Photos That Sell
Subjects To Shoot,
Things To Look Out For
& Traps To Avoid At All Costs!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Think beyond just capturing your subject
Whether it's a model or an object or a
place, try to create an image that
says something about the subject
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
People photos that sell are going to
convey an emotion, or a concept
or a lifestyle situation.
Don't try to do everything in one photo.
Focus on one theme at a time
and make sure you get it!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Images need a sense of purpose.
The viewer should never be left
wondering why you took the photo?
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
A lot of photo buyers these days
are non- professionals.
Buying images isn't necessarily
their main responsibility.
These new buyers are usually going to
choose the bright, vibrant images,
with strong simple compositions.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Execution is everything …
Focus Exposure Composition
Master the rules before
you try breaking them
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
When photographing people,
always ask for a release first.
Take the time explain what you're
trying to capture before you start.
People respond better when they
know what you're trying to do.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
If a photograph needs a
caption to explain it ...
it's not a stock image
… and it's probably not
much of a photo either!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Take a Client Centric approach when
you're keywording your images
Decide who your target buyers might
be and why they need the image …
Use that insight to work out what words
they're going to use in their search
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
The best selling photographs
of famous landmarks
are usually taken by
local photographers!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Food should be eaten
Drinks should be drunk
Still-life food & beverage shots
do sell but competition is steep
Capture them in a lifestyle context
and step out from the crowd!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Always Get Model Releases
even for unidentifiable body parts
Many buyers will err on the side of
caution, especially if they're buying
images for their own Clients
Don't try to tell them they're wrong
Just give them what they want!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
No free advertising!
Compose out brands, logos and branding,
or remove them in Photoshop.
No one pays for photos of their own
Logos any more, and no one has EVER
paid for photos of someone else's brand
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
If a face is visible the eyes
will be the focal point
If two or more faces are visible
there will be a connection
between the them
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Set up for tabletop photography
and start a list of subjects
Then use downtime – or lousy
weather – to add valuable new
material to your catalog
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
When shooting objects make sure the
context totally works... or totally misses!
Reality sells & abstracts sell...
Vague settings somewhere in between
won't feel right and won't sell.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Food photos sell but they
MUST look appetizing
Lighting is paramount
And most of the time the
food will be inedible!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Always carry Model & Property
Releases in your kit.
Offer to send a digital copy by email
... in return for a signature.
Released images will sell more
often for much better prices.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Computers and technology shots can
sell extremely well but competition
is extremely high.
Look to capture concepts and stories
rather than more of the still-life shots
that every one else shoots.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Cut-outs can sell, but competition is
high and demand has peaked
So look for other ways to get in close
and create something unique
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Landscape images for stock often
need people to add scale & meaning
Buyers demand it, but many of the
landscape-purists won't do it
There's a real opportunity when you
create a scene that your viewer
would like to be part of!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Sunrise and sunset skies
make boring images
The magic is in the light and
the way it plays on objects
Capture that and you'll be
making photos that can sell
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
If you're a sunrise addict, look to add
interesting, easily-identified silhouettes
to the foreground for visual interest.
Scout locations with lots of distinctive
& interesting shapes
Plan ahead and walk away from your early
morning sessions with dozens of commercial
shots instead of a few nice-nothing skies!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Lighting. Lighting. Lighting.
Consider supplementing the lighting
of every subject you shoot!
Any time of day or night, ask yourself
Can the lighting can be improved?
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Backs of people can sell
… IF there's something going on
but backs of heads rarely move
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Landscape Images of one specific
vegetation type often sell better than
big vistas with a bit of everything...
Get in closer and capture
something specific
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Clichés sell!
Competition can be steep
but the demand is strong for
fresh approaches to old ideas
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Simple shots of iconic landmark
subjects sell well despite the odds.
Some have been photographed millions
of times, but demand is strong for
fresh new images shot well
under perfect conditions
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Include contemporary people
in your iconic landmark shots
… it will put a shelf-life on the images,
but during their marketable lifespan
they'll face much less competition
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Boring landscapes never sell. Landscapes
need a strong point of interest to sell.
It doesn't always have to be a
feature of the scene though.
Strong natural lines can work,
as can strong blocks of color
Always look for something to hold the eye!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Flowers still sell but competition
is high so everything needs
to be perfect
Composition. Lighting. Execution.
Perfect. Perfect. Perfect!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Shooting flowers, think 131
.
One bloom, three blooms
or one mass of blooms
You'll rarely sell anything in between!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Keep It Simple!
Photo-buyers NEVER bother with
images they have to decipher
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
There's always good interest in
common subjects captured
in a unique style
Especially true with technology,
business and finance themes
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Pick your cultivated flowers
before you shoot them
Compositions, lighting & backgrounds
all need to be more perfect than
Nature usually provides!
(But don't pick wildflowers … natural works there!)
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Keep it Safe & Inoffensive
If you shoot confronting images
look for another outlet
They won't sell as stock!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
New concepts and themes
are emerging every year
Look for new technologies, new
products, new words, new ideas
Be the first to create the images
that illustrate their essence
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Corporate shots have a
fashion-shelf-life
So buyers always need
original images with
current clothing and
modern hair styles
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Look for all aspects of modern business
… not just the meetings and handshakes
The way business happens is constantly
changing, so this is a huge market
… if you can capture those changes
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
People Interacting With People
Enough said ...
