How to Become a Stock Photographer
Get a quality camera., Get the right lenses., Invest in useful accessories., Get training in photography., Get the right software., Learn how to use photo-editing software., Use a tripod for stationary shots., Take well-composed pictures., Take...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get a quality camera.
For stock photography, you should have a modern digital camera with a minimum of 12 megapixels.
The settings should be manually adjustable.It should ideally be an “SLR” or “DSLR” camera, that is, a “digital single-lens reflex camera” that combines traditional optic lenses with a digital imaging sensor.
The lenses are generally changeable in these cameras, giving you more control over your shots.
Keep in mind that the better your equipment, the less editing that you’ll have to do later.
If your camera is not focusing or produces a lot of dust or noise, you’ll need to invest in a better one. -
Step 2: Get the right lenses.
Having appropriate, high-quality lenses is key to taking crisp, high-quality stock photos.
At the very least, you’ll want a wide-angle lens (for landscapes and large-scale subjects) and a telephoto lens (for close-ups, portraits, and everyday scenes).Cheap lenses use cheap glass that can easily distort your photos.
Lenses play an even bigger role than your camera body in determining picture quality. , A tripod is essential.
If you’re not planning on relying on natural light, it’s also wise to get a reflector and a flash unit to fill in shadows., Stock photography needs to be professional-grade.
Producing it requires a degree of training to know how to make the best use of your equipment.You don’t necessarily have to get a degree, but taking a course at a school, community center, or online is highly advisable.
At the very least, you should be able to understand how to adjust your camera settings and accessories to get the composition and lighting that you want. , You’ll need applications for editing and managing your photos.
These can be combined into one program.The most common professional-grade photo-editing program is Adobe Photoshop.
Other photo-management software includes Adobe Lightroom, ACDSee Pro, StudioLine Photo, and PhotoDirector.
You’ll have to pay a one-time or monthly fee to use these apps.
There are also some free photo-editing apps available, like GIMP or Pixlr, but they won’t have all the functionality of licensed software.
Make sure that whichever program you choose has online storage and backup, so that you’re never at risk of losing your photo library if your computer crashes. , Most apps will come with tutorials that you should take.
There are also plenty of online webinars, tutorials, and courses that can get your skills up-to-snuff., Stock photos need to be extraordinary in their focus and crispness.
The best way to ensure that you avoid shaking your camera and blurring your image is to use a tripod for photo shoots., Stock photos generally aren’t “snapshots.” They’re pictures that have been thoughtfully executed by trained photographers.
Take time to get the lens, frame, lighting, and camera settings right., Be sure your camera is at it’s highest size setting when you take pictures, so that you’ll have the most pixels per inch possible.Most agencies require photos that are a minimum of 300dpi and can be enlarged to from 24-48MB without losing quality., Oftentimes, photos that look crisp at a lower resolution or compressed size can get blurry or distorted in parts at their full size.
Carefully scan each picture at its full size to make sure that there are no imperfections in terms of lighting, focus, or other noise., You don’t want to add major stylized effects or filters to your photos, but you may want to make some adjustments to them to fix any imperfections or bring out their colors.For instance, you may want to straighten or crop the frame; adjust the contrast, highlights, or shadows; or correct the colors or boost their saturation.
If you notice any noise or dust, use the healing tool to retouch those areas.
If there are too many blemishes, pick another photo.
Avoid making other editorial adjustments, like sharpening an image or putting a vignette effect around its edges.
The people who purchase stock images should have as much control over the final editing as they can. , While you can take a huge quantity of photos during a shoot, you’ll have to narrow the options down to just your highest quality pictures when it comes time to sell them.
Stock agencies won’t take more than a few photos from each scene that you shoot.
Pick two to three of the best pictures from each scene to add to your portfolio.Be sure that there’s some variation amongst the photos you select.
For instance, they may be taken from a different angle, have a different frame, or include slightly different contents. , The best way to do this is to look at what’s selling.
You can gauge which subjects are the most commercially viable by checking out which photos are downloaded the most from stock agencies.For instance, you’re likely to notice that photos with people in them sell the best.
If that’s the case, you might try capturing human scenes or taking portraits. , There’s a lot of competition out there.
Your photos are more likely to stand out and get traction if your portfolio addresses a specific niche that others may not cover.Your signature can be stylistic, such as images with the same clean studio background, or thematic, like food or aquatic scenes.
Sometimes agencies are looking to build out specific categories.
It never hurts to check with them to see if there’s a niche you could fill. , When people purchase stock photos, they’re buying a license to use them in a specific way.
There are three major options for licensing your photos: public domain (PD), royalty-free (RF), and rights-managed (RM).
Know the guidelines for each so that you can pick the designation that you want for your images.Note: you must be the creator and own the exclusive rights over an image in order to submit it as a stock photo.
Public domain photos can be used in any context free-of-charge.
If you want to sell your photos, don’t designate them as public domain.
Agencies offer photos that are royalty-free or rights-reserved. (Often, they’ll be the one deciding the licensing conditions.) If your photos are royalty-free, customers will pay a one-time fee to use them as many times as they want within the permitted contexts.
