Three Keys To Success In Stock Photography

Success in today's stock photography environment requires quality, quantity and visibility in your photography.

Three Keys To A Successful Stock Photography Career

The three key elements to success in stock photography are quality, quantity and visibility. Master those elements and you can still carve out a very good living in stock. In stock photography I would define quality images as images that are flawlessly executed and are needed in the marketplace. How much quantity is needed varies with the individual and their financial goals. Visibility, I believe, is the trickiest of the elements, and potentially the biggest stretch for photographers.

Quality Photography And Passion

What makes a picture a quality stock photo? Quality can be different things to different viewers. In some cases the quality may come from the perfect model and the perfect lighting, in other cases the location might be the key, and in yet other cases humor might be the answer. In any case, quality is revealed in a photograph that connects with the viewer.  The days are gone when you could bang out dozens of shots in a day and hope to do well. There is just too much competition…and the pictures just keep on coming. The shortest path to quality photography is passion. If your not passionate about what you are doing, about the photos you create, be they personal work, assignments or stock, then photography is not the career for you.

Multiply Quality With Quantity

Five years ago I had an return per image (RPI ) with my Getty Rights Managed stock photos, of over $800.00 per image per year. Right now my RPI is at around $130.00. With drops like that you have to go beyond quality; you have to multiply that quality with quantity.  How much quantity do you need? Check your business plan. If you need $200,000.00 a year to run your business, produce new work, and live a great life…and you have an RPI of $78.00, then divide $200,000.00 by $78.00 and you will have a very good idea of what you have to do…at least in terms of producing images.

Visibility, Key Wording, SEO and Social Networking

Visibility is vital to success in stock photography, and it comes in many ways. Visibility can come through careful and smart key wording with Alamy; visibility can come through an exemplary body of work that rises to the top of the searches in agencies such as iStockphoto (think Yuri Arcurs); and visibility can come through your online presence whether it is through great SEO or effective use of social media.  The use of an online presence to supplement the visibility of your stock photos is a strategy with benefits. By driving additional traffic to your images on an agency site you can exercise at least some control over the visibility of your images. This visibility boost can be compounded when the algorithms used by the agencies are positively impacted by the additional traffic and sales produced by your own efforts.  Not only will more potential licensors see your work, but that visibility can also lead to assignments, increased traffic and subsequent monetization through print sales, advertising revenue, imprinted gifts and even opportunities that are impossible to forecast.

Success In Stock Photography

Success in stock photography used to be a matter of making either great images, or a lot of images, and getting them into the agencies. These days that isn’t enough. It is important to find a balance with quality, quantity and visibility. For photographers that visibility part might be the hardest. We love to take pictures, not spend hours understanding and undertaking key wording, learning social media and practicing SEO (search engine optimization), but increasing such skills are vital to our long-term success. They say getting old isn’t for sissies (and I can vouch for that), but success in a photography career isn’t for sissies either!

Surviving, Thriving and Still Learning In Professional Photography

Contributing to the success of this stock photo is the casting (a person who looks "real",good-looking but not like a "model", and the subtle but positive background.

Photography, Change, And Doing What It Takes
The profession of photography, as we know all too well, continues to go through relentless change, and in order to survive and thrive in this industry we have to go through relentless change as well. I often find myself thinking that I shouldn’t have to do this or do that; that it isn’t fair that things have changed. Whether it is fair or not is not important. What is important is whether I am willing to do what it takes to make this profession continue to work for me.

Concept Stock Photos, Lifestyle Productions, And Impromptu Shoots

One change I am making is in taking advantages of those smaller opportunities to create stock images. A few years ago I was into just creating concept stock photos, or shooting large lifestyle productions. There were probably many chances to grab some quick, but good images with little or no fanfare. Such possibilities weren’t on my radar, or if they did catch my awareness I dismissed them as more hassle than I wanted to deal with. Now, however, I am much more open to impromptu, or maybe I should say minimalist, stock shoots.

Pictures For A Web Site And A Stock Shoot

In one recent case a woman I knew through martial arts training (she has a black belt in Aikido), called me up because she needed some portraits for her web site and remembered that I was (am) a photographer. I agreed to shoot some shots for her if I could also shoot some for stock, and she readily agreed. Actually, it is better than that; she agreed to bring her whole family.

