We welcome photographic contributions to our guidebooks and to the SMC Journal.
Photos are best submitted as digital images but slides/transparencies are also welcome. Please do not scan slides. All slides will be looked after and returned in due course. We pay for photographs used in our guides and each provider of a published photograph will also receive a free guide/journal. Photographers always retain the copyright of their photographs.
Please read our technical guidance, below, carefully before submitting digital photographs.
Submissions for Guidebooks
We are currently working on a number of guidebooks, all of which need good action photos to illustrate them -
Scottish Sport Climbs is a new edition of our popular comprehensive guide to all the sport crags in Scotland. The deadline for submissions is likely to be around summer 2025.
North-East Rock Climbs will replace North East Outcrops which is now 20 years old. It will cover the same area, and the deadline for submissions will be around summer 2025.
Skye Climbs will include the Cuillins, the Sea Cliffs and Outcrops all in one volume. The deadline for submissions will be around summer 2024.
Scottish Winter Climbs North is a new selected guide to winter routes in the north of Scotland (east will follow later). It covers the crags to the north of our Winter Climbs West guidebook. The deadline for submissions is likely to be around summer 2024.
Ben Nevis Winter Climbs is a comprehensive guide to all the winter routes of The Ben. The deadline for submissions is likely to be around autumn 2024.
Dumfries and Galloway Climbs is a new guide to the sea cliffs and mountain crags, summer and winter. The deadline for submissions is likely to be around autumn 2024.
If you have any good photos then we would be keen to see them.
However please don't delay, we need to work out where the gaps are in our coverage and we're happy to receive photos at any time. There is a small payment and/or a free copy of the guide for contributors.
Portrait (vertical) format or landscape (horizontal) format are equally acceptable. Historical photos (first ascents, aided ascents, etc.) are also useful. Please send photographs to Grahame Nicoll -
email (NB use 'at' symbol in email address): photos(at)smc.org.uk
Submissions for SMC Journal
Photos for the annual SMC Journal should be submitted by the end of January to be accepted for the next issue.
If you have any suitable photos which you would like to see in the SMC Journal then please send them to the Journal Photo Editor.
Photos submitted in connection with an article should be sent alongside the relevant article to the Journal Editor.
- Photos from most modern digital cameras (5 megapixels and above) are acceptable. Photos from modern smart phones may now be of acceptable quality. Always shoot on the highest quality and the largest image size.
- We require the original files exactly as downloaded from the camera. Please do not reformat, sharpen, colour or contrast adjust your photos. If you wish to do this to a copy to show us you have a picture with potential, fine, but it is not essential. We want the unadjusted photo taken in highest quality JPEG format. TIFF or RAW formats are also acceptable.
- Please be selective with the photos you send. Weed out the poor ones, we only want to see the best. And please do not send more than 2 or 3 almost identical shots.
- You must include name of route, grade, names of climbers (if known) and name of person to be credited with the photo. We also require your address and phone no. or email address. These details are essential, we cannot use your photo without them.
- We prefer digital photos to be submitted on a CD as some email providers may reduce the file size of your image. However we will accept emailed images if necessary.
Digital photos burned onto a disc and posted:
- If at all possible please include a printout (any size/any quality/several on a sheet) of your photos. This makes our work a lot easier.
- Please include the name of the route, names of climbers and name of person to be credited with the photo in the photo file name.
- Unfortunately CDs and printouts are not normally returned.
Digital photos emailed:
- It is important that you email the original unadjusted files exactly as downloaded from the camera. These will normally be between 2MB and about 6MB each. If it is less than 1MB it will not be usable.
- Please do not email too many photos at once. Your email must not exceed 10MB.
- Please include the name of the route, names of climbers and name of person to be credited with the photo in the photo file name.