Involved to Live News, Reportage or archieval

[rose22]

Is it important to get involve to live news, reportage or archieval? Because i am not having any sale i am wondering should i get involve to this to get sale or more sales?

[IanDavidson]

You need many more images before you are going to see sales.  My view is that your images are less likely to find buyers on Alamy as there are few with “people doing things”.  Alamy is still, largely an editorial agency.  Look at the topics on images sold and images found to see what sells.

 

I have not checked your captions or keywords.

Edited February 11, 2023 by IanDavidson

[Steve F]

5 hours ago, rose22 said:

Is it important to get involve to live news, reportage or archieval? Because i am not having any sale i am wondering should i get involve to this to get sale or more sales?

 

Hi Rose (Ana?)

You haven't asked for a Portfolio review:

https://discussion.alamy.com/forum/18-portfolio-critique/

 

but you keep asking how to get more sales. The majority of contributors on Alamy will not be submitting live news, reportage or Archival and they are still making sales. Yes, you could make more sales doing live news, but it's a lot of hard work, your costs may likely not be covered and you may need some practice too.

 

My first suggestion, have a detailed look at the portfolio critiques of other contributors - the same 'problems' tend to come up over and over again.

 

Secondly, keep a look out for stock photos (images are generally credited, you should know the names of major stock agencies). Stock images are published on websites, newspaper articles (in print and online), books, travel books, magazines... How do your images compare to stock images that you see published (i.e. the successful ones)? Choice of subject matter, lighting, framing and composition, angle of shooting etc...?

 

Thirdly, shoot more images, 823 is still quite a small collection.

 

Fourthly, be more commercial about what you shoot. Don't get me wrong, I still shoot images sometimes and upload things that I like, but won't necessarily sell, but generally I'm quite ruthless - if I can't see something selling, I don't stick it up. For example, your images of moss on concrete - what purpose can you imagine a client using these for? Perhaps if you showed a driveway covered in moss, it might be used for e.g. advertising moss remover. But your moss images have no context, I really can't see them selling.

 

5 - your captions and keywords need work, see the portfolio critiques. See also:

https://www.alamy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captions-and-Tags-checklist.pdf

https://www.alamy.com/blog/tips-for-your-captions-from-the-sales-team

https://www.alamy.com/blog/captions-and-tags

 

6. also need to review the lighting and white balance of some images, having some wonky (not vertical/horizontal) horizons/views that are not deliberate, the underexposure of some images.

 

I hope this helps. Please take this in a positive light - we have all improved since we started out in stock/photography.

Steve

 

p.s. I agree with Ian, you need more people in your images.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Steve F

[Rebecca Ore]

For news, you'd need to provide clips (scans of clips) to prove that you have news experience.  

 

You have a large number of similar photos on the first page.   Photos just of a record album or DVD box are problematic since the cover art is copy protected.  In context, with some props is better.  Best practice is one vertical and one horizontal of the best photos of a subject.   Series of actions need to have a note in Additional Information about the other photos in the sequence.   Nobody is going to see all your photos of a subject on the first page of a search.  They may see your worst first and pick some other photo to license if your other similar photos are beyond the first or second page of searches.

 

The people who have regular licenses from small portfolios are long time experienced photographers who have gotten to some exotic locations and took hard to take photos of active animals or people. 

 

You have to be ruthless about what you're sending to Alamy.   Photos have to present well in thumbnails, have to be illustrating something instantly recognizable, and can't be in breach of someone else's copyright. 

 

News is even harder.  You have to be physically active, know the players, know what the cops in the area will and won't tolerate, and have an eye for striking images happening quite fast.  You said in the past that you had physical limitations.   Have you ever published a news photo in a local weekly?

 

 

 

 

[NYCat]

I am sorry to say that stock photography is not a good way to make money these days. I do better than most but at the end of a year I only have enough money for one month of rent and utilities. I make money caring for cats and from savings and pensions. I took some amazing trips to take wildlife photos but they were very expensive and I don't expect to make that money back. I did it for the experiences. Photography for me is for fun. The bit of money is nice and I like seeing my photos in books with wildlife photographers I admire. Even the famous ones need to teach and lead tours to make a living. Do what you enjoy.

 

Paulette