Re: Selling Stock Photography On business and craft

I'm an artist by trade, so my process of thinking is always leaning towards the art side of things.
However, I understand (does not mean I know a dang thing though!) the business side of stock.
While I have yet to submit a single picture, I am getting to know what types of photo's that sell,
and what does not. I am still learning to take great pictures, and while I'm learning I am trying
to get my head around stock.

I have taken into account the type of thinking it takes to succeed, and I can normally
decipher the difference while attempting to shoot stock. While I don't plan on making
a living out of shooting stock, I do want to avoid the "starving artist" approach to art.
So making some extra cash on the side is really what I want. However, I have found
that I live my life like a leaf blowing in the wind. Where ever I end up at, I am always
happy to face the challenge and take it head on.

But I completely understand your thinking. Just because something is easy to
get involved in, does not mean it will be easy to stay involved. Frustration I would
imagine is on the top 5 causes of why people give up.

Anyway, like I said I am attempting to learn about what sells and does not sell. I have lots
of ideas, but only time will tell if I can make it work. That's one of the reason why I joined this
this group. Hoping to learn the ropes from those who know how to climb them.

Michael

On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 3:29 PM, Brian Yarvin <brian@brianyarvin.com> wrote:

 

> I'm new to all this also, and I just wanted to say that I admire you for
> sticking with film in the digital age. The last time I used film was in high
> school some 17 years ago, and my teacher was dedicated to film till the day
> he died. We kept in touch for many years and he used to say that film
> photography was a dieing art. Thinking of yourself as a dinosaur is not what
> I had in mind; more like a dedicated artist who simply found the perfect
> tools, and see's no reason to mess with what works.
>
> I always admired film. Something about it is unique in it's quality.
>
> Anyway, just want to comment on the subject, back to lurking and learning.

Michael:

This is a very touching post, but it presents interesting problems of its own.

The first point I want to make is that while stock photography is a fine business for somebody
with strong commercial photography skills or a specialized depth of knowledge in a specific
subject area, it's not kind to people who veiw their photography as "fine art." So, while the
craft involved in working with film and the wet darkroom might be a major asset for a person
who is attempting to become established as a fine-art photographer, it's a terrible burden
here in the very, very different world of stock photography.

Next, the advent of microstock and crowdsourcing has made it very easy for people who
know little about our business to enter it and become very frustrated. What I usually see are
people who've tried to do something the market doesn't like and blame the business instead
of themselves. Stock photography isn't about finding a place to sell the images you felt like
shooting, especially if you are expressing something deep and passionate in your images.
There's just no way that your deep feelings and the client's deep feeling will conincide.

You have no idea how sad I am that the film era in stock photography is gone. I miss the
whole culture surronding it but I am realistic enough to know where my loyalties lay; with the
people who buy my images, my articles and my books, not with the tools used to make them.

If you are a deeply passionate photographer who loves the craft of the wet darkroom,
concentrate on the gallery market where such things are appreciated. Stock and fine art are
both demanding and competitive, concentrating on one when you should be working on the
other (or some other specialty entirely) is a major distraction.

The worst thing of all though is just making the images you feel like and then throwing them
out there to see if there are any takers anywhere. Find out which market you belong in and
then see what you have to do.

Keep your eyes on the prize!

Brian Yarvin
Author, Educator, Photographer
http://www.brianyarvin.com

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