Photographers' Guidelines

Photography by Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden

Would you like to take photographs for Kansas City magazine? Here’s what you need to know.

Kansas City is a city magazine that was founded in 2005 and reaches 135,000 readers in print and millions online. Our largest concentration of readers is in Johnson County and Kansas City, Missouri. The magazine’s coverage ranges from features on serious topics like homicide rates to concert picks and lifestyle pieces about the season’s hottest handbag trends.

Kansas City is the only local magazine that is a member of the City and Regional Magazine Association, which means we uphold standards for editorial independence and transparency. We’re also the only local magazine that has been nationally recognized for excellence.

We work with the best photographers in the area, and we’re always looking to widen our network of collaborators.

Rates

Our art director will discuss rates for specific assignments with each photographer, but in the interest of being transparent about our editorial rates, here are the general guidelines.

Profile Images, $100: One primary image and (at least) one detail shot.

Environmental Profiles, $100: A single individual or group shot on location or in studio.

Food review, $200: Compelling imagery of items mentioned in our food critic’s feature article, as well as interior and exterior shots of the restaurant and, in some cases, a shot of the chef and/or proprietor.

Architectural, $200: Eight to ten images of a single home. If the article calls for a series of location shots, such as kitchens, bedrooms,or kid’s rooms rate may be higher.

Fashion/Style, $100: Product laydowns or single items photographed at one shoot.

The Scene, $100: Ten to twelve photos, along with the names of the subjects in each photo. Images must be uploaded to the website within 24 hours of the event with links to social sites.

Inset feature photos, $25-$50 each: Photos for use inside a larger feature package.

Cover Photo, $200

Half-day Rate, $175

Terms

Freelance photographers are independent contractors who are not employees of the magazine.

Kansas City is purchasing one year of exclusive use of the specific images used and requests six months of exclusivity in the local market for any photos from the shoot (meaning we strongly prefer if you do not sell photos from the same shoot to anyone else in the metro area for at least six months). Kansas City invests more in original photography than any other publication in town, and it helps set our publication apart.

Agreeing to work with Kansas City magazine grants the rights to the magazine for editorial use in that issue and any other Kansas City magazine (435 South Publishing, LLC) publications in the future, either in print or online versions. Kansas City will not release the image to any other publication or organization without explicit permission from the photographer. In all cases, photo work will be given prominent credit at the beginning of an article or on the page the photo appears. Photographers will also be given credit in the masthead under the heading “Photographers.”

Both the photographer and Kansas City may use the image on social media with appropriate credit to the other party. The photographer may use any photos taken on their personal website or portfolio. Kansas City may reuse previously purchased photos online in the future, with credit to the photographer.

In the case of copyright infringement of an image that Kansas City owns the exclusive rights to, the photographer agrees to allow the magazine to pursue the matter legally and provide any support necessary in that action, with the understanding that they will receive a 25% share of any settlement or judgment that results.