Through our stock library, I usually look at 25-30 new photographer applications every month. I have been doing that for well over 10 years now so that's about 3000 photographers and 40,000+ photos. I also spend lots of time each month watching the new photographs being added to both our stock libraries. Again this amounts to many more thousand images every year.
I can tell you, in all those photographs there were many thousands of images that might have been great stock images with real sales potential, if the photographer had only done their job right. The frustrating part is, in all those cases, the damage was done by one or two reasonably straightforward mistakes that could have been easily evaded.
Now I'll freely admit that I'm no master cameraman ... In fact I have barely touched my camera since we started building OzImages back in 1998 ... But I do know what separates an OK photo from a stock image with real sales potential. So in this two-part article I am going to look at 3 main differences I see between the part-timers and the pros.
Lighting
If I could only make one recommendation, this would be it. Most amateurs only think about lighting after the sun has gone down. An even then, all they usually do is pop up the flash. Some 'outdoor ' photographers might time their work for early morning or late afternoon light, but even then they generally tend to look at lighting as a separate part of from the image.
The pros on the other hand, consider the lighting of their subject, and they do it with each single shot.
Their focus is not just on the light, but how the light affects their subject and whether that can work for the message they're trying to capture. The pros will consider extra lighting, or shading, on every single shot. It is as much part of their routine as removing the lens cap.
So make it part of your pre-shot routine to stop and consider how your subject is lit.
Are the main features properly lit? Is there anything you can do to make it better? Flash might be an option, but so might a reflector, a different camera position, turning on a light ... Coming back in one or two hours time.
Remember, nothing kills the commercial prospects for an image as swiftly as uneven lighting ... Photo Users take one look as deep shadows and/or washed out highlights and walk away without a backward glance.
Make the lighting of your subject your principal concern and your photography will improve significantly in both quality and sales potential.
Patience
If all you do is capture a visual representation of what's there at the time, you're taking snapshots, and they're a dime a dozen. If you really want to capture stock photo images that are going to stand out from the crowd -- and sell -- you've got to convey a message or a story about that subject to your audience.
So make it a habit to study your subject in detail before you even look through the view-finder. Work out what it is that you wish to convey to your audience? Conversely, what might your viewer not already know about the subject? What can you capture and convey the viewer may not know?
Once you are clear on the main elements of your subject, you can start considering the effect different perspectives could have on the final image. Then you'll find you're starting to create new and unique photographs with real potential.
A large amount of amateur photographs come across as indecisive. You get the impression the photographer 'knew ' there was a photo op there, but, rather than dig around a bit and find it, they just kept pressing the shutter looking to get something. Often they might get something, but more often than not, the end result is vague photographs with a subject lost in the middle-ground, too much clutter in the background and no clear point of interest in the foreground ... And virtually no commercial potential.
Work out PRECISELY what it is you are trying to say prior to starting. Then think about your lighting. Then use your technical skills and imagination to capture it.
That is what we'll look at in part 2 ... Talk soon!
I can tell you, in all those photographs there were many thousands of images that might have been great stock images with real sales potential, if the photographer had only done their job right. The frustrating part is, in all those cases, the damage was done by one or two reasonably straightforward mistakes that could have been easily evaded.
Now I'll freely admit that I'm no master cameraman ... In fact I have barely touched my camera since we started building OzImages back in 1998 ... But I do know what separates an OK photo from a stock image with real sales potential. So in this two-part article I am going to look at 3 main differences I see between the part-timers and the pros.
Lighting
If I could only make one recommendation, this would be it. Most amateurs only think about lighting after the sun has gone down. An even then, all they usually do is pop up the flash. Some 'outdoor ' photographers might time their work for early morning or late afternoon light, but even then they generally tend to look at lighting as a separate part of from the image.
The pros on the other hand, consider the lighting of their subject, and they do it with each single shot.
Their focus is not just on the light, but how the light affects their subject and whether that can work for the message they're trying to capture. The pros will consider extra lighting, or shading, on every single shot. It is as much part of their routine as removing the lens cap.
So make it part of your pre-shot routine to stop and consider how your subject is lit.
Are the main features properly lit? Is there anything you can do to make it better? Flash might be an option, but so might a reflector, a different camera position, turning on a light ... Coming back in one or two hours time.
Remember, nothing kills the commercial prospects for an image as swiftly as uneven lighting ... Photo Users take one look as deep shadows and/or washed out highlights and walk away without a backward glance.
Make the lighting of your subject your principal concern and your photography will improve significantly in both quality and sales potential.
Patience
If all you do is capture a visual representation of what's there at the time, you're taking snapshots, and they're a dime a dozen. If you really want to capture stock photo images that are going to stand out from the crowd -- and sell -- you've got to convey a message or a story about that subject to your audience.
So make it a habit to study your subject in detail before you even look through the view-finder. Work out what it is that you wish to convey to your audience? Conversely, what might your viewer not already know about the subject? What can you capture and convey the viewer may not know?
Once you are clear on the main elements of your subject, you can start considering the effect different perspectives could have on the final image. Then you'll find you're starting to create new and unique photographs with real potential.
A large amount of amateur photographs come across as indecisive. You get the impression the photographer 'knew ' there was a photo op there, but, rather than dig around a bit and find it, they just kept pressing the shutter looking to get something. Often they might get something, but more often than not, the end result is vague photographs with a subject lost in the middle-ground, too much clutter in the background and no clear point of interest in the foreground ... And virtually no commercial potential.
Work out PRECISELY what it is you are trying to say prior to starting. Then think about your lighting. Then use your technical skills and imagination to capture it.
That is what we'll look at in part 2 ... Talk soon!
About the Author:
Matt Brading is a writer & photographer with GlobalEye Photo Stock Agency and reccommends the Co-operative approach for selling photographs online.
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