Those Semi-similars?

[Ed Rooney]

Normally, I upload just one or two similar frames on a subject. As a rule, it's no more than three. Newbies too often make the mistake of sending many frames to Alamy because they find it hard to edit, to select the best. 

 

But what about revisiting a subject? When the light or the surroundings are different? Do you do that?

 

Edo

Edited January 14, 2020 by Ed Rooney

[Bryan]

A couple of thoughts spring to mind.

 

1) Some customers search by date taken, so another shot of a street scene a few years later might be a good idea, but then do you delete the original? Then there is the New button, whose use is not seen in searches.

 

2) Calendar photos are required month by month, so scenic views are worth taking throughout the year..

 

Having spent a deal of time searching for photos seen in the papers I know that some successful, particularly Live News,  shooters have masses of similars while others have very few.  I guess that I tread the middle ground, but closer to the fewer is better school of thought.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Bryan
afterthought

[sb photos]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

Normally, I upload just one or two similar frames on a subject. As a rule, it's no more than three. Newbies too often make the mistake of sending many frames to Alamy because they find it hard to edit, to select the best. 

 

But what about revisiting a subject? When the light or the surroundings are different? Do you do that?

 

Edo

 

 

If I'm shooting a speaker at a rally or politician, depending upon how newsworthy the subject is, or I believe they may become, I will try to shoot in both landscape and portrait, head shots, fully body, half body, then capturing different expressions and positions of arms. This creates the possibility of multiple 'similars', but gives the potential publisher various options depending upon their page layout, politics or the story. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spacecadet]

Same here, mostly, but my indulgence is brutalist and art deco. I've just been to New Zealand and have put up quite a few images of the Beehive. But they're not that similar.

[Ed Rooney]

Bryan, Steve, and Mark -- I spend exactly zero time tracking sales. And I shoot zero Live News. Everything photo I capture is aimed at being Editorial Stock and Alamy exclusive. And I never ask for a release. 

 

A very long time age, I was a hard-edged PJ for a few years. I do none of that now. I admire the effort some of you put into shooting News. But I don't see Live News as Stock, although it may become Stock later on. If I did shoot Live News I would do what Steve does regarding similars. 

 

I've asked this question (again?) Because I find myself walking around Liverpool City Centre everyday and passing the same landmarks. And I'm beginning to wonder how many pints of Guinness I will be . . . capturing?

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by Ed Rooney

[spacecadet]

I revisit a subject if the light is better, but that's all. I don't have many examples of that, maybe a few dozen. Even then I'll usually find a different angle.

I take very few photographs locally, though.

Edited January 14, 2020 by spacecadet

[geogphotos]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

 

I've asked this question (again?) Because I find myself walking around Liverpool City Centre everyday and passing the same landmarks. And I'm beginning to wonder how many pints of Guinness I will be . . . capturing?

 

 

It is interesting sometimes to think about how different people perceive the same urban environment. If somebody asks me directions I'd probably use pubs as landmarks ' Carry on past the Red Lion, then turn left by the Kings Head'.  Other people wouldn't 'see' the pubs but would 'see' the churches or shops, or statues and street art, or famous buildings. 

 

So trying to purposely change what we are looking for can help find new subjects in over-familiar settings? 

 

ie) independent family owned shops, litter management/waste bins/recycling, empty shops, public art and statues, pedestrian flows, the city as experienced by the disabled,  posters/adverts/ graffiti/youth culture, public transport, traffic pollution, places to eat, etc etc

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by geogphotos

[John Gaffen]

Hi Ed,

 

Yes I tend to do the same as regards similar' s (e.g. limit them to 2 -3), I will upload the same shot in different orientations,  sometimes,  in case clients  want the choice. But I will certainly take the same shot/ view under different light /weather conditions. I will also, sometimes re-visit a subject to see if I can improve on my first efforts.  I sometimes exceed this rule if I am capturing someone in the public eye,   as I see these images as potentially more commercial 

[Allan Bell]

I know I have images of the same subject which have been taken at different times of day and different times of the year. also years apart. Different lighting and yes I try to go back to obtain images with "better" lighting/skies.

 

When it comes to similars max three of subject taken same day from different angles/lighting/landscape/portrait.

 

Allan

 

[Nigel Kirby]

Hi Ed

I tend to do 2 or 3 images portrait/ landscape with and without people.

Nigel

[meanderingemu]

 

 

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Bryan, Steve, and Mark -- I spend exactly zero time tracking sales. And I shoot zero Live News. Everything photo I capture is aimed at being Editorial Stock and Alamy exclusive. And I never ask for a release. 

 

 

 

 

 

but even without live news, your capture still are on the soft editorial news type.  Things like street scenes could easily have more than 3 interpretations, if they convey different messages.  I also think different type of years, lights, moods, crowd (with or without).  

 

i feel if i am able to write a different description the images are different.

 

same for wildlife.  Just for pleasure I captured a squirrel eating in Montreal.  Even if they look the same, i could easily upload 5-6 images all with difference eg. teeth showing, peanut in paws, sideways, shell of peanuts flying off etc....  

[John Mitchell]

I revisit subjects fairly often, especially if images of them have licensed. However, I try not to make my similars too similar to my older shots.