If your photos are rights-managed, buyers will have to pay a license fee and obey the conditions for each individual usage of them.
Keep in mind that you will get a much higher price for RM photos, but, their use will be exclusive, so there will be much fewer overall purchases. , Lifestyle shots are very popular.
However, if you use models, you will need to have them sign photo releases that authorizes you to sell images of them.
Each stock agency has their own version of this form, or you can use a standard template.Here is a sample photo release form: https://www.inphilanthropy.org/sites/default/files/resources/Sample%20Photo%20Release%20Form.pdf , Each agency will have its own protocol for doing this.
Most of them will have a review process to vet your photos before they’ll offer them for sale.It’s best to go with a large, established agency, like Corbis, or one that you can see gets a lot of traffic, like Shutterstock or Alamy.
Before you upload any photos to an agency platform, make sure to check that their rates, pay schedules, and licensing policies work for you.
For instance, many agencies, like Fotolia or iStock, only take royalty-free images.
You’ll also need to verify the file requirements and quality guidelines for each agency before your upload photos.
Some agencies will specify the file type (like .JPEG) and minimum file size (like 24MB).
Don’t be surprised if you get rejections.
Just submit those photos elsewhere, and try again with new photos. , The best way for people to find your photos is through the text that you attach to them.
Be thoughtful and comprehensive in how you describe and tag each image because these are ultimately your best marketing tools.
The more keywords you use for a photo, the more likely people are to find it.Tags are keywords that help agencies categorize images and customers find the right photo.
You want to focus on descriptive words over abstract concepts.
For instance, if you have a photo of a leafless tree, you should tag it with “oak, tree, winter, dead tree,” but not with “mortality.” Never include tags or keywords that don’t apply to your photo in an attempt to drive customers to your images.
Besides annoying potential buyers, this may also get you kicked off of stock photography platforms altogether.
If you’re at a loss when it comes to tags, try an online generator, such as Keyword Tool or Ubersuggest, that can help you locate popular keywords.
Don’t include extraneous articles (like “the” or “an”) and conjunctions (like “and” or “but”) in your titles.
Starting with an article will weaken your search results.
Don’t forget to use spell-check for your keywords and descriptions since misspellings will also negatively affect your search results. -
Step 3: Invest in useful accessories.
-
Step 4: Get training in photography.
-
Step 5: Get the right software.
-
Step 6: Learn how to use photo-editing software.
-
Step 7: Use a tripod for stationary shots.
-
Step 8: Take well-composed pictures.
-
Step 9: Take high-resolution photos.
-
Step 10: Review your photos for imperfections.
-
Step 11: Make any necessary edits.
-
Step 12: Select only your best from each shoot.
-
Step 13: Pick commercially viable subjects.
-
Step 14: Find a signature.
-
Step 15: Be aware of the rights.
-
Step 16: Get the necessary releases.
-
Step 17: Submit your photos to stock agencies.
-
Step 18: Generate thorough descriptions and keywords.
Detailed Guide
For stock photography, you should have a modern digital camera with a minimum of 12 megapixels.
The settings should be manually adjustable.It should ideally be an “SLR” or “DSLR” camera, that is, a “digital single-lens reflex camera” that combines traditional optic lenses with a digital imaging sensor.
The lenses are generally changeable in these cameras, giving you more control over your shots.
Keep in mind that the better your equipment, the less editing that you’ll have to do later.
If your camera is not focusing or produces a lot of dust or noise, you’ll need to invest in a better one.
Having appropriate, high-quality lenses is key to taking crisp, high-quality stock photos.
At the very least, you’ll want a wide-angle lens (for landscapes and large-scale subjects) and a telephoto lens (for close-ups, portraits, and everyday scenes).Cheap lenses use cheap glass that can easily distort your photos.
Lenses play an even bigger role than your camera body in determining picture quality. , A tripod is essential.
If you’re not planning on relying on natural light, it’s also wise to get a reflector and a flash unit to fill in shadows., Stock photography needs to be professional-grade.
Producing it requires a degree of training to know how to make the best use of your equipment.You don’t necessarily have to get a degree, but taking a course at a school, community center, or online is highly advisable.
At the very least, you should be able to understand how to adjust your camera settings and accessories to get the composition and lighting that you want. , You’ll need applications for editing and managing your photos.
These can be combined into one program.The most common professional-grade photo-editing program is Adobe Photoshop.
Other photo-management software includes Adobe Lightroom, ACDSee Pro, StudioLine Photo, and PhotoDirector.
You’ll have to pay a one-time or monthly fee to use these apps.
There are also some free photo-editing apps available, like GIMP or Pixlr, but they won’t have all the functionality of licensed software.
Make sure that whichever program you choose has online storage and backup, so that you’re never at risk of losing your photo library if your computer crashes. , Most apps will come with tutorials that you should take.
There are also plenty of online webinars, tutorials, and courses that can get your skills up-to-snuff., Stock photos need to be extraordinary in their focus and crispness.
