Part 1

Chapter 13,649 wordsPublic domain

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MAKING YOUR CAMERA PAY

FREDERICK C. DAVIS

NEW YORK ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY 1922

_Printed in the United States of America_

Published, 1922

A WORD BEFORE

The demand of publishers for good pictures is increasing. Editors are eager to use the best photographs that may be obtained. They draw no distinction between the work of the amateur and that of the professional photographer. If a photograph meets their requirements, they buy it and care little whence it comes. The opportunity to sell good pictures has never been better than it is to-day.

To give accurate and helpful information with regard to making the camera a profitable investment is the purpose of this book.

Frederick C. Davis is well-known to readers of photographic magazines, and is a practical photographer in addition to being a successful and experienced professional writer. Mr. Davis has written this monograph in a non-technical style that will entertain the reader and encourage him to make the most of photography.

This little book is a practical, up-to-the-minute answer to the question: "How can I make my camera-work profitable?"

A. H. BEARDSLEY, Publisher, _Photo-Era Magazine_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

A WORD BEFORE v

I. WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT 1

II. THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE 6

III. WHAT TO PHOTOGRAPH 11

IV. WHAT NOT TO PHOTOGRAPH 23

V. SIZE, SHAPE AND FORM 29

VI. WHERE TO SELL 35

VII. A SURVEY OF MARKETS 43

VIII. SHIPPING THE PRODUCT TO MARKET 60

IX. THE PRICES PAID 65

X. ART PHOTOGRAPHS 72

XI. COMPETITIONS 74

XII. PRINTS FOR ADVERTISING 78

XIII. COPYRIGHTS AND OTHER RIGHTS 82

XIV. ILLUSTRATED SPECIAL ARTICLES 88

XV. THE HIGH ROAD 93

MAKING YOUR CAMERA PAY

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

Whence come the thousands of photographs used every month by newspapers and magazines?

More than that, whence do the photographs come which are used by makers of calendars, postcards, for advertisements, and for illustrating books, stories and articles?

At first thought, the answer is, "From professional photographers and publisher-photo-services." But professional photographers do not produce one-third of the photographs used, and publisher-photo-services are supplied by that same large number of camerists that supply publications with most of their prints.

No one can deny that the greatest number of prints published are bought from amateur photographers in towns no larger than the average, and sometimes smaller.

The camerist does not have to get in an air-ship and fly to Africa in order to produce photographs that will sell. Read what Waldon Fawcett says, himself a success at selling his photographs:

"The photographer is apt to think that all his ambitions would be realised if only he could journey to foreign shores or to distant corners of our country; or if he could attend the spectacular events that focus the attention of the world now and then. _This is a delusion. The real triumph is that of the photographer who utilises the material ready at hand in his own district, be it large or small._"

And more, a person does not have to be an expert photographer in order to succeed at the work. Here is what one prominent writer says about it:

"The requirements of the field are well within the capabilities of even the beginner in photography, viz.; the ability to make good negatives and good prints, the ability to recognise news-value, and a methodical plan to find the market where the prints will find acceptance. The man or woman who can meet these requirements should be fairly successful from the beginning, and will open up quickly new avenues of special work and profit."

In short, ability to make metaphors, create lovely heroines or such is not at all necessary to the successful selling of photographs to publications.

Is the field overcrowded? _No._ If there were ten times as many persons engaged in the work they could all keep themselves busy.

The field--how wide is it? Get out your map of the world. The field for _making_ photographs extends from the top margin to the bottom, and from the left to the right. The field for _selling_ photographs--which is more to the point--extends over about five thousand publications which use prints; not to speak of a few score of other markets.

The markets may be classified briefly:

(1) Newspapers (2) Magazines (3) Postcard-makers (4) Calendar-makers (5) Art-study producers (6) Illustrations for books (7) Illustrations for articles (8) Prints for advertising.

And there are more, of more specialised branches.

And how does it pay? Please note: "A certain magazine once paid $100 for four prints of sundials. An amateur, who happened to be on the spot with a kodak, made over $200 out of a head-on railroad-collision. A New York professional netted $125 from the newspaper-use of a wedding-party, of considerable local prominence, which was leaving the church after the ceremony." One amateur "realised $300 a year for two or three years from a lucky snapshot of eight pet rabbits in a row."

A set of South-Pole photographs brought $3,000 from _Leslie's_ and $1,000 more from the International Feature Service. These all, though, are very exceptional instances. The average print sells for about three dollars. But there is absolutely nothing in the world to hinder a wide-awake person with a camera from making from several hundred to over $3,000 a year from his prints. If he becomes a specialist he may earn as high as $5,000 or even more.

No discrimination is made between press-photographers. The person wins who "delivers the goods."