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Average looking people usually need to
have a reason for being in an image
… not just posing for the camera
Give them a prop, dress them up, put them
in a location … do whatever it takes to
get them involved in the situation
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Science and Technology
The market is flooded with dated still-life
shots of yesterday's technology.
Those images never sell.
Look for the very latest technology and
capture it impacting on people's lives.
That's what sells!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
When you look at a business operation,
ask yourself – or your Client – what's
changed most in the way they do
business in the last two years.
Capture that!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Diversity Sells!
In any group situation, the more ethnic
diversity you can display the better.
This is one area where the obviously
contrived images just keep on selling
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Buyers always need high quality new
images of concepts & metaphors.
Tell the age-old stories in a new way
and you'll find serious demand
with a lot less competition
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Teamwork!
Take it out of the business context
and look for other groups to
convey the message.
Think Workers. Think Sports
Think Kids. Think Animals
This is a timeless theme!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Holidays & Celebrations always
sell from 2-3 months out
Don't just focus on the obvious
Religious Occasions though
Look for Local Events and Festivals
Document the traditions & customs
Capture the experience!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Strong social themes will always sell,
again and again and again ...
… but don't be too abstract or busy.
The theme needs to be convey instantly,
then the story gradually revealed
as the viewer studies the image
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Good sports images can be used in many
different fields, if you shoot for Stock Clients
Leave the reportage to sports photographers
Instead capture the countless themes and
concepts that sport encapsulates
That's where the stock dollars are!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
People at work are always in
demand, and not just the suits
Trades people, hospitality workers,
medical workers are especially hot!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Health Care is major social
issue and a growth industry
This makes it a common theme for
both editorial & advertising buyers
Demand for strong, believable images of
doctors, nurses, patients, hospitals &
medicines is only going to get stronger!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Reality is the new catch-phrase to marketable
people photography. Real life shots of real
people in natural situations.
But Reality doesn't mean Snapshots!
Perfect execution, perfect lighting, perfect
composition, visible faces, clear emotion,
and a believable connection between
your models and the situation
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
If you like to capture dramatic skies,
Photoshop them into other images
with less impressive skies.
They won't sell on their own!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
People on simple backgrounds
Use background colour and texture
to add meaning without distracting.
White backgrounds can and do sell,
if there are other elements that
add meaning the image
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Three-quarter views of happy, attractive
people are always in demand, since they
can be used for so many purposes
They do have a shelf-life though, so when
you find a model who sells, keep shooting
with current hairstyles and fashions
in many different locations
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Travel Concepts can sell well IF you
Convey a situation that the viewer wants
desperately to experience for themselves
… Leisure, luxury, adventure, culture,
excitement, wonder, relaxation ...
It all works if you sell the experience!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Religion and Spirituality
Convey the rich tapestry of the
world's beliefs with images of
people living that belief
Tough to capture but worth the effort!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Concept images are timeless so take
your time to set up fantastic shots
with a strong creative twist
Love, hate, fear, greed, health, success,
pride, addiction, desire, anger, speed ...
Make yourself a list, study it regularly
and look for opportunities to capture one
or two of these in your other shoots.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Couples Of All Ages
… As long as there's a believable
emotional connection
Make it real and it will sell
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Christmas, Halloween, Hanukkah,
Thanksgiving and Valentines Day all
enjoy annual bursts of sales
If you like to work this field, also consider
images of birthdays, weddings and other
celebrations that occur all year round!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Luxury is a concept that sells,
usually at a very high price!
So look for original ways
to convey that theme in a
variety of generic settings
They Will Sell!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Food needs to be styled and lit
just as carefully as models
Do it right or don't bother!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Wellness, Beauty and Spa images
are being used more and more to
sell everything from property to
clothes to food products.
Anything related to well-being and
personal-care can sell well
Attractive faces and bodies being
treated with all kinds of natural
remedies are often big sellers.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Travel images sell, holiday snaps don't
Travel images need to sell the viewer
on the experience of the destination,
So they need to show people enjoying
the experience of the destination.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Watch out for the latest
fitness fads and diets
Create & publish images that
illustrate those themes...
Before they start talking
about it on Oprah!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
We have an aging population so images
of older adults and senior citizens
are used to sell stuff everywhere.
Images need to make the older viewers
feel good about who they are and
where they're at.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
To Sum It All Up …
Photos of ANYTHING Can Sell
If They're Shot Right
What means is: Unique & Original Images
with Perfect Execution and Client-Centric
Composition are always in demand.
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
If you enjoyed this presentation,
Please Pay It Forward!
Share It On Facebook:
Tweet It On Twitter:
Thanks For Your Help!
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell
Photos That Sell
This was a presentation by GlobalEye
Images, the Co-operative Stock Library
Photographers working together to
reduce costs, increase exposure
and sell more images.
www.GlobalEyeImages.com
Tips For Shooting Photos That Sell