10 tips from a successful stock photographer

Cristian Negroni is a professional microstock photographer from Milan. He prefers to shoot in the genre of lifestyle, street photography and travel, but he constantly experiments in different directions. Christian successfully sells his work through the 500px Prime store. He compiled a list of tips in which he listed what needs to be done and what photographers who want to sell their pictures should avoid. We hope that the personal experience of Christian Negroni will be useful for you. Check full list at the MasterBundles 1. Restrain your inner artist. Photography is an art, but if you want to create a stock photo, sometimes you have to make a choice in favor of commercial expediency. I will try to explain better: many photographers like to shoot beautiful women lying in fashion poses. It helps them to feel like real artists. But in stock photography this does not work. Better choose your lifestyle and everyday life scenes. The image should have several options for commercial use. Fashion photography in this sense is very limited. 2. Become a mirror. The mirror is not attached to anything, but does not repel anything. Retain flexibility in photography. Do not be limited to a single photo genre. Different types of images will attract different customers and increase the chances of commercial success of your images. 3. Be simple. In stock photography, simplicity is a key factor. Do not include distractions in the frame; go straight to the main message. Choose a simple background and frame the subject. 4. Think like a buyer. Try to imagine why a client should buy exactly your photos. 5. Take care of the technical side of the frame. Focusing should be direct and 100% accurate, avoid harsh shadows, including backgrounds. 6. Try different angles and angles. When you duplicate pictures that are already on the market, then the chances of selling them are few. But if you capture a familiar object from different points of view, you can present an interesting fresh look. 7. Learn to make high-quality post-processing of images. Being a good photographer is not enough. If you want to strengthen your position in the stock photography market, you need to master the wisdom of computer processing. 8. Choose light / bright colors instead of dark ones. Commercial photos most often have to carry a positive message. 9. The main thing - the idea. Do not remove everything that you see around, it is meaningless. Try to display only the best concepts on the market. With great attention to your photo shoots. Think over every detail, select a model, plan a place, props, a list of concepts that you want to develop. 10. Be humble. Do not convince yourself that your photo is good if it is not. Try to maintain objectivity. This is the only way to improve your skills. Also, check article about 8 Steps How to Become UI/UX Designer: Ultimate Guide 2019