Table Of Content

Cover Page Page: i Title Page Page: i Copyright Page Page: ii Table of Contents Page: iii Dedication Page: vii Acknowledgments Page: ix Introduction Page: x 1 Understanding the Microstock Revolution Page: xiv About Stock Photography Page: 1 Shop Until You Drop Page: 4 The Early Days Page: 4 Extinction of the Dinosaurs Page: 6 Microstock is Born Page: 8 The Opposition Page: 10 Comparison with Traditional Libraries Page: 11 2 How to Make Dollars from Cents Page: 12 No Pain, No Gain Page: 13 Sales Models: The Choices Page: 16 Royalties And Licenses, or “Where Is the Cash?” Page: 21 Submission Strategies Page: 27 3 What Sells and What Does Not Page: 28 Business and Lifestyle Images Page: 30 Fashion Page: 36 Seasonal and Festive Images Page: 36 Food Page: 40 Landscapes and Travel Page: 42 Architecture Page: 45 Cityscapes Page: 45 Objects Page: 48 Flowers Page: 52 Vectors Page: 58 4 How to Make Sure Your Pictures Win Page: 62 Composition Page: 63 The “Rule of Thirds” Page: 65 Crop Tightly Page: 68 Use Bold and Complementary Colors Page: 69 Use the Best Aperture and Shutter Speed Combination Page: 69 Get Down Low—Or Up High Page: 74 Use Unusual Focal Lengths Page: 75 The Winning Formula Page: 76 5 Technical Issues: Killing the Gremlins before They Kill Your Pictures Page: 76 The Microstock Inspection Process Page: 77 Read the Rules! Page: 78 Kit Page: 78 The Raw Deal Page: 79 16-bit Manipulation Page: 82 Shoot at Low ISO Page: 83 Noise Page: 85 Artifacts Page: 91 Chromatic Aberrations Page: 93 Moiré and Color Noise Page: 93 Removing Copyright Symbols and Logos Page: 97 Sharpening Your Images Page: 99 6 Equipment Page: 101 Film or Digital? Page: 103 The Best Digital Camera for You Page: 106 The Big Guns: Medium-Format Digital Page: 113 Scanning Backs Page: 114 Scanning Film Page: 114 Summary Page: 118 7 Setting up a Home Studio Page: 118 Table and Window Setup (Available Light) Page: 119 Macro Lenses Page: 122 Simple Studio Setup Page: 123 People Shots Page: 125 Business Shots Page: 126 More about Isolated Images Page: 126 Clipping Paths Page: 129 Software Shortcuts Page: 133 Advanced Lighting Techniques Page: 134 Slave Relay Page: 138 Color Balance Page: 138 Final Note Page: 139 8 Twenty Tips andTricks to Winningon Microstocks Page: 140 Tip 1: Buy the Best Equipment You Can Afford Page: 141 Tip 2: Decide If Artist Exclusivity Is for You Page: 143 Tip 3: Buy Decent FTP Upload Software Page: 144 Tip 4: Buy and Use Adobe Photoshop Page: 145 Tip 5: Buy a Macro Lens If You Own a dSLR Page: 145 Tip 6: Buy a Tripod to Go with That New Macro Lens Page: 145 Tip 7: Join the forums Page: 146 Tip 8: Get an Independent View by Joining Independent forums Page: 146 Tip 9: Set Up Referral Links Page: 146 Tip 10: Check What Is Selling—And What Is Not Page: 148 Tip 11: Enlist Friends and Colleagues Page: 149 Tip 12: Upload New Work Regularly But In Small Batches Page: 150 Tip 13: Set Key Words accurately Page: 150 Tip 14: Use Selective Focus Page: 151 Tip 15: Challenge Your Creativity Page: 152 Tip 16: Use sRGB Color Space for Submission Page: 153 Tip 17: Read the Manual! Page: 155 Tip 18: Don't Crop Too Tightly Page: 155 Tip 19: Shoot the Light Page: 155 Tip 20: Get Networking! Page: 156 9 Mixing It with Rights-Managed Stock Page: 157 Specialized Libraries Page: 160 Cultural Differences Page: 162 What to Do Page: 162 10 Case Studies Page: 163 Stephen Page: 165 Jo Ann Page: 167 Carsten Page: 168 Colin and Linda Page: 169 Marianne Page: 171 Wrap Up Page: 172 11 Copyright, Trademarks, and Model Releases Page: 174 Copyright Page: 175 Registration Page: 176 Infringing Others' Rights Page: 176 Privacy Page: 178 Trademarks Page: 178 The Practicalities Page: 180 Property Releases Page: 181 Model Releases Page: 182 12 The Future of Microstock Photography Page: 182 The Gap Page: 183 The Wolf Eats the Lamb Page: 186 Consolidation Page: 186 Diversification Page: 187 Predictions Page: 187 Appendix 1 Microstock Library Links Page: 188 Appendix 2 Model and Property Releases Page: 190 Appendix 3 Useful Links Page: 198 Traditional Stock Photo Libraries Page: 199 FTP Software Page: 199 Noise-Reduction or Modification Software Page: 199 Color Artifact Removal Page: 200 Sharpening Software Page: 200 Third-Party Raw File Decoding Software Page: 200 Copyright Resources Page: 200 General Photo Sites of Interest Page: 201 Stock-Related Discussion Groups Page: 201 Lighting Tips Page: 202 Miscellaneous Page: 202 Index Page: 203

Description:

Be a part of one of the world's fastest growing imaging phenomenons: microstock photography. Microstock photography provides both professional and amateur photographers an opportunity to diversify their income and expand their artistic visibility by turning day trip photos or photography portfolios into viable business investments. Douglas Freer has written a comprehensive book that details the technical and commercial processes of the microstock industry. A must read for entrants into the microstock photography field, Microstock Photography shows you how to: .Choose the right microstock agency .Shoot work that will sell .Navigate the strict technical requirements .Understand the likely financial returns .Review licensing models .Understand copyright issues Over 60 illustrations and photographs help you improve your skills, learn new techniques specific to shooting stock photography and better understand what the microstock market demands. Anyone can shoot digital stock photography, but in order to make money and be successful, you need the practical advice that can only be found in this book.