When you start out with a camera in hand, and the world at your feet, you have every right to be optimistic. 

During my time, it was an exciting journey. People were paying for good photography and learning to shoot was a skill. It wasn't something you could get our of a craiglist advert as photography during the analogue age was difficult. 

Magazines wanted writers who could shoot some basic photos because those two talents came as a bonus. Photographers were hire as full time staff in Magazines and those who could afford it, even had their own in house dark rooms to process photos. 

In the real world, people didn't take up photography for fun. Almost everyone who took up a camera could earn money shooting for people and people paid money for it because film and development cost were part of the equation. There was no freebies, because the consumables like film and printing itself cost money.

In my last post, Depositphotos was mentioned as a microstock agency that was raising prices while cutting royalty payments to photographers. Then I also had the post on the microstock business itself and how to make it in the business. It was to highlight the reality of the image business, in the digital age. 

What I use to do no longer applies. Magazines and newspapers often source for photos found on the Internet and credit the photographer in kind. Websites prefer not to pay for photos even if they are backed by multinational media corporations. So where are the markets for photographers? 

It is still in advertising or commercial space. 

What the Hell is Composite Photos?

People who set up websites and magazines will need to put up banners and print adverts. and there is no mistaking the need to have photos as a form of illustration. 

In the deposit photos post, I mentioned Composite Photos, but many didn't know what I meant. Well here is the example. Lifetime Stock is a microstock agency where they sell photo elements to create the ultimate composite photo. 

What Lifetime Stock does differently is that they buy blank background and isolated models posing against a blank space for compositing later by any digital artist. 

If you want to shoot such stock images, you have to learn to shoot against a blank background and at the same time ensure your light source is neutral so that no one can really tell which direction the sun is coming from. 

Beyond this, you can also shoot still objects, maybe fruits, cups of coffee, everyday items with neutral lighting. These objects will be etched out and the isolated object dropped into a corresponding background. 

This agency is on the look out for photographers who have some experience shooting such photos and if you qualify, you can easily fill in the gaps. However you have to note that they sell photos based on a subscription model, meaning customers can download up to 33 files a day based on the annual package they buy. 

The standard package is optimised for web use, while the Pro package is more suited for print use. 

The online photo editor is sort of like a Photoshop cloud app. You can do masking and compositing based on your chosen photos and create a brand new one just like you want it to look. 

You have to look at this sort of sites as an opportunity, which however demeaning to the photographer it may be, is a way to earn some money. 

Reality Unmasked

The reality of my teenage dream is officially a nightmare. To dream of having to shoot pictures while earning a decent income is nothing more than a fantasy. You can still go professional of course, but not in the way you could imagine. 

In the analogue days, film stock images were costly to store and people who wanted to use your photos had to pay good money for it. Corel was one of the first to pioneer the success of royalty free stock photos from Canada, where you could buy a CD full of images which gave you the rights to use it as you will. 

But before that. stock images could only be ordered from a catalog and the slide would be delivered to you via a parcel. There were no on-demand photo service which you could buy a photo when you needed. However whoever took part it the stock image business during those days could earn decent income if you had over 1000 images at a photo bank. 

And that's how they like to call their business, a photo bank. Because only a bank holds pictures with real value. 

Microstock? It's as vaporous as a bear or bull market run. That's how you tell the difference. 

Photographers are generally well meaning folks. They take pictures hoping to express their creativity and talent but some how, they also become dreamers. 

The dream is to get funded to pursue what you love doing. It is a great idea but how do you get funded?

Do you really need a new camera to shoot pictures these days?

I remember a time when the DSLR market was taking off during the late 2000s, this is around 2008 to 2010. The brands were going all out to get you to switch and during my time at Sony Asia Pacific, several projects were submitted to me for consultation. At that time, I was engaged as a consultant of sorts for their DSLR market in the Asia Pacific Region. Some got rejected while others were a little more meaningful. These folks got the cameras they asked for in return for content. They were fully funded because Sony needed to show what their line of cameras were possible. No professional would touch their products with a ten foot pole. Needless to say, several got lucky in my time. 

Today that market has all but dried up. Brands like Nikon and Canon want you to create images but they are leveraging on professional photographers who already have a following. Why bother to create a star when you already have one working alongside you? Even if you pitch a great idea, the problem is always two folds. Who will take up the effort to advertise your successful foray into making a picture book, portfolio or for that matter camera. 

