PhotoAsia Blog

Brother and sister running outdoors smiling. Photo Credits: Monkey Business

I was reading an excellent post by photographer Jonah Kessel, who recently was responsible for the redesign of a major newspaper in China. To summarize, the post was about whether to take the leap from doing editorial photography and also doing stock photography as well.

There’s a big difference between the two, of course. For editorial images, e.g. images that appear in articles in newspapers, magazines and similar medium, you don’t generally require model releases. For images used for commercial purposes, it is required that you have model releases to show that you have obtained the model’s permission to publish his/her images to promote a product or service. It is always the publisher who takes the risk when they decide to use an image. So it makes good business sense for them to make sure that they will not be liable.

This gives me a little more respect for stock photographers who actually setup life style shoots with all sorts of situations and peoples, although I feel like most of them are sitting at their house taking pictures of inanimate objects. However, are they actually visually representing life accurately with their models?

Or better yet — are they even trying to? Do stock agencies want a “real image” or the “idea of a real image?”

Young woman standing by mailbox reading postcard. Photo Credits: Moodboard

The above is a quote from Jonah’s post and something we want to highlight as it is critical to whether the images will sell or not: capturing people in real situations and not “faking” the images. In stock photography a less harsher description is not faking it but to create a situation in a photo shoot. Creating images in a controlled environment is what stock photograpy is all about. This is one aspect of stock photography that is in great demand because creative directors of most advertsing agencies want stock photographers to anticipate their requirements, get inside their heads, think ahead of their creative minds and outside the box as well. So it is not as easy as going into a market scene and shooting at every photo opportunity you can find on that day. Having said that, it does not mean that images of natural market scene or any good random shots whether indoors or outdoors will not sell as stock images as well. They do but not in such great demand as images specifically created for the advertising market.

It’s not the first time we’ve talked to a photographer voicing this to us. By far, the most common response we get from photographers that aren’t doing stock, is that they believe everything has to be “fake” and the models have to be beautiful/handsome. Obviously, there is truth in these statements. Clients that choose stock images to advertise their products or services want to create a postitive reaction. They know that using a young, attractive model to advertise their product is more likely to get a positive response than no images at all or one that will generate a negative feeling.

Little girl sits on mother's lap, both smile at camera. Photo Credits: Alex Mares-Manton

However, as a stock library, we want to encourage our contributors to shoot more images that look natural and candid. In every photo shoot, a photographer will never see any return in his/her investment unless the images show spontaneous, candid shots together with some shots that show the models smiling naturally into the camera. Images that show the models posing for the camera will never sell. If the photographer can capture an intimate moment or a candid expression in a photo shoot that image will sell and that is what creative directors in all advertising agencies are searching for. It is much harder to achieve this when you are shooting specifically for stock and directing a model to create that look or expression but there are stock photographers out there who are doing it and they are the ones making big bucks.

Achieving this balance between genuine and commericaly viable images for stock is probably the hardest thing for a successful stock photographer to do but with practice, information of the current market trends and a passion for lifestyle images, any serious stock photographer can succeed. I hope this will motivate you not discourage you from shooting for stock.

Brother and sister smiling. Photo Credits: Panorama Media

To those who have finally decided to take the plunge – shoot lifestyle images – here are a few tips to help you along. Assuming that you have never done this before, that you are a non-professional photographer using friends or family members to be your models, take note of the following points before you shoot:

1. Prepare well for your shooting

Check that your models are properly and smartly dressed for the activity/situation you have planned. For example, they should be in sporty tennis outfits for a tennis shot; casual outfit with an apron when posing as a housewife, correct school uniforms for children in primary school, etc. It will be a shame to have a beautiful shot rejected on the grounds that the attire is not appropriate, too loud, dirty, etc. If the model is a young child or baby, check that the diaper, T-shirt or shorts is clean and dry, preferably not showing the logo or brand name. Many a time, I have seen images of beautiful, smiling babies flawed because the attire is wet or dirty. The bottom line is that all your shoot has to be planned and created to look natural, candid and spontaneous! It is almost rare and near impossible to get a perfect candid shot of a child or baby without forethought, planning and conscious effort with the camera all set and ready to aim and shoot at a split second. Take a lot of breaks when dealing with a small child, and make sure you bring a few toys for them to play with. The more comfortable the child is, the better the images will be. Here’s an excellent article on photographing children.

