newbie questions: editing, portfolio diversity

[Anna Yearwood]

I'm just getting started and trying to build up my portfolio using both new and old pictures. So far I haven't had any problems with QC, but it seems to take forever for me to choose, edit and upload pictures. How much time do you spend editing photos? Do you find it necessary to edit all of your photos? Is it better to include all photos from a particular shoot or just a few of the best ones? Do you specialize in one area or have a diverse array of subjects? 

[Chuck Nacke]

By editing I assume that you mean correcting, spotting and captioning?

I come from a time when editing was selecting.  My record for working

on a single images was over 100 hours on one image, but it was shot

on a 2.1 MP Kodak / Nikon DSLR at 1600 ISO and that images has

licensed every month since it has been available on Alamy.

 

I spend a lot of time selecting, spotting (usually scans from chromes)

and researching captions and keywords, that is why I have such a

small number of images online.

[John Mitchell]

I always try to choose the best images from a series rather than upload everything. It will help your CTR. Also, Alamy is already flooded with similars.

 

I have two pseudonyms, one for fairly specialized images and another one for more general subjects. However, I think that either approach -- specialization or diversity -- can work.

 

Good luck.

[Joseph Clemson]

I shoot a diverse range of subjects, depending on where I am and what the weather is like for the most part. I submit the best one or two of any given subject. I would never consider  submitting everything in a shoot as it simply dilutes the search and harms my CTR. As to editing, researching the subject, keywording and captioning, I count myself as doing well if I get more than ten decent images completed in a working day.

[Bryan]

Not every subject suits it, but try to include at least a landscape and portrait shot.

 

Different sectors of the market require different types of image so some variety is normally a good thing. Opinions differ on this one. I tend to favour the more the merrier, but try to avoid uploading very similar shots. While generally the best selling shots are punchy images taken in good light, some customers do buy photos taken in overcast conditions - maybe to reflect the prevailing weather patterns. I have noticed that one of the best selling shots on Alamy was taken on an overcast day, while there are hundreds of very similar images taken in better light; but maybe the exception proves the rule?

 

My first stage of editing is in camera.  I delete anything that has an obvious defect, i.e. is unsharp or has a poor exposure. Next I cull images that are very similar in Lightroom. It can save loads of post processing time if you are selective at the shooting stage. Otherwise procrastination becomes a thief of time.

 

I edit, as in using Photoshop, every shot that I intend to upload. I probably spend at least 10 minutes on each one, some considerably longer. The only exception might be for Live News where time may be of the essence.

[spacecadet]

I spend very little time in processing because the returns do not justify it. Unless you have a  specialist collection such as Chuck's, diversity is your main hope of regular sales. But you should not expect that until you have thousands of images.

In percentages, maybe about 1 in 5 or 6 gets here. But I'm still quite selective when photographing.

As Bryan says, a landscape and a portrait. But 80% of my licences are landscape.

[Doc]

Hi Anna,

 

1. Editing - I also use the word editing to mean deciding which images from a shoot I will upload to Alamy - Dont send them all - good advice from above - send your best, and advise a portrait, landscape of each best shot.

 

2. Processing - prob about an average of 10-15 mins per uploaded image

 

3. My area I "specialise in" is probably travel as thats where my interest lies, but my collection is quite diverse, -  diversification is the route to regular sales on Alamy (as is good keywording, good STOCK photos and large numbers of images!)

 

Good luck!

 

Kumar

[Allan Bell]

Do you specialize in one area or have a diverse array of subjects?

Especially wildlife, plants, environment, travel and World War One but some totally different subjects as well. "The more lines in the water, the more fish you'll catch".

 

Cheers,

Philippe

 

 

Can I borrow your Tardis please Philippe I would like to go back and record the Napoleonic wars.  

 

Allan

[Zigzagmtart]

I'm just getting started and trying to build up my portfolio using both new and old pictures. So far I haven't had any problems with QC, but it seems to take forever for me to choose, edit and upload pictures. How much time do you spend editing photos? Do you find it necessary to edit all of your photos? Is it better to include all photos from a particular shoot or just a few of the best ones? Do you specialize in one area or have a diverse array of subjects? 

1) Editing (as in spotting, cropping, exposure etc) perhaps 3 - 5 minutes per image, but sometimes 20 minutes or longer, though I think these days it had better be a very special image to justify that much time.

 

2) Editing all images?  Yes, anything that gets submitted anyway.  Shoot in RAW and develop on the computer is my workflow.  I know others shoot in jpeg and may need less processing but anything shot in RAW requires 'editing'.  You need to check for dust spots even if you do nothing else.  Very disappointing to have a wonderful image down checked for a silly dust spot I forgot to check for.

 

3) All photos? I think I read somewhere Alamy recommends 5 from a shoot.  I do not remember where I read that though so it might be wrong.  However, uploading a bunch of similars is wasting your time and will almost certainly hurt your CTR.  If I cannot tell 2 images apart looking at a small thumbnail then they are similar and one gets the boot.  I don't hold to the 5 image rule but I do try hard to make every shot unique.  If I have portrait and horizontal shots I'll send both of those.  And I do try to shoot both when I think of it.  If I've shoot an area and there is enough subjects I might have 25 - 30 finished images from perhaps 500 that I took.  The rest get deleted.

[Allan Bell]

 

 

3) All photos? I think I read somewhere Alamy recommends 5 from a shoot.  I do not remember where I read that though so it might be wrong.  However, uploading a bunch of similars is wasting your time and will almost certainly hurt your CTR.  If I cannot tell 2 images apart looking at a small thumbnail then they are similar and one gets the boot.  I don't hold to the 5 image rule but I do try hard to make every shot unique.  If I have portrait and horizontal shots I'll send both of those.  And I do try to shoot both when I think of it.  If I've shoot an area and there is enough subjects I might have 25 - 30 finished images from perhaps 500 that I took.  The rest get deleted.

 

 

 

The 5 from a shoot refers to "Not more than 5 similars."

 

Allan

[spacecadet]

 

3) All photos? I think I read somewhere Alamy recommends 5 from a shoot.  I do not remember where I read that though so it might be wrong.  However, uploading a bunch of similars is wasting your time and will almost certainly hurt your CTR.  If I cannot tell 2 images apart looking at a small thumbnail then they are similar and one gets the boot.  I don't hold to the 5 image rule but I do try hard to make every shot unique.  If I have portrait and horizontal shots I'll send both of those.  And I do try to shoot both when I think of it.  If I've shoot an area and there is enough subjects I might have 25 - 30 finished images from perhaps 500 that I took.  The rest get deleted.

 

Yes, similars means of a particular shot, not from the whole shoot. Although it's not very rigorously enforced, if at all.

Deleted? Not permanently, no. I keep everythign digital but as I said earlier I think I probably  take a lot fewer pix than many. 200 a day on a first-time trip is quite a lot for me. I've never thrown away a neg or slide either.