Magazines Which Accept Amateur Photos

To the amateur photographer hoping to break into magazine work, the guidelines for submission can be quite daunting. The editors may discourage amateurs in many ways, such as stating at the beginning of the guidelines that it is difficult for amateur photographers to be published in their magazine. Of course telling someone that something is difficult can be a challenge to work hard for some and a self-fulfilling prophecy for others, but when it precedes the guidelines it makes one feel as if one is not wanted at all.

Another magazine may state that in most cases their photos are supplied by professional photographers, but that amateur photographers can try. It then follows with an insulting list of criteria, as if the serious amateur needs to be told, for example, that background objects should not look as if they are coming out of subjects' heads. To what magazine is the amateur photographer welcomed?

Although you could publish your photos in a book on a site like My Publisher, it would then be up to you to distribute the work. But there are at least three print magazines whose online submission guidelines are friendly and encouraging to amateur photographers.

U&I Magazine, so named because it is for you and I, welcomes submissions from photographers of all levels. Begun by a creative designer named Taku, the magazine also encourages photographers to write articles about their photos. According to the FAQ on the website, the articles need not be professional quality either but instead are a medium for the photographer to communicate with the viewer about the image.

Unfortunately the magazine does not yet pay for submitted photos, but being published in U&I does help to start a portfolio. Submitting a photo does not guarantee it will be accepted, but the photos are judged only by Taki instead of being voted on by other submitters. U&I also features a special section on the website Flickr called Flickrvision which highlights users whose lives have been changed by Flickr or who are using the site in an unusually creative way. U&I is published quarterly and features regular sections as well as quarterly themes.

JPG Magazine also welcomes photos from anyone and is published six times a year. Most submitted photos can be viewed on the site, although all obviously do not make it the print version. Although photographers are paid if their photo is published, other users vote on the work and have a great effect on the editors' final decisions. Submitters are also encouraged to write about their photos. Photos on the site may be deleted if they do not meet the magazine's standards, but the factors not allowed are things like text on the photo, partial desaturation and borders and so are more objective than subjective. Basically the editors are looking for photos that have been altered as little as possible.

File Magazine describes itself this way: "we publish images that treat subjects in unexpected ways." Photographers may submit a single photo or a group with a common theme. They ask only that you submit your own best work and that the photos are not hard-core. Unlike JPG and U&I, File is an online magazine only. Not all submissions are accepted to be shown on the site. File also features notes from editors that inform submitters of other organizations that are accepting submissions. Photos are judged only by editors.

Although sending your work to be critiqued by a magazine can be intimidating, it is comforting to know that there are magazines that welcome amateur photographers. The important thing is to keep taking pictures and to develop new ways of seeing. And as the sub headline states, these three magazines were found during a quick search. Do your research and you may come up with other possibilities. Who knows; your photo just might be just the thing for which one of these publications are looking!