Photos That Sell – 10 Essential Ingredients
Stock photos are used for countless different purposes these days, so it’s simple to imagine ‘anything can sell’, but realistically photos that sell are usually gonig to meet some honestly standard criteria. Obviously there will be exceptions, but more often than not, the best selling stock photos will usually share some of the following traits …
1. Most feature a strong, simple subject. Stock photos are nearly always ‘of something’ and it’s usually instantly recognizable. Vague landscapes or cluttered scenes don’t often sell, and anything where the viewer has to work hard to identify the main subject is inlikely to interest many buyers.
2. A strong foreground subject. The main subject is usually going to be positioned right up in the foreground and there’ll be minimal clutter or distractions in the rest of the image.
3. Backgrounds are usually simple and complimentary … they add to the message without distracting from the main point of interest. There’ll be no strong design elements interferring with the main message. Washed out skies are no an option.
4. People will be included. When people are often used they are logically involved in the situation and there is a believable reason for them being there. Over-posed models have small use, and if a model is obviously posing for the camera, then the tale will be told by carefully selected props or strong facial expressions and/or body language.
5. People are usually photographed so their faces are visible and clear. If the face is visible, more often than not, the eyes will be a key focal point. Where people are included, they are used to convey emotions and thoughts, so vague expressions or obscured faces have small value to most stock buyers.
6. Symbols & props will be included. Quite often there’ll be carefully selected objects that add to the message the photo conveys. These will be carefully selected and positioned to make their inclusion believable and logical.
7. Often a variety of ‘props’ will be used to capture a series of similar images with very different meanings. The more prolific photographers will do this constantly, capturing dozens of different storylines from a single situation, each carefully developing a different message for a different potential buyer type.
8. There is limited demand for ‘empty’ landscapes, seascapes, sunrises and sunsets. These do but make brilliant backdrops for other more commercial stock subjects. Take these sorts of shots for other purposes if you wish, but then set about finding strong foreground subject matter that tells a tale that buyers can use.
9. Life, movement, action … all add to the marketability of a shot. A buyer will nearly always choose the action shot over the bland portrait … of anything.
- The child engrossed with a toy will always outsell the child holding to toy looking at the camera.
- The galloping horse will outsell the horse standing still in the middle of a paddock.
- The sailboat underway, canvas full, tilting from the wind will outsell the shot of the moored boat.
- The lion stalking it’s prey will outsell the lion sleeping in the shade.
- A couple ejoying a glass of wine will outsell the still ife of the wine bottle and two glasses
… and so on.
10. People are the key … no matter that field of work interests you most, if you want to sell stock photos, you need to be including people in your images to develop ‘mini-storylines’ that buyers can use to help convey their own messages.
Get people into the scene every chance you can get, and when you can’t, make sure you look for ways to get some life or activity into the shot. Yes there is certainly a market for quality still life photography, but generally the demand is considerably higher (and the competition considerably less) when you start telling tales.
Author: Matt Brading
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