MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => Photo Critique => Topic started by: FRooGZ on September 14, 2011, 13:45
-
I would like to ear some thoughts on how to make this shot more stock oriented. It was a unpretencious photo that i took over the weekend with my wife and my dog. But after post-processing i actualy saw some potencial. I am thinking about giving it some manance concept. Would you care to share some thoughts?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66388284@N08/6142937286/# (http://www.flickr.com/photos/66388284@N08/6142937286/#)
-
Are you asking "How do I make a shot of 'girl riding a dog' more stock oriented?"? Or are you asking for a critique of the image?
-
What are you trying to sell using this photo?
Canine equipment?
Sunglasses?
Sportswear?
Creating a stock oriented image means conveying a solid concept in a direct and obvious way. The viewer has to understand the image instantly. This is not a guessing game.
-
sjlocke,
I will ignore the part of "girl riding a dog", since as i explained earlier "the girl" is my wife. a little respect is appreciated.
Yes i would like a critique of the image with some thought about how to produce it for stock! I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. My idea is to give it a concept of security or protection.
-
I will ignore the part of "girl riding a dog", since as i explained earlier "the girl" is my wife. a little respect is appreciated.
I don't know it is your wife. I see an image with a girl riding a dog. Thus the question.
-
I understand the security aspect of showing a woman with a dog in front of a home. But why would she be riding the dog?
A humorous stock photo can certainly be a strong seller. And I suppose a woman riding a dog could become humorous with enough creativity. Think of a greeting card, or something a buyer might repackage through Zazzle. But I don't find this photo humorous, and it is going to take a lot of hard thought and creativity to make it so.
If you want to go with security, drop the whole woman riding dog angle. And drop the attitude too if you want people to help you sell photos. Nobody in here, including Mr Locke, is in the business of building your portfolio.
-
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
-
I understand the security aspect of showing a woman with a dog in front of a home. But why would she be riding the dog?
A humorous stock photo can certainly be a strong seller. And I suppose a woman riding a dog could become humorous with enough creativity. Think of a greeting card, or something a buyer might repackage through Zazzle. But I don't find this photo humorous, and it is going to take a lot of hard thought and creativity to make it so.
If you want to go with security, drop the whole woman riding dog angle. And drop the attitude too if you want people to help you sell photos. Nobody in here, including Mr Locke, is in the business of building your portfolio.
Exactely, i want remake the shot and produce the hole posing in another way... Therefor why i wish to hear some suggestions in order to achiver the most stock oriented image possible. I would also would appreciate some critques at the lighting and overall aspect of this shot, always in mind that i will remake and produce it again.
-
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
-
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
Still, if you had the idea, why didn't you shoot it that way? At least it would be a lot closer to your concept than the image you posted.
I'm confused.
-
... i wish to hear some suggestions in order to achiver the most stock oriented image possible. ...
So you ask us, to tell you how make the best stock images possible? Seriously?
How about you present the idea as you have imagined it and then post it for critique?
I can't see anyone telling you how to do the light set-up, composition and in-camera settings so you get the best possible image.
You need to bring something to the table first.
-
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
Still, if you had the idea, why didn't you shoot it that way? At least it would be a lot closer to your concept than the image you posted.
I'm confused.
I get it.He's shooting snaps of family on the weekend and then using those to brainstorm concepts, then shooting the concepts. Interesting approach.
I think he has the idea of how to make it commercial stock and is now looking for feedback on the photo itself.
-
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
Still, if you had the idea, why didn't you shoot it that way? At least it would be a lot closer to your concept than the image you posted.
I'm confused.
Well i apologize for making a confusion. Let me try to explain it again. I have made this shot, it was meant to be a private photo. But than during last night while post-processing, i saw some potencial and had this idea of concept that i posted.
What i wish from this post is some thoughts about how to make it the better possible concept, some ideas...
Would also like some critiques about lighting etc
-
Therefor why i wish to hear some suggestions in order to achiver the most stock oriented image possible. I would also would appreciate some critques at the lighting and overall aspect of this shot, always in mind that i will remake and produce it again.
That's why I asked, what are you trying to accomplish?
The best "girl riding a dog image"? A metaphor for horse racing, with children riding small animals? Perhaps a businessman riding a pig to show recklessness?
How are we to know what you want to accomplish. A security image? I'd toss out the girl and the dog and get a guy in a security uniform and ... etc...
To that end, it's hard to critique the lighting, but I can see you laying on the ground on your back in her glasses.
-
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
Still, if you had the idea, why didn't you shoot it that way? At least it would be a lot closer to your concept than the image you posted.
I'm confused.
I get it.He's shooting snaps of family on the weekend and then using those to brainstorm concepts, then shooting the concepts. Interesting approach.
