Author Topic: If it sells, shoot it! (Read 12955 times)

laflor · « **on:** August 27, 2009, 15:46 »

Hi dear fellow photogs

I am about to embark on an exciting journey for a month or so to Cape Town to produce a lot of images (hopefully:).

I want to ask what you would shoot if you had 4-5 weeks of shooting with a couple of friends, a stylist and a bunch of lamps, scrims and 4 terabytes of storage

I really could need some inspiration, so don't hesitate if you have some valuable insight on what would sell and perhaps is missing right now on iStock.com.

Kind regards,
laflor

click_click · « **Reply #1 on:** August 27, 2009, 15:54 »

Quote from: laflor on August 27, 2009, 15:46

...I want to ask what you would shoot ...

Haha, nice try. Asking the competition what to shoot - so you can steal all our downloads.

Sounds like you packed everything you need. Be sure to check online for good locations.

Try to get in touch with the locals who can show you great spots that are not listed in the travel guides.

qwerty · « **Reply #2 on:** August 27, 2009, 16:00 »

isolated carrots, goldfish jumping out of fishbowls and average looking girls wearing headsets.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #3 on:** August 27, 2009, 16:17 »

Ask Yuri

.

ShadySue · « **Reply #4 on:** August 27, 2009, 16:56 »

Quote from: laflor on August 27, 2009, 15:46

Hi dear fellow photogs

I am about to embark on an exciting journey for a month or so to Cape Town to produce a lot of images (hopefully:).

I want to ask what you would shoot if you had 4-5 weeks of shooting with a couple of friends, a stylist and a bunch of lamps, scrims and 4 terabytes of storage I really could need some inspiration, so don't hesitate if you have some valuable insight on what would sell and perhaps is missing right now on iStock.com.

Kind regards,
laflor

If I had such a luxury, I'd ditch the friends, stylist, lamps and scrims and head off to Hluhluwe/Umfolozi and Addo.
If money was no object, I'd also spend some time at Londolozi.
OTOH, that's why my dl/ul ration isn't great.

Enjoy!

HermanM · « **Reply #5 on:** August 27, 2009, 17:08 »

With all that in your list I would stop asking and start shooting, shooting and shooooooting!!! If it moves, shoot. If you have the slightest idea that it will sell, shoot it. Lucky you!!!

I wish I was that lucky. Have a nice photographic vacation.

Jonathan Ross · « **Reply #6 on:** August 27, 2009, 17:29 »

Hi Laflor,

Have a great trip and back everything up at least twice if not triple. I agree shoot shoot shoot. I would scout locations first to check light and best times and then return when the light is the best. Good lighting is as important as good concepts and models. Have a great time and be sure to post some stuff when you get back.

Best,
Jonathan

pixdeluxe · « **Reply #7 on:** August 28, 2009, 02:52 »

Hey Laflor,

I know we're friends off the interweb, as well. I hope i can still comment here.. Actually, i wrote a long post and then lost it when I for some reason decided to refresh the ´page. doh!

Disclaimer: These are general concepts and personal obsversations. I would not mind if a million owners of highend DSLRs read this, as there are too many factors that affect a shoot to worry about competition from sharing concepts. I shoot one way, laflor shoots his way and so on.. we produce very different images, and ultimately all we can do is our own interpretation of concepts, for better or worse.

1. Business teams/people. Always needed, and props are always changing. New setups, new angles, (new concepts to think about with an economic crisis). Have been thinking that the number of 'Happy smiling business people' in the world is maybe on the way down.. Perhaps its time to reassess what we shoot there. More casual business, more working from home.

2. Diversity, across all subjects (family, business, school, teens). Inside micro, this can definitely be better represented. Even my low-budget shots of African americans are selling.. Definitely room here.

3. Seniors. Maybe a smaller group, next time

(inside joke, laflor shot 30-odd senior models in a group on his last shoot)

4. Better youth culture. A lot is lost in translation when adults are shooting this. There is room for a re-look at this..

5. Medical professionals.

I've got lots more, maybe we can talk off the interweb soon!

Good luck with the shooting..

Adeptris · « **Reply #8 on:** August 28, 2009, 03:05 »

Anything with your model dressed in plain generic clothes without patterns or logos, any plalce where there are properties that you know do not need a release, with any landmark that is not subject to IP, any shots that have no other tourists or members of the public, and where the vehicle designs are so generic you cannot tell them apart.

So forget the vacation and have a staycation, as you shoot with generic people in generic places with generic objects, staying at home with the goldfish and the plain looking model with the smile and headset, and just look at how much you saved towards that new camera.

