Posts

, , ,

Stock photography agency employee: Best Ways to Make Money

If you, like me, have enthusiasm for digital photography burning in you, a profession in digital photography would certainly be a fantastic suggestion!

Yet, making money with photography is easier said than done!

Stock Photography is definitely a way to make money.  There are numerous companies that require images that are substantial to their jobs yet do not have much time to take these images as a result of their busy routines. They decide to buy stock images as opposed to employing a specialist digital photographer, not just to conserve cash, however time too due to the fact that these images prepare to make use of.

I’ve been contributing for years and I learnt a couple of things about stock photography.

Moreover, I worked as a Marketer for one of the largest agencies too. So let me transfer to you some of my knowledge. Learn more about me here

Exactly what is stock photography?

Stock pictures are not photographed for a certain customer or usage yet portray a much more basic idea. Purchasers obtain wanted image, stock digital photography agents obtain a portion of every image offered on their site, and also professional photographer obtains continuing to be percent.

How to sell stock digital photography?

young-man-doing-acrobatics-in-water-in-tropical-location

You require your pictures to be of its finest. You should ensure that there are no noticeable sounds or grains in your stock pictures. They have to be free from spots, as well as unneeded background products. There are stringent standards you require to comply with. In order for your images to be thought about stock picture top quality, they have to be small, effectively taken, skilfully revealed as well as with high resolution.

Stock photography is the highest quality requiring photography. 

As such, see it as a gym to learn and practice photography at its toughest level. When in the future you decide to move towards more artistic creations or perhaps photojournalism, your standards will be amongst the highest. Learn more about this on this other article I wrote here

You will certainly additionally require software to edit your stock pictures.

You needn’t purchase the extremely expensive Adobe license to use Photoshop. You can download an older version of Photoshop for free, which is great if you want to start out without investment.

There are a whole lot of electronic cameras in market with fantastic attributes. Personally I like my Nikon D3200. It’s the best in terms of price/quality ratio and the easiest for beginners in the range of pro cameras. Nikon produced later versions like the D3400 which is a great DSLR and amongst the cheapest. DSLRs can be expensive to start out and the cheapest with a lens included goes between 250 to 380 Dollars. However you can also go for a second hand one. I always advise to buy used electronics either via Ebay because they protect you from scams or via Facebook if you can meet the seller, thus try the camera. However, it is always safer and better to purchase a new one. Amazon has interesting prices and options. Remember that you should always invest more on lenses rather than cameras.

[adinserter block=”8″]

I recommend this little book to practice all kinds of photography. I love it cause it tells you in bullet points exactly what settings to use in each situation and it’s small enough to be carried around and on the field. 

[adinserter block=”4″]

What are the top selling portfolios?

view-from-the-sea-of-posillipo-hill-naples-and-the-blue-waters-2

Difficulty in offering your stock images is its originality as well as adaptability. In order to increase your possibilities of selling you can either try to build a portfolio with a large variety of categories (i.e. travel, business, food, nature…etc.) or select a certain particular niche market. if you choose this approach, you generally need less photos in your portfolio but these pictures have to be exactly what your consumers are trying to find. You have to have the ability to have an extensive understanding of the niche market and also make sure there is enough demand for that niche. 

Quantity in your portfolio is also relevant. Most bloggers only give you tips about how YOU can improve your pictures. Reality is that the IT algorithms used by stock photo agencies determine heavily who and what is going to sell. If your portfolio is large, it’ll be shown more, thus you’ll have better chances of selling. The more you sell, the more the algorithm will show you. 

There are a bunch of stock digital photography recruitment agencies where your images can be offered. These websites have standards on what you ought to get in order to make an effective image entry. Generally, Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Dreamstime and Istock require at least 4mp but 123RF will ask for 6mp.

I advise you to put your keywords directly in your files metadata rather than pasting them as you upload your pics on every site. It’ll save you a lot of time!

Last but not least

Remember, there are people who manage to live out of stock photography. They are only a few but you can be one of them. It just takes time and patience. You’ll likely need years to create a 10 000 photo portfolio but if you stay put, you’ll achieve it.

Start with small objectives. Reaching 100 pictures is a milestone. When you get to 500, you’ll start seeing a real progress in your earnings. 1000 photos truly changes your earnings report so work on that for now. 

