7 tips for selling your photos

laryn — Fri, 09/25/2009 - 15:01

MacWorld has seven tips for would-be microstockers (see below). It's always helpful to read other people's summaries of the things that they find important. This is a decent list of basics.

As high quality DSLR cameras are getting more affordable, the gap between skilled amateur and professional photographers is shrinking. If you have patience, a passion for photography, and think you have what it takes to create sellable stock photographs, consider signing up with a microstock agency. I spoke with Kelly Thompson, COO of iStockphoto, about what it takes to be a successful stock photographer. Before jumping in and putting a down-payment on that condo with your future microstock payments, take some time to learn how the system works.

In short, here are their 7 microstock tips (click below to read more detail on each):

Understand how it works: "...Selling stock photos is not easy money. It will take time to build up a decent sized portfolio (at least 100 pictures) before you see any sizable return..."
Think like a designer: "...Designers want photographs with ample amounts of uncluttered negative space so make sure you leave room for a headline or other text..."
Do your research: "...Look at the styles, moods, and color palettes of current top images to figure out trends. Read the news and keep and eye on current events and topics that might blow up. Constantly updating your portfolio with fresh and relevant images is the best way to maintain a steady flow of microstock revenue..."
Avoid clichés: "...Microstock agencies are flooded with massive amounts of the exact same unwanted images. For example, pictures of your pets, baby, summer vacation, and campfires to name just a few..."
Embrace cliché: "...one secret of stock photography is that there is a collection of prosaic themes and concepts that consistently sell well. For example, cheesy office scenes of men in suits, happy families, seasonal still-lifes, technology concepts, and anything "green." Designers are constantly looking for interesting new ways to illustrate these same ideas..."
Keep it legal: "...The most amazing stock photo will not make it past an agency's screening stage if it's not 100 percent legal..."
Don't fear rejection: "...Expect that only a very small percentage of your images will be accepted the first time, if any. This is just part of starting out in microstock photography and doesn't mean you should give up. In fact, being rejected can be one of the best best ways to learn what you need to improve..."