An Hour and A Half and Eight Selects

The shoot took me about an hour and a half, and I ended up with eight selects for stock. In the first sales report I received since the images went up online I made over $500.00 from them. Not bad for a shoot with literally no out-of-pocket expenses. In my experience it takes time for images to ramp up in sales, so a quick start is generally a very good sign.

Thirty Years of Shooting and Still Learning

An interesting side point here is that, during this shoot I learned something about shooting portraits. Even after thirty years of shooting I am still learning. Of course, it is a little embarrassing to reveal what I learned because it shows that I have some pretty basic knowledge gaps!

Great Shots and Great Sales

In this situation a friend, another photographer and former assistant of mine, dropped by while I was shooting. He suggested that I pose my model under a covered walkway with some trees in the direct sunlight serving as the background. I was skeptical that without some sort of supplemental light, whether strobe or reflector, the resulting portraits just wouldn’t be any good. I was wrong. The shots turned out great, and the proof is in the sales report.

Simple Portraits and Authenticity

These had to be the some of the simplest portraits I have ever shot. Stand here, look right into the camera, give me smile; snap, snap, snap. Done. I used a 135 F2 lens on my Canon 1DS MKIII and shot wide open. From the first sales report this is the image that did the best with three sales. I think what makes this image work well is a combination of a good-looking, yet REAL looking woman, exuding confidence and well-being, combined with a simple, clean photograph and a background that speaks of nature, perhaps summer, and a kind of peaceful stress-free environment. The photograph has the feel of authenticity.

Risky Images and Every Day Photos

For those of us earning, or attempting to earn, our livings entirely from stock photography, I believe it is very important to shoot those major, and somewhat risky, images that stretch us as artists and that can command the larger licensing fees, but that it is also important to create those cost-efficient everyday photos that are constantly in demand. When opportunities to shoot interesting (and interesting looking) people come up that cost little in the way of money or time, jump on them!

Plugged In, Linked In, Tweeting...And A Little Lost...

"Plugging In" to social media is vital to our photo business, but how do we do it effectively?

Plugged In, Linked In, Tweeting…and A Little Lost

I have plugged in. I twitter, I’m Linked In, I’m working hard on SEO…and I am a little lost.  It is Facebook that really has me flummoxed! Facebook is so big, so pervasive and so, what, imminent…that I feel it must be vital to my goal of utilizing the Internet to advance my photography career and insure an adequate and continuing income stream. But how the heck do I take advantage of it?

Facebook, Building Community, and Clients

The bits and pieces are starting to come together. I can see how Facebook can work for a wedding photographer. One thing that really makes sense to me is the idea of putting wedding images online and tagging the people in the images. Suddenly your work is in front of everyone who attended the wedding (and who is active in Facebook). Cool! But, I don’t shoot weddings. I can see how Facebook can work in reinforcing and keeping your “brand” fresh by building a community that includes clients, but assignments aren’t my thing anymore.  For stock photographers, however, the usefulness is still eluding me.

A Fan Page For Funny Animal Pictures

Since I not only shoot stock, but also create my Animal Antics humorous animal pictures, images that are available as retail items in the form of greeting cards, coffee mugs, calendars and such, perhaps a fan page and growing a Facebook community might be in order. OK, I have started a fan page for the funny animal photos.  Not to complain, ah well, actually I am complaining…another thing I have to keep track of and contribute to! I have only had the fan page up a couple of weeks and I am already getting confused as to what images I have put on my blog versus on my Facebook page or fan page or whatever.

Information and Action

I have started going over Photoshelter’s Social Media guide…which seems really good. But it is going to take me a while to really absorb the information and translate it into action. In the meantime, I will keep dipping my toe in the Facebook waters, checking in on friends (though I feel like I am always getting to the “party” a tad late), uploading images when the stars align properly, and working at integrating my “social media” efforts.

