Stock photography is one of the most important and promising fields of photography. However it’s true that it’s not easy for beginners to get into stock photography. There are hundreds of tales where amateurs say that they were rejected multiple times in the beginning.
Finding a spot may be difficult in the beginning however it doesn’t show that a situation like this will make it impossible for you to sell your stock photos.
Here, we are going to talk about some simple tips that you should keep in mind when you are a beginner in this area of photography.
These tips along with some qualities like patience and perseverance will help you make it through this stage in stock photography. With effort, you could end up making a tidy side hustle and creating multiple income streams for yourself. Go ahead and take a look at these tips.
Be ready to be rejected anytime
This is the most disappointing thing that a lot of people face in the beginning. As they are not used to such situations, they get demotivated very easily. When you have made your mind face it, you will not find it much difficult. It is normal that the first submission from any photographer is evaluated quite seriously. And as a beginner, you will also not be so much experienced to capture all the details perfectly.
Instead of being disappointed, you should focus on the feedback very precisely. Take a look at every part of the feedback you have got. That is the most significant piece of information to enhance your skills. Once your photo is selected, you will be able to minimise half of the difficulties. Try to learn from the feedback and adapt to the suggestions, after some time, you will be able to create a photo that is perfect enough to be selected.
Opt for an easy model release process
When you are already struggling on many fronts, you can’t afford to put yourself in any other difficulty. Getting the model release is quite a tough process that is involved at most places in photography. You should try to make this process very easy so that you will always be free to focus on the critical things that demand your attention.
It would be really frustrating when you have got the right subject and you are stuck in the process of model release.
In this advanced age of the internet, getting a model release form can be made really simple. All you have to do is to download a smartphone application for the model release form on your phone. It would be really convenient for keeping some model release forms in your bag that you can use anytime you need.
Look for motivation and try to learn from it
No matter how hard you are trying to get into stock photography, you will never make it without proper sources of learning. The first thing that you should do here is to find motivation(s). When it comes to motivation in the field of photography, there are a large number of sources that you can learn from.
Motivations are not something specific, it is your readiness and attitude of learning that enables you to see motivation in different things. In this way, you will see some motivation at every stage when your photos are rejected by someone.
Managing your stock photo folio with Stockphoto.com
Try to understand the taste of others
Several photographers will agree on the fact that I am trying to put them here. The photos that a photographer thinks are good enough get rejected while the ones that are bad get selected. Considering a photo to be good or bad can’t be your personal decision. It all depends on the parameters that you set for considering something good or bad. Your parameters may vary if you compare them with others.
Now you may ask about the ways to know the taste and preferences of others. There is a very simple way to do it. Keep uploading more photos. Upload all the photos that you think are good and those which are bad. And then, take a look at the feedback of people on both of those categories.
Those pieces of information will help you a lot in knowing the meaning of the word good for buyers. It will get you out of the confusion of what is good and bad.
Keywords are very important
This is the most common mistake that a lot of photographers make. They think that a good photograph is all about taking the perfect shot and then editing it in the right way. However your photo will never make it to the top of the search results if you haven’t given them the right keyword. Choosing the perfect keyword is quite tricky however you can find one if you pay a bit closer attention to it.
When you are searching for the right keyword, get the photo in front of you and think like a buyer. After looking at that photo with the eye of the buyer, you will be able to get the perfect name for it. Take a look at the message that your photo is capable of expressing.
And then you will be able to choose the right name to describe that expression. Such a selection of keywords will make your photo appear in as many search results as possible, for when someone searches for it.
Always keep an eye on the trend
It is a thing that you have to keep in your mind all the time. Shooting photos based on the tastes of buyers and the right motivation is not the only thing to get you ahead of others. You have to keep an eye on the trends all the time, as well as look for unusual or creative stock photo ideas. You should shoot the photos that are in demand right now.
This is the only way to get you in the ocean of opportunities. And matching up with the trend requires you to take the right shot and then select the perfect keyword for the photograph.
Final thoughts
Now that you are aware of some precious tips to get into stock photography as a side hustle, there is no way you are going to stop. Some simple tips like the right motivation, better keywords, and analysing trends will help you get through the difficulties in the beginning.