photographs that sell

Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell

Photos That SellPhotos That Sell Subjects To Shoot, Subjects To Shoot,

Things To Look Out ForThings To Look Out For& Traps To Avoid At All Costs!& Traps To Avoid At All Costs!

Think beyond just capturing your subject

Whether it's a model or an object or a place, try to create an image that says something about the subject

People photos that sell are going to convey an emotion, or a concept

or a lifestyle situation.

Don't try to do everything in one photo.

Focus on one theme at a timeand make sure you get it!

Images need a sense of purpose.

The viewer should never be left wondering why you took the photo?

A lot of photo buyers these days are non- professionals.

Buying images isn't necessarily their main responsibility.

These new buyers are usually going to choose the bright, vibrant images, with strong simple compositions.

Execution is everything …

Focus Exposure Composition

Master the rules before you try breaking them

When photographing people, always ask for a release first.

Take the time explain what you're trying to capture before you start.

People respond better when they know what you're trying to do.

If a photograph needs a caption to explain it ...it's not a stock image

… and it's probably not much of a photo either!

Take a Client Centric approach whenyou're keywording your images

Decide who your target buyers mightbe and why they need the image …

Use that insight to work out what words

they're going to use in their search

The best selling photographs of famous landmarks are usually taken by

local photographers!

Food should be eaten Drinks should be drunk

Still-life food & beverage shotsdo sell but competition is steep

Capture them in a lifestyle context and step out from the crowd!

Always Get Model Releases even for unidentifiable body parts

Many buyers will err on the side of caution, especially if they're buying

images for their own Clients

Don't try to tell them they're wrongJust give them what they want!

No free advertising!

Compose out brands, logos and branding, or remove them in Photoshop.

No one pays for photos of their own Logos any more, and no one has EVER

paid for photos of someone else's brand

If a face is visible the eyes will be the focal point

If two or more faces are visible there will be a connection

between the them

Set up for tabletop photography and start a list of subjects

Then use downtime – or lousy weather – to add valuable new

material to your catalog

When shooting objects make sure the context totally works... or totally misses!

Reality sells & abstracts sell...

Vague settings somewhere in between won't feel right and won't sell.

Food photos sell but they MUST look appetizing

Lighting is paramount

And most of the time the food will be inedible!

Always carry Model & Property Releases in your kit.

Offer to send a digital copy by email... in return for a signature.

Released images will sell more often for much better prices.

Computers and technology shots can sell extremely well but competition

is extremely high.

Look to capture concepts and stories rather than more of the still-life shots

that every one else shoots.

Cut-outs can sell, but competition is high and demand has peaked

So look for other ways to get in close and create something unique

Landscape images for stock often need people to add scale & meaning

Buyers demand it, but many of the landscape-purists won't do it

There's a real opportunity when you create a scene that your viewer

would like to be part of!

Sunrise and sunset skies make boring images

The magic is in the light and the way it plays on objects

Capture that and you'll bemaking photos that can sell

If you're a sunrise addict, look to add interesting, easily-identified silhouettes to the foreground for visual interest.

Scout locations with lots of distinctive& interesting shapes

Plan ahead and walk away from your early morning sessions with dozens of commercial shots instead of a few nice-nothing skies!

Lighting. Lighting. Lighting.

Consider supplementing the lighting of every subject you shoot!

Any time of day or night, ask yourself Can the lighting can be improved?

Backs of people can sell

… IF there's something going on

but backs of heads rarely move

Landscape Images of one specificvegetation type often sell better than

big vistas with a bit of everything...

Get in closer and capture something specific

Clichés sell! Competition can be steep

but the demand is strong forfresh approaches to old ideas

Simple shots of iconic landmark subjects sell well despite the odds.

Some have been photographed millions of times, but demand is strong for

fresh new images shot well under perfect conditions

Include contemporary people in your iconic landmark shots

… it will put a shelf-life on the images,but during their marketable lifespanthey'll face much less competition

Boring landscapes never sell. Landscapes need a strong point of interest to sell.

It doesn't always have to be a feature of the scene though.

Strong natural lines can work,as can strong blocks of color

Always look for something to hold the eye!

Flowers still sell but competition is high so everything needs

to be perfect

Composition. Lighting. Execution.

Perfect. Perfect. Perfect!

Shooting flowers, think 131.

One bloom, three blooms or one mass of blooms

You'll rarely sell anything in between!

Keep It Simple!

Photo-buyers NEVER bother with images they have to decipher

There's always good interest in common subjects captured

in a unique style

Especially true with technology, business and finance themes

Pick your cultivated flowers before you shoot them

Compositions, lighting & backgrounds all need to be more perfect than

Nature usually provides!

(But don't pick wildflowers … natural works there!)

Keep it Safe & Inoffensive

If you shoot confronting imageslook for another outlet

They won't sell as stock!

