Imagination, The Portal To Success

Imagination is a portal to success in stock photography

Qualities For Success In Stock Photography

I often catch myself speculating on what one quality, trait or activity is most important for success in stock photography. My latest determination appraisal of such is imagination. Imagination is growing ever more important in the face of the onslaught of imagery that threatens to drown our industry. Imagination is the key that unlocks the potential of a photography career (as I write this I am listening to an audio presentation of the novel CLOUD ATLAS and no doubt my writing will take on some aspect of what I am hearing…could get a bit flowery).

Making A Living At Stock Photography

I am convinced that anyone wishing to make a living at stock photography is going to have to create images that stand above the vast majority of offerings that pour forth from Nikons, Canons, and iPhones and who knows what capture devices that are about to further upset the apple cart (is there a pun in there?). In order to create images that stand out we shooters need to hone and unleash our imaginations. Of course, that imagination will only be as effective as we are able to channel it into the creation of images that actually fulfill needs.

Getting Your Work Seen

Too, imagination is vital in getting your work seen. Without imagination it might be that you simply submit your work to agencies, but with an active imagination other possibilities begin to materialize. Is there a better agency? Can I increase traction with my own website? Are there other markets I haven’t explored or thought of? Can social media help my business? I have run across a photographer who makes quite a good living selling prints via his own website (terragalleria), a photographer who supplements his income significantly with his own poster business, several photographers who have created healthy businesses through workshops (Jeremy Woodhouse), and so forth. JackHollingsworth has completely reinvented himself through social media and iphonography. Jonathan Ross created a successful stock agency. We all know of many photographers who have built up huge followings using Pinterest, Instagram, Flicker and other avenues. The first step is to have enough imagination to make the possibilities enticing enough to take the steps necessary to succeed.

Opening A Portal To Success

Imagination opens the doors for us to find new ways of conducting business, motivates us to take the steps necessary for advancement, and imagination is the springboard to images that stand out. Imagination is a portal to what comes next. So how do we bolster our imagination? Like anything else we want to get better at it is largely a matter of intent and of practice. 

Set the intention to have more imagination, and set it often. Each morning, each night, at lunch…the more frequently you set that intention the more you will practice using your imagination and the more imaginative you will get, and the mores success can be yours.