What is Stock Photography?

Chances are, you’ve seen some form of stock photography in the last ten minutes. Advertising companies, magazines, and websites use photos to liven up and add content to their media. Most of these images were taken by freelance, amateur, or professional photographers who were not employees of the company.

How Companies Find Stock Photos

The company finds these photos by going to sites such as PhotoShelter.com, typing in the subject they are looking for, and choosing a photo that best fits their needs. They pay a fee to use the photo and the website gets a commission for helping the photographer sell the photo.

How to Sell Your Photos

First, you need to produce photos that will work well for stock photography. Here are some tips:

·         Take photos that are “light and airy.” This means that your photos should be full of light and shouldn’t be too full of stuff.

·         Keep the background uncluttered or blur the background.

·         Keep the subject simple.

·         Try to come up with a title for your photo before you take it to keep your focus tight. Some examples are, “Child Blowing Bubbles,” “Children Playing Jax,” or “Dog with Bone.”

·         Notice how all of the titles above could be search terms? This is why your pictures need to focused and clear. A buyer will want a photo of exactly what he typed into the search box.

Next, you need to post your images on a well-recognized stock photography site. PhotoShelter.com and Stock.Xchng.com are two good ones. When you upload your photos, you will need to come up with a good caption and keywords to help your photo be found. Read the tips that the site provides because the rules can vary from site to site.

How Much Can You Make?

So, how much money can you make? Well, it depends on who buys the rights to use your photo. Here are some sales averages quoted by PhotoShelter.com:

·         Magazine sale: between $150-500 per photo

·         Advertising sale: $5,000-$50,000 per photo

·         Web usage: around $50 per photo

As you can see, you can make a lot of money from your digital images. So, start taking photos with an eye towards selling them as stock!

Angles

Taking group photos that look nice has a lot to do with how you angle the people in relation to each other. Take a look at the example diagram, below.

As you can see, the positions are all angular. The groups in the example are placed in an inverted triangle, a diamond, and an upright triangle. These positions bring balance and symmetry to the photo, helping the eye make sense of the jumble of subjects.

To achieve these angles, you will need to have taller people sit with the shorter people in the back. Children and babies can be placed in the sitting adult’s laps, if needed.

Large Groups

Larger groups still work on the angle idea, but sometimes it is hard to get a triangle or diamond shape out of a herd of twenty people. In this case it is best to use the ‘X’ approach. Take a look at the example, below.

The group has been arranged so that the heads of the people form an ‘X’ pattern over and over again.

This is done by having the tallest people stand in the back in a straight line. The next line of people’s heads should be in-between the two heads in the back row. The front row should be the shortest people (or they could be sitting) and they should be lined up so that their heads are parallel with the back row. Babies or small children can be added to the laps of the adults in the front row easily, without ruining the symmetry of the group.

Remember angles and ‘X’s the next time you are at a group function and you pictures will turn out great!

A Flash Built for Bounce

Before you can bounce you have to have a flash that will work with this technique. You will need either a separate flash unit or a flash that is connected to your camera that has the ability to tilt and swivel. A built-in flash won’t work for bouncing.

Something to Bounce From

First, you need to find an object to bounce the flash off of. The object should be white and flat. Ceilings and walls are usually a good choice, but you can also use sheets, large pieces of cardboard, or panels of fabric.

Anything you choose to bounce from must be very close to the subject or you will lose a lot of the light from the flash.

Bouncing from the Ceiling

Ceiling bounces are the easiest to perform. Make sure the ceiling is white and fairly low over your subject. Tilt your flash to a 75 degree angle toward the ceiling with your camera pointing at your subject. Take your picture like normal. Look to make sure that the bounce isn’t causing any shadows under the eyes and chin since the light is coming from above. If you are getting some unwanted shadows, try the behind-the-back wall bounce, below.

Behind-the-Back Wall Bounce

This bounce is a little trickier, but it gets rid of all annoying shadows.

First, make sure that you have a white wall behind you to bounce off of. Position your flash to 45 degrees behind you with your camera pointing at the subject. The flash will probably need to be pointed over your shoulder. Make sure no one is behind you and take your picture.

The Side Wall Bounce

In this bounce you simply position your flash 90 degrees to the side and bounce the flash off of a wall that is beside you. This will give you some great, dramatic lighting from the side.

Bouncing Off Objects

Bouncing off of objects is a great choice if you don’t have any walls or ceilings close at hand. Have a friend hold the white, flat object to the side, above, or behind you and position your flash so that the light will hit the object, bounce off, and hit your subject. Angles are a big part of this, so it may take some experimentation to get it right.

Next time you have to use a flash, remember to try bouncing to soften the effects and make a prettier picture.