David (not Jealous at all, enjoy your vacation)

laflor · « **Reply #9 on:** August 28, 2009, 05:44 »

Hi dear advisors

I'm gonna note the following:

- The concrete themes Pixdeluxe brought up. Especially the part about youth culture. Gotta do more research on that. And also the part with business at home - adapting to status quo.
- Backup, the paranoid way!
- Extensive location scouting including going online plus taking advice from the locals for "location extraordinaire"
- shoooooooot!
- remember to enjoy the "staycation"
- perhaps spend some time at Londolozi ... whereever that is

- and of course Goldfish, lots of them

The good thing about sharing like this is that everyone benefits. I think there is plenty of room (and money) for all of us; the micro-business is on the rise and there are billions of dollars out there waiting to be spent on all of our images.

Concerning competition and the fear of loosing out by sharing, I have shot several times with photographer friends on the same location, at the same time, shooting the same themes, but getting entirely different type of images. We all have different:

- composition
- balance between exposure on the talent and the background
- aperture preferences
- styling preferences
- prop preferences
- model instruction styles
- shootplanning
- models

etc. etc.

In my opinion we will undoubtedly end up appealing to different buyers

Another thing is also the subtle fact that we take inspiration differently. What I mean to say is that when reading the same advice we will go away with different interpretations. Take Pixdeluxe's example of the need for updated youth culture images. That statement points me in a direction, gives me inspiration, but we can all agree that we will all come up with entirely different images even though we got inspiration from the same source. The same goes for "business at home" and "medicals.

Thank you very much for sharing. Keep it coming.

Kind regards,
laflor

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #10 on:** August 28, 2009, 05:55 »

Quote from: laflor on August 28, 2009, 05:44

Concerning competition and the fear of loosing out by sharing, I have shot several times with photographer friends on the same location, at the same time, shooting the same themes, but getting entirely different type of images. We all have different:

- composition
- balance between exposure on the talent and the background
- aperture preferences
- styling preferences
- prop preferences
- model instruction styles
- shootplanning
- models
etc. etc.

In my opinion we will undoubtedly end up appealing to different buyers

I don't buy that, really. We know you interned or whatever with Yuri, and we've already discussed in another thread how your work looks a lot like Yuri's even when you aren't at the same shoot with him. Which is fine. You're able to produce in a useful style. However, you're directly competing with him, and all his other trainees, whether there's a pen in this shot, or a pencil in that shot or he shot at 1.2 and you at 2.8 .

Having been on his team, you know all about basic themes like medical and youth culture and all that, or at least you should be able to research trends a bit to see where things are going or coming. You're battling against all his other people that have learned the same techniques. What sets you apart is your research and creativity. So, to say that "sharing" doesn't invite competition, well, I'd have to disagree with that statement.

Oldhand · « **Reply #11 on:** August 28, 2009, 06:22 »

Hi there

Have fun in South Africa, and don't forget the 2010 football (soccer to the Americans) World cup.

South Africa will be huge in newspaper travel supplements next year, so editorial outlets will need all the locations of world cup stadiums, inside, out, surrounding attractions etc. If you don't already, send some the macro's way.

Plenty of scope for lots of football pics - youths on Capetown beach at dusk, couple of silhouetted goals etc, etc..

My advice, watch out for the buffalos and take a football as a prop!

Rgds

Oldhand

pixdeluxe · « **Reply #12 on:** August 28, 2009, 06:30 »

Quote from: sjlocke on August 28, 2009, 05:55

What sets you apart is your research and creativity.

Great statement, could not agree more. But, this for me is why its okay to share. Research and creativity come later on in the process.. and not so easily shared or explained.

Quote from: Oldhand on August 28, 2009, 06:22

Plenty of scope for lots of football pics - youths on Capetown beach at dusk, couple of silhouetted goals etc, etc..

haha this is too specific to share

i've planned some shots of this with my favourite ethnic model. shooting it in cape town would be a bonus... this kind of thinking is lacking in micro, i think. current affairs conceptual images, done well. I've seen some images for 2010 on getty, and have seen mr. locke shooting for swine flu (?) another area to expand into.. often doesn't need a shoot dedicated to it, rather just a few extra props..

laflor · « **Reply #13 on:** August 28, 2009, 06:52 »

Quote from: sjlocke on August 28, 2009, 05:55

Quote from: laflor on August 28, 2009, 05:44
Concerning competition and the fear of loosing out by sharing, I have shot several times with photographer friends on the same location, at the same time, shooting the same themes, but getting entirely different type of images. We all have different:

- composition
- balance between exposure on the talent and the background
- aperture preferences
- styling preferences
- prop preferences
- model instruction styles
- shootplanning
- models
etc. etc.

In my opinion we will undoubtedly end up appealing to different buyers

I don't buy that, really. We know you interned or whatever with Yuri, and we've already discussed in another thread how your work looks a lot like Yuri's even when you aren't at the same shoot with him. Which is fine. You're able to produce in a useful style. However, you're directly competing with him, and all his other trainees, whether there's a pen in this shot, or a pencil in that shot or he shot at 1.2 and you at 2.8 .

