IT’S BEEN A long time since I first saw a
picture of myself with an airplane in a
modeling magazine; in fact, I can’t remember
the first time it happened. I can tell you that it
never gets old! It’s always enjoyable to see
your own work and image presented in a
manner that allows many other modelers to
see what you have been working on, and to
see who you are. Yeah, it’s a bit of an ego
thing, but it’s also a sharing thing.
In light of the preceding, it’s no wonder
that the “Focal Point” section of Model
Aviation is among the most popular features
each month. We know it’s popular because of
the number of photo submissions we receive.
Sometimes we get in excess of six
submissions each day!
Naturally, we cannot print all of these in a
manner that allows us to keep up to date with
what we receive. In fact, we only have room
to use 16 of these photos each month.
Predictably that leaves us with an everincreasing
backlog of photos.
In May I assumed the responsibility of
getting the “Focal Point” submissions ready
for presentation in the magazine. In the past
this has been the responsibility of Managing
Editor Shelia Ames Webb. She has done a
wonderful job with this department, and she’s
a tough act to follow.
During the changeover, we discussed the
future of this department and made some
difficult decisions. The submission
information included with each month’s
“Focal Point” photos indicates that we will
endeavor to run the best submissions as space
permits. That word “best” is the kicker here.
How do you impose a value judgment on
photos of members’ models? What makes one
more worthy of printing than another, and
who has the best perspective and the right to
make that distinction?
Shelia told me that she has tried hard to
present every photo received in chronological
order. There were, of course, pictures that for
one reason or another were not printed.
Usually these were so poor in quality that they
could not be printed in a manner that would
allow them to be recognizable, had
questionable material in the background, or
were not accompanied by sufficient
information about the model.
Shelia and I had a fairly long meeting to
determine how “Focal Point” will be handled
from this point on. It was clear that the
backlog of photos would never begin to
diminish at the current rate of receipt and
publication.
We decided to present what we feel are
the very best photos in composition and
content in the magazine and post the
remainder of the usable pictures on the Model
Aviation section of the AMA Web site
(www.modelaircraft.org).
The Web site, naturally, will allow us to
present more photos per month, and we will
be able to keep each of them posted for a
fairly long period of time. The start time for
this new procedure is the January 2004 issue.
From that point forward, “Focal Point” will
appear in Model Aviation and on the Web
site.
I have some criteria I want to discuss
about the photos that will be accepted for
either of the two venues for “Focal Point.”
These pictures are showcases for modelers
and their models; they are not showcases for
kids, pets, girlfriends, etc.
Certainly, we all are proud of our family
members and friends, and if they happen to be
the builder of the model shown, that’s great.
If not, please let them be the onlookers at the
photo session. We want to see models and the
builders of those models in this section,
please.
On this same note, this is a familyoriented
magazine and we will not accept any
photos of a less than wholesome nature. I
don’t think I need to say more about that.
For “Focal Point” we require a glossy,
color photograph or a digital submission on
disk or CD of at least 300 dpi resolution at 5 x
7 inches. I’m told that that works out to using
at least a 2.5-megapixel camera at its
maximum resolution setting. (I still can’t
quite get a grasp of things digital!) No laser or
ink-jet copies will be considered for inclusion
in “Focal Point.”
The text for your submission should be no
more than 100 words in length and should
explain what the model is, what it is powered
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
... it’s a bit of an
ego thing, but it’s
also a sharing thing.
Modeling Spoken Here
Continued on page 191
September 2003 7
by, and any other pertinent details. If space
permits, please tell us something about how it
flies! And, please, no E-mail submissions.
We want “Focal Point” to continue on as a
very popular feature in Model Aviation, but we
want to be able to present the received
materials in a timely manner. This soon-to-beimplemented
new format will allow that. The
guidelines described in the preceding for
“Focal Point” will appear in that department
each month starting in January.
While I’m on the subject of popular features
in Model Aviation, I’d like to take a moment
and say a few words about our “Modeler’s
Mall” department. This is where we print newproduct
announcements. This is done as a free
service for the manufacturer and the reader,
and it is extended to any company that has a
modeling product or service for sale.
We receive many submissions for
“Modeler’s Mall” that consist of a newproduct
flyer and perhaps a photo. We can no
longer work from these flyers to construct
releases. We need to receive the fully written
text for a product in release form. This means
an explanation or description of the product,
dimensions and weights where applicable,
pricing, and availability. A release is not
intended to be an advertisement, and the text
for it should be written in nonsuperlative
language.
For “Modeler’s Mall” we require the text
to be presented in Microsoft Word on a disk or
CD. The photos must be glossy-finished. We
also accept digital photos on disk or CD, and
the resolution should be 300 dpi at 5 x 7
inches, just like the “Focal Point” submissions.
We have guidelines available for preparing
“Modeler’s Mall” submissions. If you have a
new item in production and want to tell our
readers about it, please get in touch with me
and I’ll be most pleased to send you a set of
the guidelines.
