Top 5 iStockphoto Articles

Along the path to where it is today, iStockphoto found, that by educating buyers and contributors on topics related to design and photography, they could increase both the quality of the content offered, and the knowledge of the buyers to use and appreciate said content.  There are a lot of good articles in their database, but here are a couple of my favorites.

1. Tips on Lighting And Isolated Shots – One of the classic articles, oft pointed to in the forums when discussing how to do the infamous “isolated on white” shot.  Good for designers because it gives a basic overview on what “white” means to a camera
2. Know Your Type – A good primer on typography, written by an outside company.  Good illustrative graphics accompany the text.
3. A Very Important Message For Everyone at iStockphoto – Founder Bruce Livingstone announces the sale of iStockphoto to Getty Images.
4. “K” is for Tags? – Buyers often run into roadblocks when searching the image database.  This article explains how the controlled vocabulary system works.
5. I Resolve to be More Resolute – Answers the hows and whys of dpi.  Why pixel resolution is what really matters on the front end and the final use is what you make from that.  A definite “must read” for newbie buyers.
6. Evolving Intellectual Property Standards at iStockphoto, pt. 2 – This series addressed concerns of what content is safe to portray in commercial royalty free imagery for sale.  This article was heavily read because it addressed some popular topics – NASA imagery, autos and especially the use of model releases.
7. Any of the “Points and Paths” articles about vector creation.  I’m just a beginner when it comes to illustrations, and these how-to’s can benefit everyone, from creators to integrators.  Like “RGB CMYK Q&A“, “Layout, Cutout, Knockout” and “Develop a Personal Palette“.  Even if you don’t use the software, it’s neat to see how the magic is done.
8. Top 5 License Faux Pas – This article echos a lot of what I’ve written in my blog about safe and correct ways for the buyer to use their licensed files, but it’s nice to get it straight from the officials.

Ok, that was 8.  Not 5.  But a catchy title does not an exact list make… There’s a lot more in the article morgue, so page back and check them out.  Some from a few years back are timeless, and some are tired, but there’s probably a little something about everything you didn’t know in there.

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