved. As it was- they did a tiny story & a single so-so picture, not the whole center page shoot they promised.
    When they are serious- they shoot mostly digital but also shoot film. The film shots are for centerfold or cover consideration.
    My story didn't fit the format that month.:rolleyes:
     
  26. skwurl
    Joined: Aug 25, 2008
    Posts: 1,620

    skwurl
    Member

    What does that mean???
     
  27. KIRK!
    Joined: Feb 20, 2002
    Posts: 12,031

    KIRK!
    Member

    Professional does not equal good.

    If you don't like them, tell him you don't want them to be published. If someone told me that I'd probably be pretty bummed, but at least the car owner would be satisfied.

    Technically, I'm a professional photographer and I sure as hell can't say that everything I've ever shot is great. Maybe he was just off his game.
     
  28. Hot Rod To Hell
    Joined: Aug 19, 2003
    Posts: 3,036

    Hot Rod To Hell
    Member
    from Flint MI

    Yep... pretty much all of the above.

    My wife does small time portrait photography for friends/family, and her worst photos blow the best of this set right out of the water.
     
  29. Hot Rod To Hell
    Joined: Aug 19, 2003
    Posts: 3,036

    Hot Rod To Hell
    Member
    from Flint MI


    Of course not!
    That's why YOU of all people should've known that it was MY car I was talking about, not "my friend's".
     
  30. RF
    Joined: Mar 13, 2001
    Posts: 1,897

    RF
    Member

    Did you sign a release form? (a typical "pro" does things like that...)

    If not, just exercise right to refuse publication--that is, if you're dealing with a "pro" magazine.
     

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