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iStockPhoto.com / Re: Rob (Sylvanworks) will be missed
« on: September 26, 2010, 13:10 »
It is indeed a good book. :-)
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iStockPhoto.com / Re: Rob (Sylvanworks) will be missed« on: September 26, 2010, 13:10 »
It is indeed a good book. :-)
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Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 26, 2010, 09:40 »By flat I mean like this rather than, say, Rembrandt lighting. I had a look at that image. I could see that they had blown out the background. Lit from the sides. Lit from the front on an overhead. They have in effect lit from 3 angles that allows usage in many different ways. I think I am grasping your point. :-) Mark 3
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 26, 2010, 06:15 »Mark, let me offer a suggestion on how to come to understand stock. I do this knowing full well that you won't accept my suggestion, because no one else I've offered this to has taken it up. 4
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 26, 2010, 05:34 »Mark, let me offer a suggestion on how to come to understand stock. I do this knowing full well that you won't accept my suggestion, because no one else I've offered this to has taken it up. That is interesting. You would think then that designers would like a specific type of lighting as standard? (left lit, right lit etc). 5
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 10:41 »
Actually, I apologise for deliberately prodding you Sean, it was not appropriate.
Mark 6
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 10:21 »That would explain the profusion of pointless posts on a newbie forum where you have displayed no real intent on helping a newbie then? ;-) And I am poking you because people will be drawn to the thread to offer their viewpoint just because of the heat from the thread. Who needs another unanswered post amongst hundreds... 7
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 09:53 »But there is. Tyler pays me a nickel a post, as the mere mention of my username drives google crazy. That would explain the profusion of pointless posts on a newbie forum where you have displayed no real intent on helping a newbie then? ;-) 8
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 09:50 »But there is. Tyler pays me a nickel a post, as the mere mention of my username drives google crazy. Have you ran out of downloads to count? ;-) 9
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 09:46 »I'm terribly sorry I didn't take enough time out of my day to research your sensibilities and compose an appropriate response that would not irritate you. I shall retreat to my hovel to count my downloads whilst you prepare yet another still life of random antiquities to take the world by storm. That would probably be more beneficial for both of us. There is absolutely no point you being on this thread whatsoever. 10
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 09:39 »I would say, do not sacrifice creativity for plasticity in our photography... I do not need or want help from anyone who has not learned basic civility to another human being. Just because someone is proficient in something, does not give them the automatic right to be rude and condescending. That is not the type of "help" I require. And as this is a board for newbies, anyone that cannot handle newbie questions, should concentrate their efforts elsewhere in my opinion. Plenty of posters here have given valuable constructive advice and they get my respect. Rudeness does not get my respect no matter how proficient someone is in a given field of knowledge. 11
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 08:59 »
I also have the option of resubmitting some of my images, but I think I will try to get the hang of shooting on a blown out background and take new images.
Just waiting for the equipment to arrive now. I have found that trying to use daylight continous bulbs, gives me very little control over the light. I am hoping switching to strobes with barn doors etc, will give me more control over the lighting. 12
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 08:56 »I thought the whole point was to allow space for writing etc? That makes sense, thank you. :-) 13
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 06:42 »It doesn't really matter what *we* think, or what *we* want. We can all produce to our heart's content images that personally satisfy our soul - and that's fine. However, if you want to succeed in microstock, what you produce has to be: It does, thank you. :-) 14
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 06:41 »Stock photography is based on taking images that the marketing sectors or groups want to use to promote themes or ideological viewpoints. It is my intention how to learn to take good stock. Hence this discussion. My experience so far has been in producing accurate images, which I am learning is not "stock". 15
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 06:39 »From a theoretical point of view, photography cannot be reality, it's just a bidimentional representation of reality, influenced by the photographer's point of view and a lot of technical choices. Interesting thoughts, some good points. :-) 16
