Stock Photographer Wannabes - Follow These 10 Steps to Realize Your Photo Dreams
Follow carefully the next 10 steps to become a stock photographer and realize your dream of seeing your pictures published around in publications and advertising - and get a proper income from your stock photos.
Print the article and tick off the steps as you proceed.
Step 1.
Research the kind of photos in demand as stock photos Browse through a number of magazines, books and folders.
Get an impression of pictures that are coming from stock photo agencies.
News pictures are a specialty of press photographers and that is another branch of photography.
Step 2.
Realize what your strength of photography is Realize which kind of pictures you are best at taking related to your findings from step 1.
Check if they live up to: - Pictures of high enough technical quality - Pictures being saleable, meaning showing something of commercial potential - Pictures having a professional style - not just like most amateur photographers are taking pictures.
Conclusion of step 2 (I hope): You have taking pictures that are of the right kind for being able to compete among other stock photographers.
Step 3.
Choose your segment of stock photography Based on findings of step 1 and 2 decide what segment of stock photography might be your best option.
Even if you would like to shoot all kinds of stock photos it is wise to have an area where your interest and knowledge is giving you an edge over your competition.
Step 4.
Improve your photo stock Increase the number of photos you have of your chosen segment of stock photography to at least some hundreds and do experiments with more creative approaches at the same time.
Be very critical when you select the pictures you keep - don't keep many alternative shoots of the same object / situation.
YOU shall be able to select the best shot of a series of alternative photo shots.
Remember to shoot vertical pictures, too, as they are often in higher demand by the photo buyers than the more traditional horizontal picture format.
Step 5.
Find your stock photo agency Search in Google (in separate searches) for stock photography, stock photos, stock pictures and stock images and make a list of what you regard as the most attractive stock photo agencies, taking into account your geographical position and your selected segment of stock photography.
Include in your reflections the knowledge that it is easier to be accepted in a small, new local stock photo agency than to be accepted in a big international picture agency with a well established professional reputation among people working with pictures.
On the other hand the stock photo business is a rather tuff business implying that not all picture agencies will survive.
Step 6.
Short list your list of stock photo agencies Read carefully the information to new photographers on each website including the paying details and statements of which kind of new stock photographers they have in demand.
I have good experience with Alamy.
com and AgeFotoStock.
com as examples of truly international picture agencies.
AgeFotoStock.
com is by far the most difficult to be accepted in of the two.
Step 7.
Select one photo agency to work with From your list and previous steps select the one stock photo agency you regard as the most convenient and promising for your future as a stock photographer.
You might check discussion groups for stock photographers beforehand to know if there are any current issues running related to the selected picture agency.
- Remember you will have to put a lot of work into your future submissions of stock photos to your selected agency.
Step 8.
Prepare your initial submission of stock photos Be very, very careful when you prepare your first submission of photos to be accepted by the agency.
Read their guidelines and following them 110 %.
Double check that you are doing everything correctly.
Edit your initial submission very critical and make sure all pictures are really different - don't include similar shots.
If you are in doubt, don't include it in your initial submission.
Many stock photographer wannabes aren't enough critical about their own photo production.
If you take a sample of say 100 of your good photos edit them down to 10 pictures or even fewer, and analyze why these are the best.
If you dream of being a stock photographer it is as important to be able to edit your portfolio of stock photos before your initial and later submissions to your selected stock photo agency as it is to be able to take good pictures.
Step 9.
Being accepted or refused Hopefully you are accepted by your first submission and can enjoy working with the picture agency in the future.
If they refuse to accept you as a new photographer don't despair - that has happened for many photographers that later turned into successful stock photographers with other agencies.
Go to your list of stock photo agencies and select another option.
May be you have got some response you can use for this choice.
Reedit your initial sample of stock photos before sending them to another photo agency, if needed.
May be you have already some extra shots to include.
Step 10.
Work continuously with your stock photo agency After being accepted don't wait to send more pictures until you have had your first sale.
Start immediately to send more good pictures.
If you want to be successful as a stock photographer you need to shoot new stock pictures continuously and send the best ones in a flow to an agency.
Always look at new trends of style in the magazines - not in the photo magazines - but in other magazines using pictures.
Be creative in your photography - don't mimic stock photos already in the picture database of the agencies but let them inspire you to take pictures with new angels, new moods, new perspectives and new conceptions.
