Photography tip: Stock photo

If you are a photographer who has amassed a large collection of good
quality images, you may want to send a portfolio submission to a stock
photography agency. It is the agent’s job to market your images for
you, which frees up more time for you to photograph. Here are a few
things to keep in mind when approaching an agent:

1. Stock agencies
get hundreds of submissions every month . . . if your images are as
good or better than what they already have, then send in your pics. If
they are not as good as what is already available, wait another year
until your collection has expanded and your images become more dynamic.
2.
Only a few photographers make a decent living from stock photography
sales alone. Most photographers work in other aspects of the
photography business, and supplement their income by selling their
extra photos.
3. If you do get signed on with an agent, it may take
up to a year before you see your first sale. Your few images will be
amidst a sea of millions of other marketable photographs.

Before you get too discouraged however . . .

"What types of photographs do stock photography agencies want?"
PEOPLE!
With very few exceptions, the agencies want to have all types of people
represented in their collection. The people can be in many different
locations, or even plain white backgrounds. You don’t even need to show
their faces at all times, as illustrated in the above example taken in
a Korean temple. All that needs to be represented is either movement, emotion, or metaphor.

If
you are a nature photographer you may have a difficult time getting an
agent. The market is flooded with innumerable excellent nature and
location photographs. However if you plan your shoots to include
people, there is a solid demand for "active outdoor" type images, as
long as your models are healthy and happy looking.

Finally, it is extremely important to
keep your photos and releases organized. Make sure you back-up all your
images regularly, and keep a separate copy of each photo off-site. Have
fun, and good luck!

Thanks to professional photographer Mark Hemmings (www.markhemmings.com) for writing this photo tip.