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If you want to build a microstock portfolio, you don’t have to shoot people. Many people think they have to, but if you prefer shooting other things, that’s exactly what you should be doing. And there’s a big market for these pictures as well. Architecture is great for real estate material, and tranquil landscapes or personal accessory still life shots are useful for spas and well-being brochures. Just to mention a couple.

Obviously, there is a huge difference between shooting landscapes and studio still life. Each has its own techniques and requires its own set of skills, but if we look at them from the perspective of a microstock photographer, they do have a few things in common. Here are five tips for shooting all sorts of photos with no people in them.

1. Start with a concept

Planning your shoots is the first step towards going from snapshooter to photographer. If you’re setting out to shoot landscapes or cityscapes, start by brainstorming the kinds of shots you want. You may want to think in terms of concepts as well as compositions. Consider what your location has to offer and try to imagine what kind of stories, you can tell with your photos. The more stories you can tell, the more useful the image will be. Concepts for outdoor photograpy could include things like “Tranquility in Nature”, “Rush Hour Traffic” or “First Home Real Estate”.

If you’re setting up a home studio and gathering props for still life, you are not bound by your location so much, as you are by these accessories. In this case, you will want to brainstorm before you go shopping. Make a theme for every session (such as “Back to School” or “Gardening Season”) and list all the props you can think of. Then scratch the ones that are too big to fit in your space or too expensive to purchase, simply for the sake of a photo shoot. Don’t forget that sometimes you have to spend money to make money, and if you end up buying something, you can’t really use, you can always give it to someone who can. Once you have a list of items, make a list of all the shots you can do with them. Chances are that some props will be more versatile than others, so you need your list of shot-ideas to prioritize which ones to get first.

2. Straighten the lines

One thing that almost all kinds of stock photographs have in common, is that they have a clean look to them, and when you’re shooting outdoors, getting that look can sometimes be challenging. However, there is help to be found in post processing. There are a number of tools you can use to straighten the lines in your photos, which will add a whole lot of cleanliness to your finished image.

What are the lines I am talking about? Horizons for one. If the horizon in your photo is slightly slanted (as opposed to straight or even “creatively angled”), it gives the photo a sloppy look. Like you weren’t really paying attention, when you were shooting it. Crookedness doesn’t always come from sloppy work though. Things like lens distortion (wide angle lenses have a tendency to bend things around the edges of the photo, yet they lend themselves well to landscapes because they are, well, wide) and where you were standing, when you took the picture, can play a part in how the lines look.

I have an article on iStockphoto about some of the tools you can use to fix the problems with crooked lines.

3. Watch your scale

So, you went to the Grand Canyon and took some photos. Good for you. However, it is very likely that the vastness of the landscape is lost, because there is nothing small in the photo to compare it to. Just like those really tight macro shots, where they put a match in so you can see how tiny the subject really is, the same goes for huge and vast subjects. You have to have something that shows the viewer of the photo, what size we are talking about. If there’s a small house nearby, an abandoned car or something else that has a size we all know and can relate to, then try to include that in your photo.

If you are shooting something really small, and you don’t want to toss a match into your picture, consider other things, that might show the actual size. An espresso cup looks just like any other coffee cup, but if you add a few beans around it, it becomes obvious that it’s actually smaller than a normal cup. Items to scale with is something else to include in your planning, when you’re brainstorming your next session.

4. Get creative

Let’s face it. Anyone can take a picture of a sunset or of a stack of books. And tons of people do all the time. So, if you want to stand out, you gotta get your hands dirty. When you’re thinking up new shoots, don’t hold yourself back. List everything and anything, that might make your take on whatever the subject is unique. It might be a combination of lighting and props, location and props or different angles than usual.

Using color is a great way to make your pictures stand out. Whether it’s in the form of colored light or how the background and foreground compliment each other. You can also tweak your lighting in post processing, which can add all sorts of dramatic effects (just don’t overdo it - nobody likes an over filtered image).

5. Watch for logos

You would be surprised to learn how many things are either trademarked or copyright protected. You can take a picture of the Eiffel Tower and upload it to your portfolio. But if it’s night and the lights are on it, you can’t, beause the lighting is protected from commercial use without a special license. You want to take a picture of an open bottle of wine? Excellent, just as long as you know that in all likelihood, the little decorative symbol on the side of the cork is copyrighted. Interior decoration shots can be awesome - but make sure you take all the art off the walls before shooting. Skylines? Lots of skyscrapers have logos on the top.

There are protected bits and pieces everywhere these days and it’s your responsibility to make sure, you have the right to use whatever you shoot commercially. I highly recommend doing a little research, if you think your subject might be protected. Google it and check out any related and official websites. If there is a phone number you might want to give them a call and ask about royalty free use of your subject.

