General Guidelines

As you gather your intelligence, maintain a low profile unless making a scene is the only way to see what you need to see.  In such cases, be aware of your exit routes.  Keep in mind that your own safety is of paramount  importance.  Do not take unnecessary risks and if questioned, describe the purpose of your presence in the most benign and unassuming terms possible, i.e, “I am here to attend a conference,” rather than “I am studying the times that cargo ships come and go from the harbor and sketching portraits of the crews as they disembark.”  If questioned in an area where you do not speak the native tongue, consider pretending to be mute or mentally handicapped.

Be cautious when making use of local guides as there is often no way to be sure of their true intentions.  But at the same time, be aware that there are some doors you cannot open alone.  When following a guide through crowded public streets, do so at a distance of three or four shops.  If riding in a car, wear a seat belt.

Keep your notes well hidden and when possible memorize information until you reach a safe location to write it down.  Do not take notes in publicly visible areas. When it comes time to draft a field report, keep it to the point but don’t hesitate to explain all things that interest you.  Quality matters far more than quantity.  Sometimes the shortest transmissions are the most moving.

Visual Submissions

High Contrast Review is always grateful and eager for visual arts submissions.   Photographs, paintings, drawings and other visual aids are key to understanding the finer points of a situation.  Sometimes, they alone provide enough information to fully grasp a situation and can speak for themselves.  Most times, however, they are best complimented by a written field report, sometimes as brief as a sentence or two.  Please send digital files for online publication after sizing the long side to 1,000 pixels, and reducing the resolution to 72 dpi.  If you have time, that is.  If conditions are hostile and you must move quickly to maintain your cover, any size and resolution may be acceptable for web publication.

If you are contributing images for  consideration in our budding hard copy edition, please be sure the resolution is at least 300 dpi and the file dimensions are as large as possible.  Contributions to the print edition must be sent in numbers of five, seven, or nine images.  It is critical that there is a thematic connection stringing the series together, which you may explain if you feel it is necessary.

Poetry

For web and print purposes, poems may be submitted alone or in a series.  Length of individual poems is restricted to no more than 200 words, though submission of multiple poems is highly encouraged.  Please submit your work either as the text of an email or in MS Word format with no special fonts or styles.

Fiction, Prose and Journalism

Are highly sought after and are not subject to length restrictions.  Again, please submit your work either as the text of an email or in MS Word format with no special fonts or styles.

Film and Music

Contributions of this category are handled on a case by case basis and are invaluable.

Bios and Interviews

All first time contributors are asked to include a two or three sentence bio with contact information and relevant sources for further investigation into your own work or the topic of your submission.  In failing to include this bio you run the risk of the editors of High Contrast Review writing one about you, and you have no idea what we may know and say.

Contributors may be contacted regarding artist profiles in the form of brief interviews only after High Contrast Review has received a submission.

How to Submit

After you have read and understood these guidelines, send your intelligence to Submit@HighContrastReveiew.com.