If you are considering Microstock (and who isn't with the current state of the stock industry !0
Then you should really read my checklist on Squidoo.
It gives a few ideas on what not to do and 72 links to Microstock sites/discussions/forums.
As you know I have my own growing Microstock site and that is quite encouraging.
That's at
http://www.digifotostock.comThe Squidoo Page is at :
http://www.squidoo.com/microstockchecklist/Do join Squidoo - it's great fun and you can add lots of links.
(and no I don't get a commission for sending you there !)
Have a browse around - there's a world of knowledge out there for you ....
Keith
1 : Run Google Search for Microstock companies
2: List these and check them out on forums.
3: get terms of business from most likely one and READ IT CAREFULLY.
4: Look through their subject that you may have similar stocks of yourself
5: Be honest and compare your to theirs.
6: Assemble cd of your best work.
7: join microstock library.
8: Upload your samples.
9: email and tell them you did it !
10 await response.
Notes -
don't sign up with ANY Microstock outfit that demands exclusivity.
Ignore any that have three or more bad strikes against them from different people.
Make sure your work is colourful and sharp.
Make sure your shots are big enough - see terms. If they are too small they'll just get deleted.
Don't expect critique - if they take them then thats OK.
If you want a tutorial go to a Photo School.
Wait for the money to come in !
Labels: microstock, photography, pictures, selling photos, stock photos
How to Sell Microstock Photos by Keith Jones
First you need a decent digital camera - this should be at least 6 Mb file size.
The most important thing though is the subject.
People pictures are what is most needed by the market to illustrate websites and blogs.
(I'm currently shooting people pictures for this reason)
Business situations and family situations are what sells best.
Interaction between the people involved is the key to saleable pictures.
They should definitely be visually interacting with each other (even if its one person standing aggresively with their back to the other. Try looking at a decent book on Body Language.
Straight smiling headshots are also useful but a model release is ALWAYS required.
Children with pets (especially very young pets sell well.
Have a look at regular stock catalogues and you'll see what I mean.
Microstock is certainly the path of the future - with the availability of cheap online pictures, I forsee huge growth in this industry. From the photographers perspective though, the subscription model companies are a really awful deal - most of these offer the photographer just 25 cents a download and that's just a waste of time for photographers - yes I know there's one lady who managed to get over 200 thousand downloads ... but who else have you heard of in a similar situation ? (She by the way specialised in people pictures - mostly of her own children - a problem for anyone who doesn';t have children or can't afford model agency fees)
Both major stock photolibraries have gone into the Microstock business and I'd expect to see their photographers being persuaded into Microstock... at the cost of a loss in regular stock sales
That's just a guess on my part though - I have no insider information about that - it's just the way big companies think !
You may reprint this article on your website free of charge providing the box below is included.
Microstock Photography 1 by Keith Jones
Keith's Photography is at
http://www.digifotostock.com
The first thing I read this morning was Google's amazing offer of their beta version of their new TISP system.
Off I dashed to try out the system (I'm one of Google's BETA testers for the system)
Of course it really has problems with country locations such as mine.
As it seemed impossible to receive wireless broadband without the neccessary connecting equipment (see the Google.ie page for full details), I had to think a while.
Their new system works on a mains drainage connection and as we only have a fertilisation tank, I had to work out a viable alternative.
As you know I'm very green and already have the solar-powered electic drill and the electric windmill and spaniel-powered treadmill.
So when I went down to the beach at 7 o'clock I managed to catch two quite large rats and have fitted these with harnesses and inserted them into the fertilisation tank with cables attached and they have now run around the drain system of our house and I've managed to connect all of the outlets from the wc's to a central processing point in my study next to the stuffed aardvark.
Following their instructions carefully,I've only managed to get a 64k connection and this is intermittent as the lady upstairs insists on flushing the toilet every two hours.
Futhermore I'm getting constant feedback from the rats who have now eaten all the Bousin cheese in my fridge. I have tried pouring hefentrotter weissbeer into the toilet but this has not improved my broadband connection.
Do you think in the circumstances I should seek an exorcism as I (without adequate technical knowledge) think that at some point the foul devils that infest my modem may well have clogged up my bathplug.
In desperation I poured tile cement down the main toilet but this did not improve reception.
I had a similar experience with the solar powered candle that I bought from you last year at this time.
As to the vibrator that I purchased two years ago, I really think you should have mentioned in the instructions the need for strawberry jam and poitin ( a local version of moonshine)
After judicious libations of poitin I finally got the girlfriend down from the Church Steeple.
She had considerable problems kick-starting the vibrator and I think you really should have mentioned in the manual that it runs on Diesel rather than petrol.I also think you should have fitted an on/off switch. It took 2 hours for the fuel to run out.
I look forward to your next module with pleasure and expectation.
Please see below for return address
Keith
1st April 2007
