MicrostockGroup

I folks...im new here (obviously) and am an avid (nearly obsessive) amateur photographer.  About 9 months ago I started submitting to several agencies. currently, dreamstime, fotolia, depositphotos, and can stock.  I am repeatedly turned down by shutterstock.  
Im off to a pathetically slow start in earnings and would like to get more serious about getting views/downloads.  I typically shoot what I like (vacations, landscapes) and then try to throw other things that I hope will gain attention.
I was hoping for some of you more seasoned photographers would take a look at my portfolio and just give a general look to give me some tips on what I can do to improve my portfolio quality/exposure.
Where do I need improvement?  is it my photo skills?  the variety of shots i take?  my keywording? lol all the above.

http://www.dreamstime.com/Littleny_info
Thanks
Lisa

Hi Lisa
I took a look at your portfolio and I think all of your shots are usable. I am sure others will have more critiques for you. The only thing I might mention is that with only 77 images, you are virtually invisible. A few years ago, once a contributor hit 100 images, they started to see sales. Today I think the number is closer to 500 images in your portfolio. But don't give up.

I think variety is good. People shots in everyday life situations are good. The only thing I can say is shoot and upload. You might also create lightboxes and your own images and other images you think are good and ask others to include your images in their lightboxes. That helps your exposure. Look at other photographers work and make them your favorites if you like them.

Best of luck to you!

PS I added you as a favorite to my list.

love the shots. Shoot more and more variety. Make sure you keyword in raw through bridge.Check the keywords on other similar photos to make sure you give yourself a chance in searches.

I'm too new at the game to give portfolio advice but I think it would be worth your while looking at fotilia also.  Review standards seem similar to DT - I only started in August and am getting twice as many sales as DT with half the portfolio.  I'm also getting equivalent sales to DT on istock with < 5% of my DT portfolio (really tough reviewers but good incentive to try and produce better technical quality).  Looking at SS - I gather they are pretty tough also but hope to get my istock images on there at least.

Shutterstock is sometimes hard to get through. It usually takes three sometimes four to get approved. I was on all other stock sites before I even got my foot in the door at Shutterstock. Just send them a very good variety and don't give up.

As for your port at Dreamstime....it's very nice. One thing though is that several of the stock agencies....not all...but they don't accept cropped shots of people because they consider them bad composition even though they aren't. SO you might want to start shooting a little farther out as far as your models are concerned. The one with the boy amongst the leaves is a good shot, but you know what....if he was throwing the leaves up with a look of joy on his face would be good also. You might want to take him back and shoot another one with him doing just that. Just don't give it and keep trying. Variety is always helpful...not just landscapes.

Oh by the way I love the foggy one and the flower in the little girls hand. Those are beautiful shots!

Weird, SS seems to accept just about anything. I throw trash at them sometimes and at least 50% of even that gets accepted. You have nice shots, not very microstock oriented in their styling tho, but I can't blame you for that, microstock style is generally a degaradation of photography. If you don't want to seriuosly push towards microstock as money source, I suggest you shoot for fun, do stuff that you would do anyway, maybe insert a few moves with stock in mind, and upload whatever is produced that might get downloads, thats what I did to have a peek inside. Don't let it get you into some microcrap achievemnt stress which might riun the fun, and still not produce good results as the whole thing is kinda falling apart.  You have a really attractive model in that brunette girl, she looks to be an ideal stock model with that warm friendly expression.

So do I. You're a good photographer and you just need to spend time learning about stock and uploading more. You have the potential to do well.

ok...im feeling a bit more encouraged.  so much thanks. 
i think i have another week or so before i can resubmit to ss.. im siding on the cautious side next time around and will post here for advise on what to go with.

(double post)

I'm in the same than you, I'm new in micro since a few months ago, I have had a little sales, but a ridiculous amount per month (I know I need a strongly bigger portfolio), and I have the same problem than you with SS, it's impossible for me, I need to have 7/10 accepted images and I always have 5 or 6.

So, compare you with other newbies like me, I use to do that, and I see I go better that the most of them (but nothing to do with vector artist, that is another world).

I think like others your portfolio is very attractive, and sure you will match the micro style little by little (I'm working in it, but I have to do much better).

I also think like others that several of your pictures are too much filtered (but if DT have accepted them is because they think they can be sold), and that way makes more difficult to sale them. Think it's better for you working less a picture, less work and more possibilities.

And for the suggestion of doing collections and caring the tittles/keywording, I am working in it too, and I think it'is very important. Have you tried Picniche, prostockmaster or other keywording tools?

I also enjoy with postedition, but in the last months I have worked the pics less and less, and my approved files were increasing. Many buyers want to edit the photos their way, so we have to correct minimal issues, that's all. I don't like very much the result, too fade, too homogeneous for me...
Nevertheless I see sometimes very photoshoped images with a lot of sales, or chosen by editors, so it seems there is no absolut rules.