Black and White Photography

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With today?s digital technology, transforming colour images into black and white photographic prints is pretty straightforward but don?t throw away your rolls of black and white film.

Black and white photography is still regarded as a favourite with many photographers - dull landscape scenes become more dramatic with black and white photography.

Most subjects that are shot in colour can be taken with black and white film. Portraits are still widely taken by professional photographers all over the world.

One of the most popular uses of black and white photography is with wedding photographs. More couples are now opting for a combined wedding album of black and white images that really capture the mood and emotions of the special moment.

Black and white landscape photography is becoming popular again and is more suitable for taking images when the day is dull or too bright. If a scene does not have an entire spectrum of different colours, consider viewing it as a black and white photograph.

Do we need to learn black and white photography tips in a world of colour? You must choose the answer to this yourself - but here are a few pointers that will help you to make your decision.

1 Black and white photography is becoming more popular with the general public, and for that reason alone? new opportunities will open up for you.

2. In some situations, black and white photography has the tendency to make photos look more like works of art - fine art images will sell better in galleries.

3. Landscape images often lack a multitude of colours, using black and white film when shooting daytime photos will add impact to your photography.

4. There is also the value of using your own darkroom - the thrill of developing your own film and processing your images.

The same principles for colour photography apply to black and white photography. If you have mastered the art of photography, taking images with a roll of black and white film should be easy.

Filters are just as important with black and white photography. There are fewer filters available for black and white photography, but one that you should use is the polarizing filter. This filter is very effective for both black and white photography and colour photography. The polarizing filter makes the sky stand out to give your landscape images serious impact. It also helps to reduce glare from the sun?s rays - which is very handy for urban or architectural photography.

Exposure with black and white photography is a small bit easier. Black and white film handles light more easily than colour film can - which gives you greater room for error. Most black and white film allows you to capture detail when you underexpose at two stops. With overexposure the range is greater - between five and seven stops are allowed. This is known as film latitude. With colour film you are limited to a latitude of one stop each way.

This does not mean that you can become lethargic when taking black and white images. It means that if you do make a mistake the results may be acceptable.

TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer. For more tips you can visit his photography site. To view his images visit his on-line gallery of pictures of Ireland or see his travel site.

The Art of Nude Photography

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Nude photography is the ultimate expression of you as an individual and your connection to the world. Nude photography simply gets to the essence of the person. There is little to hide but a lot can be said or represented about a person, their beliefs, beauty, individuality, togetherness and expressions. A professional photographer will help you express sensuality, sensitivity, compassion and excitement, desires, innocence, appreciation of skin and celebration of self.

These days, expert nude photographers can make the experience very rewarding, and in some cases, quite spiritual even. Nude photography sessions are exciting, sensitive, intimate, personal and totally individual and unique. Every person is treated individually to produce the type of imagery that they like or envisage for themselves. Images can be artistic, sensual, sexy, stylish, natural, highlighting your best features and downplaying any less flattering attributes. Photographs are normally taken in artistic black and white tones. The session should be enjoyable and fun. The idea is to have fun and express yourself and be surprised at the extraordinary results that can be achieved. In nude photography it is important to be made to feel at ease and relaxed. The session is not about the photographer, but about the individual or the individuals concerned.

It?s important that the studio of your choice is fully equipped with the latest technology. High quality digital equipment will ensure high definition images. Also, make sure the studio environments are fresh, clean and welcoming. There?s no reason you shouldn?t be made to feel welcome and be treated to a special experience by friendly staff.

A professional nude photographer will make you feel relaxed and comfortable with yourself and your session. Making you feel comfortable and relaxed is the most important element and is important in creating timeless imagery. They should focus all their attention on your experience so that they can create the right mood and atmosphere that promotes outstanding photography.

Nude photography can also be enhanced with special props and accessories; something that can represent your individuality and uniqueness. As nude photography can already be very flattering, props should only be added if they do something to enhance your body, attitude or style. Sometimes the minimalist approach offers the greatest opportunity for uniqueness.

Along the same lines as props, your photographer (or you) may choose to capture your unique features such as skin art, tattoos, piercings - all which accentuate and adorn a person?s skin. It?s important that your photographer understands and appreciates your preferences and use all your unique feature?s to create a most individual work of art.