If there is artwork in your shots, you might be able to secure a property release from the artist (not whoever bought the artwork, copyright will be with the original creator), allowing you to use it in your photo. Another way to deal with this issue, is to only shoot generic brand and vintage stuff. But don’t limit yourself to these, just because you’re too lazy to do the research or too afraid of a lawsuit. If you do shoot something with a logo in it, chances are that the image inspectors will catch it and send the image back to you for logo removal.

Set Yourself Apart

The great thing about microstock is that anyone can do it, but not everyone will be equally successful. What makes the difference between those who try and those who succeed, is taking your work beyond just shooting and uploading. Putting a little thought and a little effort before, during and after the actual shoot can help set you apart from the masses. It’s really not so much about gear as it is about originality. Therefore, and I think, I’ve mentioned this before as well, the best thing you can do in preperation for any shoot, is to check out what’s already out there.

Check out what sells and (just as importantly) what doesn’t, so you know what works and what to avoid. Just remember to not copy other photographers. Give things your own twist and end up with a unique, useful and original product.

This post is part 13 in a series about my experiences with stock photography, tips and pointers, meant to offer a little inspiration to those interested in such things. Next up: A closer look at shooting and directing models for stock-type portraits. For a complete and chronological list of articles and a lovely donation-button, check out the Microstock Photographer’s Guide.

Getting started as a microstock photographer can be an intimidating task. In this introduction to portfolio building, I will attempt to touch on all the most important basics and give you a good start. Some of the aspects of this topic have already been covered in previous posts and others will be in the posts to come. So, think of the following, as sort of a checklist or recap to help you get started.

One thing you must do, no matter if you’re beginner or a seasoned stock photogrpaher, is to keep those pictures coming. Stagnated portfolios will experience dropping sales, which can eat away your motivation and even kill your microstock career completely. Aim for uploading new images every single week, even if it’s just a couple. Here is why: Search results are often sorted by age, listing the latest images first. If all your images are old, they will get buried. If you’ve got just one image on the first page, there’s a chance that a designer will click on that and from there to the rest of your portfolio. A continuous stream of fresh imagery will get you noticed and generate more sales for your entire collection.

Measuring the success of a microstock portfolio can be hard to do. In the end, it depends on your own expectations, but a good, achievable goal to aim for is one monthly download per photo in your portfolio. It probably won’t spread out evenly across your all your active photos, but you will have big sellers that will make up for the non-movers and even things out in the end. There are quite a few photographers who sell much more than 1-to-1, but don’t expect to achieve this ratio right off the bat. In all likelihood, your sales won’t truly stabilize until you find a niche. Once you’ve successfully held up this ratio for a few months months straight, you can start setting your goals higher.

Finding Your Niche

There is no doubt about it: Specialized photographers sell more images. When designers get to know your work and your niche, chances are they will come to you first, when looking for a photo in your particular genre, and when that happens, you’ve successfully established yourself as a stock photographer, beating out the competition by building a brand name of your own. But don’t try to figure out which genre will sell better. There really is a market for all sorts of images, as long as they are well executed. Instead, shoot what you love shooting and turn your passion into what you’re known for. Not only will it make you a happier photographer, but the passion will come across in your work as well.

But let’s take a step back for a second and ask, how you find out what you love to shoot. Most photographers only have a vague idea of this at first and need to dabble a bit, before finding their niche. When you’re first starting out, dabbling is exactly what I recommend: Actively seeking out variation and experimenting with different genres and styles. Do different series from senior portraits to landscapes, macros to architecture, animals to abstracts. Soon you will discover that ideas come more easily to you with some subjects than others, and don’t be surprised, if you discover that you really love something, you’d never even tried shooting before.

Personally, I love shooting portraits and working with models, because each session is a new challenge, and I enjoy the interaction and how my direction is interpreted by the person, I am working with. Others enjoy the total control and perfection they can get from still life photography. It’s all about what suits your personality.

Whether you like one or the other, I would definitely recommend working with models at an early stage. If you need practice to build up the courage to ask strangers to model (not to mention signing a model release), start by shooting your friends and family. They may not look like the models in your favorite magazine, but the truth is that most stock models don’t and that there is a huge market for normal looking people out there.

Why work with models? Because it is one of the major hurdles new photographers have to get over. Many new shooters have apprehensions when it comes to shooting people, and simply by crossing that threshold, you have taken another step in finding confidence. And having confidence in your work will help you grow.

Crunching Numbers

Never be picky when you’re shooting. Try everything that pops into your head and shoot it in as many ways, you can think of. Sometimes, you will end up with a lucky shot or get that whole learning-by-doing experience. Being picky about what you upload however, is extremely important when building a portfolio. If your series have a lot of images that look very similar, you might actually hurt your portfolio. By all means, you should provide a varied selection, so designers have something to choose from, but be careful you don’t overdo it. You don’t want to confuse the designer by making it hard for them to pick (which will likely lead to them going elsewhere).