I’m out for now, drop a comment or email if you want more info. Please do not use this article in your blog unless you ask me first.

Learn more about the World Stock Photography Market 2019 by viewing the new report on the industry here.

[adinserter block=”14″] [adinserter block=”15″]

 

 

, , ,

Announcing My Latest Book: "IT’S (NOT) THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS: Reflections of a Marketer on Selfish Altruism"

I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest book, IT’S (NOT) THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS Reflections of a Marketer on Selfish Altruism This business essay, written in the form of a personal reflection, delves deep into the intriguing…
, , ,

Named 2024's Most Trailblazing Business Leader by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE

At just 28 years old, the distinction of being named the "Most Trailblazing Business Leader of the Year 2024" by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE is both humbling and exhilarating. Featured prominently on the magazine's cover and with my story shared within…
, , ,

Celebrating a Milestone: My "Ghanaian Night" Featured in Artist Closeup Magazine

I am thrilled and deeply honored to share that my photography has been showcased in the prestigious pages of Artist Closeup Magazine. Among the stunning array of artistic talent, my selected piece, "Ghanaian Night," has found its place, and…
, ,

PHOTOMAIL FROM GHANA WITH LOVE: POSTCROSSING

For over a year, I've been living in Accra, Ghana. Although I manage the revenue & marketing departments of a luxury hotel, living in this part of Africa is a continuous source of great photographic shots. Apart from being a serial expat…
, , ,

My "Beauty is Simplicity" Featured by BBC on the Theme of Water

Exciting news! Last week, BBC chose to highlight my photo, "Beauty is Simplicity," as part of their themed showcase on water. It's an honor to be recognized by such a renowned platform. "Beauty is Simplicity" captures a serene moment on the…
Victoria Schaal Awards
, , ,

Honored to be Featured in Photographize's "100 Best Photographers 2021" Book!

I'm excited to share some incredible news - I've been listed in Photographize's annual book honoring the top 100 photographers of 2021! Titled "Photographize Best Selected 2021," this book celebrates the work of visionary artists who have truly…
, , ,

Stock photography agency employee: Best Ways to Make Money

If you, like me, have enthusiasm for digital photography burning in you, a profession in digital photography would certainly be a fantastic suggestion!

Yet, making money with photography is easier said than done!

Stock Photography is definitely a way to make money.  There are numerous companies that require images that are substantial to their jobs yet do not have much time to take these images as a result of their busy routines. They decide to buy stock images as opposed to employing a specialist digital photographer, not just to conserve cash, however time too due to the fact that these images prepare to make use of.

I’ve been contributing for years and I learnt a couple of things about stock photography.

Moreover, I worked as a Marketer for one of the largest agencies too. So let me transfer to you some of my knowledge. Learn more about me here

Exactly what is stock photography?

Stock pictures are not photographed for a certain customer or usage yet portray a much more basic idea. Purchasers obtain wanted image, stock digital photography agents obtain a portion of every image offered on their site, and also professional photographer obtains continuing to be percent.

How to sell stock digital photography?

young-man-doing-acrobatics-in-water-in-tropical-location

You require your pictures to be of its finest. You should ensure that there are no noticeable sounds or grains in your stock pictures. They have to be free from spots, as well as unneeded background products. There are stringent standards you require to comply with. In order for your images to be thought about stock picture top quality, they have to be small, effectively taken, skilfully revealed as well as with high resolution.

Stock photography is the highest quality requiring photography. 

As such, see it as a gym to learn and practice photography at its toughest level. When in the future you decide to move towards more artistic creations or perhaps photojournalism, your standards will be amongst the highest. Learn more about this on this other article I wrote here

You will certainly additionally require software to edit your stock pictures.

You needn’t purchase the extremely expensive Adobe license to use Photoshop. You can download an older version of Photoshop for free, which is great if you want to start out without investment.

