Digital Photography Courses Uk

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Microstock Photography – The New Approach To Ensure Success

For the past four or five years that I’ve been submitting to the Microstock Photography market I had always said it was a numbers game. Therefore the more images that you uploaded to the libraries or agencies the more downloads you would get resulting in higher earnings.

But I feel that over the past year that has changed. You now, more than ever need to target a niche. And then dominate that niche. You see the wherever you look on the internet the picture quality has increased. This is just the same for the libraries. The overall quality has shot up and therefore we need to submit a higher quality image.

Fortunately, in recent months, the demand for the pictures has exploded. With the present economic climate even the large companies are using microstock photography rather than employing the services of a professional photographer.

I am pretty sure that if you look at your online portfolio, as I did, you will realise that your images follow the 80-20 rule. That is that the top selling 20% of your online images rake in 80% of the money. I have now changed my approach to microstock photography. Instead of going out and shooting anything and I am now being very selective what I shoot for the microstock market. I am looking to increase the number of top selling images rather than just the number of images online.

Let’s assume we are going to concentrate on still-life and we are looking for a new subject. First I would look at what is topical either in the news or browsing on the internet. I’ve found that here in the UK the adverse weather is creating a quite a concern and that heating bills are shooting through the roof. So we could look at finances, bills, weather, heating, insulation etc. For arguments sake, I’ll go for heating bills how I can illustrate the subject with images.

I then search the subject for images that will give a spark of inspiration. Note I said inspiration and not to copy. If an image catches my eye I will study it and work out the variations and how I could make improve it or interpret the message in more suitable way. I do this until I have about twenty ideas that are all related to the subject.

I then make a shooting list and a list of props that I need to shoot all twenty ideas. After I have got the props I will then, and only then take my camera into my studio (converted garage) and begin shooting.

The great advantage of this methodical process is when it comes to uploading your images. You only need one set of categories and keywords. In addition you have a set of pictures that depict a topic that is in the news and already being searched. Also you will find that working in this way you will emerge from the photo session with far more pictures than you intended. Once you start your creative juices flowing, the ideas leap out at you rather than wondering what to shoot.

Another plus to this approach is that the photo buyer usually buys more than one image to illustrate the article of blog etc. If you are supplying over twenty images that hit the spot they are more likely to choose more than one image.

Of course you income is still related to the number of downloads. You can also put other images on as before but I can almost guarantee, if you take the time to research the subject, the niche subjects will be in the top 20% earning 80% of your income. You should, therefore, earn more money for less work. If you’re serious about microstock photography - Then maybe my new approach may work for you?

About the Author

I have been interested in photography for most of my life. About 25 years ago I entered the world of wedding photography. More recently I discovered the wonderful world of Microstock Photography. A world that allowed me to earn money from my photography, yet with a freedom, not only of time but freedom to express myself creatively.

Why not take a look at my latest images that are currently selling through Microstock at http://www.gbphotostock.com/stock or view more articles at http://www.microstockconfidential.com

Photoshop Tutorial - Levels & Curves - Digital Photography Courses.co.uk


digital photography courses uk5
digital photography courses uk5

Digital Photography Courses Uk

1

Digital Imaging: the Death of Film?

If the pattern of adoption for digital imaging currently happening in the USA is repeated in the UK, then it could sound the death knell for traditional film. Between May 2006 and May 2007 the volume of digital photos prints produced in the USA grew by a staggering 34%, with online photo services seeing an 80% rise in popularity, according to the Photo Marketing Association International.


Technical innovation has been credited with the shift from film to digital, in particular the growth of high speed Web access, which makes uploading images so much faster. With well over half of all web users in the UK now on broadband uploading here is just as fast and simple as in the US and usage is expected to rise in line with the American uptake.


However, digital imaging prints are just half the story, with sales of traditional film cameras completing the picture. Over the same period as the rise in digital imaging print production, sales in traditional film cameras have fallen 49%, while digital camera sales rose 5% over the same period, with nearly nine out of ten digital cameras offering resolutions in excess of 6million megapixels. Affordable 10 million megapixel cameras are now retailing at less than half of the price that they were two years ago; combined with the fact that shutter speeds and specifications have improved, this has made digital cameras a real alternative to film. Plus the cost savings of using digital imagery cannot be underestimated. Rather than waste several rolls of expensive film to get that one elusive shot, with digital cameras any picture not up to scratch can simply be deleted after being reviewed on screen.


Another attraction of the switch from film to digital is that the storage of digital images is becoming much easier. Many new computers are equipped with much bigger storage capacity on their hard drives, or if not big enough then storage devices such as USB pens or USB hard drives can be plugged in, allowing for the increased storage of treasured images. In addition many websites offer online vaults meaning that pictures that would have taken up valuable hard drive space can now be stored online and accessed through the web.


Of course, there is always the old-fashioned way; home photo development is extremely easy now with home-printing equipment available with most cameras, while there are also many instant print booths in photo shops, supermarkets and chemists.


With the ease of use, uploading and storage of images and tumbling prices of high quality digital cameras it is easy to see why digital photography is taking America by storm. It is only a matter of time before it happens here in the UK.

About the Author

Adam Singleton is an online freelance journalist from Scotland. His hobbies include tavelling and hiking.

Photoshop Tutorial from Digital Photography Courses - Adjustment Layers


digital photography courses uk5
digital photography courses uk5
digital photography courses uk5