selling digital stock photos part 3

Selling Digital Stock Photos Part 3Writen by Keith Jones

PHOTOLIBRARIES / AGENCIES

But where shall I send my Photos ?

There are THREE main photolibraries -

GETTY (www.getty.com) ,

CORBIS(www.corbis.com)

ALAMY(www.alamy.com)

Look at these on the Internet and PRINT OUT THEIR TERMS and current requirements.

READ the conditions very,very carefully.

The commission rates for Getty and Corbis are fairly high.They get up to 70% of net received income.
Photolibraries do all the negotiating and account collection for you and some of them even scan your film photos if they need them enough !

Getty hold the current record for a stock photo sale $130,000.00(yes that's thousands !)

This was for the photo used as the startup screen for Windows XP Corbis is owned by Bill Gates and is also a hard seller. Alamy is also a big seller and is rapidly growing. They are UK based. When you visit their site look for the Photographers or Contributors links

Try to get your pictures into one of these as these are the main picture sources in the World. You can also try an alternative of supplying your pictures to hundreds of smaller photo libraries around the world
(Although I'd personally avoid Korea and Malaysia/Singapore as these are renowned as problem areas). You can find lots of these smaller photolibraries in the PHOTOGRAPHERS MARKETPLACE book and you should also read Ron Engh's book Sell and resell your pictures - you can get these from Amazon.com (Or your public library !)

PHOTOGRAPHERS MARKETPLACE has THOUSANDS of customers and agencies with a list of their needs and conditionsAlso includes many very useful forms and documents.

(Make sure you have the latest edition as many addresses change)
BEFORE YOU CONTACT ANY CUSTOMERS or agents look them up on the Internet and look at their website Make sure they still exist !
ask questions on stock photo related sites - people are generally very helpful to beginners.

Some customers and Libraries don't accept new contributions so save yourself time and money. You will ONLY make serious money if you listen to what people say. You MUST put a LOT of effort and time into selling and marketing your pictures.

Every Photolibrary is currently inundated with new photographers at present and you would be wise to start off dealing with individual customers.

Keith Jones has been a Stock and Travel Photographer for over 40 years
His Website is at http://www.fotos4web.com
Where you'll find lots of his photos and articles.
This article may be freely reproduced in print or on the world wide web providing :

This resource section is also published intact and the article is not altered in any way.

safeguard those images

Safeguard Those ImagesWriten by Eric Hartwell

You really need to organise yourself if you are going to keep abreast of your photographic activities. If, like me, you tend to take between 200 and 300 images in a session, you must have a system for storage and retrieval and to prevent accidental losses. Nothing is more valuable than the last images you took.

Make sure, first of all, that you have sufficient memory card space before you start your shoot. Delete or transfer old images. Take care what you delete it is so easy to trash ones that are important. Some people would keep everything you never know when they could come in handy. Some photographers will take several smaller cards rather than one big one so that if one is lost or damaged, it wont ruin all your images.

When you have taken your images, upload them to the computer at your earliest reasonable opportunity. This should be your priority. Images are so easily forgotten and left on the card. If this is the case, either you will have less space for future shoots or you will find yourself deleting something that you really wanted to keep at some stage.

Uploading whilst they are still fresh also makes it easier to organize your images and your thoughts. You can name them in groups either by subject (e.g. seaside, park shoot, zoo) or date order. You can, of course, assign your own special descriptions. By doing this you can safeguard you images and have them stored in a sensible and logical way. This helps for retrieval.

Consider making a backup copy of everything. You can either copy the images to an external hard drive or you can copy onto DVDs or CDs. Consider making more than one backup copy of everything. Once this process is completed, delete the files from your memory card ready for the next session.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.

my photos arent sharp part 2

My Photos Aren't Sharp (Part 2)Writen by Jason Busch

This is the second part of My Photos Aren't Sharp. You may have thought there was only one page of possibilities for unsharp photos, but there are more.

Environmental Conditions

I took a roadtrip with some friends to Las Vegas back in 2002, in February. We traveled through parts of Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. Seeing this country during the months just before spring is absolutely the way to go. Everything is clear, crisp, but of course, the temperatures are very cool.

One of the obstacles in taking a few particular shots, was the wind factor. Regardless of trying to take images handheld in between bursts of wind, I noticed when I got home to review the images, they were not as sharp as I had thought they were. My images looked like I was taking shots from a moving car. Wind is one of nature's elements which can become a pain to deal with if you are not aware of it or think you can manage it on your own. A tripod definitely helps.