That’s it for this month. If you need to contact
me, please call me at (610) 614-1747, E-mail
me at [email protected], or send me a
letter via snail mail to Box 68, Stockertown
PA 18083. MA
Continued from page 7
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/09
Page Numbers: 7,191
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/09
Page Numbers: 7,191
IT’S BEEN A long time since I first saw a
picture of myself with an airplane in a
modeling magazine; in fact, I can’t remember
the first time it happened. I can tell you that it
never gets old! It’s always enjoyable to see
your own work and image presented in a
manner that allows many other modelers to
see what you have been working on, and to
see who you are. Yeah, it’s a bit of an ego
thing, but it’s also a sharing thing.
In light of the preceding, it’s no wonder
that the “Focal Point” section of Model
Aviation is among the most popular features
each month. We know it’s popular because of
the number of photo submissions we receive.
Sometimes we get in excess of six
submissions each day!
Naturally, we cannot print all of these in a
manner that allows us to keep up to date with
what we receive. In fact, we only have room
to use 16 of these photos each month.
Predictably that leaves us with an everincreasing
backlog of photos.
In May I assumed the responsibility of
getting the “Focal Point” submissions ready
for presentation in the magazine. In the past
this has been the responsibility of Managing
Editor Shelia Ames Webb. She has done a
wonderful job with this department, and she’s
a tough act to follow.
During the changeover, we discussed the
future of this department and made some
difficult decisions. The submission
information included with each month’s
“Focal Point” photos indicates that we will
endeavor to run the best submissions as space
permits. That word “best” is the kicker here.
How do you impose a value judgment on
photos of members’ models? What makes one
more worthy of printing than another, and
who has the best perspective and the right to
make that distinction?
Shelia told me that she has tried hard to
present every photo received in chronological
order. There were, of course, pictures that for
one reason or another were not printed.
Usually these were so poor in quality that they
could not be printed in a manner that would
allow them to be recognizable, had
questionable material in the background, or
were not accompanied by sufficient
information about the model.
Shelia and I had a fairly long meeting to
determine how “Focal Point” will be handled
from this point on. It was clear that the
backlog of photos would never begin to
diminish at the current rate of receipt and
publication.
We decided to present what we feel are
the very best photos in composition and
content in the magazine and post the
remainder of the usable pictures on the Model
Aviation section of the AMA Web site
(www.modelaircraft.org).
The Web site, naturally, will allow us to
present more photos per month, and we will
be able to keep each of them posted for a
fairly long period of time. The start time for
this new procedure is the January 2004 issue.
From that point forward, “Focal Point” will
appear in Model Aviation and on the Web
site.
I have some criteria I want to discuss
about the photos that will be accepted for
either of the two venues for “Focal Point.”
These pictures are showcases for modelers
and their models; they are not showcases for
kids, pets, girlfriends, etc.
Certainly, we all are proud of our family
members and friends, and if they happen to be
the builder of the model shown, that’s great.
If not, please let them be the onlookers at the
photo session. We want to see models and the
builders of those models in this section,
please.
On this same note, this is a familyoriented
magazine and we will not accept any
photos of a less than wholesome nature. I
don’t think I need to say more about that.
For “Focal Point” we require a glossy,
color photograph or a digital submission on
disk or CD of at least 300 dpi resolution at 5 x
7 inches. I’m told that that works out to using
at least a 2.5-megapixel camera at its
maximum resolution setting. (I still can’t
quite get a grasp of things digital!) No laser or
ink-jet copies will be considered for inclusion
in “Focal Point.”
The text for your submission should be no
more than 100 words in length and should
explain what the model is, what it is powered
Bob Hunt Aeromodeling Editor
... it’s a bit of an
ego thing, but it’s
also a sharing thing.
Modeling Spoken Here
Continued on page 191
September 2003 7
by, and any other pertinent details. If space
permits, please tell us something about how it
flies! And, please, no E-mail submissions.
We want “Focal Point” to continue on as a
very popular feature in Model Aviation, but we
want to be able to present the received
materials in a timely manner. This soon-to-beimplemented
new format will allow that. The
guidelines described in the preceding for
“Focal Point” will appear in that department
each month starting in January.
While I’m on the subject of popular features
in Model Aviation, I’d like to take a moment
and say a few words about our “Modeler’s
Mall” department. This is where we print newproduct
announcements. This is done as a free
service for the manufacturer and the reader,
and it is extended to any company that has a
modeling product or service for sale.
We receive many submissions for
“Modeler’s Mall” that consist of a newproduct
flyer and perhaps a photo. We can no
longer work from these flyers to construct
releases. We need to receive the fully written
text for a product in release form. This means
an explanation or description of the product,
dimensions and weights where applicable,
pricing, and availability. A release is not
intended to be an advertisement, and the text
for it should be written in nonsuperlative
language.
For “Modeler’s Mall” we require the text
to be presented in Microsoft Word on a disk or
CD. The photos must be glossy-finished. We
also accept digital photos on disk or CD, and
the resolution should be 300 dpi at 5 x 7
inches, just like the “Focal Point” submissions.
We have guidelines available for preparing
“Modeler’s Mall” submissions. If you have a
new item in production and want to tell our
readers about it, please get in touch with me
and I’ll be most pleased to send you a set of
the guidelines.
That’s it for this month. If you need to contact
me, please call me at (610) 614-1747, E-mail
me at [email protected], or send me a
letter via snail mail to Box 68, Stockertown
PA 18083. MA
Continued from page 7
