Microstock Photography

Microstock Photography

by Douglas Freer
Released March 2008
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136104138

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Book description

Be a part of one of the world's fastest growing imaging phenomenons: microstock photography. Microstock photography provides both professional and amateur photographers an opportunity to diversify their income and expand their artistic visibility by turning day trip photos or photography portfolios into viable business investments.

Douglas Freer has written a comprehensive book that details the technical and commercial processes of the microstock industry. A must read for entrants into the microstock photography field, Microstock Photography shows you how to:

.Choose the right microstock agency
.Shoot work that will sell
.Navigate the strict technical requirements
.Understand the likely financial returns
.Review licensing models
.Understand copyright issues

Over 60 illustrations and photographs help you improve your skills, learn new techniques specific to shooting stock photography and better understand what the microstock market demands. Anyone can shoot digital stock photography, but in order to make money and be successful, you need the practical advice that can only be found in this book.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Introduction
  8. 1 Understanding the Microstock Revolution
    1. About Stock Photography
    2. Shop Until You Drop
    3. The Early Days
    4. Extinction of the Dinosaurs
    5. Microstock is Born
    6. The Opposition
    7. Comparison with Traditional Libraries
  9. 2 How to Make Dollars from Cents
    1. No Pain, No Gain
    2. Sales Models: The Choices
    3. Royalties And Licenses, or “Where Is the Cash?”
    4. Submission Strategies
  10. 3 What Sells and What Does Not
    1. Business and Lifestyle Images
    2. Fashion
    3. Seasonal and Festive Images
    4. Food
    5. Landscapes and Travel
    6. Architecture
    7. Cityscapes
    8. Objects
    9. Flowers
    10. Vectors
  11. 4 How to Make Sure Your Pictures Win
    1. Composition
    2. The “Rule of Thirds”
    3. Crop Tightly
    4. Use Bold and Complementary Colors
    5. Use the Best Aperture and Shutter Speed Combination
    6. Get Down Low—;Or Up High
    7. Use Unusual Focal Lengths
    8. The Winning Formula
  12. 5 Technical Issues: Killing the Gremlins Before they Kill Your Pictures
    1. The Microstock Inspection Process
    2. Read the Rules!
    3. Kit
    4. The Raw Deal
    5. 16-bit Manipulation
    6. Shoot at Low ISO
    7. Noise
    8. Artifacts
    9. Chromatic Aberrations
    10. Moiré and Color Noise
    11. Removing Copyright Symbols and Logos
    12. Sharpening Your Images
  13. 6 Equipment
    1. Film or Digital?
    2. The Best Digital Camera for You
    3. The Big Guns: Medium-Format Digital
    4. Scanning Backs
    5. Scanning Film
    6. Summary
  14. 7 Setting Up a Home Studio
    1. Table and Window Setup (Available Light)
    2. Macro Lenses
    3. Simple Studio Setup
    4. People Shots
    5. Business Shots
    6. More about Isolated Images
    7. Clipping Paths
    8. Software Shortcuts
    9. Advanced Lighting Techniques
    10. Slave Relay
    11. Color Balance
    12. Final Note
  15. 8 Twenty Tips and Tricks to Winning on Microstocks
    1. Tip 1: Buy the Best Equipment You Can Afford
    2. Tip 2: Decide If Artist Exclusivity Is for You
    3. Tip 3: Buy Decent FTP Upload Software
    4. Tip 4: Buy and Use Adobe Photoshop
    5. Tip 5: Buy a Macro Lens If You Own a dSLR
    6. Tip 6: Buy a Tripod to Go with That New Macro Lens
    7. Tip 7: Join the forums
    8. Tip 8: Get an Independent View by Joining Independent forums
    9. Tip 9: Set Up Referral Links
    10. Tip 10: Check What Is Selling—And What Is Not
    11. Tip 11: Enlist Friends and Colleagues
    12. Tip 12: Upload New Work Regularly But In Small Batches
    13. Tip 13: Set Key Words accurately
    14. Tip 14: Use Selective Focus
    15. Tip 15: Challenge Your Creativity
    16. Tip 16: Use sRGB Color Space for Submission
    17. Tip 17: Read the Manual!
    18. Tip 18: Don’t Crop Too Tightly
    19. Tip 19: Shoot the Light
    20. Tip 20: Get Networking!
  16. 9 Mixing It with Rights-managed Stock
    1. Specialized Libraries
    2. Cultural Differences
    3. What to Do
  17. 10 Case Studies
    1. Stephen
    2. Jo Ann
    3. Carsten
    4. Colin and Linda
    5. Marianne
    6. Wrap Up
  18. 11 Copyright, Trademarks, and Model Releases
    1. Copyright
    2. Registration
    3. Infringing Others’ Rights
    4. Privacy
    5. Trademarks
    6. The Practicalities
    7. Property Releases
    8. Model Releases
  19. 12 The Future of Microstock Photography
    1. The Gap
    2. The Wolf Eats the Lamb
    3. Consolidation
    4. Diversification
    5. Predictions
  20. Appendix 1 Microstock Library Links
  21. Appendix 2 Model and Property Releases
  22. Appendix 3 Useful Links
    1. Traditional Stock Photo Libraries
    2. FTP Software
    3. Noise-Reduction or Modification Software
    4. Color Artifact Removal
    5. Sharpening Software
    6. Third-Party Raw File Decoding Software
    7. Copyright Resources
    8. General Photo Sites of Interest
    9. Stock-Related Discussion Groups
    10. Lighting Tips
    11. Miscellaneous
  23. Index

Product information

  • Title: Microstock Photography
  • Author(s): Douglas Freer
  • Release date: March 2008
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136104138