Share the Love?

[jeffdeoranut]

3 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

I've had multiple models at the same show selected to be photographed and then later show up in the same contest coverage article in MCM. It was the first model show (non-comp NNL) that I had ever participated in. Photographer had no idea who I was, nor did anyone else. I don't think it's anything more than he walked around the tables and put a card next to what caught his eye. I was flattered that he thought enough of any of my models to photograph them. 

That being said, does favoritism and the "buddy system" happen? Definitely! That's life.

sort of off topic...a while back I submitted an article idea(reviews of rare kits) to one of the model mags(not this one) and was rather rudely told that not only was my idea BAD but that it would aggravate modellers as it involved kits that weren't readily available.  ok, but they could have been nicer.  imagine my surprise when in the very next issue this type article appeared and was going to be a new regular feature.  I contacted them again and was told that the author of the article(a famous builder)was going to submit this type article for the forseeable future.  it would have been fine if they had told me they had that idea already set up or to send my articles in and they would look at them.  result was they lost a subscriber.

now please don't think im just whining.  my point is this: in any business that depends on the general public(especially a business that depends on a dwindling number of customer-there has been much discussion on the state of our hobby) should treat customers as if they value them.

 

sooooo, everything else being relatively equal, why wouldn't mag editors look for different builders, new names to increase interest in our hobby?

[Tom Geiger]

First, no model car magazine attended the event.  The photographer was Tim Sickle  Powers, representing the club.  No doubt his goal was to take photos of as many cars as he could, hoping to come up with a few different sets to send to the magazines for publication.  I cannot fault him.  

As far as your original intent,  yes.  I took college level journalism and one sentiment was that the goal of the paper was to mention every man, woman and child in their readership area in the paper annually.  Yes, people do like to read about themselves and other people they know.  Those people buy the publication.  Good business.

So if I was writing the article, yes, I would try to give the readers as vast a report I could, sharing the different types of vehicles shown and the interesting ones.  I would try to include as many names as I could.  Otherwise it may appear that five people displayed models!  

Also note that when a freelancer sends in the report to the magazines, they usually send more photos and captions than will be used. The editors get the final say in what appears and order of placement.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Tom Geiger

[Ramfins59]

For the past 4 or 5 years I have been assisting my friend, Tom Valenta, who takes pictures of models for Model Cars Magazine at the NNL East Show in Wayne, NJ.  We both walk through the model display hall, taking turns placing the photo shoot info sheets next to the models which we feel meet certain "criteria";  The model is well done, the model may be of an "unusual" subject, the model may have an unusually intricate paint job, etc...  We place the sheets with the model before we look to see the name of the builder.   

Tom usually takes at least 3 pictures of each model that is brought to his photo table.  Overall, he takes pictures of an average of 150 or more models, depending on how many are brought to his table.  You'd be surprised to see how many builders don't  bring their model to be photographed.

Once the show is over, Tom goes back home to write the captions for the models pictured and loads all the pictures and captions onto a disc and sends the disc to Gregg Hutchings (he used to send it to Harry Pristovnik).  Gregg then looks through the 350 or so pictures on the disc and picks the ones that he feels will show up best in the magazine coverage.  Out of 350 pictures of about 150 models only an average of 2 or 3 dozen pictures (depending on how many pages in the magazine are allotted to that Show's coverage) might actually be printed.  There is also the possibility that additional models will show up in separate "Contest Issues".

Many people seem to feel that just because their model is photographed, it will show up in the magazine.  There is no "favoritism" when models are picked for photos at the show.  Every effort is made to pick the widest variety and selection of models for pictures.  No one wants to see 10 pictures of '32 Fords and 12 pictures of '57 Chevy's.

[Lunajammer]

32 minutes ago, Ramfins59 said:

  You'd be surprised to see how many builders don't  bring their model to be photographed.

I consider it pure luck that one of my models has appeared in contest coverage of every NNL North show I've attended (6, *toot-toot*) except last year's because I didn't notice the table note and it didn't get shot. 

I also think Richard's post answers almost every question. Nice work Rich.

[styromaniac]

I'm pretty sure the photographer at the Mid Atlantic NNL in the OP was Tim Powers...not Tim Sickle. 

Edited May 19, 2018 by styromaniac

[Tom Geiger]

18 hours ago, styromaniac said:

I'm pretty sure the photographer at the Mid Atlantic NNL in the OP was Tim Powers...not Tim Sickle. 

Oops, wrong Tim... at least I knew it was Tim.

[styromaniac]

23 hours ago, styromaniac said:

I'm pretty sure the photographer at the Mid Atlantic NNL in the OP was Tim Powers...not Tim Sickle. 

I think Tim Sickle has some long standing issues with MCM so I don't think he would be putting together photos for them, but he might for that "other" magazine.

[Psychographic]

Each time I have brought finished models to NNL east they have been photographed and published. If you know me, my models are all highly modified and out of the ordinary and fairly detailed. Even though there were many models built better and more accurately than mine, I still got published.

The moral of my short story,  if you want to be in a magazine, build something that stands out. As has been already stated, a common model, even if built to perfection, might not catch the photographers eye.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Psychographic

[droogie]

Of course building models to please magazine photographers and editors may not be what everyone wants from the hobby.

[redneckrigger]

A few NNL Easts ago, I found a note from that other mag, asking to photograph one of my builds. I actually had to ask someone what that was about, as I had no idea. To my absolute surprise, my truck made the mag soon thereafter. I was absolutely amazed. Two years ago, I found a note again on the same truck, which had been lightly spruced up. So I went to the photographer again. He asked what I guess is a standard question........."has this build already appeared in the mag?" Yes, I told him, whereupon he explained that they would rather shoot someone else's build in that case. I totally understood that and thanked him for his consideration.

The next contest issue came out, and low and behold, there was a build from someone else, who had the same build appear in the issue that mine had. And it was in again, from the same show that my build had been asked to get photographed again. And then I started wondering, and did some review of contest issues, and it is apparently very common that the same build does appear many times, in the same mag, at different shows, in following years as well. So, yes, it does appear that there is favoritism. Surprise, surprise! Who would have thought that a model contest was any different than life itself!

I would also suggest that the OP contact the magazines, or the photographers themselves for a more accurate answer. I would also say, it was a privilege and honor to have one's build published......................but not having it done is certainly not a world ender. I never expected such, nor really even wanted to have it shot, as I really thought there were better builds and better quality work to be seen by other people. End result, cool, but again, to echo Steve, I really don't care.

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

6 hours ago, droogie said:

Of course building models to please magazine photographers and editors may not be what everyone wants from the hobby.

I'll second that!

I for one could care less if any of my builds ever made it into a magazine.

I know, it's been said a million times, but "I build for myself".

Even participating in shows is a very recent phenomena for me that I actually had to be talked into by family members!

Besides that, I haven't bought a modeling magazine in decades.

Probably not since around the same time that I realized that I can find any hobby related information I need on the net.

A stack of magazines is just another stack of stuff I need to get rid of.

 

Steve

Edited May 22, 2018 by StevenGuthmiller

[Bainford]

22 hours ago, droogie said:

Of course building models to please magazine photographers and editors may not be what everyone wants from the hobby.

 BINGO!