If you’ve ever taken a class on photography, you’ve likely heard about the Rule of Thirds, leading lines, and framing. These are all important techniques to make your photos look… well… better. But, just last month, I asked nine magazine editors what they want in photos and they said something different. They said what they want is a unique perspective.
So here’s how to do that and make more sales…
Shoot from down low: My all-time best-selling stock photo is this shot of tulips that I took on a cloudy day:
To get this, I lay right down on the ground and shot up through the flowers toward the sky. Not only did I get a unique perspective, leaving out the rest of the field… but I got that blank white sky, too (which is super useful for photo buyers).
Shoot from directly above: This simple photo of chocolates is my third-best-selling image in my portfolio (crazy, right?):
Since I liked how the chocolates looked in a flat grid, I shot this from directly above.
This is a perspective you can apply to all kinds of photography. It’s trendy right now and you’ll see it everywhere from shots of food on a table to people walking below. Here are a few stock shots from this angle to give you some ideas…
Shoot through something: Here’s a photo I took on a dogsled ride during our Northern Lights Expedition in Alaska:
Notice how I included the jacket and foot of the sled rider in front of me, trying to make the viewer feel like they’re actually on the sled.
Here’s one Lori took at her son’s preschool, including two people in the foreground…
Find a subject you want to photograph and then find something to shoot through in order to capture it.
Shoot across something: Everyone takes photos of traditional weavers in Peru:
To make my photo different, I put my camera way down low—practically on top of the loom—to bring more attention to the weaver’s hands.
If you want to try it, grab your phone right now and pick a photo subject. Then, try to shoot a photo from a unique angle. Vary it as many times as you can until you get one truly stand-out shot…
The more you do this, the more you’ll make the photos you take while you’re traveling or writing a travel article more appealing to buyers.