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Do you brainstorm before going on a photoshoot? Do you mind-map and plan your sessions? If you’re going to sell your photos, doing these things is a must.

I freely admit it; sometimes I go the easy route. I improvise and wing it, and even like to think that doing so makes me smarter. That it somehow trains my brain, that I am forced to think on my feet. What it does is stimulate my imagination, and when I shoot pictures with no map, it almost becomes a game to me, a fight to be as creative as possible, using what I have. Most of the time, however, it is not necessarily the best way to get good photos. So after having learned this lesson (many times over), I now tend to do at least some preparation before attempting any kind of photography.

At the very least, I have the results of a simple brainstorm in the back of my mind. A simple creative exercise, where you make a list of free flowing ideas on a piece of paper, during which you will doubtlessly make new associations, form more ideas and discover new possibilities. Technically, you could probably do it on a computer, but I recommend using the old school method. The fact that it takes a little longer to write in hand, gives you an extra pause to let the thoughtprocess work its magic.

You may say this is beyond basic, and wonder why I am even wasting your time with this. If so, good for you and I do apologize. All I mean for, is to encourage all kinds of mental exercises to improve your work. From mind-maps to coaching. And I do so, because of what I see every day. In my work as an image inspector, I look at probably a thousand photographs every week, and especially among people who are just starting new microstock portfolios, there is a tendency to upload snapshots; photos that were shot without any pre-existing plan. A spur of the moment shot of a bee on a flower, a photo of that dinner that looked particularly delicious, the sunset, a tree-top, a dog or a toddler. I will see at least see ten or so of these on any given day, when I inspect photos for iStockphoto.

There is nothing wrong with good snapshots. If the result is as beautiful or cool, as you imagined it would be in the moment, when you clicked the button, that’s fantastic. But if you want to create a selling microstock portfolio, you have to go beyond this point. That’s why I suggest brainstorming and mind-mapping from day one, because only when you start to nurture your ideas, can you begin to establish your own style and brand. And when you have that, then you’ll begin to attract more attention from designers, looking for that particular style of photography.

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