Critique Wanted

[Paul Swinney]

Hello,

 

I've been a long time contributor to Alamy, and while I've had some limited success through the live news option, I've sold very little through the more traditional route and my CTR is 0.3. 

 

I've pulled together a couple of sub portfolios to highlight what I think are my best photos. I'd really appreciate some advice.

 

https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/paulswinneytravel

 

Thank you!

 

[Steve F]

Hi Paul,

No need to provide a link to your portfolio, we can see your images by clicking on the blue number under your name. Glad you're having success with live news. As you can see for your portfolio, you have quite a low CTR compared to the Alamy average (I'm assuming you understand about CTR, there's a lot of posts explaining it).

 

I think the number one thing I would say is keep a look out in magazines, books, newspapers (if you have an online newspaper on your phone, or go on the newspaper website, every article has a photo at the head, normally a stock picture), websites etc. for stock photos. The image credits will say if the photo is from a stock agency. These are the ones that sell. Compare with the pictures that you are producing.

 

A lot of your pictures look underexposed and quite over-processed. Is this a look that clients are looking for??

 

I can't remember seeing photos with such hard edged vignettes published and you've got them on a lot of your pictures. A client can easily apply a vignette themselves; if they don't want a vignette, they can't easily remove it. I very occasionally use vignettes, but very subtly, it is a bit of a gimmick tbh.

 

An example of an underexposed picture. Are you editing using software? If so, have a look at the histogram position - it will be peaking towards the left on a lot of your pictures.

 

This almost looks like you've applied an Instagram filter. How often do you see stock photos published with this kind of editing? Again, you're blocking a client from using this picture if they want the subject, but not the editing that you've applied.

 

Underexposed and the shadows need lifting, they're too dark.

 

 

The black and white images are very arty. This style looks like it might be more appropriate for a personal website - it's got very high contrast and it looks like you're doing long exposures so the sky is blurred. Again, not a style of picture that you often see published as a stock picture.

 

I hope this helps.

Steve

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by Steve F

[GeoffK]

..

Edited May 17, 2021 by GeoffK

[geogphotos]

I like a lot of the images but my feeling ( for what it is worth) is that you need to think about the balance between photography and stock photography.

 

There are images with everything at work creating drama when the subject matter probably doesn't call for it. I can only speak about my experiences but based on that most Alamy clients are looking for something that is essentially illustrative. Now, I am not saying that such images are simple or straightforward because they have to be well composed, properly exposed, and so on, because there is enormous competition - but on most occasions they are not award winning as photographs they just do their job as stock images. 

 

It may sound trite - if so forgive me but since you asked - I'd recommend less thought about photography and more thinking about stock. But that may not be what you want to do with your photography. 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by geogphotos

[meanderingemu]

in addition to the above, your CTR being low, i wondered about  your caption and KW describe what the image illustrates.

 

One example:

  

 

"THenumber 19 painted on a house in a Village in southern Bulgaria "

 

I doubt anyone looking for Bulgaria, or house or village would be looking at this image. Also with the type people won't find it searching for "number" (this would at least been alleviated had you used it as a KW)

 

To me this is a "Street address number 19 (nineteen) painted on a textured cement wall with cracks and peeling paint"

 

and most of these should be as KW, adding things like "numeral, texture, concrete, decay, old, rustic" etc.  

 

 

You also seem to have plenty of Live News which have Stock appeal, but with no update in caption nor KW.

 

  

 

 

This is at minimum "England, Sunrise, Morning, Winter, cycling, bicycle, cyclist, urban, city centre, commute, transport, sunburst"

[Paul Swinney]

Thanks all, that's incredibly helpful!

[kimba]

On 28/04/2021 at 10:19, geogphotos said:

It may sound trite - if so forgive me but since you asked - I'd recommend less thought about photography and more thinking about stock. But that may not be what you want to do with your photography. 

 

 

 

I agree here. And to take it a little further, I would say to think of stock photography as more "point and shoot", still composing the images - especially when it comes to travel - but not adding the drama. Most editorial stock is used for illustrations, to illustrate a story or a listicle. You can keep adding your dramatic images to your stock portfolio, but they may sell better from your own web site as prints.