There are a whole lot of electronic cameras in market with fantastic attributes. Personally I like my Nikon D3200. It’s the best in terms of price/quality ratio and the easiest for beginners in the range of pro cameras. Nikon produced later versions like the D3400 which is a great DSLR and amongst the cheapest. DSLRs can be expensive to start out and the cheapest with a lens included goes between 250 to 380 Dollars. However you can also go for a second hand one. I always advise to buy used electronics either via Ebay because they protect you from scams or via Facebook if you can meet the seller, thus try the camera. However, it is always safer and better to purchase a new one. Amazon has interesting prices and options. Remember that you should always invest more on lenses rather than cameras.

[adinserter block=”8″]

I recommend this little book to practice all kinds of photography. I love it cause it tells you in bullet points exactly what settings to use in each situation and it’s small enough to be carried around and on the field. 

[adinserter block=”4″]

What are the top selling portfolios?

view-from-the-sea-of-posillipo-hill-naples-and-the-blue-waters-2

Difficulty in offering your stock images is its originality as well as adaptability. In order to increase your possibilities of selling you can either try to build a portfolio with a large variety of categories (i.e. travel, business, food, nature…etc.) or select a certain particular niche market. if you choose this approach, you generally need less photos in your portfolio but these pictures have to be exactly what your consumers are trying to find. You have to have the ability to have an extensive understanding of the niche market and also make sure there is enough demand for that niche. 

Quantity in your portfolio is also relevant. Most bloggers only give you tips about how YOU can improve your pictures. Reality is that the IT algorithms used by stock photo agencies determine heavily who and what is going to sell. If your portfolio is large, it’ll be shown more, thus you’ll have better chances of selling. The more you sell, the more the algorithm will show you. 

There are a bunch of stock digital photography recruitment agencies where your images can be offered. These websites have standards on what you ought to get in order to make an effective image entry. Generally, Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Dreamstime and Istock require at least 4mp but 123RF will ask for 6mp.

I advise you to put your keywords directly in your files metadata rather than pasting them as you upload your pics on every site. It’ll save you a lot of time!

Last but not least

Remember, there are people who manage to live out of stock photography. They are only a few but you can be one of them. It just takes time and patience. You’ll likely need years to create a 10 000 photo portfolio but if you stay put, you’ll achieve it.

Start with small objectives. Reaching 100 pictures is a milestone. When you get to 500, you’ll start seeing a real progress in your earnings. 1000 photos truly changes your earnings report so work on that for now. 

I’m out for now, drop a comment or email if you want more info. Please do not use this article in your blog unless you ask me first.

Learn more about the World Stock Photography Market 2019 by viewing the new report on the industry here.

[adinserter block=”14″] [adinserter block=”15″]

 

 

, , ,

Announcing My Latest Book: "IT’S (NOT) THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS: Reflections of a Marketer on Selfish Altruism"

I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest book, IT’S (NOT) THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS Reflections of a Marketer on Selfish Altruism This business essay, written in the form of a personal reflection, delves deep into the intriguing…
, , ,

Named 2024's Most Trailblazing Business Leader by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE

At just 28 years old, the distinction of being named the "Most Trailblazing Business Leader of the Year 2024" by CIO TODAY MAGAZINE is both humbling and exhilarating. Featured prominently on the magazine's cover and with my story shared within…
, , ,

Celebrating a Milestone: My "Ghanaian Night" Featured in Artist Closeup Magazine

I am thrilled and deeply honored to share that my photography has been showcased in the prestigious pages of Artist Closeup Magazine. Among the stunning array of artistic talent, my selected piece, "Ghanaian Night," has found its place, and…
, ,

PHOTOMAIL FROM GHANA WITH LOVE: POSTCROSSING

For over a year, I've been living in Accra, Ghana. Although I manage the revenue & marketing departments of a luxury hotel, living in this part of Africa is a continuous source of great photographic shots. Apart from being a serial expat…
, , ,

My "Beauty is Simplicity" Featured by BBC on the Theme of Water

Exciting news! Last week, BBC chose to highlight my photo, "Beauty is Simplicity," as part of their themed showcase on water. It's an honor to be recognized by such a renowned platform. "Beauty is Simplicity" captures a serene moment on the…
Victoria Schaal Awards
, , ,

Honored to be Featured in Photographize's "100 Best Photographers 2021" Book!

