About the Author:
Catherine L. Tully is a Christian educator, freelance writer and professional photographer. Her work has appeared in American Style, Boys' Life, Dance Teacher, Classical Singer and American Fitness, among others. You can reach her at ctu@earthlink.net.

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Digital Photography for the Writer
by Catherine L Tully

Finding new ways to make money in the writing game can be difficult, but with a little creativity and a fresh idea, you can add more than a couple of dollars to your work output. Being able to supply photographs for pieces you have written can endear you to an editor, make you extra cash and even has the possibly of turning into another side job for you down the line. Here are some basics to help get you started.

Why Provide Photography?

Learning how to take your own photographs can make you a top choice in the eyes of a busy editor. If you are able to supply good, quality pictures with a story in the format they use for their publication, it saves them time. This can make you a popular choice when they are looking to assign an article. In addition, some publications pay extra for photos with an article. This can range from a few extra dollars, to an entire, separate photography fee—sometimes up to the amount paid for the article in the bigger publications, which can be hundreds of dollars.
 

Note: Even if you choose not to do the photos yourself, providing them for editors can still be a good move. Check with sources that you interview to see if they have PR materials available in the form of photos that you can send to the editor. (It's a good idea to check with the editor first to see if they need them, and if so, in what format.) Another option is to contact related agencies to see if they will let you use images; for example, if you are writing a piece on fish, check with a local aquarium and see if they have images you can use with a credit line for their institution.

Digital Camera Basics

• What to buy? Navigating the maze of digital cameras can be very difficult, especially for those who are not up on the lingo and market. Making a good choice here is crucial, because you want enough quality to have images that magazines and other publications can actually use. Truthfully, not just any camera will do. For some detailed information to get you started, check out Digital Camera Basics.com for a friendly "tour" through digital photography and an introduction to buying a camera.
  
  If you write regularly for certain publications, or know of ones you want to try out, it can be a great idea to ask them for photographer's guidelines as well. Knowing the "specs" of the publications you would be working with in terms of what they expect in image quality can help you choose your camera. Although you don't have to spend a fortune, you'll want to make sure you invest in something that will do the job for you—and this is a good way to tell.
   
• Learning The Language. As with any technical field, photography has a language all it's own. If you don't know a CMOS from CMYK, here is a resource to acquaint you with some basics:
  Digital Photo Glossary.

Taking Photographs
 

5 Photography Mistakes To Avoid

1. Too Few Pictures. You are always better off having too many photos to choose from than too few. Sometimes you can think you took the perfect shot, only to find out when you bring it up on the screen at home that it is blurry. Digital photos have no developing costs, so shoot away!

2. Framing Poorly. Do you have an interesting shot—or is there a better one? Experiment with how you frame things in your viewfinder. Try things such as changing to a vertical view or putting the subject a little higher or lower in the composition of things.

3. Slanted Photos. Line up your shot and take just a second to make sure you are level. You can fix the slant later with digital photo editing programs, but why waste valuable time?

4. Bad Backgrounds. Try to avoid problems like trees that look like they are growing out of people's heads, or a lot of "clutter" in the background, which can distract from your subject. Before taking the shot, look carefully through the lens and make sure you have the photo you really want.

5. Lack of Direction. When taking photos of people, don't be afraid to give them some direction or talk to them a bit to make them more comfortable. Quiet photographers tend to make people nervous, and most won't be able to tell what pose looks good or if they are in a position that looks
unnatural.

When taking photographs, it's important to keep two things in mind: composition, and release forms.

• Learning Good Composition. One item you'll want to know about is composition—or how to make the photos look interesting to the viewer by the way you take your photograph. A good resource is Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition, which talks about things such as simplicity, framing and the "rule of thirds."
   
• Obtaining Release Forms. Another thing you will need to understand is the basics in terms of when you need a model release for the pictures you take. Some publications will require that you have these for any photos you want them to use, and it can be a good idea to get in the habit of obtaining them and keeping them on file, just in case. They need not be complicated--you can find a good, basic one at Dan Heller Photography, The Model Release, along with a terrific, detailed discussion of when you do and do not need to use it.

Branching Out

As you learn how to navigate the digital photography realm, you may even find you can sell some of your photographs outside of the articles you are writing. Photo essays, stock photography and artwork are all possibilities for extra money. Taking the time to add a new dimension to your work can really be worth your while!