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 06:13 »I would say, do not sacrifice creativity for plasticity in our photography... How about this: Stock photography is based on taking images that the marketing sectors or groups want to use to promote themes or ideological viewpoints. It is about anticipating and meeting the needs of the commercial sector in a broader sense so that an image can be used multiple times. It is about marketing, and meeting the needs of marketing. Do I now have right to take some images and upload them to istock? :-) You should also probably look at how other people have responded to newbie questions, as so far you have displayed a lack of ability in how to communicate effectively with someone new to the market, others have not failed and seem to know how to use the newbie boards correctly. They have been helpful and positive. If you consider your time too valuable for newbies then can I suggest you keep your time to yourself? :-) 17
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 05:37 »The real problem is that we are barely in touch with reality at all. We filter out just about all experience that isn't important or isn't dramatic. Can you remember what the last dozen strangers you passed in the street look like? What building is five doors down from your place of work (if you don't work from home)? To make an impression something has to be out of the ordinary. Everyday reality is irrelevant and uninteresting. Who wants to buy images of that? But have you considered that life is what it is in the colours it is? And those colours themselves reflect mood, experience and often our spiritual connection with those things around us. The problem with stock imagery that I see immediately, is that it creating a plastic view of reality. Think of your favourite images that you have seen. Was it on istock? Maybe the marketers demand for plasticity has driven the "life" out of stock photography, where it becomes little more than a formula to drive some sales driven ideology, rather than a sharing of creative expression... I would say, do not sacrifice creativity for plasticity in our photography... 18
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 24, 2010, 04:28 »Also keep in mind that when it comes to microstock, images that tend to sell well are either isolated on white or they are in their own environment. An example would be a plate of food would do well isolated on white or on a nice table with silverware, a linen napkin, etc. Microstock is indeed fiction. The images that sell the best are the perfectly red apple that you would never really find in the grocery store. It does, thank you. Now the next question is, is there anywhere where you can sell "natural images"? 19
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 23, 2010, 04:49 »Ah Ha, say the magic word, Lighting, and win yourself an educational link. I went through lighting 101 last night. I believe you have answered my prayers possibly. If I have a set up of 4 strobes, I can evenly blow out the background, diffuse some light off the ceiling and diffuse some front light through an umbrella. I am now looking at buying two more strobes, some radio triggers and barn doors etc. That should give me the control over light that I need. The daylight lamps are not suitable for really controlling light the way I need. The biggest blessing is that the link you have provided has shown me a way of doing this (adding 2 more flashes), for under 200.00 which I would have thought impossible! Your link really helped and I appreciated your constructive advice. Mark :-) 20
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 23, 2010, 04:44 »
I think you are right about the photoshop element. :-) 21
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 22, 2010, 17:03 »
I will remember that statement. Microstock is fiction... It is now beginning to make sense. 22
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 22, 2010, 15:19 »It should be brighter, just a bit more saturated, and with a little bit more contrast. Or maybe stock photography has disabled people to being able to see a normal image as correct because they are used to looking at oversaturated images all the time? ;-) 23
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 22, 2010, 14:55 »Ah Ha, say the magic word, Lighting, and win yourself an educational link. Thank you for the link, I will have a good read. :-) 24
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 22, 2010, 14:54 »
Thank you, I think that is where I am going wrong. So I am going to try to lift some of the images up a little with colour and contrast. I have a table top studio, custom built with daylight continous lighting to give me an exact rendition of colours. I do also have a large softbox, but I have been avoiding using that as I did not want flat images, I may throw some of the glossier items in there, what do you think? I will be trying to take some liberties... Mark :-) PS. For those that may not have realised, the background is in fact a grey background, it is not a white background, that may also be throwing the images I fear. 25
Newbie Discussion / Re: Rejected Istock image - advice please.« on: September 22, 2010, 13:02 »... I accept it is not a particularly inspiring image and not suitable for stock, but that was not the stated rejection point. I did indeed go and have a look at many of the images of similar items. At first I thought it might be the light reflections where a little to heavy and numerous (I believe they are). But then I saw plenty of other items that were similar. So then the only conclusion I can come to, is that the colour needs boosting as initially suggested by one poster and contrast could be deepened. We take over 200 images a week and they have to be exact representations of the colour of the item. It would seem that reality of colour has little to do with Stock Photography and I have to just boost colours beyond the natural, which breaks my natural inclination to accuray of image quality... |
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