John M. Lund asked:


Stock photography has always been considered the ugly stepchild of commercial photography.  Originally stock photos consisted of out-takes from assignments…the “seconds” if you will.  The strategy for success for a stock shooter was to get as much content into the collection as possible…not a methodology for gaining a reputation for quality!

Bringing “Quality” To Stock

Along came Tony Stone (Tony Stone Images…now Getty Images) who changed the approach from how much material is in a collection to how good the material in a collection is.  He pared down the number of images keeping only the very best, made lots of dupes of a given image (back then you had to send out transparencies…so with more dupes of a given image that image could be in front of more potential buyers at once), and became enormously successful.  My original stock agency was a company call AfterImage.  When Stone purchased it the first thing that happened was that they sent virtually all of my material back to me and only kept a handful of images.  The second thing that happened was that my sales tripled! 

Getty bought Tony Stone Images and began to apply business principles to stock photography. It looked as though stock my finally start to be looked upon with a little more respect…then RF happened.  And again, the emphasis shifted to how much material one could get in.  In some cases photographers would sell their entire archives for a set price.

The Saturation Of Images In Stock

Now stock photography is saturated with a gazillion photos…some of amazing quality…and a huge number of well-executed but repetitive lifestyle and business image.  With crowd sourcing and the entry of non-professionals into the market through agencies like Istockphoto, stock is still the ugly stepchild of commercial photography…but not to me.

Creative Freedom

For me, stock is the highest form of commercial photography.  It gives the photographer something truly valuable…creative control.  As a stock shooter I am able to choose whatever I want to photograph.  I get to photograph my subject in whatever way I want to do it.  Unlike assignment photography there are no limits…no Art Directors to satisfy (or rely on), no account executives to please, no clients to impose their own perceptions on your work.  No limits! 

That isn’t to say there aren’t any challenges…there are challenges galore!  While there is no client to impose limitations…there is also no client to bankroll the shoot.

While there are no limits to what you can shoot…no one else is coming up with ideas for you.  While there are no Art Directors to impose their visions…it is up to you to have that vision and be true to it.

The Challenges of Creative Freedom

Creative freedom is something that I think is a core need of every photographer.  But along with that freedom comes challenges. Few things require us to use that “creative” muscles as much as stock.  We need to be creative in coming up with what to shoot.  We need creativity in virtually every aspect of stock.  Creativity in how to arrange access to a difficult subject, creativity in how to shoot without the financial resources of a client…and creative decisions need to be made on where and how to place the work.

As I write this I have a list of a hundred or so images that I want to create for stock. Sometimes it takes me two years for my subconscious mind to finally figure out how to make something work under the budget and access limits that I have.  That brings up another great point about stock.  There are no arbitrary deadlines…only the ones I set for myself. 

An example of an idea that took time for me to solve the budgetary restrictions on…and the need to exercise creativity in how to get the shots, can be found in a series of stock photos I did with elephants as the subject matter.  I originally came up with the idea because I wanted to be close to an elephant…to be able to touch one and just hang out with it for a while.  So I came up with a few “elephant” ideas.  When I found out it would cost me $5,000.00 just to rent one elephant I put the project on the back burner.  A year ago I planned a trip to South East Asia.  I was going to shoot in Myanmar (Burma) for a couple of weeks.  I would be flying to Yangon, Myanmar’s capital, out of Bangkok.  I began to wonder what I could shoot in Thailand as long as I was going to be there anyway.  Then it popped into my head…elephants!  Perhaps it would cost less to rent one there.  Yes…one elephant cost me $450.00.  For a whole day!  Well, I got to hang out with, and touch, an elephant.  And in the eight months that I have had the resulting images in the market place I have already earned almost $20,000.00 from those images! 

Because of stock I have had the opportunity to “hang with” a lion, a tiger, and an elephant…I’ve had the chance to shoot a baboon in my studio too.  Animals, of course, are not the only “perks” I have been able to enjoy from shooting stock. I spent a week (and made a nice a profit off of) one of the swankiest Penthouses in Buenos Aires, a magnificent “casa” in Mexico, …heck, I have even rented a disco (also in Buenos Aires) and had a crazy fun time shooting what in effect was a private disco party complete with a crowd of dancers, throbbing music, and smoke machines.  Cool!

