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Author Topic: Shutterstock Acceptance  (Read 2806 times)

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« on: May 04, 2015, 05:16 »
0
On the attached JPEG contact sheet the first 6 have always been accepted. I need 4 other images of which at least 2 need to pass as I'm suspecting different reviewers will have differing views, giving a pass/fail to the same image. Technically that all seem OK to me but aesthetically is another issue....

I realise that I'm going to have to adapt my subject matter and have decided to focus on elderly people and related issues.

Any help, advice and critique would be very welcome.

Many Thanks


« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2015, 06:10 »
+3
There is no way  I can judge the quality of your images without seeing a 100% crop.
the subjects are ok, but not striking, the colours are good. There are no concepts. Its the kind of pictures you upload on a dull month when you have nothing else.
You are still in the stage where you wander around with your camera and shoot what you find interesting. That will get you some pictures  accepted, but not many sales. You HAVE to think like a customer.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2015, 06:13 by JPSDK »

« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2015, 07:28 »
+3
I don't fully agree with JPSDK in that there are no concepts.  Micro stock has all kinds of buyers, some who will take your work and use it for postcards, specific topics like "save the forest" etc. I sell a lot of this kind of stuff, one was on a cover of a school science text. Now, rest assured opinions vary, but I am speaking from actual experience. Other will disagree. This is where the value of forum discussion comes in.....as always though, it's up to you to take what people post and use it (or not) as a part of your strategy. I agree about the 100% crop thing. Very hard for some of the peeps to give real, honest feedback. 

Now, in terms of Shutterstock accepting them, you have a treat in store and it could be a rotten apple.  I believe that SS is, partly anyway, using software to analyze & inspect images, at least some of them.  They have gone from accepting most good content to rejecting most good content.  Some of the big hitters in here, along with others who know how to get sharp images, good WB, composition, lighting, etc. are getting constant 90% rejections. Something is for sure going on at SS regarding image acceptance. So even if you get these images right, they may not be accepted. If the inspection software even sniffs an intentionally shifted WB, it rejects even though the look you want is spot on.  Less human eyes, more automation = disaster in the field of art. 

« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2015, 07:56 »
+4
I'm hardly someone that can judge your stock portfolio as a photographer, so I won't comment with that perspective (the images seem good enough from the thumbnails to be accepted, and a %100 crop could tell us the whole story, like noise and sharpness).

BUT, past acceptance you might have a hard time selling some of them. I'm a full time designer with 15 years or so experience and have naturally bought tons of stock. I could use the first 6 for all kinds of things and they are sellers.

The latter ones are what I would use in a magazine for an article, and those articles have photos taken by photographers on site, I mean there's no sense in using stock photos about TOWN X :)

The contrast on them are too strong to alter and blend in a composition, so that's out too. Once in a blue moon I'll have the need for one of the last six photos and maybe consider buying one - but even that's a long shot.

Think of it like this ; the fishing nets. Let's say I'm designing a promo to encourage fishing supply sales, your images do not fit at all, they are moody and sad.

A general tourism bureau flyer? An empty road with a guy riding a bike, I'm not sure the client would want to emphasize on a solitary holiday trip.

They look really nice and do trigger personal memories for me, but I've always been bit of an introvert so there's that :)

I'm not trying to knock you down or anything, just trying to convey what a buyer looks for, so you don't have to build a portfolio of a 1000 photos and watch in dismay as your hard work gets ignored, even though they are perfectly fine images.

My %100 go to buy stock photo is this : Preferably with people, looking generally happy but not the "omgwtfOHYEA" look that gives it a fake vibe. If they're not even aware the camera is there, the better. Generally good looking but definitely not drop down gorgeous. A believable crop of everyday life of people doing XXX (where X is my design subject).

I hope this is of any use.

Good luck :)

Af8

« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2015, 01:00 »
0
As others have said it's difficult to see the technical quality from the thumbnails and I agree with the other posters.  It's worth trying to find a selection of subjects so may be worth only picking one of the nautical theme and then finding some other topics.  You might also want to look at the shadows in the images as SS often uses "Poor Lighting--Image has exposure issues, unfavorable lighting conditions, and/or incorrect white balance." as a rejection reason which I've found can often be shadows being too dark, a few tweaks and it's solved.  A couple of the images would probably fall foul of this from what I can see.


 

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