I think he has the idea of how to make it commercial stock and is now looking for feedback on the photo itself.
That's it! ::)
-
If you want advice, I don't mind the girl but i would put her in more formal clothes, lose the shades and change her pose. The dog has a good alert guard dog look in the photo so however you did that keep it but she should have it on a leash in front of her. The low angle is good it puts her in a position of authority but the framing is too tight. Widen out to show the house.
-
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w#ws)
-
If you want advice, I don't mind the girl but i would put her in more formal clothes, lose the shades and change her pose. The dog has a good alert guard dog look in the photo so however you did that keep it but she should have it on a leash in front of her. The low angle is good it puts her in a position of authority but the framing is too tight. Widen out to show the house.
Thank you very much!
Sorry guys for the confusion... sometimes i mess up.. you see, i am a brazilian who lives in uruguay, so my brain thinks in portuguese but talk all the time spanish and a lot of times my english is prejudiced because that!
-
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w#ws[/url])
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
-
I'll give it a critique. First off, what does the background building have to do with the picture? It's boring and unattractive. The blue shield under the dog's neck looks like it's part of a dog collar that's shifted off center. The dog looks good and is well lit. The girl has major problems Her clothes look disheveled. Her coat is too small and doesn't fit. Also appears dirty. Looks like she slept in her white shirt. Hair is a mess and uninteresting. The lighting on her face makes her appear to have a second chin. If you're going to compete with the big boys, you must try harder with how you present your model.
-
I'll give it a critique. First off, what does the background have to do with the picture? It's boring and unattractive. The blue shield under the dog's neck looks like it's part of a dog collar that's shifted off center. The dog looks good and is well lit. The girl has major problems Her clothes look disheveled. Her coat is too small and doesn't fit. Also appears dirty. Looks like she slept in her white shirt. Hair is a mess and uninteresting. The lighting on her face makes her appear to have a second chin. If you're going to compete with the big boys, you must try harder with how you present your model.
Thank you a lot. Like i said above this is a family picture, is not intended to be used. but i had an idea with it and wish to share some thoughts with you... Thank you again and will keep all your thoughts in my mind whenever i can produce this idea for real.
-
donīt ask advice here ;D these guys will eat you alive, 99% are 100% right but come on you have a few "days" of stock, you are trying to see use in every picture you do and I do understand (I still do that, I am so anxious to upload that a find myself sometimes shooting crap and I know it wonīt be approved in the big agencies and I always give it a quick edit and upload, if you have the time why not upload it? sure you can plan a lot and shoot great stocky pics like Sean but that takes time, money and skills, we cannot get there before doing a lot of crap)
keyword and send :) dont forget the keywords dog and woman and you are set!
-
One little piece of advice. Know who/what the subject of your photo is. Regarding this particular shot - and forgive me if I'm wrong b/c viewing a web sized resolution - but it looks like the dog is in focus and the woman is not. I would think that the woman is the subject of the photo and her eyes should be in sharp focus. If you view at 100% and she is not sharp, it would not qualify as a stock photo. Animals are tough too, they have such long faces, it's easy to get distortion . You really have to focus on the edge of their eye if they are your main subject. Unless the subject is the nose :)
-
donīt ask advice here ;D these guys will eat you alive, 99% are 100% right but come on you have a few "days" of stock, you are trying to see use in every picture you do and I do understand (I still do that, I am so anxious to upload that a find myself sometimes shooting crap and I know it wonīt be approved in the big agencies and I always give it a quick edit and upload, if you have the time why not upload it? sure you can plan a lot and shoot great stocky pics like Sean but that takes time, money and skills, we cannot get there before doing a lot of crap)
keyword and send :) dont forget the keywords dog and woman and you are set!
Thank you Luis! Indeed there are a few bad a$$es around here, but the fact is that they are everywhere. So i am not afraid to deal with them and to eat some frogs once and a while as well (portugues expression, Luis will get it)...
I will take my time and produce the idea in a stock oriented way at the weekend. Money is not a problem and i am building my equipment set, need sometime to learn and adapt myself, and thought that a forum like this was a good place to share, get and build knowledge... That's why i have posted this thread.
Thank you again luis for your advice!
-
One little piece of advice. Know who/what the subject of your photo is. Regarding this particular shot - and forgive me if I'm wrong b/c viewing a web sized resolution - but it looks like the dog is in focus and the woman is not. I would think that the woman is the subject of the photo and her eyes should be in sharp focus. If you view at 100% and she is not sharp, it would not qualify as a stock photo. Animals are tough too, they have such long faces, it's easy to get distortion . You really have to focus on the edge of their eye if they are your main subject. Unless the subject is the nose :)
Thank you a lot Pixart. Maybe the web resolution is giving this impression. but in fact the focus is at her face. Obviously is not at the eyes since she is wearing glasses :P ... in fact since i was shooting against the sun, it was really hard to make the camera focus at her face, but after some fighting with it, i made it. This picture was shoot at f6.3, so the DoF is big enought to mantain almost both, girl and dog in the focus range.
