please dont take this the wrong way, but you are asking your competition to tell you what is their most valuable products so you can go out and directly copy them...

I have book where I jot dot ideas, drop clippings of stuff in it, well over 100 pages of ideas, some good, some not. most I will never get to. I also have a folder of images that I have saved that have inspired me / interested me / thought is a good idea / saved so that I can relook at techniques etc. 3-4000 images in it. (not directed at you) but I have so many ideas, more than I can possibly ever get to, when I see a thread like this I wonder how people can be stuck for ideas.

Both excellent and honest replies.

Gulp!  Didn't mean to start making enemies with my first post...

I totally see where you guys are coming from, and I appreciate the suggestion about the notebook keeping.  I've got some good ideas currently, and I guess the best way to see if they'll work is to actually see if they work.   Off to take me some pictures!

Yes, we were generally honest and supportive without giving away the farm .  And it was done without the sugary prose and hugs and it still worked.

I think the most common and cheap objects isolated on white are done to death. You can photograph the most beautiful and perfect apple on white, with the finest colors and light. Still you will have to compete with 3,000 images of isolated apples. So I don't do the "cheap common objects on white" anymore.

I have some isolated objects that do well, but I'm not going to tell what they are. But I can tell you what I shoot:

* "Niche" objects, Objects that doesn't yet exist on microstock sites (or there are only a few images). I exploit every "rare" place I get access to shoot stuff. Some of my friends have unusual workplaces and hobbies so I borrow their stuff. The most rare stuff I sell RM.

* Conceptual / symbolic stuff

* Still lifes

* "Unique" objects: For example vintage objects, old (public domain) artwork, hand made stuff.

* Objects that are hard to photograph and require lot of work if done properly. For example HUGE objects that are photographed on white background (not just cut out in photoshop). This also include different special effects, things hanged with wire (later photoshopped) and such. To get started in this category just think "what would be difficult to shoot on white", and then shoot it.

I also do like Phil. I collect ideas, I write and draw them on paper. I also have a folder with saved images I like for some reason. I'm not immoral enought to copy the images directly, instead I develop the ideas and combine them to come up with new stuff.

I collect images in a folder too, and I find it interesting how, whenever I try something out that I've seen somewhere, something completly different comes out of it, pictures that have nothing to do with "the original". I suppose there's the difference between copying and and what they call inspiration.

I sometimes shoot easy-to-do isolated objects, depending on what I find in the agencies already. For example, I recently found that fotolia doesn't have much isolated butternut squashes, so I shot one, because I was shooting pumpkin soup anyway and put it there exclusive. Online for two hours, two sales already. But I only do isolated objects if something falls into my hands and I think that I can make a better image than there are already - which isn't too often. I don't think I'll ever feel like shooting an apple over white!

Forgot to mention: It's always a good idea to read newspapers and watch the news to get some ideas. There are always some new things and trends that need to be illustrated. And it wouldn't hurt to be the first to have the images for sale.

Wow, things have changed around here. Some openly shared while others didn't. Looks like all torches and pitchforks these days. What happened to all of the share-the-love people?

Sorry, but how does commenting on how other people comment help the OP? 

Why not answer his questions and share some ideas yourself? 

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on September 01, 2009, 21:25

Wow, things have changed around here. Some openly shared while others didn't. Looks like all torches and pitchforks these days. What happened to all of the share-the-love people?

I didnt mean it that way, but if I'm someone who says gee a pic of my left sells well because it has had 2 sales doesnt really help the op, or if I say in this forum yep my left foot sells 5 times a day then within a few weeks there will a few hundred isolated left feet  (I imagine the reviewers reaction) and then noone is making any money on images of their left foot, I havent really done the op or anyone else any favours, only cut my own sales.

Unfortunately the market isnt that big and has become very competitive with 6-80000+ images a week hitting some sites. I'll help in some ways (ie the notebook idea) but directly saying hey just go copy mine (or someone elses portfolio) isnt helping anyone and is just "cutting my own throat"  

Wasn't targeting you. Just a general observation. This place seems like it used to be a majority of people who were the "open sharing" type. That seems to have swung to the "not helping the competitors" type.

Hey guys,

So I just made my first at-home studio setup w/basic lighting for taking pics of small to medium (between 4 inches and 3 feet) sized isolated subjects.  I've got a black backdrop and a white backdrop, but not really that much of an idea as to what direction to head in here.

Since the only reason I built the lighting setup was to produce stock photos...what are some of the most desired subjects designers are looking for?  Like, I know there are lists of what to upload on most microstock website's FAQ sections, but I was more hoping for some fellow photographer suggestions, based on what sells well for you.

Thanks in advance for any tips you've got!

Danny

I suggest sliced fruit and vegetables. A series of 50 sliced tomato shots on a cutting board would be perfect. Oh wait that was 2006.  

I realize that isolated objects on white is kind of lacking creativity already, but what you do with those subjects can be interesting. Foods: Mist them, if they are succulents. Freeze them so they have frost if they are cold (and shoot fast!), oil them if they are supposed to be shiny. You get the idea.

While sometimes depth of field is artistic and can add to a shot, there's nothing wrong with sharp from front to back. Bright colors, sharp images, attractive lighting.

I don't know what you want to shoot, but the idea is the treatment you give the subjects, possibly combinations and angles. That's what you want to think about for making sales. Before you shoot, instead of copying what sells, (more like what used to sell and what is going to be ranked at the top of the searches ahead of yours) learn from it and make photos that aren't already on the sites, or make better versions where you see the material is weak, or there may be a need for shots of something conceptually different than what's available.