MicrostockGroup

All,

I'm looking for critique help here with my proposed images (that have been approved elsewhere) that I plan to submit in my next Shutterstock application.

I will post their links here and delete or add appropriately due to feedback received here on this forum. I greatly appreciate anyone's comments regarding whether or not an image I plan to submit or not will meet shutterstock's criteria and standards for my next application.

Here is the start of my proposed submission list:

Approved at DT:
#1 "Urban Living"
http://www.dreamstime.com/modify.php?imageid=3954339

#2 "Solar Energy is the Future of Electric Power"
http://www.dreamstime.com/modify.php?imageid=3954344

#3 "Seattle Skyline with Sailboat"
http://www.dreamstime.com/modify.php?imageid=3925685

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10


Also if you see other photos in my portfolios that you feel are a "shoe in" for my next application, please let me know

Your feedback is greatly appreciated !

Mark

First thing is to check for noise at 200% magnification. Noise for SS is not what noise is for other agencies. Every digital camera, except the 20-30k$ digital backs, has noticeable noise in the shadows, no matter how good exposed the photo is (I run into very little exceptions with very clear subjects on a still life table).

So the best strategy is to clean out all the noise you see with an appropriate plugin and/or other methods (I sometimes used a small gaussian blur on a different layer masking in just the most troublesome shadow parts that really didn't have any worthwhile detail to be saved).

In the first two images you posted I already can foresee noise problems due to the exposition latitude, I'd personally go for brighter images for another reason too. It is that SS seems to me more oriented to "commercial" shots that stand brightly out with vivid colours. For example the buildings in the foreground of your first image are too much greyish imho. The overall exposition is fine but I could bet that SS reviewers would say it's not because of it.

Take my words with the obvious grain of salt as I can just talk from my (limited) experienced, most professional microstock contributors can probably give you more solid advices.

Can't see 'em.  Is "modify.php" your edit page?

Updated List and links:

All,

I'm looking for critique help here with my proposed images (that have been approved elsewhere) that I plan to submit in my next Shutterstock application.

I will post their links here and delete or add appropriately due to feedback received here on this forum. I greatly appreciate anyone's comments regarding whether or not an image I plan to submit or not will meet shutterstock's criteria and standards for my next application.

Here is the start of my proposed submission list:

Approved at DT:
#1 "Urban Living"
http://www.dreamstime.com/urban-living-v1-image3954339        (Noise here?)

#2 "Solar Energy is the Future of Electric Power"
http://www.dreamstime.com/solar-energy-is-the-future-of-electric-power-image3954344
(Noise here?)

#3 "Seattle Skyline with Sailboat"
http://www.dreamstime.com/seattle-skyline-with-sailboat-image3925685

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10


Also if you see other photos in my portfolios that you feel are a "shoe in" for my next application, please let me know

Your feedback is greatly appreciated !

Mark

Sorry I meant to write "upload" downsampled at 4MP 

I'd do for the first ten for sure, and I downsample as the last thing before converting the image into a jpg.

Once approved you can choose the upload strategy you prefer, I downsample everything for SS because their price policy and my images seem to sell nonetheless.

I would avoid skies for application review , one of the best examples where small amount of noise is easily noticable , especially on the dark parts of the sky ,and at SS they don't like noise.

If you do sent them photos with sky , and you said that you use noise reduction as a last step , be sure to use layer mask on the clouds , cause the amount of noise reduction that its
necessary to remove the noise from the dark blues of your sky , will most probably wash out your clouds texture , and you will risk to get refusal for artifacts etc.


I would try to send them 2 -3 simple textures ( stone , metal etc), they are easily to take , its hard to find noise on textures , and from experience I can tell that the don't refuse them. Few of my friends tried with that and it went well every time.


Good luck




     

Updated Suggest Application List and links to samples:

All,

I'm looking for critique help here with my proposed images (that have been approved elsewhere) that I plan to submit in my next Shutterstock application.

I will post their links here and delete or add appropriately due to feedback received here on this forum. I greatly appreciate anyone's comments regarding whether or not an image I plan to submit or not will meet shutterstock's criteria and standards for my next application.

Here is the start of my proposed submission list:

Approved at DT:
#1 "Urban Living"
http://www.dreamstime.com/urban-living-v1-image3954339      

#2 "Solar Energy is the Future of Electric Power"
http://www.dreamstime.com/solar-energy-is-the-future-of-electric-power-image3954344

#3 "Seattle Skyline with Sailboat"
http://www.dreamstime.com/seattle-skyline-with-sailboat-image3925685

#4 "Travelers Blur"
http://www.dreamstime.com/travelers-blur-v1-image3726092

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10


Also if you see other photos in my portfolios that you feel are a "shoe in" for my next application, please let me know

Your feedback is greatly appreciated !

Mark

not sure exactly what the menu structure is but something like

edit > image size > .... then change the image size to something smaller.

they have to be at least 2.5 megapixels.

I think there was some sort of "grandfather" clause for 2.5. I think 4mp is the minimum ...

Mark

mwp1969,
Not sure that asking others to do your work is the right thing here. You may need to decide what works and what not by yourself.

Here is a tip from me: pick the ones that look best at thumbnail/small size.
Crop at a different ratio if needed (3:4 etc). Of course all the other ingredients have to be there as well.

It may also help if with your submission you send a link to your portfolio on other sites where you have some success. Make sure sure you don't make a big deal out of it thou.

Knowing what SS wants, you may need more subject matter of the kind they want: cr*ppy studio shots (I have plenty of them).

See what you mean. Sorry: seeing your top 10 I thought you expect others to fill in the gaps. I, for one, would not trust strangers for that (myself included).