Thank you again.
-
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w#ws[/url])
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
Okay, sry, but here's may take on this: you just have to go on any site that can list pictures ordered by popularity, downloads, etc... Search for keywords of things that are available for you to shoot ('dog woman house' in this case f.e.), check out the best sellers, thats what you need to emulate. Asking around in forums is pretty much useless compared to that for several reasons, and a picture is worth a thousand words anyway...
-
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w#ws[/url])
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
Okay, sry, but here's may take on this: you just have to go on any site that can list pictures ordered by popularity, downloads, etc... Search for keywords of things that are available for you to shoot ('dog woman house' in this case f.e.), check out the best sellers, thats what you need to emulate. Asking around in forums is pretty much useless compared to that for several reasons, and a picture is worth a thousand words anyway...
letīs make it serious ok? if you are going to search every single picture you plan to do, you better get another job, there isnīt a picture that the market actually needs it, there are more than enough and done in perfection! so you better not shoot or just shoot family stuff!
BUT as you know and you havenīt said here is that stock agencies still approve apples, fishes, architecture, people and all other stuff even flowers! (I love the way everybody keep on saying that stock is this and that and they know thats not right! but yeh everybody have a strategy)
p.s: I am not saying you will get rich doing stock, most certainly you wonīt
-
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w#ws[/url])
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
Okay, sry, but here's may take on this: you just have to go on any site that can list pictures ordered by popularity, downloads, etc... Search for keywords of things that are available for you to shoot ('dog woman house' in this case f.e.), check out the best sellers, thats what you need to emulate. Asking around in forums is pretty much useless compared to that for several reasons, and a picture is worth a thousand words anyway...
letīs make it serious ok? if you are going to search every single picture you plan to do, you better get another job, there isnīt a picture that the market actually needs it, there are more than enough and done in perfection! so you better not shoot or just shoot family stuff!
BUT as you know and you havenīt said here is that stock agencies still approve apples, fishes, architecture, people and all other stuff even flowers! (I love the way everybody keep on saying that stock is this and that and they know thats not right! but yeh everybody have a strategy)
p.s: I am not saying you will get rich doing stock, most certainly you wonīt
You don't need to search everything unless you are naive. You look around and 'get the picture' of what is necessary in terms lighting, composition etc. It's not rocket science, is it? I also don't understand why should anyone diss doing some visual research on a subject matter, it's lot more helpful than listening to everybody's philosophy about it, that just gets most ppl confused imho. It's useless.
-
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w#ws[/url])
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
Okay, sry, but here's may take on this: you just have to go on any site that can list pictures ordered by popularity, downloads, etc... Search for keywords of things that are available for you to shoot ('dog woman house' in this case f.e.), check out the best sellers, thats what you need to emulate. Asking around in forums is pretty much useless compared to that for several reasons, and a picture is worth a thousand words anyway...
letīs make it serious ok? if you are going to search every single picture you plan to do, you better get another job, there isnīt a picture that the market actually needs it, there are more than enough and done in perfection! so you better not shoot or just shoot family stuff!
BUT as you know and you havenīt said here is that stock agencies still approve apples, fishes, architecture, people and all other stuff even flowers! (I love the way everybody keep on saying that stock is this and that and they know thats not right! but yeh everybody have a strategy)
p.s: I am not saying you will get rich doing stock, most certainly you wonīt
You don't need to search everything unless you are naive. You look around and 'get the picture' of what is necessary in terms lighting, composition etc. It's not rocket science, is it? I also don't understand why should anyone diss doing some visual research on a subject matter, it's lot more helpful than listening to everybody's philosophy about it, that just gets most ppl confused imho. It's useless.
Agreed! I believe I have misunderstood your comment
-
you see, i am a brazilian who lives in uruguay, so my brain thinks in portuguese but talk all the time spanish and a lot of times my english is prejudiced because that!
Oh, boy... I've trying to build a good image of Brazil here and now you have two threads with a lot of flamed responses going on... ;D
-
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w#ws[/url])
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
Okay, sry, but here's may take on this: you just have to go on any site that can list pictures ordered by popularity, downloads, etc... Search for keywords of things that are available for you to shoot ('dog woman house' in this case f.e.), check out the best sellers, thats what you need to emulate. Asking around in forums is pretty much useless compared to that for several reasons, and a picture is worth a thousand words anyway...
letīs make it serious ok? if you are going to search every single picture you plan to do, you better get another job, there isnīt a picture that the market actually needs it, there are more than enough and done in perfection! so you better not shoot or just shoot family stuff!
