| Question: A
question about polarizers: I have the Nikon 62m and a
Cokin P. The Cokin fits my 300 f4 (82mm filter) and my
80-200 f2.8 (77mm filter) (I bought the Nikon before I
had these two lenses). Do you think I should look at the
drop-in polarizer? If so, where do I look for it? I have
heard that they are expensive and difficult to get.
Vistek told me that Nikon makes one but that it is only a
special order. It may be cheaper than the Kirk one, but
still they are not a giveaway.
Answer:
You've got yourself into a fine mess with this one. I
use a B+W polarizer (77mm) on the front of my 80-200;
this is also a pretty expensive filter, but probably the
best way to go. I find that I use this filter with my
24mm and 20mm wide angles with step down rings, I don't
have to worry about vignetting with it. I happen to own a
82mm B+W polarizer, which I had bought for some of my
Pentax 6x7 lenses. So whenever I need to use it on my
300mm lens (front element), I have one. However I rarely
use a polarizer on the longer telephotos. It doesn't make
much of a difference in the small part of the sky at the
horizon, but it does take the reflected light off of
leaves though, making them really stand out. For those
few shots that you would want to use a polarizer on the
300mm lens you could use the Cokin. Or you could go all
out a buy a 82mm B+W polarizer, which is really
expensive. Filters are one of the highest mark-up items
in a camera store.
If I were you I would get the 77mm circular polarizer.
Tomorrow I will check to see if there is any vignetting
if I place it in front of the 300mm lens and just hand
hold it in place. I'll let you know the results.
I tried the 77mm filter on the 300mm lens today. I
didn't see any vignetting, even when stopping down to
F32. I took off the skylight filter and the polarizer fit
nicely in place without touching the front element.
Question:
I also don't have a UV protective filter for the
front of the 300 (but I do have a 39mm UV), should I get
one?
Answer:
It all depends on where you will be taking the lens.
If it will be near water (rain, snow, splashing waves) or
in blowing sand (sand dunes, beaches) I would get one.
Question:
I was wondering what advise or tips your can give
me on submitting my photography to a agency.
Answer:
There are many different types of agencies whose market
greatly varies. The agencies that sell mainly to
advertisers, represent most of the "big name"
photographers, while other agencies like Valan Photos
& Canada in Stock (they just changed their name to
Spectrum Stock) are more editorial based and would
probably be easier to get into. It all depends on what
you shoot and how well you shoot it. You should contact
some agencies and ask them for their guidelines for
submitting a portfolio. Most of the agencies vary greatly
in what they want to see. The only solid bit of advice
that I can give is to make sure that all images are
technically perfect, if they are soft or the exposure
isn't quite there don't include them, no matter how much
you may like them. One thing to keep in mind is that you
will be competing with every other photographer in world
when it comes time for an art director to buy an image.
Make sure that at least 50% of your submission is in the
vertical format. Vary your material as much as possible.
Do not include many similars from one location or shoot,
I would include a horizontal and a vertical and that
would be it. If the stock agency that you are approaching
has a web site, look at the type of material that they
have compared to other agencies and to what you have -
can you compete? Judging from what I saw on your web
site, I think that you can!
Question:
Also if you wouldn't mind breaking down how the
photographer gets paid.
Every agency has it's own methods. I get a royalty cheque
once a month for accounts that have been paid and also a
sales statement for each month for sales during that
month. Some other agencies only give reports every three
months and others only when you have sales.
Question:
BTW, what equipment do you use?
Answer:
I use Nikons: Bodies are F4s - I don't like the F5 - also
have a couple of 801s and FE's Lenses range from 16mm to
500mm. I also have a full Pentax 6x7 system, but it has
been about 5 years since I used it on a regular basis.
Question:
Thanks very much for taking some time out of your
day to get back to me. I
appreciate you comments about my work. I currently have a
submission in
Spectrum Stock. I have spoken to them a few times and I
am confused.
They mentioned they wanted to see my work because they
have some wildlife
calendars coming up and they wanted to include my work,
if it was acceptable. I like to think if they didn't like
what they saw on my web site they wouldn't have bothered
contacting me. When I contact them they said, your work
is great however we already have similar images on file.
What gives?
They want people, people, and more people images. I don't
like "people" photography it's not my strong
side. I did one wedding in B&W and it came out good,
a little nerve racking for my liking.
One last question about stock photography. What is except
from you once you are signed. Do you have to submit
images on a regular basis? and how many?
Thanks again very, very, very much...
I really appreciate it the time you took to get back to
me.
Answer:
I have no idea of what Spectrum is up to. How many
images did you send them? Maybe they were looking for
more (quantity), or more varied subjects.
Every stock agency wants people, it is one of the hardest
subjects to shoot, one of the most expensive to shoot,
the images have a short shelf life, but they also are in
top demand and fetch top dollars.
When I started in photography I was a nature/landscape
photographer, I started with "The Stock Market"
photo agency in Toronto (they are no longer in business).
I was with them for five years, during that time I built
up my stock files and honed my photographic skills. When
my contract was over I submitted my portfolio to all the
other stock agencies, all of them except for Masterfile
offered me a contract. But I really wanted to get into
Masterfile. I had photographed a few people but they
thought that material was not as good as my scenics. They
said if I wanted to try photographing people some more,
they would look at my portfolio again. So I photographed
people, submitted my portfolio again and they said that
my technique was better, but the models weren't very
good. So I tried again, still not good enough. Tried
again - almost there this time. Tried again, this time
they offered me a contract. Once I was in Masterfile,
they took all my scenics and people images.I continued to
shoot scenics and people for the next 5 years. At that
time my scenics were far outselling my people images so
they said just do scenics. BTW - I earn more now in one
month at Masterfile than I did during my entire five
years at The Stock Market.
When I started at Masterfile I had to supply them with
1000 images per year that they would accept for their
files. Over the years this number has dropped.
I don't know whether this has helped you or just confused
you more.
Garry
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