A good stock image is one that many designers will buy to use in their projects. It has versatility and longevity, and it features a subject that supports many different messages. That’s the simplest way to put it, but making photos that fall into this category is not simple at all.
First of all, it is important to distinguish between a good photography and a good stock image. You’ve captured a pretty sunset that will always remind you of that trip to Hawaii, or a shot of your baby daughter eating her very first slice of melon, and those pictures have a personal significance for you and your family. That’s great, but it’s not necessarily good stock.
One could argue that all commercial photography is about storytelling, but with stock there is another factor that plays in as well: usefulness. You will want images that are useful for illustrating many different stories, rather than just one. As a rule of thumb, snapshots are not very useful for this, though they may help jog your own memory down the line. There will be the occasional exception of course, but I see a lot of new stock photographers, who start out by uploading snapshots they’ve taken without having had buyers in mind when they clicked the button.
So, how do you avoid falling into this trap? Instead of uploading whatever is on your memory card, take the time to set up actual stock-shooting photosessions, like the excercise mentioned in the post about props. Focus on trying to come up with useful imagery that can support a designer’s message.
In order to do this, you will need to train your mind to think in terms of looking for stories. The best thing you can do, is to take a look at a photo and ask yourself what stories this picture could tell. If it’s one of your own shots, you may want to show it to someone else and ask them that same question. If you know any designers personally, sit down with them and go through some of your images together. You might find that your images are already more useful than you thought. Different people see different things in the same images.
Analyzing your work in this way, also helps when keywording your photos, which in turn will help more designers find the image thus generating more sales for you. Be careful though, that you don’t try to squeeze meaning into an image that isn’t really there. When you think you see a story in your photo, but you still have to explain it to others, chances are you’re overanalyzing. You don’t have to find every little hint of a message in your shots for them to be good or to sell well. It is better to focus on a single theme and build on that, than to try and cover everything, every time you shoot.
You as an Art Director
Commercial photographers often work with art directors, who basically lay down the requirements of the shoot. The art director is in charge of the planning and overall feel of the final result, leaving the photographer free to focus on the actual execution. When it comes to shooting stock, you are doing both of these jobs. You cannot become a succesful stock photographer, if you ignore the planning and preparation and just want to do the shooting. Simple as that.
First step is to seek out inspiration. Sit down with your favorite magazines and look at the ads there, looking for themes and stories in the photos you see. Buy some books with examples of commercial photography and study those. Oftentimes they will come with notes about the images and the shoots during which they were taken. Once you feel inspired, it’s time to come up with a theme of your own.
I find it helpful to sit down with a notebook and do a little brainstorming. Even if the shoot I am going to do is a small one that doesn’t require a lot of physical preparation, having a mental image of the result I want is a tremendous help. You can make your stock images more useful by keeping the themes a little on the general side, so I try not to be too specific at this point. At the top of my page, I will put down the theme I want to brainstorm. Let us say: Eveningtime at home
What are the first images that come to mind? A happy couple snuggling on the couch, watching a movie togehter? A family dinner? Perhaps a father and son playing a board game? There are too many possibilities for just one shoot. Time to narrow it down a bit.
Looking for something that would be fairly simple to set up, I decide that I am going to go with just one model – a young woman. So, what would a single, young woman be doing at home in the evening? She could be reading a book, calling a friend on the phone or enjoying a glass of red wine while chatting with some guy online. Maybe she has a cat or enjoys knitting. I think about the stereotypes and what other things that share this theme (time to watch Bridget Jones and take notes). All of the shots mentioned here are easy enough to do and can all be fit into a single session. Add to that a couple of headshots of her smiling at the camera, looking out the window or lighting a candle and you’ll have at least 10-15 good, different and useful photos for your portfolio.
I actually haven’t done this particular shoot, but just used it as an example. So feel free to kick your iStock portfolio off with it, and you can buy me a beer some day, if the shots take off and make you rich.
Examples from my Own Work
Three themes I have shot in the past are ”Relationship Trouble”, ”The Detective” and ”Cozy Winter”. The first of those involved two of my friends, who agreed to act the part of the troubled partners. The shoot was very small and impromptu and took only about half an hour to do. We did not add any costumes or special props but did everything based on the emotional theme. I tried to compose the shots in a way, so that the angles and depth would help the models along.
I have already mentioned the Detective shoot, and this was very much a theme that all came down to the props and location. It was the props that helped the model get into character and bleak parkinglots, dirty alleys and crowded streets added the ambience. We moved around from place to place and spent most of the day shooting.
Finally, for the Cozy Winter theme, I shot my better half against a plain white background, dressing her up in pink and white winter clothing already in her wardrobe and making her look all cozy and happy. Goofing around helped lighten the mood and brought out the genuine smiles I wanted.
Big or small sessions alike, the fact that there is at least some amount of planning makes all the difference. You certainly don’t have to script everything out in advance, although I know some photographers who do and have long lists of specific poses and lighting setups down before ever picking up the camera, but at the very least, you need to have some general idea of what you want. From there, it’s easy enough to do variations over the chosen theme whether through the use of props, locations, alternative angles (try standing on a chair and shoot from above) or whatever else you can think of.
If you look at my three themes presented here, you will see that each one has images that fall a little outside the original idea. The whole point of this post is to make you think about what you’re shooting and encourage you to plan ahead. If you happen to shoot something that works during a session, though it may not fall into your original plan, go ahead an upload it anyway. The fact that you were in a stock frame of mind, will most likely take your picture out of the snapshot category anyway. When it all comes down to it, only your own imagination sets the limit.
This post is part 6 in a series about my experiences with stock photography, tips and pointers, meant to offer a little inspiration to those interested in such things. The next episode will be a talk about the two main types of stock imagery. For a complete and chronological list of articles, check out the Microstock Photographer’s Guide.
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