HOBBY FARMS is a magazine for small-farm owners. Many of our readers come from urban rather than rural backgrounds and are new to their industries. They are engaged in a wide variety of activities, including livestock and fruit and vegetable farming, beekeeping, winemaking, etc.

Cover submissions
We want unique and outstanding photos for use on the magazine’s cover. Cover images should convey a rural lifestyle. The cover photo is usually related in some way to either that month’s theme or to a feature included in that issue. Preferred cover images include hobby farmers or farm animals in the foreground, with a home or small barn in the background. People depicted should be working a small field, picking flowers, vegetables, etc. with an attractive barn or rural setting in the background. We will select cover shots with the season in mind. If you are shooting for a particular article, or around a particular theme of the month, please indicate that a particular photo is for cover consideration. Cover photos must be vertically formatted with room along the left side of the photo for type and at the top for our logo. Very fast-speed film is usually too grainy for the quality we need for the cover.

Stock Photography
We have an increasing need for sharp, 4/C transparencies and digital images to hold in our stock photography file. We draw from this file for every issue. If you do not have anything to submit for a specific article or issue, you may still submit for our stock files. If you do so, please include a letter stating this purpose. If the photos meet our standards, you will be sent a contract detailing which shots we are holding. Stock photos are held for an indefinite period of time, and are usually not returned until after they are used or until the photographer requests their return, which can be done at any time. Photos not selected for the stock photography are returned. Please note: We are constantly in need of quality photos of problem situations around the farm, animals receiving veterinary care, animal’s medical ailments, and human hobby farmers; in addition, if the subject is not photographed at a public venue, e.g., on private property, you must submit a model release with the photos.

Digital Photography
Digital images are welcomed.  Images must be high-resolution, 300 dpi at actual size (at least 4" x 5"), in jpeg or tiff format. Submit digitals on CD or DVD and include a printed thumbnail sheet with file names.

When photos are submitted for a particular use or article, they are reviewed during the production schedule for that issue. Contracts are written for the photos being held, and are usually sent to the photographer along with those photos not selected. Photos used in the magazine are returned during the month that the magazine appears in print.

2008 PHOTO RATES

• $450 cover
• $200 inside 2-page spread
• $125 inside partial 2-page spread
• $100 inside color, full page
• $75 inside color, partial page
• $25 duplicate use in same issue

Payment is made upon publication. Our rates are paid according to the format that the photo appears in the magazine, not the format in which the photo was submitted. For example, a 35mm color photo on the cover is paid $450, while a 35mm color photo used in a smaller format is paid $75. We buy first North American serial rights on an exclusive basis; the non-exclusive right to use the photos in electronic media; and the non-exclusive right to use the photos, as well as your name, image and biographical data in advertising and promotion.

We cannot accept duplicate slides since we cannot reproduce from them, and we rarely use prints. Our magazine is digitally produced, and all photographs are electronically scanned. Therefore, it is extremely important that all photos be sharp, with well-balanced contrast.

With each submission, please include correspondence that details what article your work should be considered for. Please include your social security number (or taxpayer ID) on your correspondence to expedite payment. Each shot should be labeled with your name, address and phone number. Information about the subject (breed, event) should also be included.

Please mail submissions to us at:
HOBBY FARMS
P.O. Box 8237
Lexington, KY 40533

For UPS or FedEx deliveries:
HOBBY FARMS
2008 Mercer Rd.
Lexington, KY 40511
Phone: (859) 260-9800

Always include a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for your photo’s return. We cannot be responsible for lost or misdirected mail.