Choose your options below:
- Viewpoints
- One Thing This Month
- Portfolio
- Opening Shot
- Lie of the Land
- Moment with Nature
- General Submissions
- Write for us!
- Other OP competitions
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Outdoor Photography covers images that have been taken outside relating to the landscape, wildlife, nature, adventure and travel genres. We do not include images such as fashion, wedding, field sports or interiors. We only publish images that have been taken in an ethical way and we are sensitive to environmental and conservationist issues, so bear this in mind when you are submitting your pictures.
Here at Outdoor Photography we love to see new images and hear about what stories or ideas you think would interest our readers. Please remember though, there are only 12 issues of the magazine a year, so the opportunity for getting your work published is more limited than you might think. Almost all of the articles and images you see in OP are created by freelance photographers and journalists.
We do welcome new contributors and have particular sections of the magazine that you can submit to – see SECTIONS YOU CAN SUBMIT TO below. Please note however, the entries for these sections are of a high standard. Also, we can’t stress enough how important it is that you are familiar with OPand know what section of the magazine your submission would work best for. When you click on the section you would like to submit to, please make sure you take time to carefully read the full description and think about whether your work is suitable.
Due to the volume of submissions we receive each month, we cannot enter into individual correspondence. If you have submitted to our One Thing This Month, Letters or General Submissions sections and have not heard from us within 10 weeks then it is unlikely we will be using your work on this occasion. For all other sections we might keep your submission for a little longer, plus we might also consider your submission for our website, but if you don’t hear from us at all within three months then it’s likely you haven’t been successful this time.
If you’d like to let us know about any exhibitions, events, product releases or news stories please contact us here.
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT – CHECKLIST
Make sure all of your images are:
- JPG format and saved at quality 10 or above, or the maximum quality possible (depending on which software you use)
- 300ppi and the largest size file you have (up to a maximum of 46cm on the longest side)
- RGB (Adobe RGB is best but sRGB is okay too)
- Has your full name at the start of EACH file name e.g. john-smith-YOUR-UNIQUE-FILENAME.jpg
Not sure how to resize or reformat your images? Search online where there are many excellent online resources ready to help you out with your specific software. Unfortunately, we can’t answer individual queries as thoroughly as these tutorial sites can.
If for some reason your images aren’t uploading to our site, please double check your images are JPEG, refresh the page and try again. If you’re still having trouble, contact us here.
IS IMAGE MANIPULATION ALLOWED?
Image manipulation is allowed but, as you’ll see from the magazine, we usually only include pictures where there is a sophisticated and gentle approach to image editing, so avoid overdoing any particular image adjustment unless it clearly adds to the interpretation of the photograph.
SECTIONS YOU CAN SUBMIT TO
Viewpoints
We want to see your favourite UK and Irish locations. Every viewpoint we publish will receive £50, and if you are chosen as our Viewpoint of the Month you will receive an additional prize.
One thing this month
Want to take on our monthly photo challenge? Based on the main technique in OP, submit between up to 10 images relating to a specific theme. Remember to type in the competition theme (which you can find in the magazine or below) in the corresponding field in the submission form. You can bulk upload your pictures rather than submitting one image at a time (please include captions for all images in the relevant box on the form). Please take note of the deadlines listed below.
Along with your images, supply captions (up to 75 words about where, why and how you took the image) and full technical details for each image. Please use this order for the technical information: Camera model plus lens and what focal length the picture was shot at, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, tripod/handheld, plus any other particularly relevant information (aside from basic post-processing).
Example: Panasonic Lumix LX5 with lens at 30mm, ISO 100, 1/2000sec at f/6.3, handheld, panoramic image of three stitched images
Current One Thing This Month competitions open for entries:
- Mountain photography, OP 304. Prize: Lifesystems Venture Solo Hooped Bivi RRP £120. Deadline: midnight 1 May 2024
- Astro landscapes, OP 305 Prize: Keen WK400 walking shoes RRP £150 Deadline: midnight 3 June 2024
Portfolio
Send us up to 10 of your best outdoor images and we could publish them in our Portfolio. If we choose your images we’ll send you a brief to write the information to go alongside the images.
Opening shot
We start the magazine with one particularly powerful photograph over a double-page-spread (it’s always landscape format). There is no set theme, other than falling within the genres we cover, and it doesn’t have to be seasonal. It just needs the wow factor!
Along with your image, supply a caption (up to 60-80 words about where, why and how you took the image) and full technical details. Please use this order for the technical information: Camera model plus lens and what focal length the picture was shot at, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, tripod/handheld, plus any other particularly relevant information (aside from basic post-processing).
Example: Panasonic Lumix LX5 with lens at 30mm, ISO 100, 1/2000sec at f/6.3, handheld, panoramic image of three stitched images
Lie of the land
Got a compelling story from when you were out shooting landscape photographs? For this piece there is a lot of freedom with what to cover and the theme and tone change each issue. It can be opinionesque, humourous, an insightful look at life as a landscape photographer, or an unusual and compelling story behind the taking of an image – we’re open to ideas so long as it’s something pertinent and of interest to the general landscape photographer. Write us a short synopsis (no more than 60 words) explaining what you’d cover in the article, plus up to 5 accompanying landscape format images. We will send you a full brief if selected.
Publication fee we pay: £100
Moment with nature
If you have an extraordinary wildlife or nature photography story you’d like to share, let us know. For this piece there is a lot of freedom with what to cover and the theme and tone change each issue. It can be opinionesque, humourous, an insightful look at life as a wildlife or nature photographer, or an unusual and compelling story behind the taking of an image – we’re open to ideas so long as it’s something pertinent and of interest to the general wildlife or nature photographer. Write us a short synopsis (no more than 60 words) explaining what you’d cover in the article, plus up to 5 accompanying landscape format images. We will send you a full brief if selected.
Publication fee we pay: £100
General submission
You can send us links to your website for us to view your general work. Please note that no correspondence will be entered into regarding website submissions unless we would like to include your work in the magazine or online. We do not pay for online content but you will be contacted prior to us publishing your work to ensure you are happy for us to use your images (images will be fully credited and links to your website can be included).
Write for us!
We are always in the lookout for inspiring new features. If you have a great idea for an article then please send a short outline (no more than 60 words), plus five accompanying high-res JPEG images for our consideration.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Payment:
If you are submitting to One Thing This Month, Portfolio or Letters we do not pay for publishing your work; you can find details of the prizes on offer for these sections above:
Payment for other sections is at a standard rate, specified in each description above. Payment is usually made within 30 days of receipt of invoice after publication. We operate on a purchase order system, and will contact you to get the relevant details we need. We will then send you a purchase order once the magazine your work is featured in has gone to the printers. It’s important to include the purchase order number on your invoice, so please wait to receive the purchase order before submitting your invoice. If you are VAT registered then add it to the invoice as a seperate entry and include it in the total.
Copyright:
All images submitted must be your own work and you must be the sole author and owner of copyright. It is your responsibility to ensure that your work complies with ownership and copyright requirements.
Images submitted must not be obscene, defamatory or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations. If we have reason to believe your entry is not your own work or otherwise breaches these terms and conditions, then your work will not be considered.
Model and property releases:
It is your responsibility to ensure you have the relevant model or property releases and licences, where required.