Hello my friends,

I started last year with this "hobby" (shutterstock) and uploaded about 170 pictures in TOTAL.

So far I have 180 downloads and 70$ earned. I like this method to improve my photography skill (learn with rejections) and earn something extra ($).

I have tried different combination of landscapes, "fine art", isolation, products, travel, macro, animals etc...

Every critique is appreciated.

If you have any tips to help improve my photography skills or portfolio, then please share.

Thank you.

link: https://www.shutterstock.com/pt/g/F_N [nofollow]

Classy.......you are a better photographer than me ;-). If you can discover what subjects sell with your style of photography think you can do well.

Brasilnut, i like your point of view. And iknow what you mean by photograph only 1 subject or 2 is sometimes prettry boring. Working with series is a nice balance with focus on subject and try new things.

xenupy, your portfolio is ok, same as said above some are over post-process for my test. I prefer your animal photo.

Your cities might sell on Fine Art America, but much more likely if they were American cities. Huge competition there, and it's harder and harder to be seen there, as everywhere else.

Hi Xenupy,

I always say, don't take pics of pets unless done extraordinarily and I must admit that you've done a great job with those. You've also nailed the composition on many of these, so good work.

As for the cityscapes,  I like how you incorporated your own style...but they may just a bit too unique for buyers in terms of your post-processing. Makes me think that they belong more in the fine art collection of another agency than microstock (and I say that as a compliment).

Keep going and producing more...170 images is a drop in the ocean but with 180 downloads and $70 that's a nice RPI, so producing more "stocky" work at higher volumes will certainly yield some nice profits.

I think it's great that you're trying everything but sooner or later you'll want to focus more on one or two subject matters. I also have issues that I shoot too many different things because I find it more interesting.

Good luck

Alex

Thank you Alex,

Again, your book was very nice and teach me alot about this "hobby". It was a fantastic tool to learn.

And again, i dont think that i have what it takes to be a fine art guy. I never sell a single photo in 500px, and i have much more photos that i have in shutterstock, all in the "market" place.

In shutter stock i sell normaly on or two photos a day...

Sometimes i think this is the way to go, shoot everthing and try to sell the best work. T

Sometimes i think that i should focus in something particular and be one of the best.

I try this with my three cats (there is a fourth one, that sometimes likes to go to my home). The big problem with cats is that everyone has one! When i sell my cat portrait work i really smile and know that i must be doing something right! Then, my veterinarian sayd that i have to be carefull with the eyes of the felines, and the flash shouldn be fired in their eyes... (thats the secret of the low-key photos).

The same happens to my "fine art" architecture stuff. The leaning tower of pisa is my best seller by far (23$ in total)... and is one of the
commonly photographed place in the world. The problem is that i travel only once or twice  a year, and when i do i travel i normaly like to see and visit the location, the photography comes in second place or in third (wife...)

Again, thank you alex for the positive response.

Classy.......you are a better photographer than me ;-). If you can discover what subjects sell with your style of photography think you can do well.

thank you Payws99, i am trying.

You know what i really like to shoot (and have alot of photos) is my 68 Karmann-Ghia. Unfortunatly, shutterstock dont let me upload them... They let me one yesterday, Black and White, but a normal, color photography of my VW is infringing some rights... Hate that...

Some very good pics, although , as said above, animals is an over saturated subject.
I like your landscapes too, but the post production is very, very aggressive in my opinion. I don't know if pushing saturation so far increases sales, but I personally prefer a much more natural effect. I would let the buyer push all the sliders if he wants too

Thank you my friend. It is nice to see that subjects like cats sell. But i know that i shouldnt focus in that, from now on, i will probably upload just the best cat work.

About the landscapes saturation, you are correct, in the past i like to push vibration up and up... it was like a trademark... i am learning to control myself in that regard, but again... some of them sell like this, so i must be carefull and dont overthink about saturation.

Think of my best sell image: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/ghent-city-municipality-flemish-region-belgium-503675212?src=Xu8FIzt3pvfxKXl_1AwIiQ-1-5 [nofollow]

If i dont push the vibrance so high, maybe it was just another shot of Ghent. It is the colors that sell that picture.

But again, you are absolutly correct. I am more "sober" now

Brasilnut, i like your point of view. And iknow what you mean by photograph only 1 subject or 2 is sometimes prettry boring. Working with series is a nice balance with focus on subject and try new things.

xenupy, your portfolio is ok, same as said above some are over post-process for my test. I prefer your animal photo.

Thank you, it is nice to know that i am on the right track.

Wow! Some of you photos of cat are really nice!
Other good pictures too, but personally I am not a great fan of the hdr style.

We have that in common. None of my photos have the typical HDR effect.

In reallity im using a technique called image avereging, with magic lantern in my camera is easy to take 10-20 photos (as slow as possible, focus on ETTR) and combine everthing in photoshop. It is a nice way to "delete" every person in a overcrowed place, like pisa or santorini sunsets

The efect act like hdr-ish because there are almost zero noise (random noise is eliminated) and we tend to push the shadows up... I have also to control myself putting to much stress in the shadow slide.

Your cities might sell on Fine Art America, but much more likely if they were American cities. Huge competition there, and it's harder and harder to be seen there, as everywhere else.

will explore, thank you shadysue

This is a very good post! Many MS company editors have told me the same- let the buyers do the extra stuff (i.e., light effects)

it is indeed, thank you bad company.





Do you guys know something, since i upgrade my photo equipment (i shoot with a 100D and a couple Samyang lens (16mm F2.0 and 85mm F1.4) to a Full frame 6D with a big and heavy 70-200 f2.8 L is II, almost all my new photos are acepted, at least all my cats photos are almost 100% in the portfolio

Maybe shutterstock "see" the metadata?

Nice images and good diversity.  You have nice photoshop skills and a good eye for composition.    You would have made a lot more had you started ten years ago.  Just keep doing what you have been doing and it should be a profitable hobby.