Thank you for your interest in submitting a photo for the cover of PDX Parent magazine. As the premier parenting publication in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, we look forward to featuring the work of local photographers on our covers.
Look and Feel
We want our covers to reflect Portland, and the parents and kids who make their homes here. We’re looking for photos that spotlight a moment in a child’s life, whether one of discovery or joy, wonder or intention. Photos that are recognizably taken in and around Portland are a huge bonus — we want to convey a sense of place and belonging for our readers. Children don’t have to be smiling, or even looking straight into the camera, and natural, more candid shots are welcome. So are shots that capture an interaction between a parent and a child.
Cover shots should be somewhat seasonally appropriate; bathing suits are better suited to July than December. Please feel free to contact our editor at editor@pdxparent.com if you have a question about whether a particular photo would be a good candidate.
Technical specifications
- Image needs to be at least 9”W x 11.125”H at 300dpi.
- All images can be submitted by emailing directly to covers@pdxparent.com.
General Composition Guidelines
- Child or children (typically one or two; unlikely we would use a shot of more than three) should be the most prominent subject(s)
- Top quarter should be dark or light, but not both
- Background should not be predominantly white, beige, etc. (to avoid bleed through from page 2)
- Subject(s) in foreground should be in focus
- Faces should be evenly lit, not in shadow
- Please allow plenty of room around the subject(s) so PDX Parent can crop as needed
Important points regarding our nameplate.
The PDX Parent nameplate will be printed across the upper portion of the image, so that area must:
- Be somewhat even in overall tone; light or dark can work, but not both
- Not distract from the subject in the foreground
Examples
Here are a few examples of the cover look and feel we are going for.
Note: Metro Parent magazine became PDX Parent magazine in April, 2016.
Compensation
Photographer whose image is chosen will receive the following as compensation:
- Thumbnail image and photo credit in Table of Contents page including short bio (name of business, name of photographer, one sentence description and URL/phone number).
- 1/4 page ad in print magazine in which cover image appears. Graphic supplied by photographer, no additional design included.
- 20% discount on any display ads purchased in any PDX Parent issue or supplement within 12 months of cover photograph publication.
- Additional online promotions negotiable.
Fine print
- Image may not have been previously published in print or online.
- Photographer must own the copyright (original work).
- Photographer must release the photo for publication by us and provide us with exclusive North American serial rights for 90 days (from publication date) for print and online and non-expiring, non-exclusive rights to reproduce the image in print and online for promotional, marketing and reprint purposes.
- Photographer must provide model releases.