Rain is another obstacle. Most of you may not have to deal with it as much as those who are photojournalists (PJs) or who just like to live life on the wild side, but if you do shoot in the rain, you will need to have knowledge of the Shooting Trinity: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Depth Of Field. Sometimes you may get visible rain drops in your image when you don't want them, and sometimes you may want them when you don't have them in your image. In addition, a nice little rain drop may decide to take a rest right on the front element of your lens, which can distort an image at particular settings. The amount of rain is also something to think about. Be sure to monitor the rain and its behavior when you're shooting in it. It can change drastically, and render an image that would have been just a 15 seconds ago, useless.

Wind and rain can also be a great addition to your creativity and expression of images, so they are not necessarily unwelcome. Shoot with nature. Not against it.

Quality Of Your Tripod

Not all tripods are built the same. Yes, this is true to some extent. However, you can still find a tripod for around $50-$200 that will perform just as well as a $500...and even a $3,000 tripod. Some people don't want to admit this, but hey, it's their money--not mine. In any case, regardless of the money spent on your tripod, make sure the tripod can accept the weight of your camera and lenses on it. Observe if the tripod is having difficulty remaining still when a gust of wind whips up. Depending on your equipment, you may need a tripod that can handle heavier equipment.

You And Your Tripod

This is sort of like the above, but looking at it from a different angle. Be aware of your stance when using a tripod and your camera equipment. I've seen photographers bump their tripods when shooting, accidentally trip over their tripods (I've done this a few times myself). Don't lean into the tripod. Extend yourself OUT to the tripod, and begin shooting. If you just have to have the tripod in your face, read the following...

Your And Your Feet

Suffice it to say, make sure your feet are firmly planted when you shoot. Handheld or with a tripod. The system is only as strong as its weakest link, and yes, photographers themselves are usually the weakest link. Be aware of what you do when you shoot. I've noticed in some cases I actually sway back and forth if I am stationary for a particular time. What I do is gather myself again, and create a new stance. Some photographers have the physical capabilities of having the movement of a stone, and some have the behaviors of a long blade of grass, just waiting to be swayed back and forth.

The Camera Diopter

Most DSLRs have a built-in diopter to match your eyesight requirements. Also, you can buy attachments which have more of a precise and accomodation to your particular eyesight needs. Be sure to adjust the diopter on your camera, regardless if you think you need it or not. You might be surprised.

Your Eyesight

Yes, I had to mention it. If your eyesight is not particularly accurate, this could be a problem for your images appearing blurred. Be aware of Presbyopia, where one eye could be more affected than the other. This condition is progressive, and you may need adjustments every year. Eyesight issues are generally progressive in nature which could be the explanation for your images looking fine one season, and this season they are just as good as they could be. So, be sure to have your eyesight prescriptions up to date.

Final Thoughts

We've covered several possibilities for your images not coming out the way you are wanting them to. Overall, if you haven't noticed, the key to eliminating a lot of these possibilities, is being aware of your own behavior, and aware of your equipment. In another articles, we will discuss image processing to reduce (or even eliminate) the effects of unsharp images.

2005 by Jason Busch (DigitalDingus)

My Photos Aren't Sharp (Part 2)

A part of the The DigitalDingus Guide To Photography series.

easy tips for digital photo touchups

Easy Tips for Digital Photo TouchupsWriten by John Howard

Using a digital camera to take pictures is great. It's easy and quick. Just as easy and quick is touching up those digital photos. Is your image too dark? Is there a glare that is affecting the picture quality? Red eyes are often another problem with using a flash. Many of these things and others can be corrected with the use of digital photo touchups. Here are some quick tips to improving your photo quality.

Probably the best way to fix digital photo touchups is to not have any! As obvious as this sounds, it is a common problem that can be rectified easily. Read your owners manual that came with your digital camera. Learn how your camera reacts to different light situations, shadows and glares. Prepare your picture by using your LCD screen. Taking a picture properly is the first step to not having problems with digital photo touchups.

Even still, mistakes and unexpected problems arise. Know your camera's digital photography software. Most digital cameras come with software that can help you. Again, read the manual!

Software is available! Yes, you can purchase some great software to help you with digital touchups as well. If you are avid about having the best pictures out there, you can find many programs that will enable you to fix issues quickly and simply. But remember, a good piece of software shouldn't cost you a ton either.