Settings and Lenses

Settings are important when photographing bright bursts of light in a dark setting. If you have an SLR you will want a low aperture between f/8 and f/16. With digital cameras, set your camera to ISO mode. A setting of 200 ISO is ideal.

Focus is tricky in the dark, so use manual focus set to infinity or use landscape mode on a digital camera. A wide angle lens can also be your best friend when shooting fireworks.

Tripod and Cable Release

The biggest tip when it comes to photographing fireworks is using a tripod. A tripod helps you avoid camera shake when your camera is set to low light ISO settings.

Another way to lessen camera shake is to use a cable shutter release. These are a shutter button on a long cable so that you can take a photo without touching the camera.

Position

Position your tripod where you will be able to shoot the most action. It is best to be at least a quarter of a mile away from big city and public firework displays so that you can capture the large mortar bursts. This position also helps you get away from artificial light sources that can ruin an otherwise good photo.

Be aware of which direction the wind is blowing. Firework bursts will get caught in the wind and will move away from their origin. If you position yourself facing the wind, you will have the fireworks coming toward you, giving you more time for a great picture.

Take as many photos as you can to insure that you have at least a few great shots using these tips.

Be Prepared

Part of getting those great pictures is being prepared. Make sure to have your camera with you at all times. Keep it turned on with the LCD monitor turned off. This is the best way to be ready for shots and save batteries at the same time. It takes much more battery power to turn a camera on and off than to leave it on with the LCD screen turned off.

Keep an eye out for unusual shots. Interesting buildings, strange characters, and lively shops all have the potential to make a memorable vacation shot.

Keep a notebook handy so that you can write down a little info about each picture. An amazing picture of a historical building is only half as good if you don’t know which historical building it is. A simple note like, “White building, red shutters- The Hospitality House of 1912,” is enough to jog your memory.

Repetition

Another key to great vacation photos is repetition. It’s all about playing the numbers. Take as many shots as possible of the same subject. The more shots you take, the more likely you are to get a great shot. You can always delete the bad shots later!

Tripod

Keep a small tripod with you at all times. The tripod will come in handy when you want to be in the picture and there is no one else to take the picture. It will also be needed for any night shots, fireworks during the 4^th of July, and any other shot that takes a slow shutter speed.

Use these tips and you will want to show off your vacation photos to all your friends and family!

What is High and Low-Key Lighting?

High-key lighting is using light to add an overall, low contrast look to a photo. Most people identify a high-key image with having a lot of white areas and a brighter look than “normal” photos. They also contain very little or no shadows. High-key images are usually considered happy, upbeat, commercial images.

This photo is an example a high-key image.

Its opposite, low-contrast, is created by very direct lighting to add just a little light to an otherwise dark image. While in high-key photos the dominant color is white, the dominant color in low-key images is black or grey.

Low-key images are considered moody, thoughtful, and dramatic images.

Here is an example of a low-key image.

It is important to remember that you can use natural lighting in high-key and low-key photos, as shown in the examples.

How to Create High-Key Images

To create a high-key photograph, first, place your subject in front of a white background. Make sure the subject is far enough away from the background as to not create a shadow on the background.

Next, set your camera to overexpose by 2 stops with a low lighting ratio around 2:1. Your lighting should be aimed at your backdrop to keep your subject out of shadow. Use a fill flash to eliminate the rest of the shadows.

How to Create Low-Key Images

To create low-key images, place your subject in front of a dark background with very dark lighting. The clothing and props tend to be dark, as well.

Think of silhouette portraits when you are setting up for low key shoots. Light your subject from one side to create a deep contrast of light and dark. Experiment with your fill flash to see if you like the results. You may do fine without the fill flash using ISO settings. In general, you can use a higher lighting ratio around 3:1.

The Lens

The lens is one of the easiest things to get dirty on a digital camera. Dust and fingerprints collect there, making photos less than perfect.

Since the lens has small nooks and crannies, the best thing to clean it with is a cotton swab. Dip the cotton swab in window cleaner. Dab almost all of the window cleaner off of the swab with a paper towel. You want the swab almost dry so the cleaner doesn’t drip into the camera’s electronic parts. Then, run the swab around the inside rim of the lens. Use a fresh swab to clean the glass of the lens.

LCD

Another gathering spot for dust and prints is the digital camera’s LCD screen. This can seem impossible to clean because of the delicate nature of LCD, but it can be cleaned easily with the right tools.

For everyday cleaning, keep a shammy used to clean eye glasses handy. These shammies will get rid of light accumulations of dust and fingerprints without harming the screen.

For tougher grime, spray the shammy lightly with window cleaner and gently rub the screen in light circles. Never spray the screen, or any part of the camera, with cleaner.

Remember to use a light touch when cleaning LCD screens. Pressure can damage them.

