Note to ABC GMA Fans

Making the rounds today through various forums, is this nugget of an editorial piece from ABC’s Good Morning America show:  Make Money in May- Selling Stock Photos .  Apparently, by snapping random things about your office, as detailed in the piece, you can make thousands of dollars to put your kids through school.

Advisory to anyone who has viewed this piece and has stars in their eyes:  it is not as easy as turning your logo’d coffee cup away from your point and shoot camera.

Please note, I am a top contributor to the mentioned site, iStockphoto.com .  So, I know what I am talking about, when I say to take this editorial news piece with a few grains of salt.

You are not going to make $10,000 from an image of your grandparents from yesterday’s BBQ in the next month.  Both of the images detailed in the piece were uploaded in 2006, and since then there are many photographers uploading people shots – the kind of thing that was a bit scarce in the “microstock” world just a few years ago.  What is “microstock”?  See here .  These are both fine images with a variety of uses, however, their popularity (and sales) has (have) built over time.  So, while there is a chance your capture might prove popular, the chances it is going to explode in popularity (sales) is relatively low.

In addition, one successful image does not the mortgage pay.  Top contributors know it takes a wide variety of subject matter to attract buyers to a portfolio, and this happens over time, with lots of hard work, and (these days) expensive equipment.  Sorry, but that’s how it is.  A Canon Powershot is not going to allow you to create images that pay the bills, or buy the coffee.  However, you don’t necessarily have to deal with people (models) – there are plenty of successful conceptual contributors as well.

To be honest, we contributors get a little miffed when articles and reports like this show up.  It engenders visions of easy money in people, who then flood the forums with questions that should be answered by their own research, if they were really serious about getting started.  It takes a lot of hard work and effort, as well as a good amount of time, to build a successful portfolio.  You need to understand composition, lighting, technique, model releases, property releases, and more.   You need to be able to think like a designer.  “What could this image be used for?”  “Is there space for copy?”  “Is this just a snapshot of my foot by a brick wall?”

This is not the path to riches that a :45 second news story would have you believe.  I just want to throw that out to you, so you aren’t surprised when things don’t happen the way you expect after you photograph a rubber band, glasses and coffee cup on your desk.  Feel free to read my back posts in this blog.  Hidden amongst the tips for buyers, are lots of tips for contributors, if you take the time to understand what I’ve written.  We welcome newcomers who have taken the time to do some research, have experimented and are willing to learn and take critique.  Just don’t expect the world by the end of the summer.

Portfolio Update

Some new work from a new model on iStockphoto.com .  I’ve teamed up with a new attractive model in her mid-30’s with a great smile and attitude.  Most of our first session is available now in my portfolio at iStockphoto.com .  The first session includes a reshoot of an earlier theme, packing boxes, and some doctor/nurse related white card images.  I just find the “white card” image so useful.  Maybe it’s just me, but I can just see so many newspaper and web uses for it.  For the uninitiated, the “white card” image is a person peering over or around a “white card” – see below.

Also, I’ve got a new series with a young male dressed in a space suit costume being imaginative and playful.  Good for science articles or things about imagination…

Guess what?  Another portfolio update tomorrow!  Sorry to pimp, but I’ve got some great new stuff online and available .

Twitter Discount Codes for iStockphoto

If you’re on twitter (for whatever reason you may be on twitter), you may want to add iStockhelp to your follow list.  They seem to be throwing out iStockphoto.com discount codes fairly frequently.  For example:

Get 15% off 600 credits or more on iStockphoto: enter TWEET15 on check out. Valid until May 18

And of course, feel free to add me as well.  I promise I’m not annoying and tweet once or twice a day, max.

Swine Flu Trend

I don’t normally post about my stats or the performance of my portfolio on iStockphoto.com, but I thought this was kind of interesting.

When the swine flu news started ramping up, I did a set of images and got them into my portfolio, as I mentioned back here.  One of them started selling immediately.

It sold 11 image licenses the first day it was searchable.  “Great!”, I thought.  I’ve got a rocket here.  Alas, it was not meant to be.  After a few days of hot sales, as the news died down, so did the interest.  And it wasn’t due to the similars from other people that popped up on iStockphoto.  Below, I put the download chart from April 29 through today over the chart for “swine flu” from Google Trends, showing searching interest.  It’s pretty clear that worldwide interest in swine flu has disappeared.  Luckily, I seem to have nailed the peak on April 30th.  Blue is Google Trends, and green is my iStockphoto downloads.

I just found it interesting how closely they match up.  Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Hot Shoe Cover

I don’t know about you, but when I spend $8000 on a camera, you’d think it would come with something to cover the exposed contacts in the flash hot shoe.  I mean, you don’t want to run about getting dust and grime on the contacts, causing problems triggering the flash or remote, right.  For some reason, Canon doesn’t seem to want to include a little piece of plastic for that purpose.

When I was making a B&H Photo order recently, I thought I’d look for something to fill that need.  Lo and behold, Nikon sells a plastic hot shoe protector.  I assume it’s just a spare version of the ones they include with their cameras.  However, they fit into Canon hot shoes just fine.

Anyways, it’s only about $2, and you might just want to add a couple onto your next order to help keep your camera in top shape.  Here’s the B&H link:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/207371-USA/Nikon_4731_BS_1_Hot_Shoe_Cover.html

Extended License Advice from iStockphoto

Previously, I’ve posted examples from the forums about whether or not a buyer would need to purchase an Extended License on iStockphoto for their licensed content.  Here’s one article and here’s another.

Well, in case you missed it, iStockphoto.com has put together their own page to try and give some examples that would help you when deciding to purchase an extended license.

You can find the page on extended license examples here, and it also lists some license prohibitions, which is a nice touch.