Standard software should provide for red eye removal, noise reduction, cropping, and other digital issues. Make sure the products you buy do these common things.

Use the black and white and sepia features to enhance the quality of your pictures in a unique way.

Check out the programs available online that can help as well. Find these by doing a web search for digital photography software. You may even find a free program as well.

Use the tools provided to you on your camera. Many digital cameras have features right on them to enable a clear shot, high resolution and more. Check your owner's manual and learn to use these.

There is an unlimited amount of options available to digital photographers and their cameras. Buy software products that have some of these features if they interest you.

Be patient and play! Yes, to touch up your digital photos you should try new things and experiment. Be patient and learn all that is to learn about your software!

John Howard is an avid digital photographers. Visit his
website for tips and tricks at: Digital Photography

2005 John Howard All Rights Reserved. This article may
be published in web based or email form as long as this
credit box is attached and the hyperlink is active. It
may not be altered or edited in any way.

slow down before you shoot

Slow Down Before You ShootWriten by Eric Hartwell

One of the best ways to capture a great image is to slow down and actually think about what you are doing. By simply pointing and shooting you not only risk the possibility of camera shake and movement blur, but you also miss other opportunities to enhance your photographic creativity.

After all, what is the point of simply seeing and snapping a picture with your digital camera. Some models have shutter lag in any case, which will meant that the image you expected to capture is different to the one which ends up on the memory card. What is so wrong with thinking first before you shoot?

We live in times of great speed and activity. Our cars go faster on the roads that are built to gets us there quicker. Time has to be filled, it seems, lest it is wasted. Everything has to be done now. Things cant wait.

But, in photography, they can. Unless, that is, you are dealing with split-second occurrences which are unlikely to manifest themselves again.

By stopping and thinking, you can begin to create that image in your mind before you even consider pressing the shutter release. What are you trying to achieve? Who are the audience? What can YOU add to the image before you take the photo?

In this way you will begin to think of composition, angles of view, viewpoints, backgrounds, depth of field and shutter speeds.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

how to make your production look a lot slicker for pound40 more

How to Make Your Production Look a Lot Slicker for £40 MoreWriten by Cal Barton

Tight Budgets

Tight budgets are common these days. But the demand for high production values hasnt fallen with a drop in funds. So how do you achieve a slick looking series of shots without breaking the bank? Hire a portable dolly or a portable jib for only 40 a day.

Portable Dollies

One way to make your production look like Martin Scorsese was on location is to hire Martin Scorsese. But if you had that kind of money you wouldnt be reading this. Instead, consider using a portable dolly with track. They dont take up much more space than a tripod, they weigh less than ten kilos and the cameraman can easily use one without assistance.

The most common models are the Digidolly, the Wally Dolly and the Hollywood Microdolly. The first two are made in Australia and the third is made, as the name implies, in the U.S. Different cameramen have their preferences and you can call us to discuss the merits of each. The Digidolly is becoming the most popular. Below are a few details on all three models.

Digidolly

Australian-made lightweight portable track and dolly system that can be set up on location within minutes. The dolly takes a tripod and it also has a low-level Hi-hat mount. The Digidolly comes with 3.6 metres of aluminium track and its construction allows for smooth movement.

Hollywood Microdolly

The US-made Microdolly kit weighs only 4.5 kg and fits into a soft case only 86 cm long. The dolly takes a tripod and comes with four metres of track. The kit can be set up within minutes and can handle up to 45 kg of camera gear.

Wally Dolly

Australian-made lightweight (8 kg) track and dolly kit. The dolly takes a tripod and comes with three metres of aluminium track. The kit can be set up within minutes.

Dolly Shots

So youve got the dolly, whatll it do for you? Use it for presenter links to add nice, smooth movement that takes it several notches above a handheld shot. Use it for interviews to give your interview a different, more interesting look. Use it for exteriors and interiors of buildings and homes. Use it to shoot performances. The list goes on and if used well the impact can be strong and you will have raised the production value of your shoot dramatically for an extra 40 quid and for only a little more time.

Portable Jibs

Like portable dollies, portable jibs can be used by a cameraman without an assistant. They need weights so taking them on a job abroad and incurring hefty excess baggage costs makes them impractical for that purpose but if youre using a standard crew van theyre easily managed. We carry two models. If youve used them a few times, you can set them up within five minutes.

