my Journey in DSLR Photography: Photographer

Showing posts with label Photographer. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Stock Photography Journey - The Beginning

Image by Carlos Lorenzo via Flickr

January 2011.

I've been always on the lookout for ways to augment my income, and I have tried Google AdSense in my blogs - quite numerous than my 10 fingers, but unfortunately, these are not giving me the expected amount of support, or maybe not yet.

And with my interest in photography, I thought, 'why not sell my photographs?'

Thus, my experimentation in stock photography began.

Microstock Money Shots: Turning Downloads into Dollars with Microstock Photography

As an amateur photographer, it seems that I am doomed to fail. A beginner photographer trying hand in stock photography - isn't that a recipe for failure?

But I'm not about to give up, no, not easily.

And I think this is one event in my life that I want to chronicle, if I can call it that.

First things first.

Gear

Taking Stock: Make money in microstock creating photos that sell

I have actually signed up to 2 agencies, and while one will review the photographs once submitted, the other agency requires submitting photographs prior to being accepted as an agent.

So my journey begins.

I made it through quickly with one of the agencies, so I expected to be accepted just as quickly with the other. Wrong. 3 photos were needed, so I quickly picked some of the ‘best’ photos that I keep in my work PC (since I run through the online application while at work… on some slack time, of course).

And I was immediately rejected!

Microstock Photography: How to Make Money from Your Digital Images

I was given 3 days to upload fresh pictures, with the reminder clause ‘impress us’, which means be your best, give your best, don’t just snap pictures, but compose and shoot a great photo – hey, this is stock photography, you know!

I went back to my camera, and got some of the ‘better’ photos that I can upload. I thought I did pick the ‘better’ photos, but again, I was rejected!

My hopes are still high.

And so while the ‘cool-off’ period is on, I made a round at the local store where I bought my DSLR last year, and thought of canvassing prices for macro lenses. It’s not within my (financial) reach at the moment, but I better know what I am dealing with, I mean, how much I am dealing with, and how much I am dealing with, how much to fork out when I really needed to buy my first macro lens. It is always with high hopes that it won’t burn a hole in my shallow pocket.

Digital Stock Photography: How to Shoot and Sell

So that I did. I roughly now have an idea of how much it will cost. And I’m not buying yet.

Knowledge

I may not know what I am getting into, and I am having doubts as to what really it is that I know about stock photography. So again, on some slack times during my work, I searched the web for some tips on basic home studio, having white seamless background at home, lighting, etc., etc. I found some, but favor 2 of them:

1. Studio Lighting - Really cheap homemade diy studio - no lighting needed

2. Diffusers & Reflectors

Digital Masters: People Photography: Capturing Lifestyle for Art & Stock (A Lark Photography Book)

I was actually laughing a bit, in that, what I thought of using, an A4 paper, was what the author suggested as a starter. One reader commented that you have to do some tweaking, which is to make sure that your camera’s white balance is able to compensate for the whiteness, or better yet, non-whiteness of the A4 paper you use for your seamless white background. Check out these 2 sites and learn from the author and the readers’ invaluable views.

Then there is one other aspect of stock photography, the commercial part, which will be the more important area to deal with.

What is stock photography?

Sensible Stock Photography: Secrets Revealed

I came through one site that talks about Stock Photography, and I believe I have gleaned at least one grain of good knowledge that I can make use of, planted in my questioning mind, and given the proper watering and sun and nurture, will be a good start to a good growth and yield in stock photography. Again, this is one site, and there are many others that are equally good, but this is what I found first, and it makes sense to me, since the author is a stock photography expert – so far as what he says is concerned. If what he talks about makes me a stock photography expert as well, then it must be true!

I still stand corrected, so here is the website. See if you can check out and balance the equation. I am open to suggestions and comments here. I’m all ears on this part.