For me stock is the highest form of commercial work.  It requires discipline, creativity, and guts (hey…it can take real guts to spend large sums of money on a speculative shoot).  But as they say on late-night television infomercials; wait…there’s more!  There is the friendship and fun factor.  For me, it is a lot more fun shooting stock where there is no “outside” pressure to perform and no one but myself to answer too.  Also, for a number of my shoots I have invited other photographers to join me.  For the disco shoot I shot with three other photographers.  We all shared in the cost and worked together…but each producing our own set of images.  A “creative” way to reduce the expense of our shoot, to spread the production time and labor out…and to get to work with some close friends.  When was the last time you invited some close photographer friends to shoot with you on an assignment?

Well, there you have it.  My view of why stock is actually the highest form of commercial photography.  It is all on your shoulders…and with the only limits being those you place on yourself.  You don’t have to add to those gazillion images of business people on cell phones…or laughing couples on the beach.  Sure you can…but you can also allow give yourself amazing challenges with rewards that are commensurate. 

Nicholas Normandy asked:


The best tool a freelance digital photographer has, besides a digital camera, is photoshop. Mainly, because it can increase stock photo sales and generate more profit. It can work just as well if your more into just editing digital photos, or graphic design. You are still going to need a digital camera, but putting more focus on digital editing is really up to you.

With every coming year the population of graphic designers and photo editors has been increasing. Photo editors, like yourself, are trying to find a freelance income from their work. This can be hard with competition and location. So, a lot of those people turn to stock photo sites to start a career or earn extra income. If you don’t know what a stock photography site is, the definition is basically a site that provides graphic designers, advertisers, and marketers digital photos for whatever job they need. The people selling them upload their photos, the photos are bought through a stock photography site like Shutterstock and you earn a commission or a profit. It can be said that this is mainly a freelance digital photography business but lately that has changed. Actually having photo editing skills will benefit you in the long run and earn you more sales.

The people that are buying stock photos are graphic designers and photo editors like you. Which makes it easier for you to understand exactly what a buyer wants. You can utilize this information and make more sales by providing them with the types of digital photos they need for a particular job. It might not apply as much Photoshop and digital editing as one would want but its a freelance lucrative business that can earn you a pretty decent paycheck.

You are going to need two things right at the beginning: a digital camera and an internet connection. Then you can learn how to create your own digital stock photography portfolio. It’s important that you learn about keywords, uploading, traffic, best photos to sell and the best stock photography sites. There are some books that helped me, but one source in particular I recommend is a program called Camera Dollars. Basically, this program will teach you all the technical stuff that is hard for anyone to understand. (the link is on the site). That is where I learned this information when I was first starting out. I started out only selling digital photography and in the beginning I was only earning about $100.00 per site every day. I later started using Photoshop a ton more and increased my profits multiple times.

If you are digital editor or graphic designer then I definitely recommend trying to sell your work on places like Shutterstock to see if it’s right for you. If your a digital photographer you need to get photoshop for photo upkeep and presentation. If you work hard and spend several hours each week you will earn money fairly quick. You won’t need to quit your day job, you just need enough time to take and edit photos.

John M. Lund asked:


Photography is getting easier.  A lot easier!  Being a stock photographer is getting easier too, perhaps even to a greater degree than getting “good” pictures.  The result is a tremendous pressure on “pros” that make a living at stock to be able to continue making that living.  So what’s a pro to do?  The answer lies in using your whole brain, not just the left or the right hemispheres.  You need to use the left part for creativity and right for practicality, or pragmatism or whatever you want to call common sense.

As digital cameras continue to evolve and drop in price, and as Micro sites and online communities offer every greater degrees of education for would be stock producers, creating technically competent images becomes easier and more feasible for the masses.  Too, the masses are to an ever greater extent being made aware of the possibility of “making a few bucks” off of their hobby, and of the very real possibility (real but exceedingly elusive) of making that hobby into their profession.  Indeed, after a few hours of viewing Microstock forums it seems as if every amateur photographer out there is bent on becoming a professional stock photographer! The competition is increasing.

This brings us back to that increasingly important question, just how is a professional stock photographer going to thrive, or even survive, in this new environment?  I firmly believe that despite the “democratization” and “commoditization” of the stock photo industry, there will always be more reward for great images.  By great I mean images that fill a need and do it superbly.  A quick analysis of downloads at the current Mecca of Micro stock sites, iStockphoto, shows clearly that the best of the best images do return rather significant amounts to the photographer. There is still, and always will be plenty of money to be made.

Continued success is very simple really.  Make great images that fill a specific need.  To make those great images you need the left half of your brain; you need to be creative.  To make images that fill a need you have to use the right half of your brain.  You need to stay abreast of the images that are already out there, of what businesses need what kinds of images, and of what your competition is.  You need to have knowledge. I usually do a search on the major stock sites before I commit to creating an image just to make sure I am not re-inventing the wheel.  I am always amazed at what hasn’t been done, or hasn’t been done well.  In many cases the images that exist for a given need haven’t been updated in years, sometimes in many, many years!