Eazy Jib

The Eazy-Jib can be mounted on a standard tripod with a 100mm bowl and enables a cameraman to do interesting camera movements almost anywhere. The Eazy-Jib has an adjustable arm length that can be set between 720 and 1600 mm (2 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 2 inches). It weighs 14 kg (31 lb) and can handle a payload of 18 kg (40 lb).

Quadra Jib

A portable jib arm that can be mounted onto a tripod with a 100mm bowl. The Quadrajib 2654 weighs 14 kg and can handle a payload of 19 kg.

Jib Shots

How can you use a portable jib? Again, you can make presenter links look far better than they will off the shoulder or from a fixed tripod. You can use them to bring any otherwise static subject to life. For shots around a garden, property exteriors and interiors, the list can go on. The result is the same as with portable dollies. The 40 pounds you spend will add many times that in production value.

Last Weeks Lyrics

You may remember last months lyrics question: who wrote even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked. That was easy but hardly anyone got the answer right. It was Bob Dylan. This weeks is a little tougher. But the writer had profound impact on the music business. Ive never seen a night so long, as time goes crawling by.

If you have any questions or comments please send them to cal@procamtv.com. Until next month, happy shooting.

Cal Barton - Procam Television

Procam Television

Units 3 & 4

Linford Street Business Estate

Linford Street

London

SW8 4UN

Tel: (+44) 20 7622 9888

Fax: (+44) 20 7498 1580

Email: cal@procamtv.com

Web: www.procamtv.com

what makes portraiture uncomfortable for the model

What Makes Portraiture Uncomfortable For the Model?Writen by Eric Hartwell

I can never understand why people are so embarrassed about having their photo taken. I mean, we spend a good proportion of our day looking into mirrors. Even shop window reflections are a source of brief, but focussed, imagery. We seem to enjoy it. We like our own image.

Why then do people dislike formal portraiture so much? After all, they have often elected to take part in the process and they have, most likely, made themselves up to look the best possible including clothes and make-up. And, what can be better than having a permanent reminder of just how lovely they do look? It beats all those passing glimpses in car mirrors and other shiny reflective surfaces.

Perhaps its the selfishness of it all that is uncomfortable. By having your portrait taken and studied you are saying here I am, arent I beautiful / interesting. Or perhaps its the photographer someone who would be a bit unfamiliar to the subject especially in commercial studios that puts people ill at ease.

But why should any of this cause problems? We show our faces to the world each and every day. Posing in front of a camera is just a way of formalising our image in a controlled and special way.

The best photographers are able to put models at easy with quick fire comments, wit and an intimate knowledge of their equipment. The question to ask is why does he need to in the first place?

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

8 simple tips for taking great baby photos

8 Simple Tips for Taking Great Baby PhotosWriten by Criss White

Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way to preserve life long memories. Baby pictures can also make great postcards, keepsakes, or baby shower gifts. Here are some simple tips to get great baby pictures:

1) Avoid bright light - Babies are especially sensitive to bright light including harsh sunlight and flash photography. If possible, try to take photos during the day when flash photography is not necessary. You can also use lamps to create lighting.

2) Take pictures from different distances - Try to take pictures from different distances. Most people like to take closeup pictures, but pictures that are too close can be blurry and out of focus. By taking several pictures from different distances, you can keep the ones that are the best.

3) Be aware of your baby's mood - Try not to start a photo session when your baby is cranky or crying. If your baby is in a bad mood, then wait awhile until he or she is better rested or calmed. You will get better pictures when your baby is in good spirits.

4) Use a high quality camera and film - This tip may seem simple, but is worth saying. Using high quality cameras and film can make a big difference in the quality of the photo, especially if you are creating photo gifts or favors.

5) Get rid of any distractions - Make sure there are not too many distractions when taking pictures. Anything that moves or makes noise, like the TV, should be turned off is possible. Having too many people around can also be distracting for the baby.

6) Take multiple shots - Taking different shots is a good idea for any type of photography, particularly if you are making photo gifts. Sometimes it is hard to tell if a shot will turn out good until it is actually produced, so get those extra shots just in case.

7) Background - Make sure that there is not too much distracting stuff in the background. The focus should be on the baby, so plain backgrounds usually work best.

8) Other people - Try taking pictures of the baby with other people as well, including yourself. A baby will interact with other people and these interactions captured on film can make great keepsakes.

About the Author - Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For baby shower picture frames, go to Baby Picture Frames - Favors and Unique Baby Shower Favors.

