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How to Sell Your Photographs as Stock Images

If you type “stock images” into Google, you will get nearly 18 million results. It just shows what a huge market there is for photographs. The best thing is that anyone with a camera of reasonable quality, who can take sharp, well-composed pictures can sell their photographs and make money.

Stock Images
Stock Images are professional photographs of common places, landmarks, nature, events, people or objects. They are bought and sold on a royalty-free basis and can be used and reused for commercial design purposes. The photographer (or Stock Image distributor) has ownership to the images, and the commercial designer is allowed some limited use of the photo. The conditions that are imposed on the designer vary between suppliers. There may be, for example, a limit to the number of copies that may be circulated when printed in a magazine or journal.

Stock Images are a cost-effective method for designers to obtain professional images without the cost of hiring a photographer. Stock images refer to any images purchased via this distribution method and may be photos, computer-generated graphics, clip-art etc. Stock images can be purchased for download via websites, or as collections on CD or DVD ROMs.

When you sell your photographs as stock images, the designer pays to obtain a copy of the image which may then be used royalty-free. Any number of designers may purchase your image - they don’t become exclusive to the first purchaser. So the rights to use a popular image could be bought numerous times.

So if you have an eye for photography, and you want to make some money, you may be wondering how you go about it.

Selling Your Stock Images
The easiest way to sell your photos as stock images is to find one or more stock image distributors and sign up with them. As mentioned previously, type “stock image” into a search engine and you will find more distributors than you could ever need. The amount of money that you get paid can vary greatly between distributors, so check all the terms and conditions before you sign up.

Each distributor has different requirements for signing up as an image supplier. Some require a copy of your passport as identification. I would always advise anyone to think carefully before doing this. There are several others that don’t require copies of personal documents.

Once you have an account, you can start uploading your pictures. But please read the distributor’s terms and conditions before you do. They don’t want any old snapshot - they won’t sell at all.

What Pictures To Sell
Some types of image are very popular. Browse the distributor’s site to see the type of image that they sell. If possible, ask the distributor which are the best-selling images.

Tips for producing photographs for sale as Stock Images

Staging Your Subject
If you want to photograph small objects, set up a stage. Nobody wants a picture of a computer keyboard with all the junk on your desk in the background. (unless you’re selling a picture called “Untidy Desk”)
Obtain some large, plain coloured fabric or paper sheets on which to place the objects you’re photographing.
Do the same for stock images of people ? a plain backdrop is generally more useful to a designer than a busy one.

Develop Your Niche
If you find you can produce better images of a particular type, concentrate on that market. Not only will your portfolio have a consistent feel to it, you will probably develop a better style and improve quality by concentrating on one type of image.

Public Shows
Take photographs of any public event that you attend. Occasionally, newspapers, and magazines need images from those events.

Overshoot
Take more photographs than you will possibly need. Digital photos cost nothing, so it pays to shoot from several angles and with different lighting. Your “perfect” shot of an apple might not be perfect to the designer.

Shoot Out and About
Wherever you go, take a camera. There are some excellent, yet small, compact cameras that produce professional results. Take candid shots in town centres, in the countryside etc. Some day, somebody might want that photograph.

Store Your Images Safely
Blank CDs and DVDs cost very little. When you get back to your home or office, transfer your images to disc for safe keeping. If possibly, print thumbnail images to use as index cards for your disks.
Save your images in their raw format, as they come off the memory card of your camera. Don’t adjust anything ? you can do that later before you upload them to the Stock Image website.

Resources:
Phil Rogers is a keen amateur photographer who is discovering new ways to make money from his photography on the Internet. You can see some of his work at RedBubble

Categories: Arts & Entertainment (RSS), Hobbies (RSS), Home Based Business (RSS)
Tags: photography (RSS), sell your photos (RSS), stock image (RSS)

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By Robert Pitts, 2 months and 24 days ago

Van Gogh in the City of Light

In March of 1886 the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh moved to Paris to study in the studio of Fernand Cormon. Cormon, a former pupil of the famed French academic painter Alexandre Cabanel, was one of the leading history painters of the time. While there, van Gogh lived with his brother Theo, his most ardent supporter.

Less is known about van Gogh's time in Paris than other periods of his life, since he and his brother had no need to correspond during this time. However, it is known that van Gogh frequented the circle of the Australian impressionist painter John Peter Russell while working in Cormon's studio. He and fellow students, including Emile Bernard and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, used to meet at Julien «Pere» Tanguy's paint store, where they were able to view the works of Paul Cezanne.

In addition to Cezanne, the works of many other Impressionist painters were readily available for viewing in Paris at this time. An exhibition of the Artistes Independants was held in 1886, along with the eighth and final exhibition of the Impressionists. These exhibitions marked the debut of Neo-Impressionism, with works by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac on display.

Theo himself kept a selection of Impressionist paintings in his gallery on Boulevard Montmartre, including works by Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro, which may have been a source of consternation for Vincent. Differences of opinion regarding the Impressionists' ways of seeing and painting led to conflict between the brothers, making life for Theo «almost unbearable».

In 1887, having made peace with Theo, van Gogh left for Asnieres, where he became personally acquainted with Paul Signac, the French neo-impressionist painter who, working with Georges Seurat, helped develop the pointillist style. As a result, van Gogh adopted elements of pointillism, which uses many small dots of paint to create an optical blend of hues when seen from a distance. Another aspect of the pointillist style is the use of complementary colors, such as red and green, which form vibrant contrasts when placed side by side.

In November of that same year, Vincent and Theo met Paul Gauguin, who had just arrived in Paris, and the three became friends. Van Gogh would later spend nine weeks painting with Gauguin in Arles, though their time together ended disastrously. In a fit of epilepsy, van Gogh pursued Gauguin with an open razor, though his friend was able to restrain him. Van Gogh did, however, famously manage to cut off a portion of his own earlobe.

Towards the end of 1887, Vincent arranged an exhibition of his paintings, along with those of Bernard, LouisAnquetin, and, more than likely, Toulouse-Lautrec, at the Restaurant du Chalet, on Montmartre. Van Gogh exchanged works with Gauguin, while Bernard and Anquetin finally managed to sell their work. Visitors to the show included Pissarro and his son, Signac, and Seurat.

In February of 1888 van Gogh, feeling worn out, left Paris. Life in the city had taken its toll on him, though not before he had completed more than 200 paintings.

I have a passion for studying the history of western art, and its numerous influences. My own drawings and paintings have been profoundly influenced over the years by the artists that came before me, as well as a number of talented artists still living today. Please visit me at http://www.oilandpigment.blogspot.com to see my own paintings and works in progress

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