Cold Calls, Taxes, Egos and Social Media

I would love to be able to just ignore Facebook. Heck, I would love to just worry about making images. But part of making a living at photography is dealing with all kinds of things that we don’t really want to deal with.  When I first started thirty years ago it was dealing with cold calls. Over the years it has meant investing in portfolios, source book ads, attending art director events, setting up a studio(s), executing the visions of others, dealing with cash flow issues, deadbeats, paying bills, dealing with taxes, dealing with egos (mine as well as others) and so forth. Now I believe it also means dealing with the Internet, Social Media, and SEO.

Irons In The Fire And The Most Important Thing

At any rate, I won’t pull the plug on my Internet activities. I’ll keep learning what I can, keeping all my irons in the fire, and trying not to lose sight of the fact that the most important thing I can do is to continue to stretch myself in creating the very best images I can.

Smashing Alarm Clocks In Super Slow Motion

A super slow motion concept stock video of smashing an alarm clock with a sledgehammer!

Smashing A Ringing Alarm Clock With A Hammer

Hey, who hasn’t wanted to smash a ringing alarm clock with a hammer, or better yet a sledgehammer? Well, that is exactly what I got to do, and to have it filmed at 1000 frames a second to boot (do I love this career or what)? When I got the opportunity to shoot with a Phantom HD camera to help beta test the GVS9000 VTR hardware and software to efficiently utilize this high-speed marvel I didn’t hesitate. I threw together a list of ideas, grabbed some props, pulled together a skeleton crew and undertook some super slow motion stock video clips.

One Alarm Clock, One Try

One of our first ideas to execute was the alarm clock destruction. Now as it happened I only had one alarm clock. That means we had to nail it on the first try. I accepted the challenge and responsibility of swinging the sledge (OK…the fun too). My hammer was one of the smaller, short-handled ones. We set up our lighting, a 5000K tungsten light (lower wattage lights tend to “strobe” at slow motion frame rates) filtered with a 4x8 diffusion panel, on one side, and a 4x8 sheet of foam core adding fill on the other side.

A Ringing Clapper and Killing Time

With the lighting set-up and the camera ready I took a few practice swings. When I was relatively sure I could hit the clock squarely with a good hard swing I asked my partner, Stephanie, to give me a count down. Three, Two, One…slam! I nailed it! I can’t tell you how gratifying it was to do a good job of hitting that clock! The video looked great too.  In Final Cut Pro we sped up the first part of the clip so that the clapper looked like it was ringing in real time. As soon as the hammer reached the top of the alarm clock we slowed the frame rate to 30 frames a second implementing our super slow motion.  Voila! A concept stock video about deadlines, boundaries, time issues, sleep issues…and I suppose…killing time! OK, maybe not that one.

Eight More Clocks And A Faster Frame Rate

Even though we were happy with our image we wanted to see if we could do better. Since we had the camera for several days we went out and purchased eight more clocks. You can see some of our additional efforts at stopping time (hey…another concept) by smashing alarm clocks. These additional efforts really brought out how lucky we were with that first effort. In the subsequent efforts I missed the center of some of the clocks, in one the Duracell batteries became clearly visible, in another the clock had very little action and so forth. I think the first effort was still the best, though in the next eight attempts we did move the frame rate up to 1900 frames per second.

Three Different Breaking Clock Videos And Revenue Generation

We ended up submitting three different versions. I think each of these smashing clock videos can work as a stand-alone video with a voice over, or type, and can also work as parts of other video productions as well. It will be interesting to see which one generates the most revenue. Time well tell (no pun intended).

Interview: Angela Low, Marketing Program Manager Shops, Cafepress.com

Artists look to Cafepress.com to help them earn from their art. In the following interview Angela Low, Marketing Program Manager for Cafepress.com, helps artists learn the business of Cafepress.com."

Interview:

Angela Low

Marketing Program Manager, Shops

Can you give us some background information on yourself…how you came to be Marketing Program Manager at Cafepress.com?

I started CafePress in 2001 so I have been here for over 9 years! During my tenure I have held many positions – from account manager to community manager to my current position as a program manager – the one common thread has been interaction with Shopkeepers.  When the need came for someone to manage programs for shops, a role that was perfect for my background, I eagerly stepped into that role! 

What is it in your job that brings you the most satisfaction?

When the programs I’m involved with are positively acknowledged and beneficial to the CafePress community.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions that Cafepress.com shop owners have?