Why Crowdfunding is getting Harder

 

It has to do with value. What is it that you bring to the table of these big brands that make it so unique they can't get someone else, a pro, to do it for them for free camera gear?

This is why people turn to Indiegogo and Kickstarter to crowdfund. Here are some rules to follow.

#1 Get a Life

I have seen many epic fails. Like the one saying, I need a new camera to pursue my career in photography. That sort of line not only sounds overly honest, but gullible to anyone thinking that he or she will actually do a good job after getting funded. You got an iPhone?

Well shoot something, show it off in a portfolio before asking for money. If someone notices your talent in your iPhone photography, they might give you the money you need to get started. You need to show that your life is in photography and if you don't even have iPhone pictures to prove it, you're just another snake oil salesman. The same is for those hoping to get funded for a camera to do a video documentary....god sakes, doesn't the iPhone take video already? 

What's more, there are plenty of places to show off your budding talent. Pick Flickr or even Instagram....of for that matter EyeEm to show off your eye and maybe someone will take you seriously. 

#2 Put Effort into a Video or Pitch for Crowdfunding

A lot of folks think that by putting up a collage of sorts is enough to convince people you're the next ace photog who can take on the likes of McCurry or McCullin. 

You heard of the selfie, well now you can sell yourself by talking about what this project is all about. Your face says it all and if you can't be bothered to put effort into a video or a proper presentation for your crowdfunding proposal, then what makes you think that people out there will take you seriously? Sure there is a sucker born every minute but they can't all be hanging out on Kickstarter all day waiting for you to happen. 

A good pitch is just one short sentence. Don't matter if that is your exhibition, limited run prints or anything remotely bookish. Weave your own dream into the pitch and tell the world why they need someone like you to do this. If you are not talented in such delivery, get a friend to help...unless they are all stoned and high on weed, chances are your pal who did well in English could help you out. 

#3 Clarify your Photography Ambitions with an Example

There are those crowd funding pitches that has only one photo of something totally unrelated to the thing you want to do. It's like having a photograph of a mole hill and asking people for money to go photograph the earthquake in Nepal. 

People have to know you have done something like that to start to read your pitch. Showing examples of past work in high altitudes (and I don't mean photography from an airplane window) would be the first step. 

For video projects, the same can be said of having a short documentary, shot and edited on your iPhone. If you can't do that, what good are you with bigger projects?

#4 Get Co-Sponsors to come in with you

Get someone to sponsor your airplane ticket. Show them the logo on kickstarter and your blog (getting a free website is easy peasy these days) as long as you have some other sponsors onboard, be it for footwear, c-rations, or even a backpack, have them on your pitch page as a sort of endorsement. 

If you can get pop culture websites like theVerge, Vice, or some other entity with a cult following to feature you, mention them too. Your publicity with them will ensure that you are legit. Don't ask me how you should be getting such sponsors because if you haven't a clue on where to start, then you shouldn't be pitching. 

There are some companies like Getty Images that offer grants from time to time. It would be good for you to look them out to see if you qualify, who knows? It could be right down your alley. 

#5 Activate your online Presence

If you are serious about doing a book on the homeless on New York, then start a Tumblr, Vimeo, YouTube or Instagram feed to show what you are doing daily even during the campaign period. You have to show your sincerity with passion and funders will google you to find out who you actually are. 

If you haven't got an online presence of anysort, you are in deep shit. This is because they want to see the number of followers you have online. Facebook is a ditch because it won't help you connect your followers to what you are doing without some form of payment. It's online prostitution only that it's completely legal. You pay them, they help you. No money? Then why are you on Facebook?

Why the Rules Got So much Harder

You have no idea how many people would contact big brand names for free stuff and sponsorship. For example, you might want to get socially aware corporations to help you with a book you're doing but ultimately, they need to know who the hell you are. If you are a distant relative to Brad Pitt or the Queen of England, it could help....but if you're a nobody wanting something from them. Fat chance. 

Big brands don't like to sponsor projects which are difficult to use to reach consumers. For example, a digital book is pretty much useless because not everyone will have the patience to download it once it is available. They prefer immediate delivery of content such as an Instagram feed than a picture book that only exist on the iPad. 

Where are the Book Sponsorships?