Buttons

After a while, oils from fingertips will collect on the camera’s buttons, making them dull, dust magnets. Clean the buttons the same way you cleaned the lens. Dip a cotton swab in window cleaner, blot most of the cleanser off the swab, and rub the buttons with the swab while the camera is off.

Do not use harsh cleansers on your camera and make sure never to let moisture drip into the camera and your digital camera will benefit from your extra loving care.

A model release is a contract with a person you take photographs of saying that you own all rights to their image in the photograph and that you can publish and sell the photograph however you see fit.

Why do you need a model release?

If you do not have a contract with a person releasing their likeness to be used in a photograph you intend to sell, they can sue you for exploiting their image for commercial use, distorting their image, or invasion of privacy.

So what does a model release look like? The one below is a simple version of an adult model release form. You can also find other versions to use, online.

Note: It is important to get legal counsel before using any type of contract.

Sample Adult Model Release Form

I, ___________________________________, hereby give (photographer’s name) ____________________________________________ and those acting on his/her behalf (heirs, legal representation, etc.) permission to copyright, sell, distribute, use, re-use, publish, and republish the photo(s) described below that contain my image:

(Put a description of the pictures, date of photo shoot, etc.)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These photos may be used intact or in part, distorted, with or without my name, with a fictitious name.

These photos may be known as hereafter and used as art, illustrations, graphic media, promotional material, advertising material, or as any material that the photographer sees fit, printed or otherwise.

I have read the terms above and understand them. By signing this agreement, I relinquish all rights to the photos and agree to the terms above. I also agree that I am or am over the legal age to sign legal contracts. This agreement is legal and binding.

Dated: ________________Signed:_____________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________________

City:_____________________________________________________________

State/Zip:__________________________________________________________

Phone:____________________________________________________________

Witness:___________________________________________________________

Look for the Uncommon

We’ve all seen photos of the bride and groom exchanging vowels, placing rings on fingers, and having their first kiss. Though these moments are important photo moments, it is just as important to capture those unique moments that make the event special.

For example, you can take photos of the father holding back his tears as the daughter puts on her veil. Capture the flower girl trying on her uncle’s tuxedo jacket. Get a few shots of the ring bearer trying to pry the rings off the pillow. These are the stories that everyone will specifically remember, no matter how many weddings they go to afterwards.

Make Sure the Whites Sparkle

Be sure that in every shot the white bridal dress is white and not grey. You can try using the snow mode on your camera for photos of just the bride. Snow mode automatically adjusts camera settings so that whites look brilliant.

If you don’t have snow mode, go to your white settings and adjust them as needed. To do this go to the exposure compensation setting and press the arrow key in the positive direction. Brighten the image just enough to get rid of the gray, but not so bright that you lose color saturation in other parts of the picture. This will give you the pure whites that you need for a bridal gown.

What? Other People Came, too?

Don’t forget that there are other people at the wedding. Don’t focus all of your energies on just the wedding party! A picture of Uncle Jim feeding a baby wedding cake or a picture of Mom clutching Dad’s hand while they watch their son get married can be priceless to the bride and groom. Before the wedding, practice switching subjects quickly. You need to be ready to find those special people and moments, snap the picture, and go back to snapping the main events.

And don’t forget you! If you are a family member or friend to the bride and groom they will want pictures that contain you. Use your tripod and timer to get great photos of yourself enjoying the festivities.

Fill’er Up!
No matter what you’re photographing, always fill your viewfinder or LCD screen with your subject. This adds the most interest to your photo and really makes your subject the star.
Avoid Face Shadows
No matter what your lighting, you can still end up with shadows. Shadows on the face can be aging and not very flattering. Use your camera’s fill flash to remove the little shadows around the eyes and chin.
Go Vertical
When shooting tall subjects, turn your camera on its side so that the viewfinder is vertical. This makes filling up your viewfinder much easier, and you don’t have to back up as far to get a good shot.
No Aliens, Please
Everyone has probably given someone bunny ears in a photo before. The “bunny ear” effect can happen on accident, too. Never pose people so that their heads are right in front of light poles, car antennas, tree trunks, or other vertical object. It will look like your subject has something weird growing out of their heads, which isn’t very attractive.
Get Level
Don’t always shoot photos straight on. Straight ahead photos are boring. Don’t be afraid to get on your knees to shoot smaller objects or to stand on things to get a better angle. Professional photographers get such great shots because they aren’t afraid to go low or high to get the shot.
It’s All About the Numbers
Another thing that professional photographers do is take multiple shots of their subjects. In fact, most pros can go through 100 photos in one shoot. Why? Because the more photos you take, the more likely you are to get one that is phenomenal.
Not Too Close
Don’t stand too close to your subject when using a flash. The colors will be washed out if you do. If you need to use the flash and you need to be close, use your zoom to fill the frame.