However, I do not mean that the instances of $200 or so for prints should be taken as the prices ordinarily paid. I do not maintain that there is a fortune awaiting the man with the camera; but I do say there are unlimited possibilities for salable photographs and almost an unlimited number of markets for them. But there are not "barrels of money" in it, for all. A person may add appreciably to his income for having sold photographs; and having developed the trade to a high degree, he may cash cheques to the amount of $5,000 or more a year. But not every one. Just some. And it isn't like the log and the falling off it. It's work--hard work--_hard work_.

Success at selling press-photographs does not depend on the size of the town you live in, the cost or manufacture of your apparatus, or on your literary ability. It depends on you and your worship of the homaged gods of success if you would sell photographs. The gift of these gods is the ability to make good.

THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Have you ever wakened in the drear dead of a dismal night, possessed body and soul with a great desire--an incontrollable, all-moving, all-consuming, maddening desire that knows no satisfaction--a desire for a new camera or a better lens? It is a sensation more disconcerting than that of the father who is detected by his small son in the act of rifling the latter's bank for car-fare. Never would I be so unwise as to cultivate that desire in any one; for that reason I do not here go deeply into a discussion of the best kind of camera for press-photography! Unless the camera you now possess is of a hopelessly mediocre grade, it will do very well.

A reflex camera is of course the ideal instrument for the purpose, for sharp focusing is so easy and so necessary. The high speeds of the focal-plane shutter incorporated into such a camera will rarely be utilised by the average user; but its other features are admirable.

However, the hand-camera of the folding type is supreme. It is so light it can be carried for a long time without fatigue; the user of one is inconspicuous when making exposures; the cost of operation as well as the original outlay is comparatively small--and there are several dozen more things in favor of it, including its greater depth-of-field, which is most important.

The lens is the heart of the camera, and some cameras have "heart-trouble." If you intend seriously to market photographs you should possess an anastigmat lens; not necessarily an F/4.5 lens, nor even an F/6.3 lens if too expensive; in that case an F/7.5 lens will do very well. An F/7.5 anastigmat is slightly slower than a rapid-rectilinear of U.S.4 aperture; but its excellence lies in its ability--as with all anastigmats--to form images of razor-edge sharpness, which is a prime requisite of a print intended to grace a page of a periodical. A rapid-rectilinear lens will do very well if you are always assured of sunshine or bright clouds to supply exposure-light--and in such conditions even the lowly single-achromatic lens will suffice.

Now you see I have agreed that virtually any lens that will form a sharp image will meet the requirements. Indeed, to paraphrase Lincoln: "For the sort of thing a lens is intended to do, I would say it is just the lens to do it." In other words, each lens has its limitations and abilities very sharply defined; and these limits the user must know and appreciate.

And the shutter; it is folly to put a poor lens in a good shutter, and just as absurd to do the opposite. An expensive shutter with high speeds cannot be successfully used except with a lens capable of large aperture--otherwise underexposure will result. A speed of 1/300 second is the highest available in an ordinary between-the-lens shutter, and that is sufficient for almost anything.

The slower speeds, as one-fifth, one-half and one second are in my opinion more usable than the extremely fast ones. Speeds varying from one second to 1/300 second are embodied in two well-known shutters: the Optimo and the Ilex Acme. The one is on a par with the other. But no such high-grade shutter is needed unless the high speeds are necessary to the user, for the slower speeds may be given with the indicator at B. But enough! This is not a manual on the elements of photography.

The requirements of the apparatus to be used for press-photography are that the lens produce a sharp and clear image, the shutter work accurately, and the whole be brought into play quickly.

I have used every sort of camera; reflex, 8 x 10 view, 5 x 7 view, hand-cameras with anastigmat, rapid-rectilinear and single lenses, and box-cameras, and they are all entirely satisfactory "for the things they were intended to do."

The camera I have used most and which is my favorite is a Folding Kodak, that makes 3-1/4 by 4-1/4 photographs, and is equipped with an Ilex Anastigmat working at F/6.3, in an Ilex Acme shutter. To this I have added a direct-view finder for reasons apparent to any one who has tried to photograph high-speed subjects by peeking into the little reflecting-finder. This camera has served me admirably for interiors, flashlights, outdoors, high-speed work, portraiture, and anything else to which I have applied it. Your own camera should do the same for you.

A photographer comes to know his camera as a mother knows her baby--and if he doesn't he will be no more successful than the mother who does not understand her child. The camera-worker must forget all about manufacturers' claims and should judge his tool by experience; he must ignore most of the theory and rely wholly on practice. In short, he must know his camera inside and out, what it will do and what it will not do; everything must be at his finger-tips ready for instant use. Coupled with that is the need of the ability to produce, sometimes, within an hour after making the exposure, crisp, sharp, sparkling prints.

