“[…] don’t try to second-guess us or what you think we want to see. Submit the work that you care for the most, regardless of whether it is suitable for the marketplace or not. While we are always glad to know that you can make a living from your photographs we are, at this stage between us, more interested in understanding your photographic vision and your view of the world through your pictures. […]

What happens after this step depends on how your work is received by the members. As you know, reaction to photographs is highly subjective and varies from one person to the next. But no matter what the reaction to your work turns out to be, you can be certain that it has been looked at seriously and with attention.

In the end, your own belief in your work and in your future as a photographer matter more than anything else. Only with this belief in working order will you survive and succeed in photography, within Magnum or without. We wish you much success.” *