Phil Monahan Podcast: A Great Chance for Feedback

[Zach Matthews]

Hey guys –

Phil and I have brainstormed up a great idea.  As you all should know, Phil was the editor of American Angler for many years.  He’s currently freelancing for some bigger outlets (look for him in Outdoor Life, among others), but he hasn’t lost his editorial knack.  He offered to perform a service for us through the podcast, but it’s going to take some balls on your part.  In the words of Andrew Wright: I’m not going to lie to you; I’m about to ask a lot.

Here’s the deal.  Phil has offered to provide constructive editorial critique of reader-submitted photographs.  He’s willing to give you a personal editor’s eye on your images, discussing what works and what doesn’t, whether they would be published, and why they would or would not be appropriate for a particular article.

But we need submissions.  I realize that I am asking you to be cannon fodder, but I think everyone would agree that this has the potential to be hugely instructive.  So, if you’re willing, please post no more than three of the best images you have come up with.  The idea here is to put up stuff that you might like to actually see published (there’s a chance Phil would find a place for stuff he likes in one of his various outlets, too).

We’ll discuss the images on the show in the next couple weeks.

[john michael white]

Well, I’ll step up to the plate.  I know many have better images than mine, but here are three of the best (I think) that I have come up with over the last season that would hopefully work well with text.  P.S. Direct links to larger images are below each photo per John B’s good idea:

http://www.johnmwhitephotography.com/p235391920/e4f8a32d

http://www.johnmwhitephotography.com/p498887803/e7569715

http://www.johnmwhitephotography.com/p58289936/e1c11a196

This sounds like a really constructive opportunity – Thank you Phil and Zach!

[John Bennett]

3 images of completely different nature, so hopefully Phil has some stuff to work with. Links are provided for larger 1024 x 750ish images

http://jben.zenfolio.com/p779740145/he1d8ee1#he1d8ee1

http://jben.zenfolio.com/p964320940/h7d7ca44#h7d7ca44

http://jben.zenfolio.com/p570963796/h317b7b70#h25e0a63a

Zach, I’d be more than happy to try and provide “close” but not quite images if you need fodder. Meaning images that I know have a fault or two that might prevent an editor from using them

The idea here is to put up stuff that you might like to actually see published (there’s a chance Phil would find a place for stuff he likes in one of his various outlets, too).

Here’s the deal.  Phil has offered to provide constructive editorial critique of reader-submitted photographs.  He’s willing to give you a personal editor’s eye on your images, discussing what works and what doesn’t, whether they would be published, and why they would or would not be appropriate for a particular article.

One thing I’ve learned is that it’s not always the *best* images that get bought. Technically theres a couple things wrong with this and one glaring problem ( the edge of my shadow)

But it was bought and published.

[lee church]

Sounds cool!

[matt boutet]

I’ll toss a few in here as well.

[Steve K.]

Thanks Zach and Phil. This ought to be fun. Here are a few of my meager offerings:

[Bryan Gregson]

WOW.. what a great opportunity! I’ll attempt to play. Copied John’s great idea, 3 shots all different.

Thanks guys, this is a great way to get constructive criticism… regardless of who’s pics you might use.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1bg/2847139126/in/set-72157607222951741/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1bg/3158418383/in/set-72157607222848383/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1bg/3455319945/in/set-72157616156647392/

[Eric DeWitt]

Wow, another great opportunity brought to us by Zach and Phil!

The hardest part is picking just 3, especially when thinking “magazine” and not just “cool photo.”

[Zach Matthews]

Some exceptionally solid contributions from everyone so far.

[Corey Kruitbosch]

Cool idea .. 🙂 Would love to hear feedback on where these types of shots might

[Jay Hake]

Okee Dokee, here we go (by the way, the quality on this board is sick).  

[Joel Thompson]

Ok, there is WAY too much good stuff here and for fear that Phil will have nothing to talk about I will add a couple of my own just so he has something to be critical about.

[mark s]

I’m with you Joel – gotta throw in some rookie work to critique so I’ll join 🙂

[nate sather]

I’m not a pro, I don’t have an SLR, and I feel that this is a bit out of my league… but I am pretty resilient and there needs to be something for Phil to critique.

Thanks for a sweet learning experience!

Nate

[Zach Matthews]

Guys –

I am in the process of setting up a few podcasts for release in January.  I’m aiming for getting back to a weekly schedule for at least a month or two at that time.  

One of those shows is going to be very unique.  Phil Monahan, former editor of American Angler magazine and a past editor at Outdoor Life, has generously offered to help critique potential cover shots submitted here on the board.  I will set these up to run with a slide show, probably via flickr.

The idea is that you fine folks will submit images which you think might have a reasonable shot at being cover material.  We will select 10 or so, based primarily on their usefulness as demonstrations of points Phil wants to make.  Any shots that are submitted which Phil believes have a reasonable chance of being made into covers will be submitted on your behalf to the editors who I am in contact with (which includes Fly Rod & Reel, Fly Fisherman, American Angler, and more).  I cannot, obviously, promise that your shot will be selected, but I can promise that I will at least get some eyes looking at your work.

This is a great opportunity for those of you who have never had a cover shot published (like myself, actually).  For those who HAVE had cover shots published, we would very much appreciate your submissions as well, so Phil can have some examples of what TO DO to point to.

I think this could turn out to be a great show.  Of course nothing Phil says will be embarrassing or painful; everything will be helpful and constructive and no one will be made fun of except me. 🙂

Please submit your shots via this thread or to my email at ZachMatthews@gmail.com.  By submitting, you’re giving me permission to reproduce them for use in the podcast, but I promise not to sell them or otherwise screw you over.

Best,
Zach

EDIT: As Corey pointed out, I had already posted this request and forgot I’d done it (you know you have too much going on when something like that can happen).

[Phil Monahan]

First, allow me to point out that there’s no such thing as “very unique.”

[Corey Kruitbosch]

Sounds like a great opportunity … Thanks Phil and Zach. Wasn’t there another thread related to this podcast a while back? I looked, but couldn’t find it. I wanted to see which photos I had submitted for that thread.

[Zach Matthews]

Hey Corey –

We did a critique thread but it was confined to the board.

[Corey Kruitbosch]

Thanks Zach … Found it. This is the thread I was thinking of – http://www.itinerantangler.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?num=1244601579/ . I’ll start digging through my images for potential cover shots! 😉

[Zach Matthews]

Whoa, Corey – I completely forgot about that thread.  Thank you for digging it back up.  No wonder I was getting deja vu writing this post.  🙂

We’ll use the shots submitted in the first thread as well.

Zach

NOTE: OLD THREAD CONTINUES FROM THIS POST ON.

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