Contributor Rights

Short version (tl;dr):

You own your work. We publish it with credit. We don’t sell it, lock it up, or use it commercially.

Who owns the photographs?

You do.

Submitting work to RAW in FOCUS does not transfer copyright or ownership. Contributors always retain full rights to their images.

What rights does RAW in FOCUS take?

Only what’s necessary to operate an editorial photography magazine.

If your work is selected, you grant RAW in FOCUS a non-exclusive, royalty-free permission to:

  • publish the work on our website

  • share the work to promote the feature editorially (e.g. social media, newsletters)

  • retain the work in our editorial archive

This permission exists solely to support publication and editorial promotion.

What rights do we not take?

RAW in FOCUS does not:

  • claim ownership of your images

  • require exclusivity

  • restrict you from publishing the work elsewhere

  • resell or license your work to third parties

  • use contributor images in advertising or sponsored content

Your work remains yours.

Do you pay for submissions?

We do not pay for submissions.

If RAW in FOCUS commissions or assigns work, compensation and usage terms will be agreed upon separately, in writing, before publication.

Do you require exclusivity?

For submissions, no.

If a short first-publication window is ever requested, it will be clearly stated in advance and agreed upon explicitly.

For certain paid commissions, we may ask for a period of exclusivity. You still retain your copyright over your work.

Will my work be credited?

Yes. All published work is credited where reasonably possible.

Backlinks to your website and or social profiles are included upon request.

What about model or property releases?

Contributors are responsible for securing any required permissions, model releases, or property releases before submitting work.

Removal or concerns

If you later have legitimate concerns about published work, you are welcome to contact us. We handle these requests thoughtfully and on a case-by-case basis.

Why we do it this way

RAW in FOCUS exists to present field-based photography with integrity.

Our goal is to support photographers and the work itself— not to extract value from it.