If your friends have ever looked at your photos and said, “you should sell these!” … then I have just the place to start – online stock agencies. I gave you a few of my favorite agencies for beginners yesterday – see those here. Now that you know where to sell… let’s talk about how […]
If you’ve ever thought about selling your photos, but have no idea where to start, try online stock agencies. Some of my favorites are Shutterstock.com, Adobestock.com, and iStock.com (now owned by Getty Images). These sites are excellent for beginners – and anyone with a bunch of photos sitting on their computer – because: • You […]
Keywording your photos is a crucial final step in the stock photography process that provides a link for buyers to find your image amidst a myriad of other images. Though each stock website is a little different, there are universal techniques to increase the likelihood a buyer can find your image when they need it. […]
Distractions turn great photos into snapshots. I’m talking about little distractions in the form of fences, people, trash cans, litter, brightly-colored signs, branches, power lines, and anything else that distracts your viewer’s eye away from your main subject. Often, all it takes is a few seconds to change your angle and get a much better […]
Yesterday we talked about winter and holiday photos on your computer that you can sell as stock right now. But any time the seasons change is a great time to head out and take new photos, too. In fact, fall is the biggest buying season for stock agencies. Which means that if you haven’t started […]
Did you take any photos last winter? Now’s the time to dust them off and sell them. With fall just around the corner, designers and photo buyers are starting to look for winter and holiday images for their upcoming campaigns… Which means that, right now—while it’s still warm and summery out—is the best time to sell […]
Frostbite… parasites… house arrest… meningitis… and paraglider crashes. Those are just a few of the hazards of being a National Geographic photographer, according to an article that came out a few years back. In it, current and former Nat Geo shooters counted up all the terrible things that happened to them out in the field. Some […]
Sometimes we get so caught up with making the perfect picture—tack-sharp focus, vibrant color, fantastic moment—that we forget the cardinal rule of selling photographs to magazines. Let me share a secret I’ve learned from more than 30 years of selling photographs to magazines from National Geographic Adventure to Modern Bride: Editors don’t buy photos they […]
Have you made friends with your tripod? If not, here are a few reasons why you should… ● Creative possibilities. A tripod opens up opportunities to play with longer exposures. For example, I wouldn’t have been able to take either of these blurred water shots without a tripod: The photos above were taken at shutter […]
Twilight, when the skies are cobalt blue, is one of my favorite times to photograph. Images taken at twilight acquire a richness of color not present during the day, and the surrounding darkness can often hide ugly elements like garbage cans or power lines. To add an extra twinkly element to my pictures I like […]