While no one can know what the future will bring, I can see with my own eyes that it is still possible, at the time of this writing, to make huge amounts of money in stock photography.  Photographers are doing it in Rights Managed, photographers are doing it in Royalty Free, and yes, photographers are doing it in Micro stock. There is no magic bullet here.  There is simply putting the time and intention into coming up with creative ideas, putting the time and effort into researching the market, and having the gumption to actually do it. So what are you waiting for!

Felisa Rosalba asked:


You don’t have to be an experienced photographer, or someone who knows how to sell stuff online, to make money from your photographs. But you do need time and motivation to learn new things.

Is stock photography the best option for someone who wants to make money with photography? Most photographers say yes. Creating simple photos that can be used to illustrate online articles, or to be used in advertisements, is something that can be learned easily.

Regardless of what you like to photograph – portraits, animals, landscapes or people – you have the opportunity to offer your stock photos to hundreds of people. You can sell the same photograph multiple times, and make money. It all depends of what agency you select. For the so called macrostock, or traditional stock agencies, you’ll probably need more quality shots, and be more experienced photographer. If you prefer to be paid less, but with a greater chance of making your first sale in the first week or month of your photo business, then choose micro-payment stock agencies.

The most important thing is to create photos which can be used by webmasters, designers, small business owners and advertisers. Stock photographs are not art. Remember that. For some people this is bad news, but even in stock photography there’s enough room to be ‘arty’ and creative. Take a look at those photos in the “Abstracts” category, for example.

Make sure your photos are bright and colorful, and that there’s no noise or over-filtering. When your photo gets rejected don’t waste your time complaining on forums, move on and create another photo. Who knows, that photograph might end up to be in the top 100 bestsellers on a popular stock agency site.

And now, you can learn more about how to Make Money Taking Photos. You can also read tips for Making Money in Photography

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Ron Gross asked:


Stock photography sites have made it easier for photographers to sell their photos online. However, just because you take photos does not mean a stock photo site, like Istockphoto for example, will accept them into their marketplace. To be able to sell your photos on a stock photo website, the website must believe your images can sell. Fortunately, photo blogs throughout the Internet are providing advice on how to sell your photos. Here are some helpful tips:

Narrow Your Focus: Yuri Arcurs, a well known professional stock photographer, writes a blog full of interesting facts on how to sell stock photography. In his blog post “What Should I Shoot and What Sells Well” he tells his readers to develop a niche of their own, and pursue it endlessly. I think that this works with anything that you do. I really love food photography and felt a lot better once I realized that that was where I wanted to direct my focus. And guess what? My photos got better. The better you are at your subject, the more of a competitive edge you will have within the marketplace. And remember, if you are to develop a niche, make sure you are honest with yourself. Is this something you really care about? Do you love shooting it? If you’re devoted to your subject, the more likely you are to invest the time it takes to make your photos compelling and genuine.

Add Some Edginess: Arcurs also suggests having a selection of photos in your portfolio that have an edgier feel (for the full details check out his article ‘I Spy With My Little Eye’). This edgier feel can be attained in a way that still enables you to sell your photo. Arcurs calls this adding a little ‘mess’ to your photo. In the photos displayed throughout his article, there is always a distracting element. A portrait is taken through glass, or through grass for example. By adding a little ‘mess’ to a photo you make it visually engaging and inspire curiosity in your viewers. If done right this is a recipe for increased sales.

Research the marketability of your subject: Is your subject in demand? Are there already a lot of people shooting your subject? Perform a search and see if your potential subject is something people are looking for. If you see that there is a market for your subject, but there are not that many photos of it available for purchase (such as less than 10,000 images) chances are it’s a good subject to start shooting.

Plan Your Shoots: Professional photography doesn’t just happen on it’s own. Plan your shots in advance. First scout a location or subject. Get an idea for the type of lighting you want by visiting it during different times of the day and remember to take notes. Don’t forget to bring appropriate releases for the models or property owners to sign.

Selecting Keywords: Make sure to appropriately keyword your subject so that other people can find it online. Use stock photo keyword tools to properly describe your photos. Another handy tip is to test the popularity of keywords through the Google Adwords keyword tool to determine the most effective combination that buyers might search for.

Sell your photos on multiple stock photography websites: Most stock photography sites are not exclusive, and allow you to sell the same photos on more than one site. The more exposure for your photos, the better your chances are of selling your photos and increasing your monthly revenue.

