Tips to Shoot Stock Photos, Royalty Free Images

by DANA BATES Publisher

Stock photos are available all over the internet. There are a lot of amateur and even professional photographers trying to make money through their photos on the internet.

Stock photography is an amazing way of not only honing your skills, but also of making some money on the side as you work on what you love best.

Where are they used?

The very first thing to consider when taking stock photos is to understand where the photos are going to be used. Chances are that your image will be part of a billboard, a poster, a brochure and even an article.

Based on these different mediums of use, you need to make sure to provide various sizes and resolutions of your image so it can be effectively used without losing quality.

Your ultimate goal is to take an image that will sell. Of course you may want to explore your artistic side and take pictures that appeal to you, but those photos don’t really sell when marketers are looking to promote their product.

Choose your category

The very first thing you need to do before you shoot stock photos is select a category to work in. This will become your niche. Whether its people, cuisine, vehicles or others, you need to appeal to a certain target market through these photos.

Consider what resources you have access to and how much you are willing to invest in terms of models. If you have access to some great meals at local restaurants, then you’re off to a great start. Once you become used to the category that you’ve selected, you will be able to experiment with angles and editing options unique to your style.

Be generic, but not too generic

There is a very fine line that stock photographers need to tread when it comes to stock photos. Marketers like to use predictable photos that can be used to get the point across. Remember that they will be using the image as part of something else. Their ultimate goal will be to sell their product and in that endeavor, generic photos will help their product stand out.

On the other hand, you don’t want to deliver a boring image that is so rigid, that there is no room for modification.

KISS

Keep it simple, stupid! This is the cardinal rule for most creative people and the minimalist movement is at its peak right now. When taking an image, make sure that there are no distracting elements. Your main subject should draw the eye immediately.

Photoshop is your friend

If an image didn’t turn out quite the way you planned, then you need to fire up Photoshop and start correcting it. Quality and crisp photos are crucial in stock photography, especially if your image will be used on a larger scale.

Image compression can be tricky to handle. Consider the formats that you will be exporting. Will you be generating a TIFF, a JPEG or a PNG? If you’re working with a TIFF then make sure not to compress the file at all. Jpegs on the other hand will need to be rendered at the highest quality. Therefore, keep the above mentioned tips in mind before you shoot stock photos.

Whether it’s an image or Stock Video, UltimatStock.com is the ultimate resources for a diverse variety of images. If you want to expand your reach towards clients all over the world, then UltimatStock.com is the place to be.

Summary:

This article provides information to the readers about shooting stock photos. It offers tips on how to shoot the best stock photos.