HOW to Present to PDN or PHOTO an exhibition or works?

[Snook]

Hello all, I have not seen this brought up in here and think it is a important topic. I guess will see.
I have an exhibition coming up in my country and it has been top secret so far. But the few I have showed it to have been really positve with their responses and I have already 7 pieces sold with out even going to a gallery yet.
My question is how does one present their works outside of the country or to famous respected art/photography magazines such as PDN or American Photo or French Photo for example with out having their "idea" or works copied from another.
I know there is no way to avoid people copying as it happens all the time.
But how do you present in a matter that you are the "first" to have done the idea or get recognition for the "type" or style of work?

It is kind of hard to word but I hope you all get the idea of what I am trying to achieve.

Thanks
Snook

[Kirk Gittings]

Hello all, I have not seen this brought up in here and think it is a important topic. I guess will see.
I have an exhibition coming up in my country and it has been top secret so far. But the few I have showed it to have been really positve with their responses and I have already 7 pieces sold with out even going to a gallery yet.
My question is how does one present their works outside of the country or to famous respected art/photography magazines such as PDN or American Photo or French Photo for example with out having their "idea" or works copied from another.
I know there is no way to avoid people copying as it happens all the time.
But how do you present in a matter that you are the "first" to have done the idea or get recognition for the "type" or style of work?

It is kind of hard to word but I hope you all get the idea of what I am trying to achieve.

Thanks
Snook

Dude, you can't have it both ways. Personally I can't imagine why you would keep an upcoming exhibit "top secret". I would be announcing it widely. Maybe I am missing something. You can't actively see publicity and exposure for your work without risking imitators. Sure you can copyright your material, but in the end, you have to have confidence that you have done something uniquely from your vision that no one can copy. If you can't say that about your work you should think about it. Heck from day one at the beginning of all of my projects I have actively sought publicity and that has always led to greater situations, exhibits traveling, exhibits becoming books, books becoming museum shows, articles in magazines about my projects etc. All of those secondary exposures have large lead times and cannot be attained on short notice.

[Snook]

Dude, you can't have it both ways. Personally I can't imagine why you would keep an upcoming exhibit "top secret". I would be announcing it widely. Maybe I am missing something. You can't actively see publicity and exposure for your work without risking imitators. Sure you can copyright your material, but in the end, you have to have confidence that you have done something uniquely from your vision that no one can copy. If you can't say that about your work you should think about it. Heck from day one at the beginning of all of my projects I have actively sought publicity and that has always led to greater situations, exhibits traveling, exhibits becoming books, books becoming museum shows, articles in magazines about my projects etc. All of those secondary exposures have large lead times and cannot be attained on short notice.

Thanks Kirk, I agree to some extent and did not get to finish typing as I had to run out and did not want to post it again.
I will defiently being advertising all over for my works, Juts where I live it is a SMALL town and people are really invidiuos and ar renown for copying people.
I had many friends who put a lot of time into a business idea and had others come in with more money and have outdone them. Yes that happens all over but in a micro city it is easist and hurts more.
I actually had a friend who wento to australia for 1 year to do research on a fruit drink company and when he came back he had mentioned to a "friend" and that friend mentioned the idea to another and next thing you know the original guy was screwed b/c some one with more money came in and did it Bigger Better and Faster than he..

In any case instead critiquing the idea was advice on how to post to Magazine for extra exposure etc..

Thanks for your comments but alco could you keep on the topic.
Snook

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks Kirk, I agree to some extent and did not get to finish typing as I had to run out and did not want to post it again.
I will defiently being advertising all over for my works, Juts where I live it is a SMALL town and people are really invidiuos and ar renown for copying people.
I had many friends who put a lot of time into a business idea and had others come in with more money and have outdone them. Yes that happens all over but in a micro city it is easist and hurts more.
I actually had a friend who wento to australia for 1 year to do research on a fruit drink company and when he came back he had mentioned to a "friend" and that friend mentioned the idea to another and next thing you know the original guy was screwed b/c some one with more money came in and did it Bigger Better and Faster than he..

In any case instead critiquing the idea was advice on how to post to Magazine for extra exposure etc..

Thanks for your comments but alco could you keep on the topic.
Snook

FWIW, I live in one of the most photographed places in the US and one of the least populated. We are crawling with nationally known photographers.

