FYI - I sold photos / story!

[bmattock]

Well, it is official. I submitted my story (450 short words) and photos and the magazine editor said yes. He's sending me a check, and my story and photos will run in the July issue of the magazine.

Thanks to all of your for your kind words and encouragement!

And half of everything I make selling stories and photos in the future goes into the kitty to fund my GAS - no more buying beyond my means.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[GeneW]

Congratulations, Bill !!

Gene

 

[back alley]

excellent!
very cool!
and yes, congratulations.

joe

 

[bmattock]

Thanks, guys. I realize it is not a big deal to those of our membership who are pro photogs and/or writers, but to me it is a huge rush.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[captainslack]

What story? Which magazine? Obviously I'm out of loop on this! 😀

 

[bmattock]

I queried the editor of "NC Catholics," a new (well actually, restarted) magazine for Catholics put out by the Diocese of Raleigh and asked them if they could use anything in particular, offering to write and/or take photos. The editor asked me if I wanted to profile the Wilson Parish (where I live), and gave me guidelines. I accepted and set up an interview with our parish priest, asked the questions, took the photos, wrote it up, ran the negs through scanner/photoshop, and sent the thing off (well, my wife was a very good proof-reader/editor for me). Editor had a couple of questions, worked that out, then BAM, I was told I'd be getting a check in the mail and that's it!

I had been nosing around RFF asking questions about joining various professional associations, getting 'credentials' to shoot ballgames and so on, and that led to me getting some really good advice on approaching magazine / newspaper editors and pitching story ideas or photos, etc. So I did it. Went fast, too.

And I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone here. Y'all are great!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[denishr]

Bill, that's great!
Looks like your plan is working out just fine!

Will you still be hanging around here, now that you're on your way to being famous? 😉

All the best,

Denis

 

[captainslack]

Cool!! Congratulations!!! I'd like to see that article, since I grew up in Wilson and knew people that went to Catholic church there.

 

[bmattock]

I live about two blocks from Saint Therese in Wilson, so it was easy to get the interview!

You can find NC Catholics online at http://www.nccatholic.org and the editor tells me my story will be in the July issue. Maybe it will end up online?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[cp_ste.croix]

Congrats! You have inspired me to do something simmilar.

 

[Doug]

Good for you Bill to take the initiative and persue the job! Great to get published like that!

 

[doubs43]

Bill, that's fantastic. There's nothing like seeing your pictures in print....... AND getting paid for them to boot! 😀

I hope you're getting lots of practice for your up-coming wedding shoot. I'm confident that you'll do just fine.

Walker

 

[rover]

Congratulations Bill.

 

[bmattock]

Thanks again, my friends. Yes, I'm getting practice for the wedding shoot - in fact, I'm going over to the church today to go over my shot list and make sure that my film choice is sane, that I have the right places to stand blocked out, and so on. But as they say, no plan survives first contact with the enemy, so I know that no matter how well I plan, things will change. Still, fortune favors the prepared, I think, so I'm going to try to be as ready as I can. Kind of a bummer, because my photography club is going down to New Bern, NC today to photograph around Governor Tryon's Palace and I wanted to go (so did the wife). But work first, play later.

As to the magazine article - it was nice to do the work - and get paid - but of course there was still a lot of luck involved. The editor was a nice guy, he didn't have to take a chance on me. Or he might not have needed anything. I'm just glad it all worked out.

Now I have to work on repeating it - so it is not just a fluke, but becomes a habit!

I'm having fun here, my friends, and a lot of it is due to your excellent advice and inspiration. Thanks!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Pherdinand]

That's great news, Bill. Congrats.

 

[captainslack]

Tryon Palace is beautiful! So is downtown New Bern as a whole. You'll be better off waiting till next weekend to make the trip, though. I think the azalea's will be full bloom then.

 

[chmeyer]

the editor tells me my story will be in the July issue. Maybe it will end up online?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

Good for you Bill! Please let us know when the piece is published.
take care,
Chris

 

[JoeFriday]

now that you've lost your amateur status, you can't enter any local bowling tournaments.. you shoulda thought about the implications!

but seriously, way to go! I'm still in the "someday that'll happen" stage.. glad to see your 'career' progressing

 

[PaulN]

Well, it is official. I submitted my story (450 short words) and photos and the magazine editor said yes. He's sending me a check, and my story and photos will run in the July issue of the magazine.

Wow, that is excellent. I've got a copy of 'Magnum Stories' and each night, I read up on one or two Magnum photogs before I go to sleep. Each photog has a story similar to this on how they were starting out and would put stories & pictures together and send them off. Sounds like you have your first story, too 😉

If you haven't read it, pick up the book. A lot of photogs talk about what they think makes up a good story. It is a very interesting read.

-Paul

 

[PaulN]

Thanks again, my friends. Yes, I'm getting practice for the wedding shoot - in fact, I'm going over to the church today to go over my shot list and make sure that my film choice is sane, that I have the right places to stand blocked out, and so on.

Good luck with the wedding shoot! A good friend of mine got married last year, and had a mutual friend shoot the wedding. In the back of my head, I was always hoping that he would have asked me. Our friend is a great photog though, went to the Kodak School of Photography and had a 1DSmk2 & great glass, studio lights, etc. It turns out that she specialized in still object photography and this was her first wedding.

She started off taking a lot of candid shots, and I thought she was doing a good job. As the wedding progressed, I saw that she really started to get nervous. You only have one shot at the pictures, and you _have_ to be in the right place and know your gear. During the portrait shots, with all of the studio lights, etc., I overheard the priest asking if she had done this before. It became readily apparent that she was new to wedding photography. She had a hard time getting everyones attention and getting them in place for the pictures. She wasn't fluid with the setup/tear-down. The shots took too long, and she was always fiddling with the flash angles, etc.

When I overheard the priest, I had a pit in my stomach, because I secretly had wanted to shoot the wedding. It was at that very moment that I gained a profound amount of respect for wedding photographers. I saw all of the missed shots, and then realized that I probably would have missed them too. A wedding is a very special day that cannot be re-done. You have one shot to capture the magic moments. Sub-par work, and you take away from their magic. Tensions run high with the families, and there is drama, and the bridge/groom have no idea what the hell is going on. But the parents do, and you have to manage them.

I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just reliving my fears of wanting to shoot a wedding and see it go bad. If shoot weddings now, it is just for the extra candid shots. Being _the_ photographer scares me. Too much stress in my mind.

I'm curious to hear your results. Perhaps my one bad experience scared me too much, or perhaps I just don't have enough experience/confidence in my photographic skills at this point.

-Paul