MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => Newbie Discussion => Topic started by: marusic01 on November 16, 2013, 06:55
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Hi guys,
I just started playing with stock photography and I really liked it, but I am a complete newbie ;D
but I would love to know much more so can you tell is there any good book, or something, to buy
that would be good to learn some basics, and a little more? I'not from US, so I would prefer if it is
availabe on eBay, or even .pdf to download :)
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There are two paper books, neither of which I've read, but which have been well recommended here. One is by Rob Sylvan, the other by Ellen Boughn. Both seem to be available for Kindle.
Other publications seem to be available, I have no idea how useful any of them would be to you.
There is a purchasable pdf download here which would probably be useful:
http://rasmusrasmussen.com/microstock-photographers-guide (http://rasmusrasmussen.com/microstock-photographers-guide)
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Books are books.
But reading this forum you will find a lot of informations and opinions from a lot of real professional microstockers, from people being the real part of the business, every day.
And I think that no book can give you this.
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And, to be shameless, there is my book available at http://www.backyardsilver.com/stock_photography_ebook/ (http://www.backyardsilver.com/stock_photography_ebook/) as well as Amazon and the Apple store
Steve
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I think here is the best place to study. you can ask or find the answer you are focusing.
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OK, this is my first post and I don't make my living shooting stock, so take this with a grain of salt. But, I do have a lot of experience working at agencies.
Study the sites on the right. Many have useful blog articles that discuss trends, highlight what's selling. Some sites show # of downloads, views, popularity. Study it. The agencies want to make money, and it's in their interest to educate you so you create photos that make them money. They make money, you make money.
This forum has some very good perspectives, but in my experience it seems like it's used mainly to discuss the pros and cons of individual agencies (royalty rates, reviewer standards, sales overviews). There seems to be less focus on guidance about how to carve a niche and create good content. That's not a bad thing (obviously users here aren't going to divulge all their secrets), but keep it in mind.
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Try Amazon
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This is mostly aimed at people shooting editorial: the BJP writer David Kilpatrick who is also a stalwart of the Alamy forum has a good article on his website - full of solid common sense advice and reminders:
Thirty Key Points About Stock Photography (http://www.dphotoexpert.com/2010/12/31/thirty-keys-to-stock-photography/)
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Depending on how much you already know, a book on photographic lighting (e.g. the standard text Science, Light and Magic) might be more valuable. If you understand how to control light to get the best results, then you can produce any kind of stock. Just choose a subject, light it superbly, and the chances are it will sell.
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First rule of stock photography - don't spend a lot of money on books, equipment etc.
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Many of us contributed to a book a few years ago put together by Quentin Bargate (Douglas Freer) - Microstock Photography: How to Make Money from Your Digital Images. It was published back in March 2008 and is currently available on Amazon.com