How do you start contributing?

disclose any usage details while obtaining the media. It also allows you to include the media while desiging products for resale, subject to distribution size limitations. Some agencies offer an RF Extended license, which increases these size limitations for an additional fee. The simple licensing terms, higher volume of sales and comparatively low price make RF the most popular licensing method.

Rights Managed

Rights Managed (RM) imposes certain restrictions in the usage of the licensed media. The buyer needs to specify in advance how the media will be used. The media is licensed for single use. So the user has to pay additional fees every time the media is used. Price depends on the use and is significantly higher than RF. This is an exclusive license, which means that no one else can license the media at the same time.

Stock Agencies

There are various microstock agencies that accept work from photographers. The popular ones that deal in RF images include Shutterstock, iStock, 500px and Adobe Stock among others. Large agencies like Getty Images work with RM licenses in addition to RF images. 500Px has a licensing collaboration with Getty Images and if you are lucky, you have a chance to get listed by Getty on their website.

As a contributor, you can choose between

May 2020 three types of contracts — being exclusive, image exclusive or nonexclusive. If you sign up to be an exclusive contributor, the agency will be your sole marketing partner. You won’t be able to sell your work on any other agency. Image exclusive means you cannot sell the same images on another platform. In a nonexclusive contract, you can contribute to as many agencies as you want. Need we say that the contributor fees also reduces accordingly? Please go through the detailed terms and conditions before signing the contract.

Stock photography agencies have very stringent standards for image capture and post-processing. The first step is to submit a sample of images for evaluation. If the agency finds it worth accepting, you will receive a notification and you can start contributing. But the fact that you have been accepted as a contributor does not guarantee that all your images will be accepted by the agency. Each submission goes through careful evaluation and most agencies allow you to re-submit the image after making the suggested corrections. Of course there are other requirements such as linking your bank account, filling and submitting tax forms, uploading proofs for taxation etc.

Image Requirements

Every stock agency has their own quality standards for image submission. However, there are a few common requirements that can be applied across the agencies.

Image Resolution

Some agencies do not accept images from mobile phones, compact cameras and certain old D-SLRs with low megapixel ratings while there are others that accept even smartphone images. All agencies specify a minimum resolution for your images; so keep this in mind while cropping the images. Again, most agencies do not allow enlarging (interpolating) the images to fit the specifications.

Exposure

Make sure that your images are properly exposed. Ensure that highlights are not burnt and shadow details are not lost.

Post-processing

All stock agencies expect you to properly post-process your images. Hence it is very important to learn proper image processing and editing. You can use any image editing software, but make sure that you view the image at 200% while processing it and check every small nook and corner of the image for detail, sharpness, noise and artefacts. Make sure that any local editing does not leave obvious marks in the image due to the brush being too hard or not feathering selections properly. You can create multiple versions of the same image if you feel that it would justify a separate submission, for example, one colour and one black and white version.

Noise

Stock agencies do not accept noisy images. Hence if you are shooting for stock, make sure that you do not set too high an ISO sensitivity so that noise is kept to a minimum. You can use a noisereduction software such as Topaz Denoise or Adobe Photoshop to reduce some noise, but make sure that you do not over-do any such editing. For example, too much noise reduction can make the image soft, without any detail. Learn to distinguish between noise and texture in an image and to correctly judge the optimum level of noise for each section of the image, especially the shadows.

Model and Property releases

If you shoot portraits or capture images with identifiable people in the frame, you have to include appropriate model releases along with each image. Similarly, if you are submitting your images for commercial licensing, you need to include property release if you shoot someone’s property. For editorial license, these are not necessary, but it is always better to have these licenses handy.

Tricks of the Trade Images that Sell

If you are a landscape, nature or wildlife photographer, chances are that you will not make much money in stock. This is because these are quite common and your images are vying for attention among millions of such images. A few types of images that are in high demand include portraits, group shots depicting a situation or a business, workplace and industrial images, services and transport etc. If you are seriously into stock photography, be ready to go out with your equipment and capture any new situation, trend or occasion on camera. Some times you will be surprised to find that an image that is not one of your favourites making it to the top of sales chart for you. Agencies periodically publish a list of images that are trending and high on demand. Subscribe to their contributor newsletters to find out more.

Keywords

This is probably the most important skill you need to learn in stock photography. Keywords are those words that people are likely to search to arrive at your image. Make sure that you use as many relevant keywords as possible in the keywork field during submission. Most stock agencies provide keyword suggestions while you upload the images. Pick only the ones that are relevant to your image. For example, if your image is that of a sunset on a beach, the keywords can include words and phrases such as beach, sea, sky, clouds, sun, sunset, sunset on beach, orange sky, yellow sun, waves, setting sun etc. Always remember that the keywords help buyers navigate to your image. If you misguide them, you may not be able to sell your images.

Getting into stock photography involves lot of hard work. Being stuck in home under lock-down provides the best incentive for working on those images that have been dumped and forgotten. Spend this Covid19-related lockdown period and the subsequent lull to prepare your images for stock and read up on the terms and conditions of various agencies.

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May 2020