Having been on his team, you know all about basic themes like medical and youth culture and all that, or at least you should be able to research trends a bit to see where things are going or coming. You're battling against all his other people that have learned the same techniques. What sets you apart is your research and creativity. So, to say that "sharing" doesn't invite competition, well, I'd have to disagree with that statement.

Surely sharing invites competition. But in addition I think there is also room for all of us. You are very successful Sean, and you have developed your unique style of shooting over the years. And obviously also expanding on that. I would say that if you had someone working for you, whom you personally trained, naturally you would spot big degrees of similarity, and as you point out that would be sort of direct competition. In a way that IS the case with me and Yuri, but I don't think that is what happens if we share a few thoughts in this forum.

Personally I have been trained to produce images the way Yuri likes them, and so now, as an independent contributor, I have that foundation to build upon. Since my employment with Yuri I have been seriously producing and editing like a mad man for roughly 6 months and right now all together I have more than 4.000 edited images to go online on iStock, and as time passes you will see how my personal style has been and hopefully is evolving. My point being that even though I have a certain background you will see me going in very different directions with my specific conceptual concepts, style, lighting, photoshopping etc. Just look at Yuris latest images. He is evolving like anything. To me he is in the process of refining his shooting to produce uberclass traditional "Getty style" images but in an updated and "volumized" micro-style version.

Speaking of evolving I spent the last two days observing and learning from friends, and fashion photographers, Alberto Serejo and Martin Gleit. I can highly recommend that approach - to get totally different inspiration. I think that it is always important to try and learn new ways of understanding light, instructing models, raw-conversion and photoshopping. As you surely know the learning curve is unlimited and there is always room for improvement. I find that by sharing and always having an open mind I tend to grow more both professionally and personally.

By lighting the path of others you brighten your own path too

Kind regards,
laflor

Adeptris · « **Reply #14 on:** August 28, 2009, 06:54 »

Quote from: pixdeluxe on August 28, 2009, 06:30

Quote from: sjlocke on August 28, 2009, 05:55
What sets you apart is your research and creativity.

Great statement, could not agree more. But, this for me is why its okay to share. Research and creativity come later on in the process.. and not so easily shared or explained.

Quote from: Oldhand on August 28, 2009, 06:22

Plenty of scope for lots of football pics - youths on Capetown beach at dusk, couple of silhouetted goals etc, etc..

haha this is too specific to share i've planned some shots of this with my favourite ethnic model. shooting it in cape town would be a bonus... this kind of thinking is lacking in micro, i think. current affairs conceptual images, done well. I've seen some images for 2010 on getty, and have seen mr. locke shooting for swine flu (?) another area to expand into.. often doesn't need a shoot dedicated to it, rather just a few extra props..

Most of the real 'beach or street soccer' images like this I see are real editorial and not suited to microstock, for advertising the players are often in the strip of thier favorite players or teams which adds to the concept of 'aspiring to be one of the best in the world', any setup images will likely just look fake, as microsites do not allow the soccer strips, which libraries would you target any real looking images at, in the UK maybe Alamy want about in the USA?

There will as you say be a commecial market for clean comfortable generic soccer images, just to promote the many spin-off opportunities these type of events create, but these will have a local look, feel and interest and can just be taken anywhere, a soccer event or soccer school in the UK would not use a capetown beach soccer image.

David

gostwyck · « **Reply #15 on:** August 28, 2009, 07:03 »

Quote from: pixdeluxe on August 28, 2009, 06:30

But, this for me is why its okay to share. Research and creativity come later on in the process.. and not so easily shared or explained.

Really? Does Yuri not mind two of his assistants/trainees producing near-identically styled and themed images to his own?

Having seen how he works in his own studio you guys appear to be just reproducing his stuff as closely as you can __ monkey see, monkey do.

Spot the differences in these searches of 'business team;

http://preview.tinyurl.com/mjzz2s

http://preview.tinyurl.com/lvex8y

http://preview.tinyurl.com/qf9t3p

I appreciate that Yuri's primary skill is not in his originality but in his execution (and also his choice of models) but even so ...

pixdeluxe · « **Reply #16 on:** August 28, 2009, 07:21 »

I spot more than a few diffences, not least of all in sales

I did the same search on Istock's artist of the week from this week or last. http://bit.ly/2Y3Kwr or countless other examples. 'Business team' is a specific term, so that may do more to explain similarities than anything else.

I am a good friend of yuri's but have been on set with him less than 3-4 times with him. Maybe not enough to be described a monkey. Easy there, tiger

Quote from: gostwyck on August 28, 2009, 07:03

Having seen how he works in his own studio you guys appear to be just reproducing his stuff as closely as you can __ monkey see, monkey do.

gostwyck · « **Reply #17 on:** August 28, 2009, 07:26 »

Quote from: pixdeluxe on August 28, 2009, 07:21

I am a good friend of yuri's ...