Posing, placing and positioning for nude photography is very important as is image design and style. It?s essential that your choice of photographer is well trained to allow this type of posing to occur naturally and capture these important attributes in a spontaneous and uninhibited way. Nude photography should end in wonderful pieces of timeless art for your pleasure and enjoyment.

Framing and composing images is also very important. The choice of settings and backgrounds should benefit and highlight your personality and uniqueness. Many photographers have a range of studio backgrounds, however often the simple backgrounds such as basic black or white are most popular.

Lighting is also essential when it comes to nude photography. The correct lighting can emphasize features and bring out the best in you. Studio lighting is totally controllable to highlight or neutralize areas as required to ensure superb creative imagery.

Spontaneity, mood and feelings are what nude photography is all about. Make sure you find a photographer that creates the mood and brings out the feelings that will become timeless memories forever.

Vittorio Natoli is the owner of Viva! Life Photography located in Fremantle, Western Australia. Award-winning Perth photographer and businessman, Mr Natoli has spent the past four years refining the systems that have made Viva Life Photography one of the most successful portrait and female and male nude photography studios in Australia. Visit Viva's website www.vivaphotography.com for more information on Vittorio, Viva! photography franchise opportunities or Nude Photography

Photography as a Fine Art

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Compared to most art forms, photography is a relative newcomer. Having been around for less than 200 years its place in the art world is still being established. Interestingly, there have been many arguments against photography being considered art, one of which is that the camera is a ?machine?. However, one must ask if a camera is any more a machine than a musician?s instrument, a sculptor?s chisel or a painter?s brush?

Another argument is that because of the nature of photography, endless prints can be made from the one negative. While true, it is for this reason that many photographers will produce their work as limited editions just as screen-printers, etchers and wood-block artists will. Some photographers have even been known to destroy their negatives after they have completed printing the edition. However, the ability to produce numerous prints is usually considered part of photography?s uniqueness.

Historically, many photographers themselves once considered photography a lesser art form. Called ?Pictorialists? these photographers produced work using soft focus, and often, poor quality, lenses hoping their work would look like Imressionist paintings. Although the Pictorialists won a small battle in having photography recognised and given wall space, they certainly didn?t help win the war of photography being recognised purely on its own artistic merits.

There is a great quote that states: ?There is no art, only artists.? Very true words, as there are many great artists who use photography as their chosen medium. It would be very hard for people to argue that the landscape and nature work of Ansel Adams; the natural world, nudes and still life?s of Edward Weston; the abstract forms and textures of Brett Weston and the compositions of Paul Strand are not art.

Because of the passion and extremely high quality work produced by these and other American photography pioneers, the American public and those within art circles could no longer deny that photography was a valuable and expressive art form. Oddly, Europe never seemed to have any trouble accepting photography as art. The work of Henri Cartier-Bressen, Brassai, Latrigue and others has always been held in the highest esteem.

The modern-day ease of photography has also led to a lot of very poor photographic work being passed off as art. Automated cameras have also lent considerable weight to the argument that it?s the camera doing the work, not the so-called artist. It is little wonder that many gallery owners are reluctant to give wall space to photographs. It must be remembered that the camera doesn?t make a good photographer any more than a piano makes a good pianist or a brush makes a good painter. An artist is an artist no matter what the medium.

Where Photography Becomes Art

What constitutes a fine art photograph would be quality: quality in composition, quality in the negative and quality in the print. Edward Weston once said that, ?composition is the best way of seeing.? Like other mediums, how the image is composed is of vital importance regarding how the print will be viewed. The photographer then needs to be able to put onto film what he or she is seeing and ?visualising? for the final print. Lens choice, film choice, aperture and shutter speed relationships, what to exposure for and which filters to use (especially for black and white film) all play a vital part in what the final print will look like. Finally, the photographer needs to bring that ?feeling? and expression out in the ?fine? print using a very demanding darkroom technique.

