Richard Baker Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 A more lucrative interpretation of the P-word, perhaps: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 13 hours ago, Starsphinx said: I think part of the challenge is going to be trying to keep a good variety of subjects, locations etc while still paying attention to what sells. It's the age-old conflict - if what sells does not inspire me to shoot it I am going to lose the enjoyment - if I focus on the enjoyment I am depending on buyings liking similar things. My advice would be to do what you enjoy. You are unlikely these days to make it worth while financially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 Enjoyment? I enjoy making sales. Processing, uploading and keywording is a lot of work if my pix interest no one but myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starsphinx Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 34 minutes ago, John Morrison said: It's only stock photography; we're not here to change hearts and minds. Better to focus on what picture buyers might actually want... Where do the people whose job it is to change hearts and minds get their photos from? At the end of the day, I can only shoot what I can see, when I see things differently from others that is what I shoot. I then have a choice - leave perfectly good shots sitting on my hard drive where they are seen by nobody, and where nobody has an option to use them, or upload them here, without expectations, so if as an outside chance someone is interested they do at least have the option. I am well aware of the severe limitations of my port subject choices as it stands - I have less than 400 shots, most of which have been shot on the fly not on planned expeditions, the reasons for which I have explained above. Now if I remove every shot that was not taken on a planned stock shoot I would not have very many left - those would be news images which due to the local nature of the stories, are of less interest to searches than my others - and the one that sold would also be removed. I am aware of the weaknesses and will be working to correct over the coming months - years even, but I am not dumping what is already there. If it doesn't sell it doesn't sell - if I take it down it definitely won't sell. Besides who knows - maybe a Kardashian will become a pigeon fancier - or one will poo on the Prime Ministers head - and suddenly for a brief minute of time, the world will be fascinated by pigeons - and I am prepared for the rush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 ^^^ Fair enough. But if you start as you mean to go on, with a strong, tight collection of well-captioned pix, you will rise up the Alamy rankings and make sales... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starsphinx Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 14 minutes ago, John Morrison said: ^^^ Fair enough. But if you start as you mean to go on, with a strong, tight collection of well-captioned pix, you will rise up the Alamy rankings and make sales... I don't think I have ever started as I mean to go on ROTFLMAO - my starting plan called for me being a company director and champion charity fundraiser doing Kilimanjaro and great wall of china stuff by now. The hardest lesson I have had to learn is to let go stop pushing and accept limitations. I have a huge competitive streak - and can be horribly target driven - but both are extremely bad for my health. I laugh at myself - and kind of glance sideways at targets and give them a passing nod rather than letting them become the main thing. I know it can seem wasteful to other people but the situation that forces is it is also the reason I picked up a camera in the first place - if I was actually directing companies and walking the planet for charity I would still be taking odd shots with my phone and nothing else. The advice is appreciated - I just have to use it in my own adaptive way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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