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.

what is a still life

What Is A Still Life?Writen by Paolo Basauri

Still Life is an art term, that refers to a special kind of picture. It represents an arrange of inanimate objects (hence the name) such as a bowl, a cup or fruits. Usually the arrangement is made according to the artist's purpose. A Still life pencil drawing can be symbolic, with an underlying meaning, or aesthetic, in which case the purpose is to communicate beauty.

About Still Life Pencil Drawings

A still life work can have many purposes. If we work in color it can help us understand how color acts in real life, how the light bounces, and how an arrangement of colors can bring a special mood to the painting. Using colored pencils we can begin studies about color, and work in the finest details. But in the case of black and white pencil drawings, the purpose of the still life pencil drawing is different. A still life pencil drawing can help us study shapes and see how they interact on our eyes, we learn how to measure correct proportions and how they can make the difference betwen a good drawing and a remarkable drawing.

When we get into shading, we then study tonal values. There are no colors here so we must learn how to see things in black and white mode, and correctly define which are going to be the dark and light areas on our still life pencil drawing.

Still lifes are the most available subjects in the world, and while some people may consider still life drawing boring, the fact is they teach us a lot. When you have no idea of what to draw, just make an arrangement of things you have at your house and start your still life pencil drawing. Don't take just as bring cups and fruits, but instead focus on what you can learn from this. If you keep practicing on drawing still life scenes you will find out that you have a much better understanding on how light works, and how objects relate to each other within a composition and color scheme.

Paolo Basauri is the owner of Pencil Drawing Madness, a blog about drawing, where you can find more about Still Life Drawings.

how to avoid or reduce redeye

How To Avoid Or Reduce Red-EyeWriten by Jakob Jelling

Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond doubt very fascinating. However, it also has many a nooks that the users of the digital camera must be aware of and also must be well educated to deal with in order to produce good photographs worth the most prized digital camera. Such a concept is that of the red eye! In order to understand what this red eye actually is, a little detailed introspection is necessary. Basically speaking red-eye is a function of at least three things, they are firstly, ambient level of light because stumpy light level causes the retina of the person to be photographed to open wider to admit more light thereby divulging open the iris, which is the primary part that reflects the red light hence giving the appearance of red eyes for the subjects. Also secondly the younger the person being photographed the wider remains the retina and hence the greater the effect of red eye in the picture. Thirdly, the reflection angle of the flash plays a vital role, as the light is recoiled back to the digital camera and the closer the incident light beam is to this reflected light beam, the greater becomes the red eye effect. To prevent this instruments such as flash brackets are useful to make the flash a bit removed from the propinquity of the lens. Thus the red eye effect is somewhat revealed till this part of this discussion. Now is the time to look into a greater detail in order to analyze the various aspects of the red eye effect and also find out ways of reducing the problem as far as possible.

It can be noted here that the only important thing is that the users must ensure that the proper fixing of the angle between the flash beam and the lens axis. The general rule here is that the photographer must keep the angle wide enough that the light beam from the flash does not reflect off the retina of the person being photographed and comes right back into the digital camera lens. A good idea is to make the red-eye reduction work by making the flash shine a light into the eyes of the person being photographed just before the flash is incident and the shutter is pressed. This causes the irises in the eyes of the person being photographed to narrow down or shrink. As a result of this the eye develops a smaller opening for the eye view of the digital camera and does not show off the blood filled retina. This light is called pre light! And very importantly this process works only if the person to be photographed is in point of fact looking directly at the flash for the pre-light to come.

Other factors influencing the red eye are the level of ambient light during the time when the photograph is being taken and how near the flash light is to the lens. The rule of thumb comes out that the brighter the ambient light; the lesser is the effect of red eyes, everything else being one and the same. As the flashlight goes farther from the lens, the fewer becomes the effect of red eyes, everything else being one and the same again. Thus the key idea is that red eye is not caused if the ambient light is comparatively high. And it does have a significant effect if the shooting area is dark. Many digital cameras have built in features for anti red eye that is used to reduce red eye when taking a picture of a person looking straight at the camera also. But manually, the best red eye reduction can be obtained with the help of an external flash as described.

The above discussion has dealt with the most important ideas regarding the red eye effect. The discussion has analyzed the inherent facts about the digital camera red eye effect, their causes as well as remedies. The only thing that remains is that the users must implement these ideas while shooting under circumstances discussed here so that the red eye effect cannot harm the beauties of art created with the aid of the fantastic device, the digital camera!

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.