After all, no more qualifications are required of the press-photographer than of most other photographers. He may have to work like lightning, snap his shutter literally under the very hoofs of racing-horses, rush out of a warm and cozy bed into a chill and bleak night--but "it's all in the game." If any one of the old veteran press-photographers were to lead the life of an ordinary business-man, he would die of ennui. When the camerist makes photographs for publishers it is zip-dash--and later, cash.

It is the exciting life of a never-sleep reporter, with a camera to manage instead of a pencil.

III

WHAT TO PHOTOGRAPH

If you wish immediate wealth you have only to locate several oil-pockets and dig into them. Similarly, if you aspire to success at marketing photographs you have only to discover the needs of editors and to satisfy them. But although there are not many more available oil-pockets, there are many editors and innumerable editorial needs.

It would be as absurd for me to attempt to state precisely what you should photograph as it would be for me to make a pencil-dot on a map and to say: "There's an oil-pocket; go dig into it." The one way to discover the needs of editors and how to satisfy them is to develop a "nose for news."

A "nose for news" is simply the ability to determine the value of any certain photograph to any certain editor. The several ways of acquiring that very necessary ability are: (_a_) by experience, which consumes the most time and is the most difficult; (_b_) by examining the nature of photographs already sold to publications and printed in them, which is less difficult and just as effective; and (_c_) by careful study of prevailing editorial needs and market-demands, which is the best method of all.

To succeed, mix thoroughly liberal quantities of (_a_), (_b_) and (_c_).

Not many, other than the large metropolitan newspapers, employ staff-photographers; and if a smaller one does, the photographer is usually a reporter who has much scribbling to do besides. When most newspapers require a photograph of something local, the city-editor telephones to a commercial-photographer and tells him to "get it." Thereupon, the commercial-photographer packs up his forty-pound outfit, goes out and gets it.

However, a good many subjects are not of sufficient interest to cause the city-editor to dispatch a commercial-photographer to obtain them; but, if photographs of those same subjects were brought unsolicited to him he would at once see their value and buy them. That is the biggest advantage of the free-lance photographer with the newspapers.

If the press-photographer wishes to follow these tactics he may profit, even in a very large city; for staff-photographers go where city-editors tell them to go, and city-editors have much to think about.

The kinds of subjects bought by newspapers from free-lance photographers are those of local interest, brought to the office while the interest in them is still keen. A large number of such subjects are available daily. The news-photographer may glean his tips from a morning-newspaper and sell his prints to an evening-journal. When he becomes sufficiently well known, he may be called upon and dispatched after a photograph just as the commercial-photographer. But first he must impress the editorial mind by giving it, unasked, the very sort of thing it wants.

The free-lance photographer should see possibilities in many subjects:

A public building burns. A corner-stone is laid. An illicit still is found. A new building is erected. A murder occurs. A new fire-department truck is bought. The governor comes to town. Josh Jones finds a hen's egg three-times normal size. A park is improved. The first baseball-game is played. The robber of the postoffice is caught. I. Wright, the local author's new book, is published. The local inventor again invents.

Any one of these suggestions holds possibilities for photographs useful to a newspaper; and many more events are just as promising.

The types of photographs used by postcard-makers are known to almost every one. The subjects run from famous buildings and historical monuments to artistic human-interest pictures such as a small kitten sleeping with its feet entangled in a maze of thread with which it has been playing.

At that point, merge the demands of the calendar-makers. They use the human-interest type, and run to landscapes, seascapes, and portraits of pretty girls. Usually the demand of both postcard- and calendar-makers is that the picture tell a story. If it can be used without an explanatory caption, all the better. For an example of a picture-told story, glance at almost any cover of the _Saturday Evening Post_ and note how the whole situation is made clear without one word of explanation. It is that kind of photograph that postcard- and calendar-makers want. If you will glance over the postcard- and calendar-illustrations you have at hand you will readily see the types of photograph used.

Sometimes book-publishers send out calls for special kinds of photographs they need in preparing certain books. In that case, they usually advertise in an appropriate magazine and mention the kind of photograph they wish; for example, historical prints if a history is in preparation. The unlimited variety of books published calls for an unlimited variety of photographs. Certain publisher-photo-services make it their business to supply publishers with the photographs they wish; but that is not hurtful to the prospects of the free-lance, for the photo-services must obtain photographs of every kind from every source, and must be stocked with a larger number and variety of prints than any one magazine or publisher could possibly use. Thus, in fact, the news-photographer has an increased market.

The largest field for the free-lance photographer I have left until last; that is, the magazines. There are so many magazines and such a variety of them that almost any print, if it is of interest at all, should find a place with one of them. Besides the large magazines there are many smaller ones; those devoted to almost any conceivable vocation, and others to almost any interest or hobby.