Many of these bloggers make it clear that photographers need to gear their efforts towards producing photos that will sell on these stock photo sites. Unfortunately, this does not always encourage creativity. Most stock photo sites expect certain types of photos to sell, and often reject many good photos in the process. I think things would be better for buyers and photographers alike if the stock photo site’s standards for selecting photos was less strict. As time changes, you never know what kind of images buyers will be looking for. I think it’s problematic to assume that buyers are not interested in more creative photography. Why not try putting it in the market and see if it sells? If you give buyers more choices, they may use them.

This is why I am really excited about Snapixel, a new photo sharing site that also lets you sell your photos. Imagine Flickr combined with Istockphoto. The application to sell photos on Snapixel is very easy and photographers are notified in as little as a day whether their photos will be accepted into the Snapixel marketplace. Though it strives towards selling commercially viable photography, Snapixel also seeks to open the stock photo market to include creative photography that is not seen on other stock photo sites. This gives buyers a bigger pool of affordable photography to choose from, and may very well break the waves in how stock photography is perceived.

Stock photography sites have made it easier for photographers to sell their photos online. However, just because you take photos does not mean a stock photo site, like Istockphoto for example, will accept them into their marketplace. To be able to sell your photos on a stock photo website, the website must believe your images can sell. Fortunately, photo blogs throughout the Internet are providing advice on how to sell your photos. Here are some helpful tips:

Narrow Your Focus: Yuri Arcurs, a well known professional stock photographer, writes a blog full of interesting facts on how to sell stock photography. In his blog post “What Should I Shoot and What Sells Well” he tells his readers to develop a niche of their own, and pursue it endlessly. I think that this works with anything that you do. I really love food photography and felt a lot better once I realized that that was where I wanted to direct my focus. And guess what? My photos got better. The better you are at your subject, the more of a competitive edge you will have within the marketplace. And remember, if you are to develop a niche, make sure you are honest with yourself. Is this something you really care about? Do you love shooting it? If you’re devoted to your subject, the more likely you are to invest the time it takes to make your photos compelling and genuine.

Add Some Edginess: Arcurs also suggests having a selection of photos in your portfolio that have an edgier feel (for the full details check out his article ‘I Spy With My Little Eye’). This edgier feel can be attained in a way that still enables you to sell your photo. Arcurs calls this adding a little ‘mess’ to your photo. In the photos displayed throughout his article, there is always a distracting element. A portrait is taken through glass, or through grass for example. By adding a little ‘mess’ to a photo you make it visually engaging and inspire curiosity in your viewers. If done right this is a recipe for increased sales.

Research the marketability of your subject: Is your subject in demand? Are there already a lot of people shooting your subject? Perform a search and see if your potential subject is something people are looking for. If you see that there is a market for your subject, but there are not that many photos of it available for purchase (such as less than 10,000 images) chances are it’s a good subject to start shooting.

Plan Your Shoots: Professional photography doesn’t just happen on it’s own. Plan your shots in advance. First scout a location or subject. Get an idea for the type of lighting you want by visiting it during different times of the day and remember to take notes. Don’t forget to bring appropriate releases for the models or property owners to sign.

Selecting Keywords: Make sure to appropriately keyword your subject so that other people can find it online. Use stock photo keyword tools to properly describe your photos. Another handy tip is to test the popularity of keywords through the Google Adwords keyword tool to determine the most effective combination that buyers might search for.

Sell your photos on multiple stock photography websites: Most stock photography sites are not exclusive, and allow you to sell the same photos on more than one site. The more exposure for your photos, the better your chances are of selling your photos and increasing your monthly revenue.

Many of these bloggers make it clear that photographers need to gear their efforts towards producing photos that will sell on these stock photo sites. Unfortunately, this does not always encourage creativity. Most stock photo sites expect certain types of photos to sell, and often reject many good photos in the process. I think things would be better for buyers and photographers alike if the stock photo site’s standards for selecting photos was less strict. As time changes, you never know what kind of images buyers will be looking for. I think it’s problematic to assume that buyers are not interested in more creative photography. Why not try putting it in the market and see if it sells? If you give buyers more choices, they may use them.

John M. Lund asked:


Looking for a photo for your business?  Maybe you need an image for an important national campaign, maybe for a flyer or perhaps a photo to liven up your web site.  Whatever you might need a photograph for…there are millions of them out there waiting for you to choose.  In the world of stock photography there are three major categories to choose from.  You can license images as Rights Managed, Royalty Free or Micro Stock.

