Refocusing

[wlotus]

I've keyworded my image library so that any images I submit as stock photos can be easily located. I just looked at my stock portfolio, and it is interesting to see most of those images are missing three key elements of what seems to make a marketable stock/editorial image: a clear mood, a symbol of some kind, and a person clearly involved with said symbol. (The idea of keeping the background simple is something I do with my artistic photography already.) I've submitted two photos to a stock agency this morning which more closely fit that bill. I'll also update the keywords on the images I have already submitted to include words that describe the mood of the photo, if possible. It will be interesting and gratifying to see if altering my stock photography submissions in this way results in success in that area.

labyrinthnight is going through something similar with her novel; as she applies to her edits the things she has learned through her studies, her writing has evolved. I am shooting (pun intended, ha!) for the same thing with my stock photography. My artistic photography is a different animal and valid in its own right; I simply need to develop a different skillset in order to make marketable editorial stock photos. I'm excited about growing this way.

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Now playing: Alanis Morissette - Giggling Again for No Reason
http://foxytunes.com/artist/alanis+morissette/track/giggling+again+for+no+reason

Comments

[scream4noreason.livejournal.com]

I think your photos are excellent and I see no reason why you couldnt make money from them. It is a simple matter of the right person or people seeing them and requesting your services. I feel much the same about my drawings.

How do we make them visible to the right person or people? A little luck never goes astray.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

I think your drawings are excellent, too.

The difference between my artistic photos and editorial stock photos is that as a relatively unknown artist, I am more likely to make steady money with editorial stock photos. But you're right about making my artistic photos visible to the right person(s). I am making my own luck by entering contests and being particular about what photos I share here and on Flickr. I would also like to do the same on Fotki, but it's been difficult for me to figure out just how one builds community there.