Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - What pictures to put in first batch of photos?

camcrazed42 · Joined: 29 Oct 2009 Posts: 1

I am new to shutterstock and have no idea what kinds of pictures to put in my first batch. Any ideas?

hhltdave5 · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:48 pm

I think the best thing to suggest to you is to first get a good idea of what a stock image really is. It is something that will help sell or promote a product, concept or idea.

Different categories of images have a higher commercial value (sell more) than others. Images that show daily life such as business, family, health, fitness, food etc do well. Landscapes can also do well if done properly.

Here is an article I wrote for Shutterstock that is geared toward the newcomer. I hope you will find it helpful.

http://submit.shutterstock.com/newsletter/115/article2.html

mauijon · Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 2079 Location: Maui, Hawaii

Look at the top 50 images. Select a category that you think you can do as well as, or better, and go from there.

PaulCowan · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 1530

Variety would probably be good - people, food, objects, concepts. However, from what I read most people fail because of technical quality. Make sure everything is in focus, there are no sharpening fringes or "jaggies", there is no blotchy "digital noise", no compression banding or blocky effects in large areas of uniform colour, no dust blotches from a dirty sensor, no under-exposure or over-exposure, and the lighting is good without ugly shadows or unevenly lit backgrounds. Get all those things right and you shouldn't have a problem - but it isn't as easy as people think.