I would like to get your input on some photo's that I am considering sending to Shutterstock. I have small portfolio's on Bigstock, Fotolia, Istock, Dreamstime and 123RF. All of which contain photo's already declined by Shutterstock in my first two submission attempts.

My style leans towards nature and landscape which is well covered in most sites already and was the topic of my previous submissions. I tried to go a different direction this time with some travel photo's and some shots from a local school that close in 2010.

I am including a link to the photos on Flick'r at full resolution for your review.

newbielink:http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenbrokeacres/sets/72157639325604084/ [nonactive]


Let me know if you have any questions or difficulties getting to the link, this is my first post so I may make a mistake somewhere. Your help and input are greatly appreciated. 

First off, don't plural words don't need an apostrophe.  Sorry - my pet grammar peeve.

I don't know much about SS, but Ashford Castle 6 is interesting, although the blues in the sky look a little too saturated.   The sweater shop looks underexposed.  The sun and shadows are very harsh in some.  Looks like the kind of stuff that occasionally sells on Alamy.

First off, don't plural words don't need an apostrophe.  Sorry - my pet grammar peeve.

Perhaps SS is seeking new shooters that show they have an "eye" for interesting design and composition. Your shots say "I walk around and just take pictures of stuff".

Not meaning to be harsh but you should consider different angles, close-ups, unique light etc... and not so much shooting like an insurance adjuster.

Sorry for the tough love. 

Perhaps SS is seeking new shooters that show they have an "eye" for interesting design and composition. Your shots say "I walk around and just take pictures of stuff".

Not meaning to be harsh but you should consider different angles, close-ups, unique light etc... and not so much shooting like an insurance adjuster.

Sorry for the tough love. 

I agree. You put all your subjects in the middle, and nothing is composed. Actually you photograph opposite of what you should.
you do like this: There is a subject, Ill photograph that. Snap.
You should do like this: see a keyword, illustrate the keyword so that everything in the frame supports that keyword.

Lets take the cornerstone, which is a good and concrete keyword. Then you show the stone with exactly so much wall that you can see it is in a corner, else you photoshop it into an adequate building part. You bricks counterdict the cornerstone message. Also you should cut the grass and use a reflector to get the light right.
And dont say:"But thats how it was, when I was there", because thats not what stock is about, we are not documenting, we are providing content, and we are many, and the competition is high, so your pictures have to be very good.

So composition and mixed content is going to kill these pictures. There is also a problem with oversaturation, I think. maybe you camera is set on vivid?

Thx for the feedback, I think you hit it on the head with "see a keyword, illustrate the keyword so that everything in the frame supports that keyword." That's a departure for me but it does explain my challenges.