So, to get you started, try the following rule: Don’t upload more than one in ten images from the same shoot. Even if you changed things up a lot, switched outfits, locations and props. One in ten is your limit. Later on, you’ll most likely get even pickier, but since you’re still learning, allowing yourself a little leeway is a good thing.

Expect that half of everything you upload will get rejected at first. Half is pretty common for new photographers, who are still learning what makes good stock and lives up to the technical standards.

In other words: You shoot 200 pictures in a short session, upload 20 and have 10 accepted. It may not sound like much, but you can easily shoot 200 shots in an hour, and if just one of your shots is a hit, it could end up earning you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Remember that these numbers are based on an average beginner’s uploads and approval rate. As you improve and the quality of your work gets higher, so will the number of accepted files and the sales per image.

Process Your Images

Too many new photographers do not process their images beyond transferring them from their memory card to their computers, but no post processing means a duller image, because all cameras have a tendency to lack contrast and color intensity, both of which would help make your images pop out on search result pages. It will look more like just another snapshot and less like a professional photograph, if you don’t do any post processing, and even if it should pass image inspection, it will very likely go unnoticed and drown among the thousands of other (and better) images available. So write this on a piece of paper and tack it to your wall: Never upload unprocessed photos as stock.

Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) is the way to go, and yes, if you’ve never worked with these tools before, they can be confusing or even downright scary. Don’t let that hold you back. Instead, take comfort in the fact, that you really only need to do a bare minimum of processing. Adjusting contrast and colors is all you really need, though taking it a step further and touching up things like skin certainly won’t hurt your sales.

Later on, I will cover the basics in greater detail, but I strongly recommend going beyond what I offer here. Post processing requires practice like any other skill, and the best thing you can do is to take classes or get some tutoring. When I finally got around to taking actual classes, I had been using Photoshop for years, yet I still learned something new every single time. If you have no access to a personal mentor, get yourself a book or two, subscribe to relevant podcasts and check out a few magazines. But most importantly: Practice and play around.

One tip I can give you right now is to process similar images at the same time. If you shot a still life and have a bunch of pictures with basically the same lighting and setup, processing them simultaneously will give them a more unified look and feel, and equally important, it will speed up the overall process and help you get your images ready for upload faster.

Get Organized

If you don’t already have a system in place, getting your archives organized is a very good idea. It seems there are as many ways of doing this, as there are photographers, but the basic things you will want your archive to do is: Help you keep track of what you’ve got and when you got it, what you’ve already processed and uploaded, and what has yet to be worked on. As your shoots get larger, you might not finish processing everything before you have a new session going, and you will end up with unprocessed material from the previous shoot. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be itching to get some of this new stuff up. The only downside to that is, that without proper archiving, you might lose track of those older shots, you were going to upload or confuse them with images that have already been uploaded.

I have a folder for every year and within that, a folder for every photosession. I name these folders with a shoot number and a keyword or two, to help me remember what’s inside the folder, without having to open it to take a look. I keep all my RAW files inside these folders.

When I finish a new session, I immediately do a rough sort using Adobe Bridge (you could use things like Adobe Lightroom, Aperture or any other image organizer). At this point, I pick images from the thumbnail alone, looking only at composition and lighting. Bridge allows me to color label my images, so I apply a yellow label to all the potential images I see, and then set it to show me only those images. If there are too many that look the same, I will sort through those, removing the yellow label from the less interesting or otherwise inferior ones.

Once I have a nice, varied selection of yellow-label photos, I check them all out at 100% and discard any that don’t have good enough focus or suffer from other technical problems. At this point, all I am left with is the cream of the crop, based on composition, lighting, variation and detail quality. Now, I can start processing.

As I finish and upload images, I change the color label to green for images that were accepted and red for ones that didn’t make it. If I need to save an image half-way through processing, I will label it blue, to show that it’s a work in progress.

I keep the finished jpg-files in a seperate archive, also organized by year, but with no sub-folders beyond that. Only photos that actually made it into my stock portfolio live here, rejected images are put in a seperate Folder of Shame. Even if images are later deactivated from my portfolio, I keep them in my jpg-archives as a testament to how my skills have improved, since I originally uploaded the image.

Occasionally culling your online portfolio is, as I have mentioned before, a good idea. There will come a time, when your early work suddenly seems embarrassingly bad, compared to your current skill level, or you’ll have older images that never got any sales. Getting rid of these will give your portfolio an overall facelift, making it more streamlined and appealing to those who browse it. But by all means, keep a copy of everything for yourself.

This post is part 11 in a series about my experiences with stock photography, tips and pointers, meant to offer a little inspiration to those interested in such things. Next up: Five photo sessions to get you started. For a complete and chronological list of articles, check out the Microstock Photographer’s Guide.