Be responsive when the picture agency is giving advice for submissions and needs for new pictures.
Learn more about the field of stock photography, see below, on your way to become a stock photographer.
Print the article and tick off the steps as you proceed.
Step 1.
Research the kind of photos in demand as stock photos Browse through a number of magazines, books and folders.
Get an impression of pictures that are coming from stock photo agencies.
News pictures are a specialty of press photographers and that is another branch of photography.
Step 2.
Realize what your strength of photography is Realize which kind of pictures you are best at taking related to your findings from step 1.
Check if they live up to: - Pictures of high enough technical quality - Pictures being saleable, meaning showing something of commercial potential - Pictures having a professional style - not just like most amateur photographers are taking pictures.
Conclusion of step 2 (I hope): You have taking pictures that are of the right kind for being able to compete among other stock photographers.
Step 3.
Choose your segment of stock photography Based on findings of step 1 and 2 decide what segment of stock photography might be your best option.
Even if you would like to shoot all kinds of stock photos it is wise to have an area where your interest and knowledge is giving you an edge over your competition.
Step 4.
Improve your photo stock Increase the number of photos you have of your chosen segment of stock photography to at least some hundreds and do experiments with more creative approaches at the same time.
Be very critical when you select the pictures you keep - don't keep many alternative shoots of the same object / situation.
YOU shall be able to select the best shot of a series of alternative photo shots.
Remember to shoot vertical pictures, too, as they are often in higher demand by the photo buyers than the more traditional horizontal picture format.
Step 5.
Find your stock photo agency Search in Google (in separate searches) for stock photography, stock photos, stock pictures and stock images and make a list of what you regard as the most attractive stock photo agencies, taking into account your geographical position and your selected segment of stock photography.
Include in your reflections the knowledge that it is easier to be accepted in a small, new local stock photo agency than to be accepted in a big international picture agency with a well established professional reputation among people working with pictures.
On the other hand the stock photo business is a rather tuff business implying that not all picture agencies will survive.
Step 6.
Short list your list of stock photo agencies Read carefully the information to new photographers on each website including the paying details and statements of which kind of new stock photographers they have in demand.
I have good experience with Alamy.
com and AgeFotoStock.
com as examples of truly international picture agencies.
AgeFotoStock.
com is by far the most difficult to be accepted in of the two.
Step 7.
Select one photo agency to work with From your list and previous steps select the one stock photo agency you regard as the most convenient and promising for your future as a stock photographer.
You might check discussion groups for stock photographers beforehand to know if there are any current issues running related to the selected picture agency.
- Remember you will have to put a lot of work into your future submissions of stock photos to your selected agency.
Step 8.
Prepare your initial submission of stock photos Be very, very careful when you prepare your first submission of photos to be accepted by the agency.
Read their guidelines and following them 110 %.
Double check that you are doing everything correctly.
Edit your initial submission very critical and make sure all pictures are really different - don't include similar shots.
If you are in doubt, don't include it in your initial submission.
Many stock photographer wannabes aren't enough critical about their own photo production.
If you take a sample of say 100 of your good photos edit them down to 10 pictures or even fewer, and analyze why these are the best.
If you dream of being a stock photographer it is as important to be able to edit your portfolio of stock photos before your initial and later submissions to your selected stock photo agency as it is to be able to take good pictures.
Step 9.
Being accepted or refused Hopefully you are accepted by your first submission and can enjoy working with the picture agency in the future.
If they refuse to accept you as a new photographer don't despair - that has happened for many photographers that later turned into successful stock photographers with other agencies.
Go to your list of stock photo agencies and select another option.
May be you have got some response you can use for this choice.
Reedit your initial sample of stock photos before sending them to another photo agency, if needed.
May be you have already some extra shots to include.
Step 10.
Work continuously with your stock photo agency After being accepted don't wait to send more pictures until you have had your first sale.
Start immediately to send more good pictures.
If you want to be successful as a stock photographer you need to shoot new stock pictures continuously and send the best ones in a flow to an agency.
Always look at new trends of style in the magazines - not in the photo magazines - but in other magazines using pictures.
Be creative in your photography - don't mimic stock photos already in the picture database of the agencies but let them inspire you to take pictures with new angels, new moods, new perspectives and new conceptions.
Be responsive when the picture agency is giving advice for submissions and needs for new pictures.
Learn more about the field of stock photography, see below, on your way to become a stock photographer.
