Ideas, The Biggest Stock Photo Challenge
My biggest challenge, as a stock photographer, is coming up
with ideas that I believe are both needed in the marketplace and are different
or better than what is already available. I believe that there are an unlimited
number of such ideas out there, even though I am constantly afraid I have come
up with my very last decent one.
So what are some ways I tap into various resources to generate new
imagery?
Setting The Intention And Writing Ideas Down
Well, first, I spend an inordinate amount of time looking at
photos. I set the intention to come up with ideas and then start looking at
imagery. I Google images, I peruse my own files and I search stock photo sites.
Sooner or later an idea will surface usually followed by a couple of more. Now it isn’t unusual for me to find an
idea lacking that I thought was terrific the day before…and then to find a new
appreciation for the idea on yet another day. Keeping that in mind, and the fleeting nature of ideas, I
keep a pad and pencil, or word document open, and write down the ideas as they
come to me.
Cloud Computing And A Tug Of War
In the case of this tug of war/cloud computing image, I was
checking out my own archives. At some point the cloud image caught my eye. I
made a mental note of the clouds, keeping it in mind as I continued to roam
through my files. BTW, I use Adobe Bridge for that purpose. Eventually I ran
across an image of a tug of war match between two groups of business people and
immediately realized that I could have the competition taking place in “TheCloud”. It would create a visually interesting image with all kinds of
concepts. And it is great to have a stock image that can work for multiple
concepts!
Teamwork, Challenge And Visual Metaphors
“The Cloud” is becoming so pervasive with so many activities
and implications that it requires numerous visual metaphors for use in
advertising and editorial communications. In this case some of the possible
concepts include teamwork, challenge, competition and determination. One
important idea is that the cloud, like everywhere in the business world,
requires teamwork, strength and endurance to succeed.
Intention, Visual Research, Execution And Distribution
Now I have no idea how successful this stock image may or
may not end up being, but the technique I used to come up with it, intention
and visual research (looking at images) is at the core of my stock photo
business. Come up with enough
ideas, execute them at a minimal cost, and get them into distribution and
success is still attainable in stock photography!