How a Fine Art Photographer Prints

Ansel Adams was fond of saying that the negative is like a musician?s score and the print is like their performance. Good photographers will know how to do both very well: photograph to produce good negatives and then make an expressive print that conveys what they saw and felt at the time of exposure.

A photographer will go through a few stages before arriving at the fine print. This begins with making a ?proof print? of the negative and evaluating it to determine how best to properly print from it. The photographer then moves through a series of ?work prints? as he or she fine-tunes the print exposure, cropping and contrast. More often than not, certain areas of a print will require more or less exposure than other areas. Giving more exposure to specific parts of the print, ?burning?, will darken those areas. Holding back exposure on specific areas or ?dodging? will lighten them. When the photographer believes that the print is as expressive as possible, they will make a ?fine print? using their (often) extensive notes regarding dodging, burning and contrast.

Most fine art black and white photographers will use fibre-based paper for their fine prints. Fibre-based paper tends to have the edge over its cheaper cousin resin-coated paper. Fibre-based paper also has more archival permanence, however, modern resin-coated papers claim to be the same. Fibre-based paper is harder to print on successfully, however, generally looks better, is preferred or demanded by museums and galleries and is also somewhat demanded by photographic tradition. Good photographers will have no qualms about this and would feel as though they were cheating if they produced their work on resin-coated paper.

There are myriad other variables in fine art photography that include: choice of film developer, choice of paper brand, choice of paper developer and whether to tone the print. All affect the look of the final print and it is the experience of the photographer to know how best to pull all these together to produce a print worthy of being called ?art?.

Matthew Smeal is a fine art black and white photographer and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. His work can be viewed on his website at http://www.matthewsmeal.com

Best Digital Photography Wedding

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The wedding is one of the most memorable occasions between two lovers. The years may go by since that day but people will be able to remember as long as pictures were taken.

More people are investing in digital cameras. This is because the images can be stored in the computer or in a compact disc that will not be damaged through time when the pictures are placed in an album.

The images captured can be edited on the digital camera instead of wasting the paper used in developing a bad picture.

Another thing, which makes digital photographer better, is that the person can take a lot of shots without having to reload and change the roll of film. The time it takes to replace it may make the individual miss the right shot that can never be done again.

Here are some tips for those who want to use a digital camera during the wedding.

1. The individual should pay attention to the background before taking the shot. There is no question the couple will look good but this can all change if the area where it is taken is not.

Things that should be avoided when taking the lovers or any of the guests is a cluttered area. This will make it easier for the viewer to see who is the picture focused on when these are ready after the wedding.

2. Some of the guests may be wearing glasses. This might cause bright flashes to come out when the pictures come out so this can also be avoided by making some changes. The people in the photograph can tilt the head down or to the side so this will not happen.

3. The best way to get a great shot will be to know when it is appropriate to take. This doesn?t only happen when people are looking at the camera but also in those candid moments.

4. The person will probably shoot more than a hundred shots during the wedding. After each shot, it is best to review the image on the LCD screen so this can be edited if it isn?t good and another one can be taken.

Photography has come a long way from the conventional form that was done for so many years. It has given people the opportunity to become an amateur photographer that could be just as good as a professional one.

Those who want to save on getting an expert should invest then in a digital camera so that a family member or a relative will be able to get the best shot.

Low Jeremy maintains http://digital-photography.articlesforreprint.com. This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Digital Photography and Its Advantages

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Gone are the days when one has to buy films, put up with bad or exposed shots and waste money having them developed. The creation of digital cameras has changed the landscape of photography not only for enthusiasts but also for beginners.

In fact, with the features of digital cameras, beginners can already make professional-looking shots and even put effects that are only reserved before to those who have done photography for a long time or those who have actually studied the techniques. Below is a rundown of some of the advantages of digital camera.

Zooming in

One advantage that digital cameras present is its zooming lens, that provide clarity even when shooting far away objects. Point and shoot cameras that are often used by beginners do not have this feature. Additional lens will have to be placed on the camera. But now, digital cameras have special lens that can zoom up to 8 megapixels.

No mistakes

Digital cameras allow users to erase shots that they feel are not good enough. This is perhaps one of the greatest features of digital technology. Now, people are able to choose not only the shots that they will develop but also those that they will keep. This is a huge savings not only on the film but also with developing.

