Author Topic: Please offer critique (Read 3239 times)

Diamond Dave · « **on:** September 23, 2009, 19:11 »

Hello,

I'm new here and new to microstock photography. I just had 29 out of 30 photos rejected by Dreamstime, and even though my ego is bruised

, I know photography is an art and art takes practice. Can you offer suggestions on this first set? Dreamstime said of all these:

Lack of composition.
This image is overfiltered. Its use for the potential designers is limited because of this, therefore the image is disqualified as a RF stock-oriented image. Please upload the original instead.
Poor color: this image has a low color profile and needs improvement in order to increase its sales potential. You can process your image with color enhancement software, such as Photoshop, giving it the appeal it needs.
Poor lighting setup, poor contrast or incorrect exposure.

The only processing of the images I did was adjusting the levels in Gimp, rotating the images so the shoreline was level, and then cropping them.

Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32795249@N06/sets/72157622442493818/ [nofollow]

Thanks

Dave

elvinstar · « **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2009, 19:29 »

Dave, please remember that I'm not a "pro", so this is just my two cents...

The colors look very flat (due to the shooting conditions, I'm thinking). The trees in the background are very dark and without detail. The overcast, oppressive sky doesn't help me love the images, either.

Also, while these photos may look lovely framed and hanging in someone's living room, they are not what most of the stock agencies are looking for. Try for subjects that clearly illustrate a concept, such as "business", "family" or anything else that you can come up with.

Remember, buyers purchase photos to illustrate ideas and sell products. While many of us started out with nature photography, you'll find that there are not many making good money with only those types of photos in their portfolio as concepts are where the bigger numbers come in for most of us.

Don't give up on nature (or photography in general) but try to broaden your horizons, so to speak, and shoot some concepts. I think that you'll find that it really gets your brain going to come up with a concept and then shoot it.

Good luck!