Are Your Stock Photos Selling? -- The Problem with Most Stock Photos

SellPhotos.Com: Your Guide to Establishing a Successful Stock Photography Business on the Internet

I have learned that stock photography is speaking a bit of a different language, and while it is still about photography, the word ‘stock’ before it draws a big cut between ordinary photography and stock photography.

I will summarize what I have learned, primarily from that website:

Stock photography is about QUALITY, not quantity.

When you think of stock photography, think of HOW you photograph, and less of WHAT you photograph. And think of the competition. Browse the agency’s list of submitted photos, available for download, and see how they are done. While doing that, you will see whether or not these many, many photos already available. While learning from others, you should also be asking yourself, ‘Do I want to compete in this area?’ And if yes, then go ahead and produce, quality, competitive photographs!

Stock Photography is about SIMPLICITY, stripped of complexities, and unambiguous message.

Don’t clutter up your photographs. Think of how your photo will be used by the designer. Put yourself in the designer’s shoes, and that will greatly impact your style of photography, and how you select and compose your subjects. As in most cases, this is easier said than done, but with practice, only time will tell when every shot is a money shot. When taking photos for stock photography, think, what is my photo telling me? What message can it convey? Again, it may not be necessarily a breathtaking picture. It just has to be a usable picture that conveys a message univocally, without distraction.

Stock photography is still about photographing for others.

It used to be ‘by assignment’ – you are told to photograph a certain subject and object, or an event, and whatever the editor or designer or whoever hired you likes, that is what they pay for.

Things have changed – tremendously.

Higher demands. Saving money. These are what basically conceived the idea for stock photography. Then internet. It became a global contribution and a global competition. But that should not deter you from being a stock photography agent. Be one. An expert.

I’ve picked up what the Stock Photo Expert said from his website about some aspects of your photographs that customers may look for:

· clean, crisp images

· a very clear message

· visually appealing images

· proper diffused lighting

· uncluttered backgrounds

Stock photography is about your creativity.

Photos That Sell: The Art of Successful Freelance Photography

Following everything in the stock agency’s rules and guidelines will make you succeed in creating a ‘generic’ stock photography item. That will get your photos accepted for sale. If you take the other half, YOUR creativity, and put them together, you get an exceptional stock photography material that isn’t simply accepted by the agency and put it up for sale, but it will be a material that is highly accepted and sought after. That is what will bring in the money!

I didn’t realize it, but coming to the bottom of the page, I saw that the author was selling something that promises to teach you to becoming a stock photography expert. I should say that I am not ready for that, and even when I am, the public library is just nearby, and I am very sure that with their vast collection of references an reading materials, I will surely find something on stock photography. And even when I don’t the web is still a wide, wide place to fish for stock photography tips and tricks.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

I’ll end here, and I will come back to my post from time to time and gauge my progress in stock photography.

Till then!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

A Good dSLR Photography Site

An example of digital photography. This photo ...

Image via WikipediaI found one good site to learn and share dSLR photography. No, I have not reached a level where I can be proud of my shots at every push of the button. In fact, I am still switching a lot between the auto (preset) modes and manual mode, comparing and studying and re-shooting at different angles and settings now and then, but for me, since photography is one area that I can say is quite subjective and very personal, that is how I learn.

And with that, i want to introduce to you the dSLR website that I know is good, one look, and the photos and tutorials and all others will be of help to you as well, as it is to me, in our dSLR Photography journey.

Enjoy!

David Busch's Mastering Digital SLR Photography, Third Edition

Base Digital Photography

Thursday, October 28, 2010

What has been in my photography journey

Image via WikipediaAlmost a year past, and I ask myself, where am I now in my photography journey?

I've read a ton of books. After finishing about 5, I find that most of the books are discussing simply the same idea 99%. The 1% difference is the individuality of the authors - and this is but the cream of the written word. And for most authors, they are sharing their skills and experience in the hope that you can also become like one of them. Of course I mean to say that you become like one of them in their level of photography. For some other authors, they just go through the yaadah-yaadah part of their photographs, their techniques, etc., etc., but none of their skills that can be acquired by the reader - in time. And photography being such an individualistic art, or should I say, a very subjective display of talent, I would tend to question those who would not want to share their talent to others - for they can never be copied or replaced - they are their own photographer, and you are your own. for even though the techniques are the same, it is your individuality and uniqueness that shows in your photographs. That is all the essence then, and is now, and will be.