For those hoping to pitch a physical book...that is to find a willing publisher. Good luck. Photo books sells best if they are by famous photographers. So if you are not famous, what chances do you have in publishing a photo book?

Now I know you have come across some of those 'publishers' who are out to print your books. What they don't tell you is that you have to pay for it and let them publish and distribute for you.

Paper prints cost money, so unless you already have a sponsor, you should not do it. Pitching ideas and concepts to print publishers of photo books will fall in the same hole. If you are nobody, then you better bring something to the table that is worth their time. Let's say you want a print run of 10,000 copies of which you already have a corporate client willing to take half of that at a profitable retail price. Then the publisher will look into how that might work to their advantage, like maybe give you money to finish the project. Never give them a project in 'concept' stage when you don't have the funds to do it. Publishers don't like buying into a great idea with them having to foot the bill of your project cost.

For that you need to find other sponsors, like maybe from people who you have access to in your linkedin profile? If you have a whole list of sponsors, it shows you have gone some way to getting funding.... tell your friends you are on Kickstarter and they might just toss you something to get you going. Will it be enough? I don't know. Do you have Bill Gates on your Linkedin profile as a friend? Warren Buffet maybe? 

Sponsorship by anyone is a commercial concern. They need to get visibility from your project and for some small firms, they could sponsor you physical stuff that you might need on your journey. That's how you start the ball rolling. 

I think that selling unique prints autographed by you is a good step to rewarding your sponsors....provided your book takes off like a Russian rocket and not one from Space X or NASA. It is just a matter of I scratch your back and you scratch mine. Sponsors need to get something out of it. Even if you are publishing a book, a logo and a word of thanks plus a few complimentary copies will earn you enough respect for a second round of sponsorship if you prove to be worth your weight in salt.

Sponsorship is never a one way street. You have to meet your sponsors in the middle and see what sort of use that would be to your eventual goal.

On Kickstarter, I have seen picture books get crowdfunded by unique talents. There was a photographer in the 70s porn industry who had all this prints and she needed the funds to produce a book about the industry. That sold like hot cakes. That said, I am not asking you to do only porn related projects. 

Activist style book projects for humanitarian goals can also be successful if you deal with the right corporate brands who want to leverage on that. Again, the more famous you are, the better it will be for them to meet you. If all you ever had was a Facebook page...well....good luck. 

As for UN related bodies who are into helping others. Let me make it clear. The UN is not a charitable body that gives you money for book projects. It is the other way round. I worked on a UNICEF related book project (ISBN 981-05-3227) where the whole thing was financed and sponsored by Konica Minolta. Getting their seal on your book is very difficult, they want to know what that is worth to you and how much you are going to pay for that privilege. The book was sold as a charity concern with ALL of the retail revenue going to them. No skimping on the details on paying on the profits on this book as a gesture of their involvement. They don't need that.

The second book project we took up with them was left them fighting for credit. Both the Geneva office and the NY office wanted credit for green lighting the project and it never took off the ground due to internal politics. So that should give you an idea on how not to get started on this path. 

I wish there was a blog that featured failure. To tell people that everything they thought they were doing right ended up wrong. Makes for a valuable lesson for all those who want to take the same path. 

We all dream of doing the things we love and hopefully make a living out of it. It doesn't always happen that way and for good reason too. There is a commercial aspect to everything related to such projects and if it is not viable. It will sink faster than the Titanic. 

In another step towards racing to the bottom, photographers will be paying the price for it and not consumers. In a saturated world where photos can already had for free, Depositphotos think that you deserve a rate cut. 

old royalties

read'em & weep new royalties

So where is the logic? Apparently Depositphotos has had enough of going through your photos and want to pay you what you deserve, according to the reasoning, it is to bring it more in line with market demands. This could mean that they are raising the rate as the demand has fallen off a cliff so they have to sell less but charge more, while at the same time trying to accommodate more and more photographers who wish to sell at their marketplace. 

This cannot be good news for the photographer. The 10 percent royalty cut may not prevent you from earning your beer money but it does towards drinking lesser pints. 

Why you should rethink your plans about Quitting your Day Job

Everyone at some stage of their miserable lives would want to embark on a life changing career and some may even want to dabble in photography. 

There is no sin in this but you need to understand that each step you take forward is like traversing a minefield. 

Having had the experience of working within a advertising agency, I know how they manage client expectations and this can be difficult. First, every dream the client has about an advert has to be skillfully rationalized in terms of budget. If a client refuses to opt for a staged photo shoot to meet the imaging expectations, then they resort to using royalty free photos. 

Royalty free photos can be purchase for either print or web campaigns, and this is where they start to fire up their photoshop skills to composite photos to create the illusion of an actual piece of canvas. This is a no brainer. 

Royalty free microstock photos pander to such needs and are ideal when very little is involved in terms of cost. Instead, the Advertising agency will then charge their Digital Imaging Enhancement fees on top of the purchase photos, making the bulk of the money in place of what they have purchased from you...the photographer. 

There is always some work to be done, for photographers to shoot for agencies, but the value proposition is always very poor. 

Special assignments do not come in a bear market but a bull market, where lots of special projects to shoot models and products can be had in a booming consumer market. 

The reverse is true when in a bear market where consumer sentiment is poor, budgets will have to be cut and this is where they turn to buying stock photos. 

Stock imaging works best in countries where a copyright is valued. This unfortunately does not happen in Asia or the USA, where countless large corporations have ripped photographers off. 

The last market for microstock lies in websites, but not personal blogs. Corporate or business websites have a need to fill those blank spaces in their content and this is where an image will come in handy. But look at the above rates for web use and you will know that you're not going to get rich from it anytime soon. An image that is between large and medium cost lower than 3 bucks. A buck might buy you a beer at some places while anything less than 3 might qualify you for a Starbucks latte in some parts of the world. 

In a day or week, you have to work out your expenses on how much you want to devote to this career and how much you can earn in the process. 

Lastly, demand for photos always come from developed countries as oppose to semi or least developed ones. This is due to copyright laws and of course demand for unique content as a corporate differentiator. 

In Malaysia, a third world country, several banks were caught off guard using the SAME stock image to run their ads. That's how poor budgets are and even the big guns don't bother licensing managed photos. 

So proceed with caution, don't raise your expectations that you will be a earning a decent income when shooting royalty free stock photos. If you have a comfy financial basket to rely on, and want to take up photography as a past time, then go ahead, live your dreams. However if you think it is going to pay for your overheads, expenses while affording a comfortable life, well you had it coming. 

During the dark age of film photography, getting a panoramic picture meant getting a dedicated camera that could pan the lens at a 180 degree angle or more. In the 90s, there was the Widelux which did this splendidly and after that, it was the Hasselblad Xpan which I grew to love but could never afford. These cameras would use two 35mm frames to capture a scene, allowing for a wide angle picture which was very rare to find. For one, there was no way you could hand hold this steady enough and you needed a tripod to help you do the job. Picking a scene and how you exposed it was a matter of science, as the aperture was normally fixed (except in the case of the Xpan). 

After that, I never bothered to look into this genre of photography ever again until the late 2000s when I was asked by Sony to manage a project where one of the photographers, Paul Daly, was a professional panoramic photographer. Nomadic planet were asked to produce a series of pictures for Sony Asia Pacific using Sony DSLRs. 

To begin with, shooting a pano might seem easy but he had to do a lot of work to do with those DSLRs. First you needed a tripod, and because it was in portrait orientation you had to make several overlapping shots to ensure the computer program you used to stitch the picture was done correctly, and yes, you actually had to buy panoramic stitching software in order for this to work. 

Next was the lens, a 50mm for full frame would be just nice but Paul said he preferred 70mm or more depending on the subject he shot. Paul took beautiful panos, and each would take up to 20 mins to set up and shoot. That is how much work that went into the pano during the early days of the DSLR. 

I remember during my days with Sony Asia Pacific, they asked my opinion what would be the next big feature. I told them it would things like Panoramic photography as well as HDR. They shrugged, and I never brought it up again. This was in 2008/2009. Deep down inside I knew the technology would be able to make the whole process so much easier and it was in 2010 that everything became a reality. 

Pano Photography as an afterthought

In the days before this pano feature was introduced in DSLRs, panoramic photographers were professionals with a skill that only connoisseurs appreciated. Today, no one would give two hoots about them. If you wanted to try your hand at it using a film camera, you can't go wrong with a Horizon. 

Technology has made them redundant, and the business has been democratised. Anyone with a smartphone today has the ability to shoot a pano image without dropping any sweat. All it takes is a steady pose, holding your smartphone the right way and deciding on how the subject should flow in your picture. How technology had changed the landscape was exciting, and demeaning to professionals who had spent a good part of their life developing a skill for it. You can virtually capture a pano in less than 1 min...using a compact camera or your iPhone. If you compared that with the Panos of old, where you had to literally spin a DSLR on a specially built tripod, well, that's 23 minutes shorter and probably saved you a whole lot of time on a PC trying to stitch them together too. 

And if you had a business card that says you're a panoramic photographer, all you will earn is a shrug from the very people you wish to impress. 

Composing the Pano is not Rocket Science

One of the challenges of shooting panos the old way was to get the Horizon on a level. If you were shooting from a hill or a slope, you had to make sure you had a spirit level on your tripod to find out if you are on level ground. So if you are not, you had to make the collapse the tripod legs to have the correct fit. 

This was made redundant with the 3 axis camera stabilisation, which detected minute movements and adjusted it during capture. 

Rule of Thirds, redux. The Entrance occupies two thirds of the frame while the hotel building takes a third of the frame

So these days, the camera detects your panning movement as long as you hold it still, you can capture a panoramic image without the use off a tripod. All you have to do is hold your Android or iPhone steady, pointed at the direction you want it to flow and move along the horizon line. That's it!

And as long as you have compose the image using the rule of thirds, then you're ok. The rule of thirds here means composing your subjects using a grid of thirds, and it is not the conventional rule of thirds where the subject in focus should be within the middle four points.

Dividing your picture by thirds and then putting your main and secondary subjects within these one third frames helps to give it breath and space. If not, it would be a mess. 

How Technology is making even Easier

I remember shooting my first mobile panoramic picture using an iPhone 3GS. The quality of the image wasn't great but it got the job done. Today, with the higher spec iPhones and Android devices, where the whole processing and stitching of the image is done within the device, there is no longer a need to shoot with a DSLR. 

Even DSLR's these days support a panoramic panning function that you can opt to use without a tripod. That said, no idiot who knows how to use a camera could ever get this wrong. 

Full frame wide angle 20mm is probably one of the great lenses one can get their hands on but they will never be cheap...even though they come from Lomo. It cost US$650 a pop and it only fits the Leica mounts and the L39 screw mounts.

You can of course use this fully manual lens on digital cameras with the option of a a lens adaptor but APS C or M43 type sensors will have to take into account the crop factors of a full frame lens and hopefully realize that they are not buying into a wide angle.

For smaller sensors, you are probably getting between 35mm and 40mm in focal length, which isn't a bad thing considering the vignetting you see on full frame results.

The smaller crop factor reduces the frame and the less than desirable vignettes will be gone...so you have been warned.

I have in the past worked with an award winning food photographer and from what I know, they are in a class of their own but as technology would have it, a slew of foodie pictures found regularly on Instagram has made life a little more difficult. 

Foodies blog about where to eat and what to eat, and in the process take photos for their Instagram feed as part of their promotional efforts. Some of the pictures showcase capture the unique atmosphere of the eatery or restaurant while others are styled in such a way that reflect their creativity and lighting. 

There are still people who shoot food but budgets for a stylist would depend on the client. Today, almost anyone who wants to get creative can look through the numerous instagram photos that are tagged with #foodphotography to get an idea on what is possible. This comes at the expense of professional stylist who once commanded decent paychecks just to style food. 

Today, the digital photographer is nothing more than a journeyman, who goes out of his way to make a budget shoot possible. Food styling was once an art. If it looks good on picture, then it's good to eat...except that it wasn't the case. Industrial glazes and chemicals were added to bring out the color and making it look exceptional during the age of analogue film was an art in itself. you needed quality studio lighting and exposure readings had to be made at every step to avoid unexpected results. Photographers would burn through boxes of Polaroid prints just to check the color and lighting. It was, ultimately a time consuming process. 

With Photoshop, changing the colors isn't a big deal anymore. You want the lobster to look more crimson, it can be done with the right tint. Selective tinting is a boon to food photography and for that, you can ask any digital artist. 

How Instagram made Food Photography Fashionable 

The advent of social media changed the food photography landscape. First, people posted to Facebook and Flickr, and when Instagram came along, that became a food fashion statement on where you have been eating. 

It also helped to promote the eateries themselves, forcing chefs to style the food in a platter that is welcoming to the eyes and photography aficionados. The choice of plates, cutlery and table setting had to be tempting enough for people to drop by and take pictures for their friends to see.

This sort of thinking started to influence how food photography was conducted. It was not about shooting the images at at studio anymore like what you find at Dominoes Pizza or McDonalds. 

Today Food Photography is a mass market exercise that is not dominated by professionals but amateurs. 

Pros help to style the photos in the menu but they don't sell the restaurant. It is the mass market posting on social media that ultimately decides your success. 

This has led people to believe that food styling and photography is but the tip of the ice berg. An image with the right food proportions is what gives the idea on what your guest are getting but ultimately, it is the posting on social media that builds your reputation. 

We no longer have to wait for a jaded food reviewer to tell you that the food doesn't taste as good as it looks, you can already get that if you mates are foodies who eat in many places and post what they have tasted on Facebook. 

Social media campaigns have to tied with socially shared pictures and that's what builds branding and interest in the long term. The short term is always about putting up a print ad or two to get the ball rolling. Promotions at this point is just to tell people you're open for business. And as long as your food comes out of the kitchen that is great to look at and inspires the appetite, those pictures will go viral. 

Food Photography as a Business

The prospect of an Instagram foodie styling and shooting your menu is a reality. Restaurants don't need to hire professional photographers these days as budgets for them will run into thousands of dollars just for the menu pictures alone. 

Pros would like to take that business but with the onslaught of Instagram foodies, that makes it a very difficult proposition. 

What's more, being a pro food photographer would also mean starting up in a location where there is a food culture and with competition coming from amateurs, it gets more difficult to include a professional food stylist as a part of the package. 

So not only would you have to be the photographer and stylist, you also needed to be a good digital artist to know how to enhance those shots you made. 

The good part of this is the simplicity of it all. No DSLRs are necessary. You can shoot with a portable strobe (like the Foldio 2) and an iPhone if you knew how and as long as your services are priced accordingly (and not by the thousands of dollars) you probably can have your cake and eat it.

UPDATE: Instagram photos now in portrait and landscape


So what better way to sell your restaurant than with a full size picture instead of a square one? Get your customers cracking, dress the tables and dining area and color coordinate your table wares. The food is going to be complemented with more than just a square close up of the food but everything else about the restaurant can now be experienced. 

this is a creative common image example

We have all heard of the term, deflation, that's when things get cheaper economically. Now every economist will tell you a deflation is a bad thing. This is when the price of a product or service goes down either due to poorer market conditions or demand.

Stock photography has been in a deflation spiral for some years. Microstock photography, which hints broadly at cheaper pictures which can be sold more often therefore making its margins through bulk purchases. Microstock is also a royalty free approach to licensing photos, allowing consumers to pay as little as one dollar to use a stock image on a web site.

As the technology behind cameras evolve, it can't be said for the photography business in general. Everyone with a camera, mirrorless...DSLR....or a smartphone camera, can provide an image that is acceptable to most microstock agencies.

What's more there are thousands of images which are released into the Creative Commons domain, some of which are pretty outstanding in quality, all for free for web use. These photogs hope that by giving away some of their imagery, they could in turn get valuable web traffic to their site and promote their name.

This 'free' stock image sites (there are over 50 right now) compete directly with royalty free microstock images. So the the game has gotten even harder to compete in. 

Making it as a Stock Image Photographer

I have read stories of photographers pulling in hundred of thousands of dollar ins revenue from their stock image sales, but I can assure you this can't be from microstock photos.

Stock image agencies are always on the look out for more talent to contribute to their image library. It cost them very little to sign you up....or for that matter, validate your photos as acceptable after all you are responsible for potential lawsuits.

Microstock photography is probably a good way to start if you are thinking of submitting images to any photo agencies. The reason is simple. If your photos get rejected even at a microstock level, don't even hope of getting that past larger stock agencies like Getty, Alamy, Fotolia, etc, etc.

To start, all you need is a smartphone like the iPhone 5 or 6. If you already have one, then you don't need to spend another US$500 buying a compact camera.

Tips to Start Shooting as a Microstock Photographer

I am going to lay out some advice to keep you going and as cheaply as possible. This will work out in your best interest for one very simple reason....microstock is not going to make you rich but it can earn you some decent beer money.

Each region or continent of the world has a search term that stock agencies track, and these are very useful if you happen to live in a particular region of the world where they pay for such images. To get an idea, here is a list of key terms from one of the agencies. 

# Rule One : Be Opportunistic when Shooting Outdoors

As microstock photographer, you have to recognize a great photo opportunity when you see one. For example a great day, with the sunlight breaking through the clouds, or maybe a street scene where colorful flowers are arranged for sale. Shooting street vendors selling their wares (the wares...and not the vendors should be in the picture).

When you go out to order food or a coffee at a nice setting. Whip out your smartphone to capture a picture in the best possible arrangement. It's a photo opportunity that you have already paid so why not make the best out of it? Remember to arrange them in such a way that brand names are obscured. This makes them more marketable.

#Rule 2: Learn to capture photos without glaring brand signs or faces of people

This is another trick that will help you sell photos. Getting people into pictures is really very easy, especially identifiable people. The hard part is having them in the picture without their faces in it.

One way to do this is actually using long exposure on a tripod. People's figures and faces will get blurred while you get a public picture of a place. A festive atmosphere is best with people in them.

The other method is to spend time on photoshop to erase them out, which might or might not work since stock images of public places look more lively with people in them instead of without them.

#Rule 3: Use Hand, Arm and Leg Models

A object on its own is pretty useless unless a human interaction is in the image. This is where asking a friend for help will come in handy. Hands holding items, or any bodily part used as part of the composition is one way to get away from the model release conundrum most photographers have to get around.

You need to spend time and effort to arrange the shoot and once you do, shoot an entire theme on it. Won't cost you a dime as long as all the objects in the picture are borrowed.

#Rule 4: Get a Friend to Pose for You

These days, stock photos call for model releases and the same can be said of microstock images as well. If you have a friend who looks the part and is a willing victim of your photography exploitation, then ask them to sign on!

There are a lot of people who think they would make good models and for your part, you could help them on their way by giving them an online portfolio of images to use as their own.

Nearly every microstock agency these days ask for model releases once you have recognizable faces. If you go through the trouble to get one for them, the chances of you selling a picture is far greater than that without a model.

#Rule 5: List with Every Microstock Agency 

Royalty free means photos are not exclusive to one agency. So if you are going down this route, list with all the available ones you can manage and I can assure you that there are heaps out there. The best microstock photo agencies are the ones who find ready market for your photos. This means they should be advertising about their service either offline or online.

Microstocks that don't advertise often take on Photographic Missions as a way to address a client's requirement. They find willing client who are wiling to buy the right photo submission for rates amounting to a few hundred dollars at a time.

Here is where you make that distinction on which path to take. If you want to shoot what you like and submit them to microstock agencies all over the world, then make sure these agencies are doing their part by actively seeking buyers. There are loads of agencies that just exist online without doing much to push their services to buyers. These are dead ends and there are plenty of such agencies littering the Internet-scape. Go with one that actively advertises online to start with. They might get more exposure but you also get drowned out as their libraries probably have a hundred similar type photos as yours.

Lastly, you have to ask yourself what sort of buyers would be interested in your photos. And here is some food for thought. Over 20 years ago, I met a photographer who had gone to Myanmar's Bagan city, and he took beautiful panoramic slides of the place. However Myanmar at that time was going through a rough political patch so even though they were beautiful photos, no one ever wanted them because there was no market for it.

People who buy specific photos fall into a handful of categories. They are either in the news business, blogsite, tourism and promotions, hotels and service industry. This is a finite market and they are looking for the cheapest option for photos. Big brands and large corporations these days are also on the look out for cheaper images, so that too is another potential market for microstock photos.

The Last Word on Microstock Photography

The rule here is not to spend too much time and effort for just one photo. Make sure you have a whole theme of photos lined up when you do put in some money to make it happen. Microstock cannot be a zero cost business. You will have to come out with some form of monetary investment if you intend to pursue this further.

If you are lucky enough to make decent money on it, and enjoy doing it. Then you can consider moving up the chain by being a semi-pro stock image photographer (you will need to invest in a proper camera though). For that, you can start to hone your skills with more complex subjects as a larger sensor camera will give you greater latitude with low light or challenging lighting environments. Beyond that, just hope you are lucky enough to secure some sales to keep you going. 

[disclaimer: none of the photos featured here belong to me. These are royalty free photos for non commercial use.]