I think the biggest misconception Shopkeepers have, especially new ones, is to assume making money on CafePress is easy. Some Shopkeepers assume that designing products and opening a shop is enough to make sales. Similar to other businesses it requires a lot hard work and it’s certainly not easy. 

What is the one thing that most shop owners can do to increase their sales?

Know your target audience so you can promote efficiently.  For example, knowing your audience allows you to use the right key words and descriptions for your shop and products when optimizing for search engines.  It’s good to describe your products but knowing your buyers will give you an advantage. 

What is the most common mistake you see shop owners making?

Sometimes Shopkeepers neglect to optimize their shops for search engines, it’s an easy thing to do and is very important.   

How big an impact does the design or layout of a shop have?

Very important, great navigation is the key to conversion. If you have traffic to your shop but you’re not seeing conversion – it’s possible your shop is poorly laid out and buyers are not finding what they want. Generally, we recommend offering customers a simple way to browse products by design or by product type.  Some savvy Shopkeepers also offer additional browse options such as by “price” or “topic.”

Is there any co-relation between how many designs a shop has and how successful it is?

For the most part, there is.  The more designs you have, the more likely customers will find what they are looking for.  However, if you have a lot of designs be sure your shop is well merchandised.

How would you define the success of a Cafepress.com shop?

It depends on how you define success. We have Shopkeepers who feel successful that are making $20 a month – and Shopkeepers making thousands.  My definition of a successful shop is one that consistently sells each month, from there it becomes easier to grow.

What is a realistic revenue goal for individuals running Cafepress.com shops?

If a Shopkeeper is willing to put hard work into marketing their shop and have great designs, a realistic goal is several hundred dollars a month.  For some Shopkeepers, several thousand is realistic.

Is it important to add social media into the mix…and if so, how can we do that?

Social media is good and cost effective way to market your shop, a good start is sharing your shop and products with friends on Facebook and Twitter. Or, blog about your products – this helps your shop on search engines.  Perhaps create a Facebook page for your shop and ask your friends to be fans.

What products tend to have the most sales?

T-shirts, sweatshirts and mugs

What determines a products placement in the marketplace? Is there anything a shop owner can do to have their images come up sooner?

The best thing to do is accurately Tag your images.  Using random, and at times irrelevant, keywords to describe your image as a way to get more traffic may actually hurt your Marketplace ranking for that image.

Do you have any suggestions on where and how to learn what we need to know to succeed in our Cafepress.com businesses?

Every situation is different but I recommend talking to other Shopkeepers to see what they have tried, what’s worked for them, and what didn’t.  The CafePress forums are a great place to meet fellow Shopkeepers.

Can you share a Cafepress.com success story or two?

Because of our privacy policies we can’t share specific success stories unless given permission.  However, I can share general groups of Shopkeepers that have seen success in their own way.  For instance there are many Shopkeepers that quit their day job to work on their CafePress shop full time.  Many Shopkeepers use CafePress to successfully raise funds for their non-profit organization or cause. And quite a few use their CafePress shop as means to earn side cash – we had a Shopkeeper that used some of that money to buy her first house!

Do you have any final thoughts you want to leave us with?

If you have talent for great designs and you’re willing to put in the time building and marketing your shop – you’ll do well. I suggest learning about online marketing, talking to other Shopkeepers, trying new and different ideas, and be patient! Don’t give up! 

For those of you interested you can view my coffee mugs, T-shirts, sweatshirts and other imprinted gifts at my Cafepress.com Shop.  Presently I am earning a couple of dollars a day.

Stock Photo Opportunities and a Great Career

A spur of the moment opportunity resulted in a stock shot and an affirmation of a great career choice.

Stock Photo Opportunities

My producer and I were traveling in Northern Brazil after completing a series of stock shoots, but were still keeping our eyes open for opportunities. In a small town, the name of which I no longer remember, we came across this woman working in a small gift shop on the beach. She was so pregnant I thought we might witness childbirth at any moment. We asked her if we could photograph her on the beach and she readily agreed. The only hard part was explaining in Brazilian (Portuguese) what stock photography was, something rather important, as we needed to have her sign a model release. Big Tip:  Always get the model release BEFORE you take the pictures!