New concepts and themes are emerging every year

Look for new technologies, new products, new words, new ideas

Be the first to create the imagesthat illustrate their essence

Corporate shots have a fashion-shelf-life

So buyers always needoriginal images withcurrent clothing andmodern hair styles

Look for all aspects of modern business … not just the meetings and handshakes

The way business happens is constantly changing, so this is a huge market

… if you can capture those changes

People Interacting With People

Enough said ...

Average looking people usually need to have a reason for being in an image … not just posing for the camera

Give them a prop, dress them up, put themin a location … do whatever it takes toget them involved in the situation

Science and Technology

The market is flooded with dated still-life shots of yesterday's technology.

Those images never sell.

Look for the very latest technology and capture it impacting on people's lives.

That's what sells!

When you look at a business operation, ask yourself – or your Client – what's

changed most in the way they do business in the last two years.

Capture that!

Diversity Sells!

In any group situation, the more ethnic diversity you can display the better.

This is one area where the obviously contrived images just keep on selling

Buyers always need high quality new images of concepts & metaphors.

Tell the age-old stories in a new way and you'll find serious demand

with a lot less competition

Teamwork!

Take it out of the business context and look for other groups to

convey the message.

Think Workers. Think Sports Think Kids. Think Animals

This is a timeless theme!

Holidays & Celebrations always sell from 2-3 months out

Don't just focus on the obvious Religious Occasions though

Look for Local Events and FestivalsDocument the traditions & customs

Capture the experience!

Strong social themes will always sell, again and again and again ...

… but don't be too abstract or busy.

The theme needs to be convey instantly, then the story gradually revealed as the viewer studies the image

Good sports images can be used in many different fields, if you shoot for Stock Clients

Leave the reportage to sports photographers

Instead capture the countless themes and concepts that sport encapsulates

That's where the stock dollars are!

People at work are always in demand, and not just the suits

Trades people, hospitality workers, medical workers are especially hot!

Health Care is major social issue and a growth industry

This makes it a common theme for both editorial & advertising buyers

Demand for strong, believable images ofdoctors, nurses, patients, hospitals &

medicines is only going to get stronger!

Reality is the new catch-phrase to marketable people photography. Real life shots of real

people in natural situations.

But Reality doesn't mean Snapshots!

Perfect execution, perfect lighting, perfect composition, visible faces, clear emotion,and a believable connection between

your models and the situation

If you like to capture dramatic skies, Photoshop them into other images

with less impressive skies.

They won't sell on their own!

People on simple backgrounds

Use background colour and texture to add meaning without distracting.

White backgrounds can and do sell, if there are other elements that

add meaning the image

Three-quarter views of happy, attractive people are always in demand, since they

can be used for so many purposes

They do have a shelf-life though, so when you find a model who sells, keep shooting

with current hairstyles and fashionsin many different locations

Travel Concepts can sell well IF you Convey a situation that the viewer wants desperately to experience for themselves

… Leisure, luxury, adventure, culture, excitement, wonder, relaxation ...

It all works if you sell the experience!

Religion and Spirituality

Convey the rich tapestry of theworld's beliefs with images of

people living that belief

Tough to capture but worth the effort!

Concept images are timeless so take your time to set up fantastic shots

with a strong creative twist

Love, hate, fear, greed, health, success, pride, addiction, desire, anger, speed ...

Make yourself a list, study it regularly and look for opportunities to capture one or two of these in your other shoots.

Couples Of All Ages

… As long as there's a believableemotional connection

Make it real and it will sell

Christmas, Halloween, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving and Valentines Day all

enjoy annual bursts of sales

If you like to work this field, also consider images of birthdays, weddings and other celebrations that occur all year round!

Luxury is a concept that sells, usually at a very high price!

So look for original ways to convey that theme in a variety of generic settings

They Will Sell!

Food needs to be styled and lit just as carefully as models

Do it right or don't bother!

Wellness, Beauty and Spa images are being used more and more to sell everything from property to

clothes to food products.

Anything related to well-being and personal-care can sell well

Attractive faces and bodies being treated with all kinds of naturalremedies are often big sellers.

Travel images sell, holiday snaps don't

Travel images need to sell the vieweron the experience of the destination,

So they need to show people enjoying the experience of the destination.

Watch out for the latest fitness fads and diets

Create & publish images that illustrate those themes...

Before they start talking about it on Oprah!

We have an aging population so images of older adults and senior citizens

are used to sell stuff everywhere.

Images need to make the older viewers feel good about who they are and

where they're at.

To Sum It All Up …Photos of ANYTHING Can Sell

If They're Shot Right

What means is: Unique & Original Imageswith Perfect Execution and Client-Centric

Composition are always in demand.

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Thanks For Your Help!

Photos That SellPhotos That Sell This was a presentation by GlobalEye Images, the Co-operative Stock Library

Photographers working together to reduce costs, increase exposure

and sell more images.

www.GlobalEyeImages.com

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