The best way to ensure that you avoid shaking your camera and blurring your image is to use a tripod for photo shoots., Stock photos generally aren’t “snapshots.” They’re pictures that have been thoughtfully executed by trained photographers.
Take time to get the lens, frame, lighting, and camera settings right., Be sure your camera is at it’s highest size setting when you take pictures, so that you’ll have the most pixels per inch possible.Most agencies require photos that are a minimum of 300dpi and can be enlarged to from 24-48MB without losing quality., Oftentimes, photos that look crisp at a lower resolution or compressed size can get blurry or distorted in parts at their full size.
Carefully scan each picture at its full size to make sure that there are no imperfections in terms of lighting, focus, or other noise., You don’t want to add major stylized effects or filters to your photos, but you may want to make some adjustments to them to fix any imperfections or bring out their colors.For instance, you may want to straighten or crop the frame; adjust the contrast, highlights, or shadows; or correct the colors or boost their saturation.
If you notice any noise or dust, use the healing tool to retouch those areas.
If there are too many blemishes, pick another photo.
Avoid making other editorial adjustments, like sharpening an image or putting a vignette effect around its edges.
The people who purchase stock images should have as much control over the final editing as they can. , While you can take a huge quantity of photos during a shoot, you’ll have to narrow the options down to just your highest quality pictures when it comes time to sell them.
Stock agencies won’t take more than a few photos from each scene that you shoot.
Pick two to three of the best pictures from each scene to add to your portfolio.Be sure that there’s some variation amongst the photos you select.
For instance, they may be taken from a different angle, have a different frame, or include slightly different contents. , The best way to do this is to look at what’s selling.
You can gauge which subjects are the most commercially viable by checking out which photos are downloaded the most from stock agencies.For instance, you’re likely to notice that photos with people in them sell the best.
If that’s the case, you might try capturing human scenes or taking portraits. , There’s a lot of competition out there.
Your photos are more likely to stand out and get traction if your portfolio addresses a specific niche that others may not cover.Your signature can be stylistic, such as images with the same clean studio background, or thematic, like food or aquatic scenes.
Sometimes agencies are looking to build out specific categories.
It never hurts to check with them to see if there’s a niche you could fill. , When people purchase stock photos, they’re buying a license to use them in a specific way.
There are three major options for licensing your photos: public domain (PD), royalty-free (RF), and rights-managed (RM).
Know the guidelines for each so that you can pick the designation that you want for your images.Note: you must be the creator and own the exclusive rights over an image in order to submit it as a stock photo.
Public domain photos can be used in any context free-of-charge.
If you want to sell your photos, don’t designate them as public domain.
Agencies offer photos that are royalty-free or rights-reserved. (Often, they’ll be the one deciding the licensing conditions.) If your photos are royalty-free, customers will pay a one-time fee to use them as many times as they want within the permitted contexts.
If your photos are rights-managed, buyers will have to pay a license fee and obey the conditions for each individual usage of them.
Keep in mind that you will get a much higher price for RM photos, but, their use will be exclusive, so there will be much fewer overall purchases. , Lifestyle shots are very popular.
However, if you use models, you will need to have them sign photo releases that authorizes you to sell images of them.
Each stock agency has their own version of this form, or you can use a standard template.Here is a sample photo release form: https://www.inphilanthropy.org/sites/default/files/resources/Sample%20Photo%20Release%20Form.pdf , Each agency will have its own protocol for doing this.
Most of them will have a review process to vet your photos before they’ll offer them for sale.It’s best to go with a large, established agency, like Corbis, or one that you can see gets a lot of traffic, like Shutterstock or Alamy.
Before you upload any photos to an agency platform, make sure to check that their rates, pay schedules, and licensing policies work for you.
For instance, many agencies, like Fotolia or iStock, only take royalty-free images.
You’ll also need to verify the file requirements and quality guidelines for each agency before your upload photos.
Some agencies will specify the file type (like .JPEG) and minimum file size (like 24MB).
Don’t be surprised if you get rejections.
Just submit those photos elsewhere, and try again with new photos. , The best way for people to find your photos is through the text that you attach to them.
Be thoughtful and comprehensive in how you describe and tag each image because these are ultimately your best marketing tools.
The more keywords you use for a photo, the more likely people are to find it.Tags are keywords that help agencies categorize images and customers find the right photo.
You want to focus on descriptive words over abstract concepts.
For instance, if you have a photo of a leafless tree, you should tag it with “oak, tree, winter, dead tree,” but not with “mortality.” Never include tags or keywords that don’t apply to your photo in an attempt to drive customers to your images.
Besides annoying potential buyers, this may also get you kicked off of stock photography platforms altogether.
If you’re at a loss when it comes to tags, try an online generator, such as Keyword Tool or Ubersuggest, that can help you locate popular keywords.
Don’t include extraneous articles (like “the” or “an”) and conjunctions (like “and” or “but”) in your titles.
Starting with an article will weaken your search results.
Don’t forget to use spell-check for your keywords and descriptions since misspellings will also negatively affect your search results.
About the Author
Christopher Morales
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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