I agree with Bryan's comment about the importance of having fresh images that will come up when buyers click the "new" button. How else are you going to sell an image of the Eiffel Tower these days? 😏

Edited January 14, 2020 by John Mitchell

[Ed Rooney]

The Eiffel Tower? Is that in Liverpool? 

 

You know, everyone is always saying they shoot horizontals and vertical but if you look through the ports, you see very few vertical. 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by Ed Rooney

[John Mitchell]

2 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

The Eiffel Tower? Is that in Liverpool? 😃

 

I may have confused it with the Guinness Tower. 😛

[Ed Rooney]

Okay, okay -- we don't have the Eiffle Tower . . . or a Guinness Tower. But we have the Beatles statues. Chew on that awhile, Mr. Eiffle. 

[Bryan]

11 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

 

I've asked this question (again?) Because I find myself walking around Liverpool City Centre everyday and passing the same landmarks. And I'm beginning to wonder how many pints of Guinness I will be . . . capturing?

 

 

Have you sorted yourself a travel pass as yet Edo? It brings freedom to roam further afield and with that a whole new set of possible images. As far as I can tell all you need is proof of age and and address in the city. 

[NYCat]

I'm so glad Ed has landed in a place where people can help and advise him. I didn't like having him float around all by himself.

 

Paulette

[JaniMarkus Hasa]

I do revisit subjects. I don't know how Alamy algorithm works, but according to my short experience the images of same subject can be scattered on different pages. So they don't necessarily all get viewed and harm your CTR. I believe re-shooting without deleting increases the possibilities that at least some images get viewed. A view without a zoom is harmful, but image without views is useless.

 

That's just me. My BHZ-ranking is page 11. I think it's a different thing if you tend to land on page one with your images.

Edited January 14, 2020 by JaniMarkus Hasa

[Ed Rooney]

My BHZ is on Page One, Jani. And when I do a test search, I'm very often on the first three pages.  However, we're at the halfway point in January and I've just had one small sale. 

 

Bryan, I'm still involved in getting my Barclays account up and running, and I have two other openended projects that must get done soon. So the travel pass and Stock will have to wait a bit. 

 

Thanks for the kind thoughts, Paulette . . . and give my regards to Broadway. 

[Marianne]

I have a few places that I visit a lot and love to photograph all year round. Those near my home are large nature preserves, so my images tend to be fairly varied. I shoot a lot with all four seasons, and during the day as well as at twilight, and with all different lenses and different cameras, soo the shoots tend to be much more varied than images I've taken in small towns, cities or of landmark buildings.

 

When I travel, I generally track my sales from each trip  to see how long a trip takes to pay for itself.  For locations that are within a day's car travel, I have gone back to some of my favorite haunts and shot them again and again over the years, both because I make better photos now than when I started, and also to get another time of year or time of day, and just to add more diversity to my shoots from those popular locations. This approach worked out well for me when I took new trips between 2012-2018, revisiting places I'd shot back in 2006-2010. Both new and old photos continue to get licensed and most land on pages 1-3 for broad location searches. I never intended to delete the originals taken back in 2006 and 2007 (before I'd ever heard of stock photography) nor those taken when I was still new to stock in 2009-2010, since, if they hadn't sold way back when, I'd probably not have gone back specifically to shoot so many more times.

 

I think returning again and again is a great way to learn patience and technique as a photographer, and waiting for the light gives you a chance to really see a place rather than simply breezing through as a tourist or hiker. It also has helped me to be freer about what I discard and what I keep, and it has helped me to start shooting way less, as I did back in the film days. 

 

I also still work with some calendar companies directly, and while they have used images that I gave them as far back as 2012 in their 2020 calendars, the more new work I give them, the better my returns tend to be. 

 

Sales for me this month are hopping everywhere but here. Best January in a long time (elsewhere). Hopefully my Alamy portfolio will join the rest soon as we hit tomorrow's half-way point.  

Edited January 15, 2020 by Marianne

[Michael Ventura]

I don’t worry so much about similars. I upload as many as I feel covers the subject, so long as they are not nearly identical.  As for revisiting a subject or place, I really consider those photos new and different.

[Betty LaRue]

Ed, ask someone if they mind if you shoot them drinking the brew. Sometimes people don’t take offense at us older guys and gals.
 

Hang out, watch the Beatles statues until a child or some one interesting stops to look. Or get someone walking by the statues at a slow shutter speed.

Shoot the same things but with a different twist. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir, but the RX100s with tilt screen are made for looking like your fiddling with the camera while getting the shot. I know...I’ve done it! 😎

Betty

[Marianne]

I love how these little cameras make us invisible Betty. 

[Betty LaRue]

30 minutes ago, Marianne said:

I love how these little cameras make us invisible Betty. 

So true.

[JaniMarkus Hasa]

2 minutes ago, David Pimborough said:

Of course you should re-visit the subject not only for better light and conditions but also your abilities and equipment may have approved.

 

Agree. Also trying different kind of captions and tags may be useful.

[Allan Bell]

From discussions today with James Allsworth. "It pays to refresh your portfolio frequently."

 

Allan

 

This post was sanctioned by James.

 

ITMA

Edited January 15, 2020 by Allan Bell