Rights Managed images are tracked by the licensing agency.  The fee for licensing takes into consideration a number of factors including the size the image will be used, the length of time it will be used, the industry or market it will be used in, whether it will be local, national or even international, and the degree of exclusivity desired.  Supposedly the degree of difficulty in producing…or perhaps re-producing…the images is also taken in consideration…but I have never personally seen any evidence of it. 

Royalty Free imagery is priced by size…a pricing structure that I find does not really make much sense (a small image used on the internet can have a huge impact and be seen by millions but cost almost nothing)…but there it is.  Royalty Free is actually a misnomer…one does pay a royalty…but then one is generally free to use the image indefinitely and pretty much for anything…though there are usually some restrictions.  In most cases, if one reads the fine print one will find that it is not permissible to use Royalty Free images to create new stock images…and neither is it permissible to use the images in a way that degrades the model or models in the image.

Micro stock is a new category of stock photographs.  Micro Stock came into being with photo-sharing communities that then morphed into stock agencies.  Istockphoto is the largest and best known of such agencies…and was recently bought by Getty Images…the largest of all stock agencies.  Micro Stock agencies are characterized by images mainly supplied by amateur photographers and pricing in the $1.00 to $5.00 range.  I have even seen advertisements by some Micro Stock agencies advertising free stock photos…can’t get much lower prices than that!

When deciding whether to choose an image from one or another of these categories of stock agencies there are several factors to take into consideration.  Whether or not one needs exclusivity, whether it is important to know who might have used the image before and for what, and price of course. 

Let’s take a closer look at price first.  I have spoken with a number of people who never include Rights Managed images in their stock searches.  They believe that Rights Managed images are too expensive.  I think this probably shows a lack of understanding of the Rights Managed business model more than any real need to avoid RM images.  Rights Managed images can always undercut the prices of Royalty Free!  While Royalty Free images have a minimum price, Rights Managed does not…and often are either priced lower than some Royalty Free images or can be a better value.  In the meantime…Micro stock prices are the lowest…so if super-low prices are ones most important criteria…Micro Stock might just be the way to go. 

I propose that what is most important is not price…but the quality and appropriateness of the image.  At one time Royalty Free images were considered of lesser quality than Right Managed stock images…as Micro Stock is currently considered by many to be inferior.  The truth is that there are wonderful images in all three models…and any quality differences will continue to narrow over time. 

If one does need exclusivity then obviously Rights Managed stock is the only way to go.  However, exclusivity is rarely used by most purchasers of stock…it is said that only 1% of images are licensed with exclusivity restrictions.  But Rights Managed images do give one the chance to see if any competitors have used the image already. 

Another consideration is service.  With Rights Managed images the agency will involve a sales person who knows the collection and can offer suggestions and advice to help one get the best image for a given application.  This can be important when one considers how difficult it can be to find the perfect image when faced not with a scarcity of images but rather with millions of images.  Few people have the time to spend searching through millions of stock images.  It is important to consider how important one’s time is versus the extra cost of licensing the right stock image. 

The often Herculean task of finding the right stock photo is only going to get worse as more and more images find there way into the market place.  The floodgates have opened as photo sharing and Micro Stock sites open up the stock world to literally millions of amateur photographers. That isn’t to knock amateurs either…with the advent of digital capture and Photoshop, many “amateur” images are the equal of or even better than those shot by professionals.  Where professionals do have an edge is in those shots that require special expertise, large budgets, or subject matter not readily available to non-professionals.

When faced with the task of finding the right image for one’s needs, I believe it is best not to rule out any category of stock photography. It is important to understand the importance of having the right image and understanding that value outweighs price every time!

ben maffin asked:


Stock Photography Modeling

The popularity in coffee shop culture coupled with the rise of the internet has seen an explosion in the last few years of publications requiring stock photography.

 

Stock photography publications can include literally any printed or photographic or internet material. North West Model Agency’s project managers have worked with a wide selection of publications all requiring stock photography models.

 

What is Stock Photography Modeling?

North West Model Agency considers stock photography modeling to be just as important as any other modeling discipline. It is easy to define in that it can be literally used for anything.

 

Stock photography modeling is used to ‘fill in’ or ‘round off’ publications and is used in many magazines where an article has been written about a given subject and they need an image to ‘fill in’ the space.

 

This can range from family photos to single high impact images. The scope is so huge and sometimes so specialized that it takes a professional agency such as North West Model Agency to match the model, the photographer and the assignment together.

 

Publications can also include adverts, websites, brochures. The list is almost limited to the imagination of the marketing department. The advantage stock photography modeling has over other forms is the lack of height, age, or weight restrictions. This makes it an ideal career for girls who do not fit the “sample” size required by fashion houses.

 

Remember that stock photography modeling can include just about anything. There are plenty of stock photography websites out there on the internet, have a look and you will see the sheer range of possibilities to get you going.

 

Technology in Stock Photography Modeling

With the onset of digital photography it is possible to get very high definition (commonly called Ultra High Quality or UHQ) stock photos almost instantly.

 

Because North West Model Agency use the most up to date technology UHQ Editorial photos turn around can be very quick. Combine this with North West Model Agency’s state of the art graphic studio, images can be blended, altered and emailed for a printed or online publication in minutes.

 

North West Model Agency’s studio can also deal with new media and the internet. This is the fastest growing area of Editorial modeling, and one which many ‘old school’ models and photographers do not understand. North West Model Agency can guide you through the advantages of having an online portfolio and how to promote your image. It’s to our advantage that we make our models as well known as possible!

 

Pitfalls of Stock Photography Modeling

Make sure your modeling agency and photographer are reputable. North West Model Agency vets it’s photographers before using them and will insist upon a client brief (so you know what you will be doing) before shoots and a chaperone during shoots.

 

Also be aware that many modeling agencies will charge you to make a portfolio on the pretence of work, though they never have any intention of giving you any assignments.

 

North West Model Agency will not charge you for a stock photography portfolio. They may refer you on to a preferred professional photographer if you wish to have stock photography added.

 

Stock photography modeling competition is not as intense as other modeling professions, though the gains are not usually as good. We will assign you to the most suitable role and will always make sure you are comfortable with the assignment before you undertake it. Editorial modeling is a good place to start when modeling as it allows you to ‘cut your teeth’ in an industry.

 

We ask all our models to fill out a North West Model Agency Feedback form when they have completed an assignment, so we constantly monitor our clients and models expectations.

 

As with all modeling stock photography modeling is not easy. North West Model Agency advises all want to be stock photography models to really think about the lifestyle it involves. Travel is inevitable though sometimes great fun. Although the ideal place for an assignment is a warm studio or a sunny beach it is always worth remembering that some of the best shots out there were taken on a cold day with bad weather looming.

 

Future of Stock Photography Modeling

North West Model Agency believes the future of stock photography modeling lies very much in cyber space. It is a growth industry and looks set to keep on growing.

 

Stock photography modeling is changing, make no mistake it has to if it is to survive. Stock photography modeling has languished in the prehistoric age for far too long. This can be partially attributed to the industry being formed on the old print press method of publication (calendars, magazines, tabloids). It is no secret that print is in decline and many modeling agencies are missing out on the new media and an increase in broadband access.

 

North West Model Agency is highly experienced in online promotion and the use of photographic material on the internet.

 

North West Model Agency’s one stop shop approach to stock photography modeling is a fantastic starting point for potential and experienced stock photography models alike.

 

Conclusion

If you’re fun loving, outgoing, and cannot do (or simply not interested) in other forms of modeling it is possible make a career from stock photography modeling.

 

North West Model Agency’s approach is honest and open, but remember that you’ll need to have a thick skin to survive in stock photography modeling.

 

If you are interested in stock photography modeling and you want to experience the future of Editorial modeling then visit North West Model Agency’s website at www.northwestmodelagency.co.uk

Leva Duell asked:


Choosing the right images for your ebook is important to convey the message you want. Stock photography is an effective tool for your ebook covers.

Here are some tips to help you find and choose stock photos.

1. Photography agencies have many selections. Stock photography is more cost effective than custom photography and will work for most ebook covers.

2. Be flexible. Don’t expect to find the exact image you want. For example, if you provide information about home schooling, you may want to find an image of a women with a child. The images you’ll find may not be the size, color, or position you’re looking for and the child may not be the right age for your topic. Determine what message you want to convey. Then search for an image that conveys that message. If you don’t find the right image, you may want to take your own pictures with a digital camera or hire a photographer.

3. Use a free comp image to try out the image. Most stock agencies offer a free comp image for position only so that you can try it and see if it’s going to work for your purpose.

4. Buy the size and resolution you need. Don’t pay more than you need to. So don’t pay for 300 dpi resolution when you only need 72 dpi resolution for an ebook cover image.

5. If you don’t find what you need, contact the web site. They may have images that are not featured on the site.

6. Know how to search. Try different keywords. If you are looking for a women in the woods, try keywords like “women woods, women trees, women forest.”

7. Consider combining two or more images. Sometimes you have to put two or more images on top of each other to create the image you want. You can use a graphic program to do this. In the example above, you may find a great image of a forest without a women. You may want to put a picture of a women on top of the forest image.

8. Check the “Terms of Use.” Some sites only allow you to use their images for personal use, while others allow commercial use (which is what you will want for your ebook that you are selling). Other sites let each contributor of the images determine what kinds of usage will be allowed. If you’re using the image for an extended period of time, you may have to pay every year.

Adding a quality ebook image representing your book or software topic is one of the easiest ways to instantly increase your credibility and sales.

R. Dodge Woodson asked:


What is Stock Photography?

R. Dodge Woodson

What is stock photography? To many photographers it is a path to profits. Other photographers find it to be a hole of frustration. Realistically, stock photography is somewhere between these two extremes.

There are three ways to look at stock photography. The first is the view that photographers have of it. Stock agencies will see stock photography differently.  Buyers of stock photos are sure to have their own impression of what stock photography is.

I am assuming that most readers here will be looking at stock agencies through the viewfinder of a photographer. Still, to be successful at stock photography you will need to understand all three angles of the business.

All three views share some common elements. We will start with these shared views as stock photography secrets are revealed.

Is Stock Photography A True Business?

Is stock photography a real business? Many people involved in it will agree that it is very much a business. Some photographers see it as a place to warehouse their mediocre photos. For them, the business element is unlikely to come into play.

Stock photography consists of existing photographs that can be used for various purposes ranging from advertising to educational uses. The concept for buyers is that it is much less expensive to buy a stock photo than it is to commission a photographer for a specific assignment to create similar photos.

Stock Photography As Seen By Buyers

Stock photography is very appealing to buyers. This has never been more true. The creation and growth of micro stock agencies have changed the face of stock photography for everyone involved.

I entered the stock photo arena back in the old days. You know, back when photos were taken with the use of film. Now we have digital cameras, electronic photo manipulators, and micro stock agencies. Old grey beards, like me, can feel very intimidated by all of the changes in the business.

Back in the film days it was common for stock agencies to send out original slides for potential buyers to review. Now photos are uploaded and emailed and shown in online galleries. The selling process is very different. Stock photography today is instant gratification.

It used to be important to choose an agency that was well known and that had strong connections in the buying world. This is still true, but it is not nearly as important as it used to be. Now if you can get your photos to come up in searches on the Internet, sales can be made. Hell, you don’t even need an agent these days.

Buyers are looking for specific types of photos. They don’t care if they come from a photographer or a stock agency. If you have the picture that the buyer wants, you have the power.

We will talk more about agencies in a later chapter. This chapter is meant as an overview, not a detailed description of what your options are and how to take advantage of them.

In short, buyers are looking for high-quality photos of specific subject matter that can be licensed for a reasonable fee. It boils down to the picture and the money. There is no loyalty between buyers and stock agencies. Yes, times have changed.

I just finished writing a new e-book that is a Book Buster entitled: Sensible Stock Photography: Secrets Revealed. I have been a stock photographer for about 30 years, so I have a bit of experience to share with people new to the business.

What Are The Basic Goals Of Stock Agencies?

Stock agencies exist to make money. Few agency owners do what they do as a hobby. It is all about the cash. If you can make money for an agency, they will be interested in you and your work.

There are many differences between agencies which we will discuss later. For now, it is enough to simplify the issue by saying that agencies what to represent photos that will sell often and for high prices. You can bet your best lens that agencies see what they do as a business.

Stock Photographers

Stock photographers come in many forms. Some are more serious than others. Photographers often look at stock sales as beer and peanut money. Other photographers make their entire living shooting and selling stock photos.

What type of stock photographer do you want to be? How much money do you want to make from your photos? Will you be happy to see your photos published even if you don’t make a lot of money? Since this book is expected to be of the most interest to photographers we will spend more time on this topic.

What do you want?

What do you want from your stock photography? Is your main goal to see your work in print? How important is the income from stock sales to you? Only you can answer these questions, and they must be answered.

If you are looking to make a lot of money, you should look at other means of income. It is surely possible to make big bucks with stock sales, but far more photographers make less rather than more.

Stock photography can provide many things to photographers. The list below identifies some of them:

A goal to shoot for Something worthwhile to do with your photos A source of unknown and unlimited income Critical assessments to make you a better photographer A chance to see more of your work published Legitimacy for your camera business tax deductions The excitement of being notified of a sale that you didn’t know about The hope of  using stock photography income as part of your retirement The thrill of competition

There are, of course, other benefits to be had from stock photography. You will know what is right for you when you try it.

An Opportunity

Stock photography is an open opportunity for all photographers. Your existing credentials don’t count. It doesn’t matter if your name is famous in the industry, although this never hurts. As long as you can produce high-quality photos on a consistent basis, you can be a stock photographer.

It used to be common to be an exclusive photographer for one agency. This type of arrangement still exists, but it is now common for photographers to be represented by multiple agencies at the same time. This can increase sales considerably. Most photographers in the digital age choose non-exclusive representation.

Themes

Some themes sell better than others for stock photographers. I love to shoot macro photos, nature, and wildlife subjects. These types of photos are sometimes purchased from stock agencies, but they are far from the best-selling categories.

Weddings are usually the main moneymaker for local photographers. People photos are the key producers in the stock market. Models have to sign releases, but the work can be simple, easy to plan, and you can produce a high volume of photos in a short time.

Photos that can be used as backgrounds for advertisements are another popular seller through agencies. These can be anything from photos of clouds in the sky to colored pebbles. Creative photographers excel at these pictures.

Food is a very popular seller with most agencies. Shooting a bowl of fruit in a studio might not be your idea of glamorous photography, but it can pay the bills quite handsomely.

Objects are another fairly popular category. This could be a jar of candy, a hammer, or a toaster. Avoid trademarks in this type of photography. If it exists, there may be a request for a picture of it at some time.

It’s What You Make of It.

Stock photography is what you make it. Some photographers consider it a waste of time. A lot of photographers use it for supplemental income. Photographers occasionally make great livings shooting stock. What will you make of it? Well, your feelings now may change considerably by the time you finish this rare, unveiled look at what stock photography really is and what it means to photographers.

John M. Lund asked:


I firmly believe that now is the most exciting time ever to be a photographer, and to be shooting stock.  There are more tools and more opportunities than ever before. The playing field has been leveled.  The demand for images, and consequently stock photography, is exploding. 

Of course, there is more competition than ever before, a glut of photography in the market place, and tremendous downward pressure on prices.  Still,

over all, I believe the opportunities outweigh the difficulties.  Let’s take a look at some ways to get a stock career going in these exciting times. 

To succeed in stock photography think long term

There isn’t a professional photographer I know who doesn’t look back at his early work and cringe at least a little bit.  I know that while there are images from early in my career that I am still proud of, there are definitely images that are embarrassing.  Even now there are at least four images in my Getty collection that I actually wish they would take down.  Oh well.  To actually be able to earn a living from stock is going to require a significant body of work.  That will take time to build up. While you’re building up your body of work there are other, at least in my opinion, important steps to take.  

Create a web presence 

Get a web site up to showcase your work.  Optimize for the search engines.  There is no doubt in my mind that there people looking for stock photos will increasingly be looking for and finding stock pictures on the web sites of individuals as well as agencies.  I personally am preparing for that by migrating my images on to my site and providing links to the agencies that carry them.  If you want to, or need to, market and license your images yourself there is an increasing array of tools to help with that process.  It is getting easier and easier. 

Create images that are needed 

Study the market to find out where the holes are.  I am guessing that the market does not need a lot of businessmen on cell phones.  But there are plenty of images that the market does need.  Find those holes and fill them with images that you have passion about shooting. Study the images are used in magazines, on book covers, bus shelters and on the web.  

Search the web and search on the agencies to see where there is a need for images.  Put yourself in the shoes of someone looking for an image to advertise your business.  Just yesterday I put myself in the shoes of a business owner and searched to see what I could find.  I started out imagining myself as the owner of a dry cleaning business.  I came to the realization that, at least in my mind, there is a definite need for images in that business sector.  

It is amazing that with the unfathomable number of images out there, the number of "holes" is so encouraging!  Also, there is always a need for concept images such as "teamwork", "success", "standing out from the crowd" and others that are new and different.  You can’t go wrong with quality concept images. 

Focus on Quality 

Quantity is important, but quality is more important.  Quality content is increasingly vital.  In the early days of stock quality was not an issue.  It is now.  Recently, Yuri Arcurs, the world’s top micro stock shooter, who has also been shooting traditional stock for a year now, told me that he believes shooting successful micro stock is more difficult than shooting for traditional stock, that the standards are actually higher.  Whether that is true or not, the quality bar has been setting awfully high.  Consider it your job to raise that bar even higher. 

Slow and steady wins the race 

As you create your quality, relevant, images, submit them to agencies, post them on your own site, optimize that site, and stick to it.  Like the tortoise and the hare, one day you will wake up and realize that all the time and effort have been worth it.  You will be your own boss, can work from anywhere at what you love to do, and have an income stream that is only limited by your willingness to do what it takes.