No more films

With digital technology, one does not need films anymore. Picture files may be stored in memory sticks and in the camera?s internal memory. What is more, one can store digital files of the pictures. And unlike films, which may easily be destroyed, digital files are not as easily lost when stored properly.

Effects

Digital technology in cameras allow for the use of several techniques in photography that one will not be able to do if one is using a standard camera with film. One can shoot in black and white and sepia with just a click of the mode buttons. There is no need to develop them in the dark room in a special way. Digital cameras also allow photographers to shoot in macro settings, something that ordinary cameras would not have done.

No more developing

With digital cameras, you don?t have to develop the pictures anymore or use a dark room. You can actually print the pictures at your own home with the use of a colored printer. No need to go to the developing center.

Low Jeremy maintains digital-photography.articlesforreprint.com .This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

How To Sharpen Your Digital Photography Images

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Let?s start this digital photography lesson by looking at the digital camera. All digital cameras photograph images which have a normal pattern of pixels that make up this image. In some digital photography images a moir? effect is created. To avoid this, modern slr digital cameras come with an in built filter that givens a softer effect to the image.

When you are faced with having to sharpen a noisy digital photography image you?ll find that some photos are easier to sharpen than others. This might be caused from having a too higher ISO. The usual way of adding sharpness to a digital image has it problems too; it can actually increase the noise in your image quite a bit. To clarify this point, what is actually happening is the noise isn?t being increased as such, it?s being enhanced.

There is a way to sharpen noisy digital photo images without going into the noise itself. To begin with its important to understand colour modes in Photoshop. The easiest way we remember colour modes is when we think of RGB mode. This is a ?channel? of colours which are Red, Green and Blue. As I was taught by my good friend Lyndie Jeffry, there are more colour modes where your digital photo can be altered, adjusted and sharpened.

When I was first learning about digital photography Lyndie taught me that you can involve the CMYK mode which uses four colour channels. This stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. (Yes I know ?Black doesn?t start with a ?K?.)

Lyndie explained to me that the best one to use for this purpose is the L-A-B mode. LAB mode really just related to the 3 channels it uses. In a nutshell Lab stands for the individual channels. The ?L? really means ?luminance?, "A" the green-red aspect "B" the blue-yellow aspect. When working in LAB mode you can modify the brightness of your digital photo and keep the saturating and colours the same. The way this is possible is because practically no image information is depleted or lost when you convert to Lab mode. It also stays good when you convert back again, which is extremely handy. (Especially with highly valuable photos such as other peoples wedding photos.) Not everyone uses this, but it?s a neat trick with some digital images.

In some digital photography images you can simply choose to sharpen the L channel in LAB mode. By doing this much of the noise in the image is in the other channels that are usually not affected by this sharpening effect.

Now this may not work for every single noisy digital photography image you have. But in some situations it works very well. I suggest you try it to see the effect you give. I?ve used it a few times and it?s saved my ?you-know-what?. So if you?re in a tight spot with a noisy image, give this a go, you might be surprised with the results!

By Amy Renfrey

If you want to know how to get suberb clarity and detail in your digital photography just go to http://www.digitalphotographysuccess.com

Your Guide to buying Digital Photography Books..

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Looking for the best digital photography books around? There are many claimants to the title at the moment; we'd even go as far as to say the market is flooded with books full of hints, tips and techniques. But which ones should you actually trust? After all it's your hard earned cash you'll be parting with! So here at YDP we've decided to do the hard work reviews for you and bring you the 5 bestselling digital Photography books currently leaving the shelves.