I'm very glad I haven't got 'friends' like you.

laflor · « **Reply #18 on:** August 28, 2009, 07:34 »

Quote from: gostwyck on August 28, 2009, 07:26

Quote from: pixdeluxe on August 28, 2009, 07:21
I am a good friend of yuri's ...

I'm very glad I haven't got 'friends' like you.

Well actually you do have. Josh is very friendly to everyone he meets, so I'm sure he's also your wellwisher and friend

pixdeluxe · « **Reply #19 on:** August 28, 2009, 08:34 »

Quote from: gostwyck on August 28, 2009, 07:26

Quote from: pixdeluxe on August 28, 2009, 07:21
I am a good friend of yuri's ...

I'm very glad I haven't got 'friends' like you.

ignored, life too short.

graficallyminded · « **Reply #20 on:** August 28, 2009, 09:52 »

How come every time someone posts their opinion or their thoughts on this forum it's like the original poster is on trial? People like to argue here too much. Get back to work people, maybe you'll be able to come back with something positive instead of all the negative. Relax with all of the backbiting already.

Every thread here comes back to talking about Yuri. Geez, it's getting old. His ears must start burning every two minutes from people talking about him. What Yuri does is his own business, business dealings, who he shares his knowledge with, etc - just the same with any of the rest of us.

Oldhand · « **Reply #21 on:** August 28, 2009, 10:26 »

Hello again

USA World Cup, 1994 - I was working for a sports agency at the time.

In 1993 we shot all the venues, local tourist attractions, and chased the qualifying teams around the globe for headshots. We had made enough money by the kick off (great day for Irish football) to pay for it all, plus enough to cover costs for three snappers covering the tournament in the USA.

This was before the internet took off, so the possibilities for sales are bigger than ever. Granted, you can take generic shots in your local park, but not with the Cape mountain background. As you are going to South Africa, just keep it in mind. I'd be shooting mostly editorial, but with a bit of thought you could make some good micro money here.

How many people start uploading Christmas images in June? The ones who plan ahead. Swine flu, well done to Mr Locke if he has been shooting it. Get topical with mico. I've sold swine flu concepts with both macro and micro, and I guarantee if you happen to pass by the stadium where the biggest sporting event is taking place next year, you'll sell that as well.

There wil be more spin off sales from this event than any other next year -

Maybe with an Italian in charge of the English team we might get into the quarter finals!

Oldhand

Adeptris · « **Reply #22 on:** August 28, 2009, 10:34 »

Quote from: Oldhand on August 28, 2009, 10:26

<...
>...
Maybe with an Italian in charge of the English team we might get into the ~~quarter finals~~!

Oldhand

Maybe with an Italian in charge of the English team we might get into the final!

Just like those wanting to make a living from photography, about the same chance, so remain forever the optimist!

David

Jonathan Ross · « **Reply #23 on:** August 28, 2009, 11:46 »

Well put Pixdeluxe and arenacreative,

Let's all talk soccer instead of just telling people they are wrong or using insulting remarks. It's my favorite past time did anyone see U.S. almost knock Mexico out of the series, so close. This stock business is a very small market even though many don't believe so and the ones that rise to the top have generally been mentors and helpers to others to get them started. All our styles are far to different to worry about sharing secrets. Helping out is cool if that is what you are into and not helping is okay to, but putting people down for no real reason is just a waste of everyones time here and doesn't reflect your own personality in a good light. I imagine that is why most of the aggressive people on this site hide their identity. If you don't want to help don't, but maybe try leaving the people alone that ask for assistance. It will save you typing time and further your own career by freeing up more of your time to shoot. This is suppose to be an informative forum. Thanks.

Best,
Jonathan

lisafx · « **Reply #24 on:** August 28, 2009, 13:38 »

I have never been to South Africa, but based on some reading I have done it seems like you would have some amazing locations there.

If I were going there, I would concentrate on shooting the wonderful ethnic diversity of the people. I would also take advantage of the legendarily beautiful scenery to do location shots. Don't they also have a big wine industry in that area? Winery might make a great backdrop for a series.

What I would NOT do is waste the opportunity doing boilerplate business and medical type photos. You can do those anywhere.

Research what unique opportunities Capetown offers and take advantage of those!

Have a great time!

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Author Topic: If it sells, shoot it! (Read 12955 times)

laflor

click_click

qwerty

Sean Locke Photography

ShadySue

HermanM

Jonathan Ross

pixdeluxe

Adeptris

laflor

Sean Locke Photography

Oldhand

pixdeluxe

laflor

Adeptris

gostwyck

pixdeluxe

gostwyck

laflor

pixdeluxe

graficallyminded

Oldhand

Adeptris

Jonathan Ross

lisafx

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