Author Topic: Photosource International (Read 5742 times)

Hoodie Ninja · « **on:** April 02, 2009, 11:07 »

Does anyone know anything about Photosource International? I have an internet friend who is interested in getting into stock photography and she mentioned this site and that she was thinking of subscribing to it. I went to the site and some dumb ad came on my screen so I closed the page. Are they a legitimate place or just scammers?

Hoodie Ninja · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2009, 15:29 »

No one knows anything about this company? NOTHING???

stormchaser · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2009, 15:54 »

It is owned by Ron Engh who is a long time stock guy and author of a few stock photo/build your portfolio books. I even have a few kicking around here somewhere from several years ago. His network is more of a sourcing outlet for buyers rather than the stock service most are familiar with. The "ad" screen is really to push his newsletter etc.

Search on Ron Engh, you will find more info with regards to his reach.

Several well established professionals network via Ron Engh. I don't advise someone absolutely new to the business to go this route. Although this is the way us old timers did it. You can't just upload photos, then sit back and relax. You'll need to have a good portfolio website etc. plus the ability to properly market specialty skills and communicate with buyers.

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2009, 17:05 »

I found about him through his book Sell & Resell Your Photos (http://www.amazon.com/Sell-Re-Sell-Your-Photos-Rohn/dp/1582971765/ref=pd_sim_b_1) which is still to this day an excellent stock bible. Sent some supportive words and he immediately reciprocated with some links on his site - he is a class act and although maybe not publishing much lately about the latest trends of the day such as microstock, is an expert in good stock.

Everyone should sit down with some stock task lists once in a while and return to the basics.. I think the key point I got from that book was 'stock is interesting people, doing interesting things', which may a bit out of date since there are so many more niches for digital imagery these days, but still.. expert knowledge doesn't have to wrapped up in some web 2.0 trendy website - basics of stock will probably never change.

Hoodie Ninja · « **Reply #4 on:** April 02, 2009, 17:09 »

Quote from: stormchaser on April 02, 2009, 15:54

Several well established professionals network via Ron Engh. I don't advise someone absolutely new to the business to go this route. Although this is the way us old timers did it. You can't just upload photos, then sit back and relax. You'll need to have a good portfolio website etc. plus the ability to properly market specialty skills and communicate with buyers.

Thanks for the info. My friend normally deals with galleries in her area, but due to the economic problems some of the galleries have closed so she is looking for alternate avenues. I hadn't heard of this site before and wanted to stear her clear if it wasn't a good one. She more into that communication thing than I am....she keeps trying to get me to put my pictures in galleries but I'd just rather upload them and then sit back and relax.

Hoodie Ninja · « **Reply #5 on:** April 02, 2009, 17:15 »

Quote from: zymmetrical on April 02, 2009, 17:05

I found about him through his book Sell & Resell Your Photos (http://www.amazon.com/Sell-Re-Sell-Your-Photos-Rohn/dp/1582971765/ref=pd_sim_b_1) which is still to this day an excellent stock bible. Sent some supportive words and he immediately reciprocated with some links on his site - he is a class act and although maybe not publishing much lately about the latest trends of the day such as microstock, is an expert in good stock.

Everyone should sit down with some stock task lists once in a while and return to the basics.. I think the key point I got from that book was 'stock is interesting people, doing interesting things', which may a bit out of date since there are so many more niches for digital imagery these days, but still.. expert knowledge doesn't have to wrapped up in some web 2.0 trendy website - basics of stock will probably never change.

I actually have a book on selling photos but it's by Jim Zuckerman. I'm not much for photographing people, but there's plenty of other stock pictures for me to take.

What is a stock tast list?

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2009, 05:27 »

A task list: something like an exercise sheet. Examine yourself for your strengths and weaknesses and market niche potential, or doing theme-based shooting exercises like:

Category: People - executive
Purpose: To show the concept of the overworked, harried executive. To illustrate the headline 'are you drowning in paperwork?'
Subject: man in business suit almost submerged in computer printouts, mouth gasping for air, hands reaching up, clutching paper
Variations: woman executive, senior executive, briefcase in teeth, close up face gasping

Props, Locale, Ethnic, etc. etc.

Cracking the book open (haven't looked at it in a while), actually that 'Sell and Resell' book is not particularly heavy on worksheets and checklists: I mixed it up with 'How to Shoot Stock Photos that Sell' by Michael Heron: http://books.google.com/books?id=AqSY1_ND2GAC&dq=How+to+Shoot+Stock+Photos+that+Sell&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=F-PVSci8KsaC_QadnJzMAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPP3,M1

Of course this kind of stuff is generally very elementary for experienced shooters, or already part of the normal workflow.

Hoodie Ninja · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2009, 12:43 »

Quote from: zymmetrical on April 03, 2009, 05:27

A task list: something like an exercise sheet. Examine yourself for your strengths and weaknesses and market niche potential, or doing theme-based shooting exercises like:

Category: People - executive
Purpose: To show the concept of the overworked, harried executive. To illustrate the headline 'are you drowning in paperwork?'
Subject: man in business suit almost submerged in computer printouts, mouth gasping for air, hands reaching up, clutching paper
Variations: woman executive, senior executive, briefcase in teeth, close up face gasping

Props, Locale, Ethnic, etc. etc.

Cracking the book open (haven't looked at it in a while), actually that 'Sell and Resell' book is not particularly heavy on worksheets and checklists: I mixed it up with 'How to Shoot Stock Photos that Sell' by Michael Heron: http://books.google.com/books?id=AqSY1_ND2GAC&dq=How+to+Shoot+Stock+Photos+that+Sell&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=F-PVSci8KsaC_QadnJzMAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPP3,M1

Of course this kind of stuff is generally very elementary for experienced shooters, or already part of the normal workflow.

Thanks for the info. My main photographic interest is landscapes/nature/animals/waterfalls which I know are not big for stock photography. I have found that when the weather is crappy and I can't get out to do what I want to photograph, I can do stock-type pictures. But I'm not into photographing people, so I do "things" like food or whatever else seems to strike my interest. I guess you could say I'm just shooting haphazzard.