2. Check your backgrounds

Portrait of a family looking at camera. Photo Credits: MIXA

Check the background and lighting. If the shot is taken in a bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc., check that the place is neat and tidy and there is enough light for a good shot. Very often clients are reluctant to spend money to replace the background of an otherwise good image because of poor lighting. So to avoid rejection of your image, check the lighting before you decide to go ahead and shoot. If the shot is taken outdoors, watch out for litter on the ground, rusty steel bars or broken swing in a playground, garbage in a market place to name a few.

3. Shoot the same view from different angles

Create a few different shots during one shoot. Change the situation, the activity or the outfit if possible. For instance, if the child is wearing a cap for a few shots, take some without the cap. If the child is playing with a toy, you can change the toy or get the child to do a different activity like reading, drawing, drinking, etc. At the same time don’t forget to shoot a few close-ups of their faces while they are concentrating on their activities.

Portrait of a girl holding a hat on her head. Photo Credits: RedChopSticks

4. Pay attention to your models

Be alert for funny and interesting facial expressions. Always look at the face closely and wait for the moment to click – the mischievous smile, the smiling eyes, the dimples or the cutest antic of the child. And while you are watching the face, especially for children and babies, watch out also for the drool, the runny noses and any indecent exposure! Those are things not to shoot as stock images.

Don’t be discouraged if your first few attempts resulted in a lot of rejects and no sales. It is not easy to meet the high standards of art directors who are always looking for that one elusive, perfect shot when it comes to lifestyle images. Keep on trying. You will improve when you keep at it long enough. The old cliché that practice makes perfect is true in this case.

Young woman holding mobile phone and reading magazine, smiling. Photo Credits: Panorama Media

Know your buyers

Who will buy your image? Advertisers? Magazine? Web designers? All these have different wants and needs. You have to keep this in mind. Advertisers aren’t looking for the same photos as magazine editors. The latter are usually looking for images to illustrate their stories as many articles are already pre-written. Busy art directors running on empty are searching for images that will give them a brilliant idea to create a theme or tagline that will help launch their client’s product or services. When you see a photo opportunity, think of the concepts and the potential sales it will generate and shoot accordingly. Don’t just aim and shoot without thought or plan or randomly to please yourself. Anybody holding a camera can do that. You have to stand out and be different.

Portrait of two young women and three young men smiling. Photo Credits: Panorama Media

What are we looking for?

Every image submitted to PhotoAsia is carefully examined for clarity, colour, composition and creativity. The image must be sharp and correctly exposed, colours must be bright and cheerful and composition of the subject matter must be exciting enough to catch the eye. The image must also show the ability of the photographer to “see” the image in an unusual and original angle that is so extraordinary that it will capture the imagination of the viewer.

If we accept your images, it is most likely because we believe there is a market for that type of image. And should it generate a sale, it is a very good indication that it is marketable. Keep submitting similar images. Generally, lifestyle images that show people doing some kind of healthy activity sell the most, but are also the hardest to come by. For us to sell images of people to the largest market, you need to have signed model releases. Remember that the editorial market do not pay as well as those in the commercial sector.