We got our hands on a copy of each of the best digital photography books at present, judged on sales and popularity, then set to work wading through the pages to bring you a concise review of these latest chart toppers. Although we were inundated with book submissions to consider, we found the titles below to be outstanding in terms of content, user information, illustration quality and overall usefulness. So if you're looking for the best digital photography Books, we'd thoroughly recommend any of these 5:

1. The Digital SLR Handbook, Michael Freeman.
2. The Complete Guide to Digital Photography, Freeman,M.
3. 40 Digital Photography Techniques, YoungJin.
4. Digital Photography for Dummies!
5. The Digital Photography Handbook: An Illustrated Guide

1. The Digital SLR Handbook, Michael Freeman:

The ultimate reference for serious photographers making the switch from film to digital, The Digital SLR Handbook tackles head on all the issues with which traditional photographers struggle when getting to grips with shooting digital and digital image processing. Drawing on his own experience and his discussions with fellow photographers, best-selling digital photography author Michael Freeman answers the questions that photographers ask most often, and explains matters they can find confusing or difficult to understand. From sensors, storage media, and resolution, through formats, histograms, and dynamic range, to digital noise vs. film grain, color management, and image workflow - this book gives you all the information you need. Comprehensive in its scope and unrivalled in its depth, The Digital SLR Handbook is the definitive reference source for every professional or enthusiast photographer. A bestselling digital photography book of top quality.

2. The Complete Guide To Digital Photography.

This guide has been completely updated and revised to reflect technological advances. It offers essential techniques and professional tips for digital camerawork and guidelines for choosing suitable digital equipment, including cameras, computers, monitors, scanners and printers. The book covers all aspects of photography from actually taking the pictures (probably the most important part!) through digital enhancing (the main part) to printing, including the necessary theory of each stage. I've been a photographer for many years and managed to find much useful information in here.

It is well designed, well laid out, and diagrams and illustrations are generally of a high quality. I agree that sometimes it is difficult to see the difference between "before" and "after" shots but this really is a minor gripe and close scrutiny will pay off in this respect. This was also one of the few that didn't waste 30 pages showing what you can do with the "artistic" and "3D" effects that come with most photo software. As earlier reviews have said, the author is clearly first and foremost a photographer and this shows. In terms of useful content, this is one of the best digital photography books we've reviewed.

3. 40 Digital Photography Techniques, YoungJin

"40 Digital Photography Techniques" will show you how to: choose, use, and accessorize your digital camera; understand and exploit various sources of light; get creative with filters; become effective with low-light and night photography; capture expressive portraits of adults, children, and yourself; photograph objects in motion and get great action shots; catch the mood of your vacation, a snowy or rainy day, a brilliant sunrise or sunset; shoot everything - panoramas, architecture, landscapes, products, food, cars, pets; take animated photos with your camera phone; transfer, edit, and print your images, or share them on the web; and more!

How is this book different? Written for new digital camera owners in a language that's easy to understand; presents inspiring, full-color images on every page; lets you dive right in and have fun with your digital camera; helps film photographers make a smooth transition to digital; combines technical instruction with creative ideas to help boost your skills; groups topics thematically for quick reference; provides a thorough explanation of how digital cameras work; uses practical step-by-step instructions, explanations, shortcuts, and tips; shows you how to shoot professional-looking images with any digital camera. Who is it for? Anyone interested in correcting, enhancing, or creating digital images - for home or professional use; photography hobbyists, professional photographers, print and web designers; contents; using Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 effectively; correcting lighting and contrast; coloring black-and-white photos; removing red eye, eliminating blemishes, and enhancing facial features; using lens blur cleaning up, combining, and resizing images.

4. Digital Photography for Dummies.

If you are fairly comfortable with the concept of photography but find the digital part a stumbling block, Digital Photography for Dummies should get you over the hump. Julie Adair King, a photographer and graphics-software specialist, deftly explains such concepts as resolution, f-stop, and compression. King is also refreshingly up-front about the differences between film-based and digital photography, spelling out the shortcomings of the latter in the early pages of the book.

Although the author claims this is one of 'the' best digital photography books around, her advice, from the most basic to the more advanced aspects of the field, is well thought out and simple without being condescending. She informs readers, for example, that you needn't use high pixel resolutions simply for placing images on a Web page. Such tips come as a relief to fledgling photographers on a budget, or novices who may be led to believe they have to use the highest-quality settings at all times. This was YDP's selection for 'best digital photography book' in January. This is probably the best digital photography book for beginners. A sure fire winner!

