Author Topic: Aerial Photography (Read 5497 times)

cathyslife · « **on:** April 12, 2010, 17:35 »

Does anyone have any recent experience with uploading aerial photography at IS, SS, DT or BigStock? Do they get accepted? Rejected? Need property releases?

gostwyck · « **Reply #1 on:** April 12, 2010, 17:46 »

I've uploaded a few. Usually accepted but disappointingly few sales. I'd imagine that major capital cities could sell well __ but then you'd probably have a 'mare trying to clone out the logos.

I'm not planning on hiring any more helicopters or planes for the foreseeable future. Generally speaking I think it's a subject that needs macro pricing or a corporate commission to make it worthwhile.

sharply_done · « **Reply #2 on:** April 12, 2010, 17:58 »

Quote from: gostwyck on April 12, 2010, 17:46

I've uploaded a few. Usually accepted but disappointingly few sales. I'd imagine that major capital cities could sell well __ but then you'd probably have a 'mare trying to clone out the logos.

I'm not planning on hiring any more helicopters or planes for the foreseeable future. Generally speaking I think it's a subject that needs macro pricing or a corporate commission to make it worthwhile.

I think you can look at aerials as a specialized kind of landscape photography - you might be able to do well with them, but they'll need to be hit-the-buyer-over-the-head-with-the-concept type of shots. Generic stuff that looks like "Wow, I was in a plane and made these shots!" won't sell; planned images showing something specific from that unusual vantage point will.

Hiring a plane to do it would probably be foolish; having a friend who's a pilot and willing to fly where you want if you pay for fuel probably wouldn't be.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2010, 22:53 »

Stuff with high production costs, rarity, and low demand should go in macro. That way when you sell one you get a reasonable return.

cathyslife · « **Reply #4 on:** April 14, 2010, 07:08 »

Thanks for the tips. I did submit it yesterday and it has been accepted at one site so far. I had another aerial, no houses though, it was accepted but just a few downloads over 3 sites.

My brother owns the plane, so no high production costs as we fly almost every week, but I think you are right sharply, needs to be a hit-over-the-head kind of shot to do well. I'll work on that. We were also talking about some night flights.

Smiling Jack · « **Reply #5 on:** April 14, 2010, 11:53 »

Hi-Cclapper
While i have been doing aerial photography for 30 yrs,I am new to micrstock,so I to am trying learnning
what sells on microstock. What i have been doing is "piggy backing" microstock photos while doing mapping or oblique photos for clients. I believe that is the only way you can justify the production cost.Of course flying with you brother is another way to do it. I have a lot of down time in the winter-so i do my photoshoping and unloading then. As Sharply_done said there are some rather common subjects that seem to jump out at you when seen from the air- that might be usefull to designers. I have a very small presents (105 on dreamstime and 70 on bigstock) so its hard to pick a trend. One subject that has done good for me is new housing developments- to give an example.If you want to look at my photos the are under "jackA".
Smiling Jack