What do buyers look for?

[Jose Decio Molaro]

Good afternoon
What do buyers look for?
photos with the product centered or placed on the rule of thirds, or photos with negative space?
What is the best way to shoot?
Thanks

[Brian Yarvin]

Do you mean commercial buyers? Magazines? Newspapers? Corporate? Each is a really different market with unique needs. And worse, sometimes a local newspaper will seek out a commercial-looking image and other times, a global advertiser will want a photo that looks like it was cut out of a newspaper. None of us can reach every market, but we can strive for a target audience.

[Jose Decio Molaro]

I hadn’t thought of it that way ... you’re right… it’s just that I have great difficulty taking pictures when I put the subject out of main focus… it’s always or slightly out of focus…tanks...

[Brian Yarvin]

Jose, "the best way to shoot" is to make photos that appear competent and professional to the buyers you are trying to connect with. Many of the members of this group are travel photographers or journalists, so their answers are often specific to their specialties. Take some time to check out the photos that are currently appearing in the places you want to be and learn what you have to in order to impress those clients.

 

If focus is an issue for you, try different methods like live view. There are often techniques that make make a world of difference.

 

BTW ... in my experience, no specialty in photography is so difficult that it can't be mastered with a bit of effort. 

[Jose Decio Molaro]

thanks..it helped a lot ... i have studied a lot and i am improving ... i will research what i am photographing ... thanks

[giphotostock]

Something like this for stock, in order of demand:

1. business

2. lifestyle

3. concepts

...

10. travel

11. documentary

 

If you choose to do #11 aka walk around and document stock-worthy scenes in front of the lens, you'd get the corresponding and disappointing sales. Speaking from personal experience.

 

GI

[Brian Yarvin]

GI, while this is true from a subject matter point of view, I think the issue for most people is having the technique to execute in these categories. We need to be encouraging each other to improve our ability to do more than walk around.

 

BTW ... you have some very good pharmaceutical still lifes! Good thinking and good work!

[Jose Decio Molaro]

I think we have technicians, I consider them all excellent photographers ... in Brazil I take a disadvantage due to the high cost of photography products .. due to the pandemic I take many photos at home, few outside and now we are in the time of municipal election in the cities. ..I also agree ... we have to encourage ourselves.
sorry for English

[Jose Decio Molaro]

I think we have technicians, I consider them all excellent photographers ... in Brazil I take a disadvantage due to the high cost of photography products .. due to the pandemic I take many photos at home, few outside and now we are in the time of municipal election in the cities. ..I also agree ... we have to encourage ourselves.
sorry for English

[Jose Decio Molaro]

I also believe that living in a country where English is not spoken ... pictures taken of products ... nothing in English ... influences the sale of these pictures. I believe. I can be wrong

[Brian Yarvin]

Some very interesting points Jose!

 

I don't think that the cost of the camera equipment is the problem in this case. Instead, it's the cost of production: models, stylists, and props are crucial for the first three items on GI's list. For the travel photographers, the cost of travel itself almost instantly renders travel photography unprofitable without regard to how much you've spent on camera equipment.

 

Command of English is an issue too. While products can be photographed in ways that don't show their branding but do show what they are, native English speakers are far ahead when it comes to keywords. At Alamy, excellent keywording is far more important for success than any expensive piece of camera gear. There may be a thousand ways to photograph an aspirin tablet, but those photos will have to be very well keyworded for customers to find them.

[Jose Decio Molaro]

I agree Brian, I have 10 to 20 megapixel cameras, I see no problem, as for English I have done very well, I have paid more attention to the key words and what they really mean.
Thanks for your help.

[John Morrison]

37 minutes ago, Jose Decio Molaro said:

as for English I have done very well, I have paid more attention to the key words and what they really mean.
 

 

There are still ways to tighten up keywords and captions. I'd add South America to all your location pix.

You can leave out "the photo shows"... "zoom photo", etc...

'Clock machinery' might become 'mechanism of pocket watch'.

'Ceramic mug'... usually called 'beer stein'... or maybe 'tankard'.

A plastic case for CDs is often called a 'jewel case' (though I'm not sure why!).

Check the white balance on still-life pix. Some are much too warm, almost sepia, while others have a blue cast (which makes food look unappetising)...

 

[Ed Rooney]

On 10/11/2020 at 19:23, Jose Decio Molaro said:

Good afternoon
What do buyers look for?
photos with the product centered or placed on the rule of thirds, or photos with negative space?
What is the best way to shoot?
Thanks

 

Jose, it seems to me that your question has to do with composition, the placement of the main subject in the frame. Usually, one piece of advise that is given by many Alamy contributors is: don't submit too many similar images. That's not your problem.

 

I think you should shoot all your tabletop and product pictures in all three compositions—centred, with space for text, and using the rule of thirds. That would be only three similars, and not that similar. 

 

There is some very good advice offered in this post. Let me add that I think your images are too flat. Punch up the contrast some. 

 

Stay safe, Edo

[Jose Decio Molaro]

4 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Jose, it seems to me that your question has to do with composition, the placement of the main subject in the frame. Usually, one piece of advise that is given by many Alamy contributors is: don't submit too many similar images. That's not your problem.

 

I think you should shoot all your tabletop and product pictures in all three compositions—centred, with space for text, and using the rule of thirds. That would be only three similars, and not that similar. 

 

There is some very good advice offered in this post. Let me add that I think your images are too flat. Punch up the contrast some. 

 

Stay safe, Edo

 

6 hours ago, John Morrison said:

 

There are still ways to tighten up keywords and captions. I'd add South America to all your location pix.

You can leave out "the photo shows"... "zoom photo", etc...

'Clock machinery' might become 'mechanism of pocket watch'.

'Ceramic mug'... usually called 'beer stein'... or maybe 'tankard'.

A plastic case for CDs is often called a 'jewel case' (though I'm not sure why!).

Check the white balance on still-life pix. Some are much too warm, almost sepia, while others have a blue cast (which makes food look unappetising)...

 

John,
I liked the advice, because as I am in Brazil the language barrier is often difficult, but I have tried to improve my understanding of the language.
I also agree about the white balance, I've been trying to improve
Thank you very much for the advice
 

[Jose Decio Molaro]

4 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Jose, it seems to me that your question has to do with composition, the placement of the main subject in the frame. Usually, one piece of advise that is given by many Alamy contributors is: don't submit too many similar images. That's not your problem.

 

I think you should shoot all your tabletop and product pictures in all three compositions—centred, with space for text, and using the rule of thirds. That would be only three similars, and not that similar. 

 

There is some very good advice offered in this post. Let me add that I think your images are too flat. Punch up the contrast some. 

 

Stay safe, Edo

Thanks Ed
I am changing the pattern of the photos, the composition and also the contrast, over time I will be able to better understand the behavior in the image bank, understanding buyers and the type of photos, I am new ... I learn.
thank you