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'm able to tell you, in all those images there have been thousands of photos that would have been great stock photographs 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 1 or 2 fairly simple mistakes that might have been easily avoided.
Now I should readily admit that I am no master photographer ... In truth I've hardly touched my cameras since we started work on OzImages back in 1998 ... But I know what separates an OK photograph from a stock image with real sales potential. So in this two-part article I'm going to look at three main differences I see between the serious amateurs and the pros.
Lighting
If I could only make one suggestion, this would be it. Most amateurs only consider about lighting after sunset. An even then, all they think to do is pop up the flash. Some 'outdoor ' photographers might time their work for early morning or late afternoon light, but even then they still tend to look at lighting as a separate component 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 isn't just on the light, but the way the light is affecting their subject and whether that will work for the message they are attempting to capture. The pros will consider additional lighting, or shading, on every single shot. It is just as much a 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 main concern and your images will improve dramatically in both quality and commercial potential.
Patience
If all you do is capture a visual representation of what's there at the time, you are taking amateur photos, and they are a dime a dozen. If you want to capture stock photo images that are going to stand out in the crowd -- and sell -- you have to convey a message or a story about that subject to your viewers.
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're clear on the key elements of your subject, you can get thinking about the effect different viewpoints may have on the final image. Then you'll find you're actually creating unique and new stock images with real potential.
A lot of amateur photos come across as indecisive. You realise 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 expecting to get something. Sometimes they might get something, but more often than not, the ultimate result is vague images with a subject lost in the middle-ground, a lot of clutter in the background and no clear point of interest in the foreground ... And no commercial potential.
Work out exactly what it is you're attempting to say before starting. Then consider your lighting. Then use your technical abilities and creativity to say it.
That's what we'll look at in part two ... Talk soon!
I'm able to tell you, in all those images there have been thousands of photos that would have been great stock photographs 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 1 or 2 fairly simple mistakes that might have been easily avoided.
Now I should readily admit that I am no master photographer ... In truth I've hardly touched my cameras since we started work on OzImages back in 1998 ... But I know what separates an OK photograph from a stock image with real sales potential. So in this two-part article I'm going to look at three main differences I see between the serious amateurs and the pros.
Lighting
If I could only make one suggestion, this would be it. Most amateurs only consider about lighting after sunset. An even then, all they think to do is pop up the flash. Some 'outdoor ' photographers might time their work for early morning or late afternoon light, but even then they still tend to look at lighting as a separate component 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 isn't just on the light, but the way the light is affecting their subject and whether that will work for the message they are attempting to capture. The pros will consider additional lighting, or shading, on every single shot. It is just as much a 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 main concern and your images will improve dramatically in both quality and commercial potential.
Patience
If all you do is capture a visual representation of what's there at the time, you are taking amateur photos, and they are a dime a dozen. If you want to capture stock photo images that are going to stand out in the crowd -- and sell -- you have to convey a message or a story about that subject to your viewers.
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're clear on the key elements of your subject, you can get thinking about the effect different viewpoints may have on the final image. Then you'll find you're actually creating unique and new stock images with real potential.
A lot of amateur photos come across as indecisive. You realise 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 expecting to get something. Sometimes they might get something, but more often than not, the ultimate result is vague images with a subject lost in the middle-ground, a lot of clutter in the background and no clear point of interest in the foreground ... And no commercial potential.
Work out exactly what it is you're attempting to say before starting. Then consider your lighting. Then use your technical abilities and creativity to say it.
That's what we'll look at in part two ... Talk soon!
About the Author:
Matt Brading is a writer & photographer with GlobalEye Photo Stock Agency and reccommends the Co-op approach for selling images online.
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