Summary

The website introduces "Our Photo Stories," a new publication for 2024 that invites amateur photographers to share their own photos accompanied by brief stories, with specific monthly themes and guidelines to ensure originality and copyright compliance.

Abstract

"Our Photo Stories" is a fresh initiative for the year 2024, inviting photography enthusiasts to contribute their personal images paired with narratives. Contributors must own the copyright to their submissions and are encouraged to focus on monthly themes such as winter scenes, pet photos, and seasonal events like Halloween and Christmas. The publication emphasizes the importance of brevity in storytelling, preferring shorter pieces that highlight the photographic content. The editor stresses the need for adherence to guidelines, particularly regarding copyright and licensing, to avoid legal issues and ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience for all participants.

Opinions

The editor values simplicity and fun in the submission process, with a clear preference for stress-free interactions.
There is a strong emphasis on originality, with a strict policy against AI-generated content and a requirement for contributors to use their own photographs.
The publication is protective of legal rights, with a firm stance on copyright infringement and licensing issues to prevent potential lawsuits.
The editor is open to making exceptions for longer stories, provided they are exceptionally engaging and photo-centric.
The publication encourages a community feel by inviting contributors to engage and comment to join the initiative.

New Year, New Publication: Our Photo Stories

Amateur photographers welcome

This new publication for 2024 is all about sharing our own photos, with a few words to describe the scene.

The photos in this publication are taken by the contributors. If you want to submit, you must own the copyright. Share your favourite images on a monthly theme. Or submit something you’d just like to share, with the story behind the image.

Feel free to include images of your family (if they’re OK with that), but no other close ups of recognisable people. And no shots of other people’s artwork because of copyright issues. Credit your images to yourself.

Short form is welcomed. Longer pieces are fine, but nothing too long. Tell readers about your photo — tell us a short story.

I’ll issue monthly prompts. Here we go!

January: Your Favourite Wintery Scene
February: Funniest Pet Photo
March: Dramatic Weather
April: Best Action Shot
May: View From Above
June: View From Below
July: Favourite Holiday Snap
August: Surrealist or Strange
September: Wildlife
October: Halloween
November: Architecture
December: Christmas

Let’s see how that goes.

One extra thing, please put a photograph underneath the headline (as above), as it’s nice for readers to see the photo before they start reading the story. Thank you.

Longer stories should be no more than 5 or 6 minutes, with multiple shots. I may make exceptions for really good photo stories, but generally, I want to avoid people sending long chunks of text. Remember, it’s about the photos.

Why so strict?

A couple of years ago I started a publication. I closed it six weeks later. Issues with submissions included copyright infringement and images that weren’t licensed for use behind a paywall.

Contributors ignored the rules and kept arguing about the guidelines. It was time consuming and infuriating.

I wasn’t just being a pain. Things needed to be watertight from a legal point of view. I was worried about being sued over copyright infringement and licensing issues.

I want this to be simple, stress-free, and fun. So just use your own shots.

No AI in words or imagery, but feel free to enhance your pictures in Photoshop or similar. Thank you.

To be clear, all words and images must be your own work, and you are legally responsible for any issues.

Still wanna join? Leave your request and your tag in the comments…

Here’s the publication…

Our Photo Stories

Writers’ own photos telling stories

medium.com