5. The Digital Photography Handbook: An Illustrated Guide.

The "Digital Photographer's handbook" is a comprehensive beginner's guide, assuming no prior knowledge. It brings together the best of classical photography techniques and the unrivalled potential of digital technology. The author has been a photography magazine journalist for 15 years and has extensive knowledge and an easy, jargon-free writing style.

Going Digital - the basics, including choosing a camera and equipment, setting up, taking shots and camera care Using your Digital Camera - tips for taking great photographs, with inspirational ideas for every genre: portraits, holidays, weddings, children, flora & fauna, abstracts, etc. The Digital Darkroom - improving, adapting and rescuing images on a computer: basic, advanced and professional techniques. Output - getting the best end result, on-line or in print, and creating a portfolio. This is a definite contender for 'best digital photography book' for summer 2006.

Want more? Check out our FREE Tips E-zine at..

http://www.your-digital-photography.com/digital-photography-tips-e-zine.html

Gary Bunn is a Digital Photography Expert and the Editor of the site www.Your-Digital-Photography.com

Advertisement Photography

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Tips for the advertisement photography market.

Advertisement photography is by far one of the most competitive forms of photography. This is mainly due to the fact that you can earn far more money than in any other aspect of photographic industry.

Every day companies pay millions of dollars on advertisement; with one goal - to sell their product. Companies want to tell the reader that their product is best - so you must be able to match this.

The photographers work must be to the highest technical quality and he/she must have the ability to create a masterpiece from something simple. Close enough is just not good enough. Close enough will not sell a product.

To become an advertisement photographer one must first understand the market and understand what the client is looking for. The best way of understanding this is pick up a magazine and look at the ads. Study each image. Study the images you see on billboards or images that are used to advertise movies.

Most parts of advertisement photography can be classed as still life photography. So if you are interested in taking images for the advertisement market your first job is to set up your own home studio. This can be a great place to practice.

Every thing in your home can be photographed. Start off with a few glasses. But remember you are not trying to make the glasses look nice - you are trying to sell them.

The second thing you need is a large format camera. Buy a range of the best lenses. Slide film is your best choice for advertisement photography. The client may want to blow up the images to a billboard size.

The most important thing when starting off is creating a portfolio of your work. This can be sent to advertising agencies or can be shown directly to a company. Always have a few copies on standby. Also set up a web page. On-line advertising is growing at a spectacular rate. Your portfolio should also consist of a different range of images.

If you are thinking of using an advertisement agency, get their guidelines from them. These should be very helpful to you in understanding the market. Dealing with a well established agency should be very profitable for you if your photography is to par.

Advertisement can be seen everywhere - and about eighty percent of all ads use photography. Most advertisement these days consists of a few words and a stunning picture that should attract the viewer's attention.TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer and a freelance writer. He frequently writes for the shopping directory http://www.shop-4us.com and the photography directory http://www.goldprints.com To view or buy some of his images visit his on line gallery @ http://www.goldenirishlight.com

Pet Portrait Photography - Tips for Your Own Masterpiece

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For some pets, a good photograph representing their best qualities comes naturally, while for others it can be frustratingly elusive. Many people choose to have professional photos taken, and although this can lead to a wonderful portrait, with a little preparation and plenty of patience you may be able to achieve similar results yourself. After all...your four-legged companion is a member of your family, and who else knows their unique traits and idiosyncrasies better?

Here are a few simple yet effective suggestions which I've found can offer good results...

The most important factor in pet photography is lighting. Often the best possible light is achieved outside in natural daylight, so try experimenting with this even if your pet is an indoor only pet. Remember to avoid direct sunlight, as this can alter natural colouring - a bright but overcast day is perfect. Don't use a flash, as this can cause red-eye and distort true colouring & shading. An exception to the above, however, is if your pet has a black coat, in which case a flash or strong sunlight can actually bring out shading and texture which may be lost in photos taken under other lighting conditions.

Next to consider is pose and positioning. Keep in mind it is most effective to take the photos on their level, rather than having your pet looking up at you which can distort natural form. Don't make them come to you. Instead, go to where they are most comfortable. Sit on the grass, lie on the floor, whatever it takes. Capture their most characteristic expression & pose. If they are generally happy, try to catch them doing their version of a smile.