Besides the publications issued for the great mass of the reading public, there are magazines published solely for advertisers, architects, real-estate agents, automobilists, bakers, confectioners, cement-users, drug-stores, dry-goods merchants, electricians, engineers, miners, bankers, financiers, fraternal members, furniture-dealers, millers, grocers, hardware-sellers, historians, hotel-owners, owners of restaurants, jewelers, labor-union members, lawyers, insurance-agents, soldiers, sailors, municipal workers, printers, publishers, railroad men, magicians, fox-raisers, blacksmiths, fruit-growers, undertakers, stamp-collectors, and scores of others, not to speak of almost two thousand house-organs issued by manufacturers as sales-promotion literature or for the benefit of their employees. And each of these uses photographs occasionally, if not regularly. The photographer need not deplore a lack of sufficient markets for his photographs.

The greatest influence toward the development of a "nose for news" is the giving to it of several whiffs of news. A photographer may "shoot"--a professional photographer never photographs--he shoots--he may shoot and shoot, and have his every photograph returned to him as useless for publication--but not if he first discovers what to photograph and what not to photograph.

As a means toward that end I have selected, at random, issues of three magazines whose pictorial sections contain prints which are, broadly, just the sort of photographs the photographer in a medium-size town produces. The magazines are _Popular Science_, _Illustrated World_, and _Popular Mechanics_; despite their names, these magazines print photographs of a very general scope--more general than one would suppose. I have selected only photographs with short captions, or those with explanatory articles not more than two hundred or so words in length.

In _Popular Science_ I find:

An Apartment-House for Plants. A Hospital on Wheels. Potato-Gathering Made Easy. This Rudder Makes the Boat Behave. New Light for the Photographer. He Wears a Showcase. A Rubber Heel with a Noise. Milking Cows by Electricity. Anchoring Bricks to the Side of a House. Sketching on Fungus, One Artist's Hobby. Sampling the Soil. Making House-Wrecking Easy. A Machine that Harvests Crimson Clover Seed. Wheel-Guards that Save Life. Working Safely on High Voltage Lines. A Lake that has a Crust of Salt. Punching Your Votes. Your Money is Safe in this Bank-Tank.

In _Illustrated World_:

Motorized Wheel-Chair for Invalids. Whirr of Motors Replaces Song of Cotton-Pickers. How Aristocrats of Dogdom Travel. Perform Marriage-Ceremony in Oil-Filling Station. Rail Motor-Trucks for Short-Line Road's Use. No More Backaches from the Lawn-Mower. Novel Arrangement of Air-Hose for Work-Benches. Largest Milk-Tank in the World. Comfortable Footrest for a Rustic Seat. Dog Hurt in Auto Accident Wears Wooden Leg. Street-Cars Adopt "Pay-As-You-Leave" System. Dentists' Scales for Weighing Mercury. Toy Makes Spelling Easy for Kiddies. Small Check-Book in Silver-Case. Nine-Story Building Collapses. Traveling Mail-Box on Interurban Car. Clever Method of Advertising Perfume. Makes Suit Out of Stamps. Wellesley Girls Have a "Sneezing Closet." Raising Chickens on a Back Porch.

In _Popular Mechanics_:

Owner of Artificial Hands is Proud of Dexterity. Imperishable Burial Robes Shown on Living Models. Novelty Window-Sign Spells Words with Snowflakes. Imposing New Bridge at Jacksonville. Street-Sign Calls for Help if Robbers Invade Store. New Style Log-Cabin Built Like Stockade. Vines Completely Cover Office-Building. Beautiful Ice Stalagmites are Pranks of Jack Frost. Unique Wood-Sculptures are Work of a Decade. Electric Warehouse-Truck Performs Heavy Tasks. Hydraulic Jack Tears Up Street-Car Tracks. Man-Power Onion-Planter Sets an Acre a Day. Grotesque Images Reward Motor-Cycle Race Winners. Weak Derrick Starts Work of Steel-Building. Concrete Logging Piers are Used in Lumber-Industry. World's Largest Clock Keeps Accurate Time. Grotesque Face on Auto Advertises Carnival. River-Bed Proves to be a Rich Coal-Mine. Outlets of Odd Shapes Made for Irrigation. Unusual Park-Playground Built in Circus-Form. Giant Vase, Lawn-Ornament, is Made of Concrete. Old Silo in Railroad-Yard Houses Little Store. Street Rises so Abruptly Four Flights of Steps are Necessary. Church Uses Bill-Board to "Sell" Scriptures.

This wide variety of subjects cannot but serve to show that even in very small towns there are many opportunities for salable pictures. More than that, there are markets for prints of: