Olympic Fuel Tip #6 – 3 Tips from of a Stock Photo Insider
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The Right Way to Travel
August 23, 2008 - “Olympic Fuel” Tip #6
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Shelly Perry here, again, with your “Olympic Fuel” tip of the day.
I’m a stock photographer, but I also work as a photo inspector for istock.com. That means it’s up to me to decide which photos make the cut.
I see a lot of photos come through -- good and bad. Some photographers understand the ingredients that go into a stock-worthy shot… and their photos sell hundreds to thousands of times over.
Like Lise Gagne, for instance. When she started taking photos she didn't have any experience to speak of and her camera was a cheap pawnshop point-and-shoot.
But she systematically worked at figuring out the keys to taking shots that sell. Now she's the top-selling photographer at iStockphoto -- with 735,732 image sales and counting. She makes well over $200,000 a year from her stock images.
Yet for every photographer who, like Lise, understands the fundamentals of a winning photo, there are two or three who miss the mark more often than not, struggling to get their photos accepted, much less sold.
If you’d like to follow in Lise’s footsteps, here are three tips to put you on the right path…
STOCK INSPECTOR’S TOP 3 PHOTO-SAVING ELEMENTS:
** 1. Good composition with a dominant subject. Believe it or not, you would be hard pressed to find a subject in some of the image submissions I see. Make sure you know who or what your subject is and then compose your shot around it. Composition can make or break an image.
** 2. Focus. There is no need to always shoot in f-22 so you have focus throughout the image... but even with a shallow depth of field, where parts of the photo will be blurry, there should be an area of clear focus in every photograph you submit for stock.
** 3. Proper lighting. Lighting is the real key to photography, and the better you can get at recognizing good lighting and making it happen in your photos, the better off your shots will be. Most importantly, avoid the noon-day sun and strong, mixed or dappled lighting -- such as shade from a tree with sun shining through in spots between the leaves.
[Ed. Note: Photo opportunities exist everywhere. On the roadside... at work... while talking with friends... It just takes a certain eye to turn those opportunities into profits.
It isn’t difficult. It’s simply a matter of paying attention to a handful of key fundamentals. It took Lise Gagne a few years to figure them out for herself. But she just comes out and tells you her secrets on our 2008 Ultimate Photo Workshop-at-Home Package.
Recorded at our Austin workshop this past January, you’ll hear not only from Lise, but from Shelly Perry, too, along with a whole host of other photo experts. And in addition to the keys for succeeding with stock, you’ll also learn about shooting for at least five other markets you may never have even considered before.
We’re about to closeout this product and take it out of our catalog for good. But until then -- during our Summer Olympics Sale -- we’ve slashed the price by more than 60%. So it’s now or never for this deal. If you’re ready to set yourself up to be a six-figure stock-photographer, grab your discount here, while you still can. ]
Or browse our Summer Olympics Sale catalog for more photo resources here.]
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The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.
(c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
memberservices@awaionline.com
To LEARN MORE, visit:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com
http://www.thephotographerslife.com
The Right Way to Travel
August 23, 2008 - “Olympic Fuel” Tip #6
*************************
Shelly Perry here, again, with your “Olympic Fuel” tip of the day.
I’m a stock photographer, but I also work as a photo inspector for istock.com. That means it’s up to me to decide which photos make the cut.
I see a lot of photos come through -- good and bad. Some photographers understand the ingredients that go into a stock-worthy shot… and their photos sell hundreds to thousands of times over.
Like Lise Gagne, for instance. When she started taking photos she didn't have any experience to speak of and her camera was a cheap pawnshop point-and-shoot.
But she systematically worked at figuring out the keys to taking shots that sell. Now she's the top-selling photographer at iStockphoto -- with 735,732 image sales and counting. She makes well over $200,000 a year from her stock images.
Yet for every photographer who, like Lise, understands the fundamentals of a winning photo, there are two or three who miss the mark more often than not, struggling to get their photos accepted, much less sold.
If you’d like to follow in Lise’s footsteps, here are three tips to put you on the right path…
STOCK INSPECTOR’S TOP 3 PHOTO-SAVING ELEMENTS:
** 1. Good composition with a dominant subject. Believe it or not, you would be hard pressed to find a subject in some of the image submissions I see. Make sure you know who or what your subject is and then compose your shot around it. Composition can make or break an image.
** 2. Focus. There is no need to always shoot in f-22 so you have focus throughout the image... but even with a shallow depth of field, where parts of the photo will be blurry, there should be an area of clear focus in every photograph you submit for stock.
** 3. Proper lighting. Lighting is the real key to photography, and the better you can get at recognizing good lighting and making it happen in your photos, the better off your shots will be. Most importantly, avoid the noon-day sun and strong, mixed or dappled lighting -- such as shade from a tree with sun shining through in spots between the leaves.
[Ed. Note: Photo opportunities exist everywhere. On the roadside... at work... while talking with friends... It just takes a certain eye to turn those opportunities into profits.
It isn’t difficult. It’s simply a matter of paying attention to a handful of key fundamentals. It took Lise Gagne a few years to figure them out for herself. But she just comes out and tells you her secrets on our 2008 Ultimate Photo Workshop-at-Home Package.
Recorded at our Austin workshop this past January, you’ll hear not only from Lise, but from Shelly Perry, too, along with a whole host of other photo experts. And in addition to the keys for succeeding with stock, you’ll also learn about shooting for at least five other markets you may never have even considered before.
We’re about to closeout this product and take it out of our catalog for good. But until then -- during our Summer Olympics Sale -- we’ve slashed the price by more than 60%. So it’s now or never for this deal. If you’re ready to set yourself up to be a six-figure stock-photographer, grab your discount here, while you still can. ]
Or browse our Summer Olympics Sale catalog for more photo resources here.]
*************************
The Right Way to Travel is a FREE newsletter from the American Writers & Artists Inc., available to AWAI members and friends.
(c) 2008 American Writers & Artists Inc.
245 NE 4th Ave., Ste 102
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Phone (561) 278-5557
Fax (561) 278-5929
memberservices@awaionline.com
To LEARN MORE, visit:
http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com
http://www.thephotographerslife.com