Understandably, many pets have no patience for 'photo shoots' and find it hard to sit still. If your pet is having trouble focusing, a good idea is to have favourite treats or toys at the ready. Hold them up near the camera to catch - and hopefully hold - interest in the right direction. Most importantly, don't be afraid to be silly. Try making funny and unusual noises or movements to get their attention. Cameras can be distracting for some animals, so if you cannot get your pet to behave normally, try having someone else present to divert their attention.

Above all else, remember to have fun and don't be in a rush. Patience is most definitely a virtue when it comes to taking a spectacular pet photograph. Good luck!

Sarah Theophilus is a successful pet portrait artist who's work is featured online at Pets in Pastel - http://www.petsinpastel.com/. Take a moment to browse her original works, art cards, prints, free e-cards, wallpapers and more.

Selling Stock Photography for Amateurs

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It may have crossed your mind at some point that you would like to sell your images with some of the photographic stock agencies online. You may have then visited their sites only to be put off by the costs involved with regard to the equipment needed to "produce the goods". Many of the larger agencies need file sizes of 50MB which require professional or semi-professional equipment and for which the costs run into thousands.

What a lot of people don't understand is that there are "micro stock" agencies that cater for a different market altogether! You see, the huge image files required by the larger agencies are what are needed for large advertising or marketing companies that need to either show off exceptional quality or reproduce the images in print, at greatly enlarged proportions. But what about the rest of the world?

What about small companies that cannot afford the rates offered by large stock agencies? What about the sole trader or self employed that simply needs a few decent images for his/her website or small marketing campaign? What about colleges or faculties that have a strict budget but still need good images for their workshops or tuition? This is where you come in!

The agencies I am talking about, only need good, nice clean images of 2.5 megabytes or above which can be produced by cameras of around 3 mega pixels or higher. This would include your everyday advanced digital compact like a Canon Sureshot for example.

The cost of buying the images is kept very low for the consumer as the file sizes restrict the applications for which they can be used, but are perfect for the type of outlets I have just described. Therefore the payout is less to the photographer but sales happen a lot more frequently and you can earn yourself a nice residual income for as long as your images are online. Obviously the more you have the more you earn.

It doesn't mean that you can send any old tat in; the images must be clean (in all respects), interesting, well taken and well exposed. The agencies normally have a "wants" list which is excellent as it lets you know exactly what you have to do to earn money! Apart from anything, it also gives you more of a reason to go out and make use of your camera in a more exciting way.

There is a forum on the site that I use and recommend, that has a bunch of regulars that are always there to lend a hand with advice, hints and tips and also to give inspiration and motivation. It has a community of photographers that will put you at ease and help you on your way to earning money from your camera, and I can guarantee you will make friends there too.

After I had registered (which is free), I was a little bemused by it all as I had only ever used the larger agencies, so before I uploaded any images, I introduced another photographer to them. He had about 20 moto-x images on within a week and sold 6 of them immediately. I uploaded 1 image after that and sold a copy that night. I then uploaded 48 more, 5 were rejected but I sold 18 of the others within a week. I then submitted another 90 and so it goes on, all very exciting as the sales stats are updated every 15 minutes and you cannot help but keep "refreshing" the page!

It is by no means my main source of income, but the way I see it, I can upload smaller copies of the 50MB files I have on with larger agents here and add another stream of revenue for very little work. If you have images sitting around on your hard drive, or would like a reason to get up in the morning and go out and do something constructive, give it a go, there is nothing to lose.

One word of warning though, read very carefully the criteria for uploading images. If you consistently upload rubbish, your account will be suspended for 6 months pending review. I suggest that you read the submission guidelines for all stock agencies at my site here;

Selling Stock Photography at "All Things Photography"

and look for the yellow information box halfway down the page.

This will require work and a bit of commitment, but you can earn some nice pocket money here from your hobby and some of the regulars earn a good living from it, but you must follow and abide by the rules.

Good luck and hope to see you in the forums!

www.all-things-photography.com

Nick is a professional photographer with over 20 years experience in wedding, portrait, industrial and advertising photography. He is a member of the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) and BPPA (British Professional Photographers Association).