Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - Gallery

figalip · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 45

Can you please take some time to write me critique of my gallery, what do you like what do you find repulsive, and suggestions how could I improve my profit,
Please make critique of pictures as individuale same as complete gallery,

please be rough and don't spare me from good suggestions,

heres a portfolio link:

http://www.shutterstock.com/g/figalip

Thank you all in advance!

Kind regards
Filip

figalip · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 45

Anyone...

mirage3 · Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 1674 Location: Does it matter?

Ok! I'll go first... I think you have a solid gallery and you must be doing ok for the numbers of files you have, which are mainly backgrounds. So you might want to diversify what you offer to buyers a lot more. Another thing I noticed is the lack of copy space on most of your images, no room for buyers to add their message without masking large parts of it...and my last comment, make the pattern like the following seamless. I think that will help too. Here are my two cents...hope it helps! :-) !
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-57940402/stock-vector-circles-composition-vector.html

figalip · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 45

I notice that something makes it look overcrowded and the white space must be solution. Diversity is always advantage so attend to deal with that also. Didn't quite get the last part about seamless pattern...

Thank you for reply:))

suwanneeredhead · Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 1148 Location: Dante's Peak

I concur, white space is important, you don't want your buyers moving elements around in your design just so they can fit in text.

Seamless patterns are those that can be tiled, meaning set upon each other side to side, top to bottom, and the pattern continues without a noticeable seam. It's how we make repeating backgrounds for large areas, since it's an endless pattern.

Check this out: http://vectips.com/tutorials/create-a-trendy-seamless-type-pattern/

Good luck!

Stacey

evaners · Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 12:10 pm

Hi Filip, you have strong portfolio and you should be doing pretty good sales. I would make only two suggestions for diversifying your port;

- I love the surreal style of your photos, but you might need to do some that are more simple and clean. I know it's boring compared to your more art-like photos, but clean and simple photos sell.

- Add more object-type illustrations. You have a lot of abstract and background images, but not many simple objects or scenes. Again, I know that sounds boring, but you need to provide what the buyers are looking for.

My port is small in size, but if you look at it by Popular, you'll see a lot of objects that designers can use in their designs. I don't provide the design for them, I just provide parts that they can use.

About the seamless background, it means a background that can be repeated by putting together many of them. For example my leaves repeat, the leaves that are on the edges meet each other when it is repeated, see below.

figalip · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 45

Thank you guys very much, you are really providing me with good suggestions.

Last couple of months didn't upload anything new and my earnings stuck at 5-7 dollars per month, 5 dollars for 500 images seems to me like little low.

Is it really unavoidable to upload new works all the time in order to keep something of an income, while that seems to me like a best or only way to promote yourself on shutterstock.

evaners · Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 6:17 pm

mirage3 · Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 1674 Location: Does it matter?

I would have thought you made more $/month...talent is not an issue but with abstract backgrounds competition is beyond fierce, your files get buried in the pile. I would suggest adding keywords too (by looking at what others use if like me english is not your first language) for example with this one (that I really like) "grunge" and "grungy" need to be there, I would also put "black and white" and "tone" and "brown", "object" ... and probably others if I really thought about it...

figalip · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 45

Yesterday i was deleting some of photos that had like 0 sales or were just enjoying me, what photos would you suggest me to remove?

Thank you for last reply, did done some changes..the shutterstock can be technically very hard to work with new keywording.

iris42 · Joined: 04 Feb 2010 Posts: 625

i dont think if I'd delete any. You never know when a buyer will randomly find something. Making you port smaller wouldn't help your sales any. Keywording is a good idea though.

figalip · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 45

Maybe is better to keep the old illustrations, but some of them i find annoying and that is enough to delete them.

Can you tell me on 1000 pictures what is (your) average of downloads per month? or 100 pic...

evaners · Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 12:35 pm

davidarts · Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 788 Location: Italy

figalip · Joined: 29 Apr 2010 Posts: 45

Thank you for kind feedback, I will try to make images of other type, trends can change so...there`s still a chance.