Hanna_Fate Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 (edited) I've been doing stock for a long time, but it never hurts to get a reality check from time to time. What do you think? https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/darlahallmark Edited June 7, 2021 by Hanna_Fate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 (edited) Hi Hanna (Darla?) Not going to comment on your vectors because I'm completely ignorant of this branch of stock photography. Just briefly (to get the ball rolling maybe!): A lot of your stock pictures are underexposed: Your captions are far too short, e.g.: overflowing with jelly beans - Image ID: 2F772YF This does not really describe what the picture is showing. View of the Grand Tetons from the wilderness, with painterly effect- Image ID: 2F4PHCW Tetons which country, which state? What is the picture actually showing? Trees, mountain? Etc.... https://www.alamy.com/contributor/how-to-sell-images/captions-and-keywords-for-images/?section=8 "Before you start, think about the potential use of the image and what it’s likely to be sold for, the more accurately you describe your image, the more visibility it will have in customer searches, which will significantly increase your chance of making a sale." Steve p.s. a question. Do you ever sell the digitally manipulated pictures with a 'painterly effect' on Alamy? Seems it would be more suited to a personal or fine art website. I never see stock images like this published (but maybe I'm not looking in the right places!) Edited June 10, 2021 by Steve F 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimba Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 I agree with Steve. I'm in the US and it took me awhile to get that Alamy is a global company and sometimes people on the other side of the world need all the details, especially the location, in the caption to make sure they have the right photo for their picture needs. I've worked as a travel guidebook editor and the more detail in the captions for a place I've never been, or hadn't been to lately, made all of the difference. I think we at first think that the caption will be printed with the image, but that is generally not the case. The caption is more for the photo editor who wants to make sure they have the correct one. I randomly looked at the pottery barn photo and I would think that your first two keywords would be "kiln, abandoned kiln" and even though it is abandoned and "creepy", if the image was edited, it could be used as an editorial image of a kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffK Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Hi Your images and captions are mostly very typical MS, they will have limited appeal here. You are not dealing with an agency that is primarily design(er) clients, Alamy is mainly editorial stock so pictures typically need to illustrate something they would want to use in their media e.g a newspaper or book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 On 29/05/2021 at 10:03, Hanna_Fate said: I've been doing stock for a long time, but it never hurts to get a reality check from time to time. What do you think? https://www.alamy.com/portfolio/darlahallmark In my opinion, Lame. Looked at the first page and did not want to see more. Keep in mind that I am not a "stock" photographer, Not meant to be insulting, just a direct answer to your direct question. Chuck 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvallee Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 This is an MS portfolio, not editorial. Wrong market. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanna_Fate Posted June 11, 2021 Author Share Posted June 11, 2021 20 hours ago, kimba said: I agree with Steve. I'm in the US and it took me awhile to get that Alamy is a global company and sometimes people on the other side of the world need all the details, especially the location, in the caption to make sure they have the right photo for their picture needs. Good point, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimba Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 What does MS stand for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 6 minutes ago, kimba said: What does MS stand for? Microstock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimba Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 Thanks Steve - uppercase M and uppercase S confused me and I couldn't think of two words they would stand for. I get it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 27 minutes ago, kimba said: Thanks Steve - uppercase M and uppercase S confused me and I couldn't think of two words they would stand for. I get it now. NP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FocusUno Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 Graphics, can't advsie. As to photos: Some like that borderline HDR look that makes viewers wonder, "is it HDR or is it real it looks real, yet..." try this if you dare: in ACR or similar: a. exposure slider add +0.8 to some dark images b. contrast slider to +60 c. highlights slider to -80 d. shadows slider to +80 e. texture slider to +40 f. vibrance slider to +40 g. saturation slider to 0 some don't want viewers thinking "its a flash photo" so they use fill flash with a light touch some don't want viewers thinking "its an HDR photo" so they use sliders with a light touch 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 Hanna, Like Steve, I don't know nothin' about vectors. Unlike my pal, Steve, I see that some of your pics are effectively underexposed . . . and some are just underexposed. I think you have a good eye but you're a bit lazy when doing tags and caps. One nice snap you have says "bronze statute bla bla." We need to know who that statue represents. Or don't upload it. Stay with it. Edo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 IMHO. The best way to judge your portfolio is by sales, nothing else matters. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 13 minutes ago, BobD said: IMHO. The best way to judge your portfolio is by sales, nothing else matters. I agree with the first part of that comment . . . but "nothing else matters"? You can't be serious. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted September 21, 2021 Share Posted September 21, 2021 20 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said: I agree with the first part of that comment . . . but "nothing else matters"? You can't be serious. I meant by that the content of the image, if someone is prepared to pay for it then nothing else matters. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colblimp Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 On 21/09/2021 at 16:50, BobD said: I meant by that the content of the image, if someone is prepared to pay for it then nothing else matters. You've hit the nail on the head. That's exactly it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanderingemu Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 On 21/09/2021 at 12:50, BobD said: I meant by that the content of the image, if someone is prepared to pay for it then nothing else matters. i think one other thing matters, Is your representative/agent charging them what they are prepared to pay? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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