PHOTOGRAPHER JOBS, GRAPHIC DESIGN JOBS, VIDEO AND AUDIO JOBS ...... THE TRICKS.
Tricks, resources and advice for obtaining good results on Microstock
All this site info contain in general tricks and advices for microsotck jobs. now we give some other more. It can't hurt anyone to have some help with their first steps into the world of stock photography, graphics and video. We know that beginnings are never easy, especially when the destination is a lifestyle, getting to live your passion and your hobby is a luxury and many of us want to achieve it. Like in everything in life, the more everyone wants it and the better it is, the more it is desired. We are talking about making money as photographers, graphic designers or microstock artists, the current image world.
WHAT IMAGES SELL THE BEST?
What sells is really what the client demands, the important thing is that it be commercial, that you can look at the photo yourself and think of an ad where that image could reflect a clear message. There are great images that could be sold in an art gallery, and nonetheless they are not even accepted by the editors because of the creative use of out of focus, grain, noise or anything else. They are looking for clear, well lit images, with a concrete concept, perfectly focused, without noise (it is important not to shoot with high sensitivities), images that can be cropped to fit into other backgrounds, or even as backgrounds where graphic artists can insert cropped images, when you start to think about it there are millions of uses. But we will summarize by saying that the image should be in compliance technically with the requirements of the stocks and show a clear idea of what you want to show or transmit. Family snapshot vacation photos, photos of your dog or cat, or your feet, or the door to your house, a landscape that anyone could shoot: these are themes you should avoid, take a look around and you will find better inspirations. The same philosophy that applies to photographers and their photographs, applies to illustrators, graphic designers, and makers of video and audio clips. Look at which stock images are most sold and that will help you. Don't forget to visit our section where we will show you examples of images that work and others that do not work for Stock or Microstock.
WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO START MY JOURNEY INTO MICROSTOCK?
Subscribe, you can find links at the right of this text, to as many agencies as you have time to dedicate to. Remember that the procedure is to upload the photos, (I recommend using FTP for speed, once they are uploaded you categorize them, marking the categories you think they belong in, review the title and description as well as the keywords (from 10 to 50, there are individual rules for each stock, take a look at them). The most practical thing to do is add titles, descriptions and keywords and home or at work through and IPTC editor, which is a free program, for example Microsoft has Pro Photo Tools, or any other one. This editor software add information to the photo which will always be saved in .JPG format in the best quality possible (quality 12 for Photoshop) so that when you load the photographs to stocks the show windows with said information encrusted in the photo through IPTC, reducing the amount of online time categorizing by simply accepting the conditions. If you have time for 1, I recommend Shutterstock; if have time for 3; Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Fotolia, and if you have time for all of them, well go ahead, more agencies, more returns. There are other agencies, but those that we have presented are the most profitable at the moment.
MORE ADVICE FOR PREPARING MY IMAGES:
Once you have become a contributor to these stock agencies you need to learn to look around yourself with objectivity because all around you there are lots of ideas capable of becoming good selling stock images. Learn to have fun while creating and do so using the knowledge that you are gaining and you will have an easier time. On principle, follow all the advice that we are giving you and further down the road your own ideas. It's important for there to be a space in your images where a client can put their logo, message, or copy; the photos that graphic designers like are sold more than those that are too adjusted to find a place to put the copy or text that will be added later. And choose the keywords well, because if your image is good but the searchers don't find it…there are no sales. Remember that search engines will find your photos or graphics and clips not visually but by reading the keywords and descriptions that you add to your images. That means that the more criteria or words you are able to think of that could make someone want to find that photo or graphic, the more possibilities you have for your image to appear in the search results. Don't spam in your keywords by adding words that you know are often searched for, like sexy, teen, or nude, if the image doesn't have them in it, because not only will your picture be rejected, they could also penalize you in another way according to the specific rules of each agency.
We think you have learned about taking your first steps, and now…go find that pile of photos or graphics you have been saving, and don't hesitate to start taking your first steps; first visit some stocks, register to read the section dedicated to photographers, artists and contributors. Start preparing your first set of photos to take your first step. The links to the right of this website will take you directly to each one of these stocks, good luck, we all have to begin somewhere, so today is a good day for it.