I'm excited to share some incredible news - I've been listed in Photographize's annual book honoring the top 100 photographers of 2021! Titled "Photographize Best Selected 2021," this book celebrates the work of visionary artists who have truly…
, , , ,

Level Up Conference in KL 2018: Report

Last week I had the chance to attend the famous Level Up conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The atmosphere at Level Up was truly electrifying. Seeing all these youngsters showing their artistic creations was absolutely marvellous.

The conference talks were held by a plethora of speakers from a wide range of backgrounds within the gaming, digital art, software and hardware industries.

I found particularly interesting the presentation given by HTC regarding VR and their future intentions for the new technology. The speech was quite technical but luckily I had gone to a VR lab the week prior to Level Up to try it out as I wrote in my previous article. My first experience was quite…..hilarious. If you’re interested in seeing a ridiculous girl pretending to ski in VR and falling by herself, click here to watch the video.

A disappointment, however, arises from the lack of debate regarding the ‘side effects’ of VR.

We do not know how the human psychology will react once VR is easily accessible to everyone or even a future commonly found at home tech, like they all seemed to predict at Level Up. Controversial studies have been carried out and subsequent correlations have already been found between violent videogames and real life aggression. And this was with 2D on screen games, so what’s it going to be with VR games? And we also have lots of cases of gaming addiction, particularly in Asia where bootcamps are held for rehab from technology. So what’s going to happen with VR in the mix too?

I loved some of the games that were exhibited and was mesmerised by the new Prestige range of MSI laptops. In fact, I am very tempted to buy the P42: such a powerful laptop and yet so thin and light. A masterpiece truly. If you’re interested, you can have a look at its features here. After all, both 11.11 and Black Friday/CyberMonday are getting close so we won’t feel to guilty to buy a new toy if it’s discounted!

So all in all, the success of Level Up is totally justified. It was well organised, the location very neat and pleasant, the crowd quite varied and the speakers capable.

But to me, the best of Level Up was seeing so many young minds attending, each showing a great passion and a strong will to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment like gaming, apps and digital art.

In a way a contradictory but also reassuring observation I made was that several of these digital talents were still sketching on paper all the time, even during talks. It is nice to see that art evolves but the starting point remains traditional: the hand sketch.

, , ,

VR, my first time: amazing but disturbing

I live in Kuala Lumpur and at this time of the year the monsoon hits us hard especially during the afternoons and evenings. The rain floods streets and the humid heat renders the air stale and tiring.

So what to do on a Saturday night in this weather? Go to spend an hour at the VR lab.

Last Saturday was my first time (VR-wise) and my boyfriend suggested a ski game to, as he put it, ‘experience fully the power of VR‘. Sure. Why not.

As I was ‘experiencing fully’ the thing, he decided to film me in one of the most ridiculous moments of my young life. You can see it too here.

In conclusion, I found VR to be an extrordinary thing. It’s incredible how effectively real everything feels. I say feels and not looks, as it’s not the graphics that make you believe you’re in other dimension. It’s the whole interaction between the visual illusion and your brain that drives you nuts.

I did feel nausea when jumping on my skis, scared when some snakes tried to eat me, tired after a pub fight and I had a strong headache afterward. But it was totally worth a try and I will likely go again some time.

Yet, I cannot prevent myself from thinking about the potential consequences of VR on human psychology. Using it an hour at an arcade is no biggie but VR will likely become more and more affordable and am sure a good portion of the population will end up having it at home, always accessible.
Controversial studies and correlations have already been made regarding violent screen-videogames and real life aggression. And we also have lots of cases of gaming addiction, particularly in Asia where bootcamps are also held for rehab from technology. So what’s going to happen with VR in the mix too? How many individuals will prefer the virtual reality they build themselfves to their actual lives?

How many people who may already be prone to addicition, violence or psychological trouble will lose their minds with VR?

This is not a criticism. I leave these questions open as I am clueless of what’s going to happen. Yet, I do find that these questions are not asked enough.

Next week I’ll go to the Level Up Conference in KL and hope to find some answers.

,

Nikon releases two full frame mirrorless cameras

Last Minute News

Nikon is releasing two full-frame mirrorless cameras on August 23rd!

The cameras apparently will get rather sci-fi android names: the Z6 and Z7 (so original guys!)
They are said to be introduced alongside three lenses and the Z7 will shoot at 45 megapixels!

I’ll update as soon as I get more info.