What Photos Do Stock Agencies Want?

Forest Photo Club member shares her experience with micro stock agencies.

http://forestphotoclub.com/taking-stock-part-2

Transcript

1. Janet Johnson Forest Photo Club December 2012
2. Online Sites – for buyers and sellers Photographers upload photos to sell. Must enter keywords and be accepted. Advertisers and Graphic Designers buy. Photos may be used in magazine ads, as book covers, on web sites, to sell photo frames, in the junk mail that shows up in your mailbox, etc.
3. What’s special about it? Must be CLEAN – clear focus, no noise, good exposure, good composition Review your shot at 100%! Must be DESIRED – someone has to need it, usually for selling something. Remove Logos or brand names If it contains people, must have a MODEL RELEASE.
4. Some Online Sites iStockphoto.com Hardest to get into; RGB JPG only; >=1600x1200 (2 MB) Shutterstock.com Requires 10 photos accepted in first upload; >= 4 MB Dreamstime.com Easier to get into; >= 3 MB Fotolia.com Easier; < 30 MB Getty Images – through flickr.com
6. Trends: Most Searched Keywords Accessibility Authenticity Aspiration Partnership Love Innovation Tech Comfort Interaction Green City Life Multi-generation Enjoyment Adventure
7. Shoot your family and friends Not Staged – Not Looking at the Camera Interacting with each other Leave Copy Space Have a Clear Subject Conceptual – Having a Theme Creative, Humorous, Crazy – Be Unique!
8. Don’t need more FLOWERS Don’t need more SUNSETS Don’t need photos of your PETS Poorly Focused Photos Cluttered Photos – Do Border Patrol! Photos with poor Exposure or Composition
9. Shutterstock.com
10. SEASONAL – submit 3-4 months early! Christmas photos in September/October Spring photos in January LIFESTYLE Retirement People smiling in restaurants/kitchens Food & Drink – simple, natural light, wide DoF Health/Wellness – BIG SELLER! BUSINESS PEOPLE – confidence/challenge
12. Try teaming up with someone, especially for people photos – one can hold the reflector What do you have access to? Business people, retired people doing something active, family, multi-ethnic,… Use vibrant colors – get someone to wear a red shirt, photograph a yellow camping tent Put someone in an unusual place, e.g. Santa at the beach Look at magazine ads for ideas and techniques One great photo will outsell 25 mediocre ones Look at iStock’s Training Manual
13. http://www.istockphoto.com/help/sell- stock/training-manuals/photography
14. Shutterstock.com OCTOBER/NOV NOV/DECEMBER Last month: $1.00 This month: $2.25