BUT as you know and you havenīt said here is that stock agencies still approve apples, fishes, architecture, people and all other stuff even flowers! (I love the way everybody keep on saying that stock is this and that and they know thats not right! but yeh everybody have a strategy)
p.s: I am not saying you will get rich doing stock, most certainly you wonīt
You don't need to search everything unless you are naive. You look around and 'get the picture' of what is necessary in terms lighting, composition etc. It's not rocket science, is it? I also don't understand why should anyone diss doing some visual research on a subject matter, it's lot more helpful than listening to everybody's philosophy about it, that just gets most ppl confused imho. It's useless.
lthn,
I understand and do what you are saying. I do my "homework research" and not only at stock images sites. I search at flicker, deviant art, and the list goes on and on, always looking for a new approach, a different view [edited: i also read books about photography, about light, colors, art... don't know how old are you, but that is an habit that is slowly dying at younger generations, but i would surely recommend, do not mean to offend, don't get me wrong, just underlining that i do my study by my self]. What i certainly do not do, and i guess it has to do with my art formation, is plain and simple copy! Inspiration is one thing, copycat is another completely different and is what i see and don't like most about stock images. If doing that doesn't sell, to bad! The good think is that i do not need this for a living, and i am doing for fun! So, i will not simply follow what simon said... If i will succeed at stock? don't know, but surely gonna try do my thing, original, and surely not copy.
When i posted this thread, i was looking for human contact, interchange of ideas, understand what i mean? The search robot is great, but i like human interactivity. I am not trying to "steal" knowledge, if that was what molested you. Don't get really what was so wrong at my proposition.
@madelaide,
LOL!! Sorry if i ruin your work. But that's the way i am. "sem papas na língua" or in english: outspoken. But i am a nice guy.
-
Trying to figure out stock is not going to work. I can't even describe the absolute ridiculous things I've needed to buy as images for concepts I've come up with. In other words, anything goes.
However, I have some nice images related to banking and finance that used to sell pretty well and are not dated. Certainly in the present economic conditions they are very relevant but they no longer sell. They don't sell because they're 5 years old. I believe that the search engine algorithm favours newer, fresher images which is why pics of flowers and fish still get accepted. Buyers are always looking for fresh images of the same subject.
I also have 5 images on dreamstime that are the only images on the site of that subject. If you do a search for that, my 5 are the only ones that come up. Out of 12 million photos. You might think wow I've got the market cornered. Maybe so, but if something hasn't been covered yet there's a reason. It's just not a subject people look for. In a year I've had 2 sales on those 5 images. If you look to cover subjects that haven't been covered to death you will end up with a small portfolio that nets you enough money to buy coffee 2 or 3 times a year.
Shoot what you want, try to so it in a fresh and interesting way and then cross your fingers.
-
Trying to figure out stock is not going to work. I can't even describe the absolute ridiculous things I've needed to buy as images for concepts I've come up with. In other words, anything goes.
However, I have some nice images related to banking and finance that used to sell pretty well and are not dated. Certainly in the present economic conditions they are very relevant but they no longer sell. They don't sell because they're 5 years old. I believe that the search engine algorithm favours newer, fresher images which is why pics of flowers and fish still get accepted. Buyers are always looking for fresh images of the same subject.
I also have 5 images on dreamstime that are the only images on the site of that subject. If you do a search for that, my 5 are the only ones that come up. Out of 12 million photos. You might think wow I've got the market cornered. Maybe so, but if something hasn't been covered yet there's a reason. It's just not a subject people look for. In a year I've had 2 sales on those 5 images. If you look to cover subjects that haven't been covered to death you will end up with a small portfolio that nets you enough money to buy coffee 2 or 3 times a year.
Shoot what you want, try to so it in a fresh and interesting way and then cross your fingers.
That is some nice thoughts!
I am extreamely new to stock image market, just start uploading for stock as recent as a month and a half, so far i have just 28 images approved at DT, that is the only agency that i am at. I am doing it for fun and hobby, don't want to be on all agencies there are out ther. I like images and i like to know that some of my images are in use around the world. So far i have 9 sales and when i look portifolios that are way much bigger than my with as low as 5 sales, i can tell that i can be useful at this market. Something about my way to look at things fits at it.
I do know that i have to learn and adapt my shooting for stock. I am always willing to aquire new knowledge and pretty open to new ideas.
I really like to interact and beeing able to share experience with people, in my opinion there is not a better way to gather know-how. And really appreciatte to hear thruful and nice thoughts like you have given.
Thank you digitalexpressionimages.