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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: Perry on August 20, 2011, 06:56

Title: Getting things done correctly - research before the shoot
Post by: Perry on August 20, 2011, 06:56: This is just a small warning to you all: Study and research what you are going to shoot, just to make sure everything is done properly. This will make your images more saleable!

Here is an example:

I have played clarinet (a musical instrument) for a long time ago. Some time ago I searched for clarinet images to find gaps in collections that I was planning to fill. I got surprised how many crappy shots there were, images where the instrument and/or the action looked totally silly (unintentionally). Here are some examples (from 323 results at Getty's):

Hands (left/right) are the wrong way:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/104821717/OJO-Images (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/104821717/OJO-Images)
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/108313623/Vetta (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/108313623/Vetta)
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84049748/Photographers-Choice (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/84049748/Photographers-Choice)
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/78722497/Fuse (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/78722497/Fuse)

What are they doing? :D
http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/96389322/Cultura (http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/96389322/Cultura)
http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/88798525/UpperCut-Images (http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/88798525/UpperCut-Images)

You can't play clarinet wearing gloves:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/LS000837/Photodisc (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/LS000837/Photodisc)
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/71078879/Stockbyte (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/71078879/Stockbyte)

I have no idea how they have managed to assemble the instrument so wrong
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/99276468/Tetra-images (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/99276468/Tetra-images)
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/57443016/Stockbyte (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/57443016/Stockbyte)

This is a mirror image:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/87854228/Dorling-Kindersley (http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/87854228/Dorling-Kindersley)

The moral of the story: Spend some time researching your subject and/or get someone that is a specialist on the subject to be a "technical advisor". Otherwise the images may look silly to the trained eye.

Do you have more examples on other subjects?
Title: Re: Getting things done correctly - research before the shoot
Post by: Perry on August 20, 2011, 07:00: BTW I'm bored with images where people are using their laptops in direct sunlight. It looks always really stupid.
Title: Re: Getting things done correctly - research before the shoot
Post by: ShadySue on August 20, 2011, 19:34: Quote from: Perry on August 20, 2011, 06:56
What are they doing? :D
[url]http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/96389322/Cultura[/url] ([url]http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/96389322/Cultura[/url])

Gotta be impressed that they got a PR from the clarinet manufacturer, though.
Title: Re: Getting things done correctly - research before the shoot
Post by: RacePhoto on August 20, 2011, 21:47: Quote from: Perry on August 20, 2011, 06:56
This is just a small warning to you all: Study and research what you are going to shoot, just to make sure everything is done properly. This will make your images more saleable!

What are they doing? :D
[url]http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/88798525/UpperCut-Images[/url] ([url]http://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/88798525/UpperCut-Images[/url])

Come on dude, be cool, they're hipsters playing JAZZ! ;D Junior is wailing, I can tell.