Microstock Photography Forum - General > Photo Critique
Portfolio critique requested, thank you :)
sshoults:
Interesting - thanks, I will try to look at it from a different point of view.
Pauws99:
--- Quote from: sshoults on January 04, 2019, 10:38 ---Interesting - thanks, I will try to look at it from a different point of view.
--- End quote ---
Steve will give you great advice! Your port is a bit like mine.. stuff I like rather than geared to selling. In the past that was OK but in the current environment its hard to earn like that
Jo Ann Snover:
In addition to Steve's suggestions - figuring out what the image would be saying to a designer trying to put something together - think about the space in the image.
For stock, your image is often a part of something in the end, and if your image isn't usable in a design - cropped too tight is the most common problem - it won't be licensed. One example I noticed was your "Mind the Gap" image. You've cut off the letters on either side; a little bit of space either side would have made the image suitable for lots more uses.
You have a beer stein, vertical only and cropped tight. If you'd also had something as a horizontal with some out of focus stuff (not distracting, but suitably blurred background) I think it would be more usable as stock.
There are very few hard and fast rules, but horizontal images tend to work in many more cases than verticals, so trying to shoot both can be helpful. You have a Scottish fishing village with boats, vertical only. I'll bet there was also a great horizontal shot to be had there too.
Once you have the camera and the other gear, shooting a few extra shots when you're taking some for yourself costs you next to nothing but your time, so perhaps just expand your shots a bit with some stock uses in mind. One for you, one for stock, so to speak :)
Stefan Dahl:
So the good thing is that it looks like you are always carrying a camera! That is a good starting point when the subject you want to sell is like it is in your portfolio.
The bad thing is, that there are many really really bad images in your portfolio, both in subject, framing and postproduction.
So - If you want to improve, then I think the first step is to stage your pictures way more. Stop with the random snapping away, and spend time planning a picture with commercial value. "Random" pictures takes weeks in the same spot to just happen ;)
When you shoot the stuff you do, then shoot it with more space. Your files are in generel way tight framed.
And of course you gotta ask yourself if this is a hobby, or if you want to approach it serious as a business. Two different animals :)
Keep grinding and you will get there.
Best luck :)
Stefan
Brasilnut:
Agree with all the above.
I've managed to select one of your images that has some potential as a stock photo. Since nobody is identifiable and no logos/property, they rightly accepted it as commercial, which means that it can be used in a variety of subjects, such as:
- Editorial on train delays, over-congestion / rush hour
- Public Sector could use it within one of their reports about transport or even something sociology related
- Some brand can use it to put their logo about shoes, trousers, bags
- Train company to use it on an ad about how excellent their service is
- Etc, I could go on all day in that it's a quite versatile image and there are even some usages of some of my images that completely baffle me.
The concept is strong but the execution was weak since there's no motion blur and you're cutting peoples' limbs off which in both literal and photographic terms is not a good idea. Nevertheless, an easy enough shot to re-shoot and you can even set up your gorilla-pod with ND filter for a long exposure for more action.
Brasilnut
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version