Ok (from my experience getting articles written about my project or me), you dig up an address for an editor at the publication you want to get into. You send them a package of the strongest and most representative images from the project along with a coherent written statement describing the scope, intent and significance of the project. You include a biography and a resume that illustrates you track record. You supplement this with letters of support from sponsors, local art critics or perhaps the gallery owner describing the importance and success of the project. Magazines like newspapers, online or traditional, are looking for stories that have a good hook. If you are a famous photographer you can be the hook yourself, otherwise it has to be the project, above and beyond just a group of well executed images. And you need to do this a good while before the exhibit opens. Periodicals are concerned with timing, being the first or only publication with a particular story. Periodicals have about a 6 month lead time for editorial. less if you are just looking for an announcement. If you wait till the exhibit is up it will be old news already. On my last big project, a 30 year retrospective book, I started talking it up about a year before it came out. That led to a museum show timed with the release of the book. For publicity I sent out queries to newspapers and magazines about 6 months before the release/opening and followed them up with phone calls.

[Snook]

FWIW, I live in one of the most photographed places in the US and one of the least populated. We are crawling with nationally known photographers.

Ok (from my experience getting articles written about my project or me), you dig up an address for an editor at the publication you want to get into. You send them a package of the strongest and most representative images from the project along with a coherent written statement describing the scope, intent and significance of the project. You include a biography and a resume that illustrates you track record. You supplement this with letters of support from sponsors, local art critics or perhaps the gallery owner describing the importance and success of the project. Magazines like newspapers, online or traditional, are looking for stories that have a good hook. If you are a famous photographer you can be the hook yourself, otherwise it has to be the project, above and beyond just a group of well executed images. And you need to do this a good while before the exhibit opens. Periodicals are concerned with timing, being the first or only publication with a particular story. Periodicals have about a 6 month lead time for editorial. less if you are just looking for an announcement. If you wait till the exhibit is up it will be old news already. On my last big project, a 30 year retrospective book, I started talking it up about a year before it came out. That led to a museum show timed with the release of the book. For publicity I sent out queries to newspapers and magazines about 6 months before the release/opening and followed them up with phone calls.

Thanks Kirk.
I have connections with the local medias as I am already a known photographer here and plus I happen to know the Owners of the biggest local Newspaper so I will have no problem having an article put up .

I really posted this thread mainly for information on how to get into or appraoch or how to send material to BIG magazines like American PHOTO or PDN or something top notch like those.

I guess the thread or my writing got side tracked with the copying worry that really is not a problem as I have everything nailed down here.
What I was wondering is how people submit and most importantly submitting with out worrying about copy right abuse or the likes.

Hope that makes a little more sense for you and any other people who may stumble upon this thread.

I am moving more into the Art world of photography after 20 years as a Fashion photographer. I am pretty bored with Models and Fashion at the moment and were prefer to work as an artist on my projects from start to finish and not have to worry about Make up artist, shitty models and Art directors screwing up my images.
I want and have had great thrills working SOLO recently.  I also enjoy doing all my own retouching and post in general.

Thanks for any further information.

Snook

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks Kirk.
I have connections with the local medias as I am already a known photographer here and plus I happen to know the Owners of the biggest local Newspaper so I will have no problem having an article put up .

I really posted this thread mainly for information on how to get into or appraoch or how to send material to BIG magazines like American PHOTO or PDN or something top notch like those.

I guess the thread or my writing got side tracked with the copying worry that really is not a problem as I have everything nailed down here.
What I was wondering is how people submit and most importantly submitting with out worrying about copy right abuse or the likes.

Hope that makes a little more sense for you and any other people who may stumble upon this thread.

I am moving more into the Art world of photography after 20 years as a Fashion photographer. I am pretty bored with Models and Fashion at the moment and were prefer to work as an artist on my projects from start to finish and not have to worry about Make up artist, shitty models and Art directors screwing up my images.
I want and have had great thrills working SOLO recently.  I also enjoy doing all my own retouching and post in general.

Thanks for any further information.

Snook

I understand about getting bored with commercial work. I've been at it for 31 years now. As for pushing the personal fine art work. IME I don't think submitals are fundamentally any different for big vs. small magazines except maybe you pay more attention to the professional look of your submitals. Big magazines receive unbelievable amounts of material so it serves you to have someone with connections make an introduction for you.