I've not been into a park or mountain or cliff, or any grand photograph site for that matter. However, I have not limited my photography to the use of my DSLR. I also use my cell phone whenever opportunity is presented. Like the recent haze here in Singapore, where the sun was in orange. What can I say, as advocated by more than 1 author, a photographer has to come out of being a simple phot-taker, snapping the ordinary, photographing the obvious. To set your own mark, you would have to have an eye on the extra-ordinary, or the un-obvious, or the unfamiliar view. And this is done whether or not you are caryying your camera with you.

Keeping my photos, though they are nice or not. One book suggests immeidately deleting your bad photos. The reason presented is to be able to save some space in your SD card or harddisk. Secondly is to not "confuse" your good photos with the bad photos. Thirdly is that when you "showcase" your photos, the list is already edited and the bad ones removed. For some time I followed this advise. Then I thought to myself, why should I? You see, I am one who would like to 'keep' my 'unfortunate' snaps - of course, as a leaning tool. Seeing the shoots that didn't make the mark helps me to focus on my learning - not repeating the same mistake the next time I push the button. Of course, this doesn't happen overnight, but what better way for you to find out how far you've been progressing if you don't have a 'show of it'?

I have subscribed to a digest or a forum. Basically, I signed up to Digital Photography School by Darren Rowse, and I like being in the list. Quite a lot to be learned from fellow photographers, to mention the least. there there are tips and tricks from experienced, or should I say, professional, photographers? Get in the list yourself.

Another group that I signed up to is Digital SLR Guide Newsletter by Chris Roberts. It isn't quite verbose compared to Digital Photography School, but there's a grain of wisdom that can be gleaned from it just the same.

And finally, whatever level of photography you are in, there is always the chance to be yourself in your photographs - something that shouldn't be daunted by the other photographs that you see. keep on snapping and learning, and learning and snapping. Your time will come. And your photos will be on the great wall for others to admire.

Now isn't that something to make you keep on with your photography journey?

Saturday, April 10, 2010

4 Photography Books

I borrowed some books on photography from the library, and actually, there were 16 books that I borrowed. I finished some, and due to time constraint, the rest I cannot read. Then the due date came…

I have to return the books, and for me to be able to borrow them again, I am listing them here, my reference.

Advanced Studio Lighting Techniques for Digital Portrait Photographers – by Norman Phillips
The Best of Photographic Lighting; Techniques and Images for Digital Photographers – by Bill Hurter
The Art of Garden Photography – by Ian Adams
An Illustrated A to Z of Digital Photography – by Nigel Atherton & Steve Crabb

Actually, I saw the name ‘Adams’, and I was thinking, could this person be related to Ansel Adams? (What do you know?)

So there is my list of 4 books that I’m returning today. I will get them back again in a couple of days.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to read them from cover to cover to gain more knowledge on DSLR photography.

Till then…

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Rift between Google and Photographers

Image representing Google as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

Are there any issues that a photographer may be facing in the exercise of his profession? Matter of fact, I think below is one of those (possible) issues.

Actually, this one is latest on the news. And it is involving Google. This is big, I suppose.

It says:

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"The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) and several other visual artist groups are suing Google over its digitization of of millions of books, claiming copyright infringement related to images within the books. The photographers initially wanted to be included in the authors' and publishers' class action suit, but filed their own suit after that request was denied. Google and others assert that images are only included in the digital copies when permission has been obtained from the copyright holder."
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Want to know what others are saying?

Check it out from the source page here.

Have your say. Leave a comment here, or there. Make your mark.
And thanks for doing so!

my Journey in DSLR Photography

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Stock Photography Journey - The Beginning