A Passing Storm, A Warm Wind, and Some Pretty Good Stock Shots

The gift shop was full of apparel and the three of us picked out an outfit for her and we headed out to the beach. We shot for about an hour with a Canon 5D and nothing else…no reflectors, no flash, just the three of us hanging out on the beach and shooting. The sky was overcast with the remnant clouds of a passing storm, and a warm wind peppered us with sand. The conditions weren’t exactly ideal, but we got some pretty good shots, especially considering the model fee came out to about $15.00.

Prenatal Care, Health and Well Being

This concept stock photo is aimed at the market for images to show prenatal care and products that promote health, well being, and other pregnancy related themes. I was careful to leave plenty of room on the image for headlines, text and body copy. Her garments, being white, add the sense of purity, the wind in her hair says "freedom" and "getting away from it all". The setting, with a lack of man-made structures, lends itself to "natural" and "wholesome". Even the stormy weather lends to the concepts indicating change and turbulence which naturally accompany change such as a new addition to the family.

Stock Photography: A Great Career

She was quite happy with the money and I felt pretty good about the photos. I also felt pretty good about my career.  What other career would give me the opportunity to be shooting on a beach in Brazil, free of any real pressure, and pretty much guaranteed to be making a profit at it?

Making Travel Photography Pay

Airports offer great opportunities for producing concept stock photos.

A Strategy To Make Travel Photography Pay Off

Invariably the travel I undertake facilitates stock photography that not just pays for the trip, but generates considerable profit as well. The one caveat here is that it can take years to reach the level of revenue to qualify as profit, but that is true of most investments and something that I take into consideration when planning my travel. What I am going to share here is my strategy to utilize travel to generate stock photos that sell.

Travel and Concept Stock Photos

The key, for me, to making travel pay is to take more than just travel pictures, but also to create concept stock photos. Travel offers a great opportunity to open one self to new possibilities, especially photography possibilities. In a new and different environment, senses are awakened and one sees through fresh eyes. Seeing through fresh eyes is a potent enhancement to creativity.

Fresh Eyes, Intent, and Stock Photos That Sell

Seeing through fresh eyes unlocks creativity: Adding intent turns that creativity into action and results. For me, that intention is to find concept stock photos. That search for stock photos begins even before I get to the airport. On the Airporter, on my way to the airport, I have my camera in hand and am shooting out the window, down the aisle, through the windshield. On my last trip to the airport I sat in the “shotgun” seat and was shooting the oncoming traffic, blurry from the raindrops on the windshield of our bus. Did I get some great stock photos? Well, not in that particular case, but I think you get my point. Travel gives me the stimulation and the opportunity to get concept stock photos that sell.

Airports, Tarmac and A Concept Stock Photo

Airports are a goldmine for concept stock photography. In a recent trip to Thailand I shot through the glass of the passenger lounge at the tarmac below. The light was soft and warm, the surface textured with interlocking paving stones, and cropped just so, free of aircraft and vehicles, but still with the markings identifying it as an airport. I did not know how I would use that image, or even if I would use it, but into my archives it went. Last week I had a few moments to peruse my images from that trip and I when I saw that airport shot I paused. I loved it, but what could I do with it? Then it hit me. All I had to do was add a single suitcase and I had a concept stock shot about loss, risk, challenge and who knows how many other concepts…and an image that had plenty of room for cropping in various formats and the placement of headlines and copy. It may take some time, but that image is going to bring in some significant revenue.

Iconic Destination Shots, Detail Pictures and Tourists Enjoying Themselves

As I mentioned, shooting stock photos is an investment. Like any good investor I think it astute to diversify my portfolio (stock photos in this case). I try and shoot everything. From Tribal people in their daily life, to airliner travel I am always looking for a wide variety of travel imagery. Things to look for include  “iconic” destination shots, particularly ones that I can put my own twist to, detail and pattern shots, and especially these days, shots of tourists enjoying themselves in exotic locales.

Concept Stock Photos and A Profitable Travel

Travel photography is an investment, and like any investment, safety lies in diversity. By adding concept stock photos to the traditional travel shots the chances of creating a profitable photography trip are greatly enhanced.