Magazine Cover Photos -- What's it take?

[SPAZ]

Using a digital camera, real high end stuff...

What kind of resolution (dpi) is required for running a full-sized cover shot? What other requirements are needed for such a picture?

Does anybody here sell photos to outdoor and hunting magazines or have the knowledge of this?

Anyhow, I have some really good photos of a really big animal (alive), taken with a Nikon D-100 and a 420mm lens, off a tripod. I'm looking at the files and wondering what kind of resolution is necessary. Is 300 dpi required? Higher? Lower? Just curious.

Thanks for any experienced responses.

 

[YH]

Spaz,
They do not use digital photographs for magazine covers yet. Even at your highest resolution its still not great enough. If you are interested in selling pictures to magazines you will have to shoot slide film still.

 

[DeerKing]

Spaz
I work in the printing/film imagining business (15 years) and I can tell you digital cameras have come a long way. It is now possible to almost get SLR quality photos from a digital camera. Almost. The discriminating eye couldn't tell the difference without a loop (magnifier). Slide film is still the industry standard but we are printing more and more stuff from high quality digital cameras and get amazing results. As much depends on the film output capabilities of the printer as it does your camera. A lot of places don't have the compatible software and film output for digital cameras. I check out most hunting mag covers and see a lot of crap that comes from slide film and they still print it. I won't go into resolution and DPI and get all techy but without being familiar with your camera I have no doubt that you could get "magazine cover" quality if you do not increase the image size of the original photo taken. Most digital cameras have multiple resolution settings, take pictures on the highest resolution and you can get great results. Boy this got a lot longer than I thought....

 

[OutdoorWriter]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-04-03 AT 06:07PM (MST)[p]Hi Spaz,

I've sold a few photos to outdoor magazines over the last 30 years, including about 115 covers. ;-)

If I recall, the D100 is one of Nikon's higher end multi-mega-pixel models that takes regular Nikon interchangeable lenses, right? If so, shoot in the TIF or RAW mode, and the resolution and pixel info is more than adequate for magazine printing, even on covers.

I've been using an Olympus 2100 Ultra zoom, which is a step down from the type like yours. The Oly has a 10X IS optical zoom, and it produces great TIF images, even though they are only 2.1 mega pixels. But even the JPGs are outstanding. Here's one from my recent trip to Africa that was actually shot a the fine setting and 72 DPI, which has now been resized and quite compressed from that original. -TONY

 

[SPAZ]

Coldwell, small world. I'm a MT dude that has exchanged a few emails with you.. and I also work (newbie) in the printing industry. We run low res files all the time that look good, but recommend 300 dpi for best clarity. I see magazine covers that are certainly less than 300 dpi, at least they sure look like they are..

The camera I used was on the raw setting and ended up with images taking up 37 meg (tif format) that are 300 dpi. For the best image, I'd have to trim and enlarge the photo, which would take it down to 200 dpi or so... still tack sharp to my eye. A local photographic shop recommended 360 dpi to me, but not allowing anything over 400 because it would crash thier equipmement.

My question is really on the industry, and what standards they lay out for digital images with respect to resolution. My guess is it depends on the type of press individuals run thier material on. In any event, I have several 8.5 X 11 blow-ups in my den right now that look great.

Any further tips or info would be appreciated.

By the way, the animal is a giant pronghorn that I photographed at about 35 yards. I hope to arrow him soon.. he will be a MT P&Y #1 if I can get it done. My guess is he is in the 85 range.. and that is by far the largest pronghorn I've personally seen in a quality photo.

That's a great photo you put on this thread by the way!!

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Speaking of big animals.......-TONY

 

[DeerKing]

Nice photos Tony! I need to contact you sometime about Africa....

 

[OutdoorWriter]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-05-03 AT 09:16AM (MST)[p]
DK,

Be glad to answer questions about Africa. You can send me a private email message from here, and we'll take it from there. Contact me anytime. In the meantime, here's another from the Africa trip that was taken with the Oly using the 10X zoom handheld in a fairly low light situation. -TONY

 

[DeerKing]

SPAZ
What did we email about previously?
Yes it does depend on the press capabilities. Most of our film is run at 2540 dpi / 400 lpi, pretty high quality.

Tony
I'll drop you a line when I get back from the hills on Sunday. Thanks. Great kitty photo, them eyes are piercing....

 

[OutdoorWriter]

DK,

No problema. What and where are you hunting?? -TONY

 

[muskrat]

I can't speak techie stuff for covers, but I'm Asst Editor with the Arizona Outdoorsman magazine, and I write for them also. I've had pictures taken with my good ol Mavica used in magazine articles..

 

[AZBuckSnort]

Tony,
By chance do you have a photo of a kudu bull from your african adventure? If so, please post it. I have it bad for a nice bull kudu!
Thanks

 

[OutdoorWriter]

AZBuck,

Hey, you didn't specify dead or alive, but here are a couple of the first type. Not a monster but a nice representative 48 inches or so. -TONY

 

[buckchaser]

Hi DeerKing,

I have been reading your posts for a couple of years now. Your photos are awesome. I am also in the printing business as was my father. I am currently the Reprographics Manager for the City of Redding Ca. I hunt blacktails, but one of my life goals is to get a monster muley.

Marc

 

[AZBuckSnort]

Thanks for posting the pics. I hear those who have hunted the kudu call it the "Mule Deer of Africa". At any rate, they are exceptional animals and reason enough to head for the Dark Continent for a hunt.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

AZbuck,

I found hunting the kudu a lot closer to chasing elk in the pinion/juniper country of AZ, complete with the glassing aspects of it. In fact, the areas I hunted in South Africa were so similar to AZ, I felt like I never left home.

For me, the warthog was the most fun because I wanted a decent boar. So we did a lot of looking and had several aborted stalks. It was kind of like hunting Coues deer because of the terrain. I finally killed the one below on the next to last day. -TONY

 

[DeerKing]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-15-03 AT 06:06PM (MST)[p]buckchaser
Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it. Sounds like the printing business is treating your family well, not a bad bus. to be in. Send me an email sometime, maybe I can point you in the right direction to find a muley out here in Colorado.

Tony
Sent you a private message regarding Africa, did you get it? Nice Kudu and mudpig! Them 2 are on my long list....

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Jeff,

This is probably another one on your long list, huh?

Just read your PM and will respond to you with a normal email. Is the AOL address current? -TONY

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Jeff,

Maybe this one is also on your list? It's the poor man's cape buffalo. -TONY

 

[DeerKing]

Tony
Yep them are on the list! Just rolled in from deer hunting, will get to your email tomorrow. Thanks for the great pictures, very, very nice!

 

[ironhead]

Outdoorwriter, those are some of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen! They just look crystal clear and the sky blue backdrop really makes the different colors stand out . Thanks Ironhead

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Ironhead,

All of the photos from Africa were shot with an Olympus C2100 digital.

Here's another one. It might not appear because I'm trying anew repository for the photos. If that happens I'll revert to Plan A. (g) -TONY

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Ironhead,

Thought that might happen. I'll try it again with the smaller image from there.