Close-up of a young woman listening to music and smiling. Photo Credits: PhotosIndia.com

Tips for Contributors

• Follow the Submission Guidelines to avoid having your images rejected.
• Edit your images before sending them to us.
• More pixels are better! The minimum resolution is 3600 x 2400.
• Be creative. Make sure that your images are unique and eye-catching.
• Shoot more lifestyle images. They sell better than images of sunsets!
• Create images that buyers can’t find in other websites, e.g  Malaysians’ favourite food, multi-racial group of adults or children, people in traditional costumes to name a few.
• Plan ahead and take special note of holidays, festivals or celebrations. There is always a demand for these images in advertistment.
• Check out food or cultural promotions held in hotels and plan your visits to coincide with such events.
• Get a calendar of events in advance from your own country at the beginning of the year so that you can plan ahead. The Tourism Office of your respective country should be a good place to start to get the information you need.
• Study carefully the advertisements in newspapers, magazines and TV commercials to get the feel of what images have been constantly used in the advertisements. Once you know how the advertisers tick you will know what images to create that will sell.
• Know your country and be updated with the current marketing trends, policies and politics. If the trend is promoting multi-racial unity then create images to reflect such unity. When we have such images online that nobody has ever thought of, you bet yours will stand out and it will sell.

We know that there are some very talented and creative photographers amongst our visitors. Some of you may be toying with the idea of submitting your images but are not sure whether your images are good enough. Some of you are keen to submit but are undecided as to which images to select for submission. Are you one of them? If you are then let us help you and make submitting images as easy as a walk in the park.

Edit your images

Father and daughter clowning. Photo credits: Bustaman Mokhtar

Close to 90% of our clients are from the advertising agencies. Creative art directors will only select images of the highest standards, unique, never seen before, one that will take their breath away. Therefore your images need to be of the highest quality – don’t ever think of submitting over- or under-exposed images because they will be rejected in a heartbeat. Make sure that the images are free of smudges of finger prints and without any scratch marks.

Copyright and trademarks

Images should not carry visible logos or trademarks of well-known brands without a signed property release. For example, you cannot take a photo of a Coca-Cola can and submit it to us unless you have written permission from the trademark owners of the Coca-Cola company. Preferably do not focus on famous logos like McDonalds or Starbucks because the chances of the image being selected will be markedly reduced. Do you think the end user will be willing to give these companies free advertisement on their publicity material?

Very important point to note is that you should only submit images that you own the copyright. Never submit work taken by someone else. Rule of thumb: If you did not take the image, you do not own the copyright and if you do not own the copyright do not submit the image to us.

Office work. Photo Credits: Datacraft

Model releases

Every image that you take that has an identifiable person in it, must be accompanied by a model release. If the person in question is a minor, you will need the minor’s legal guardian to sign the model release. Without a properly signed model release, these images cannot be used for advertising a product or a service. We will accept the image if they are exceptionally good but we will have to label it “without model release” and it will be used for editorial purposes only. If you want your image to earn big bucks then make the effort to get a signed model release so that the image can be used for commercial purposes as well. All model releases should be scanned and sent to us via email.

Give informative captions

All your images should be properly captioned, the more information the better. Give a good description of the image, the name of the place, state and country, the history if you have the information, the scientific or medical term if any. An informative & comprehensive caption will also make it easier for the end-user to select your image. One of the most annoying practice is to caption an image of a hibiscus, “a flower” and a butterfly, “an insect”! The correct way to caption it is to describe it, name it and say where it is taken. E.g. “A red hibiscus from Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia” or “A Lacewing Butterfly feeding, Belum Forest, Malaysia”. If you want your images to be selected and viewed by the end-user, label your images correctly otherwise your images will never see the light of day and will probably be lost in cyberspace.

Lotus flower. Photo Credits: Song Jin Tek

Why keywords are important

All images on PhotoAsia and other stock photography websites can be found by keywords. For example, the keywords to use for a picture of a lotus flower taken on a rainy day, could be bloom, blossom, botany, lotus, petal, lotus, pink, rain, raindrop, raining, rainy, wet, nature, leaf, leaves, weather, day, outdoor and many more. You should carefully consider what keywords to put in the image. Without proper keywording, people are not likely to find your images and you won’t earn anything. The more keywords you use, the higher the chance that someone will find your image and eventually buy your image.

Do not use only generic keywords, like flower or animal. Be more specific and use keyword phrases to increase the likelihood of someone finding your image. If you are stuck on how to describe your image, try to search for similar image and use those keywords. Feel free to use Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese keywords if you think it will help.