Don’t Be Left Hanging
Don't be Left Hanging
Sometimes a humorous shot just begs to have its image revealed to the world.
I caught this shot chasing after the elusive Oregonian sun on a winter day in 2008. This winter lately was really harsh, the sun from any angle got to be a rarity. But in the context of the picture the sun looks like Santa has gotten himself into a pickle and after the sun has risen to showcase the night’s failed reindeer sleigh drive.
Keeping a sense of humor while on photo walkabout can make a great photo opportunity happen. This kind of shot showcases to the most gravelly portfolio reviewer the potential for humor. Santa’s red uniform makes him the target and subject of the picture’s punchline at once.
This shot looks real, because it is real. It’s a candid shot, which makes it all the more remarkable. The qualifying keywords for this image would be Christmas, exterior, Santa, humor, and landscape. But the searchable result would probably never reveal this picture to an editor seeking microstock source images. Hence the challenge to tag photos appropriately.
When one has compiled a portfolio of serious shots and straightforward pictures, a shot like this breaks the tension. Santa Claus is a universal emblem, but any religion can enjoy this photo. It also makes fantastic Christmas card, signature for a banner forum or discussion member.
Working toward the highest and best possible finished product in photography is the most rewarding creative merit one can achieve. The pursuit of a microstock career will only be enhanced by developing an eye for these photo opportunities.
A website at its best if a frame for the format and composition of text and to a large part ads. but a simple picture like this becomes very fresh, and very emailable. This is exactly the type of focus and activity webmasters hope to generate. When compiling a microstock portfolio, it’s important to allow random chance shots into the roll.
The reaction I got to one of my editors was that this photo was common, but whenever I placed it into a website avatar, I got a lot of direct email and online comments. This underscores a basic tenet of proofing and photo selection for final website and microstock submission. Don’t listen to any one taste. Submit a broad range of images and see where your audience at which website lies.
This post has one comment
March 8th, 2009
What an awesome and hilarious photo. I love things with a tongue-in-cheek quality. One of the things I really like about microstock is your point that you’re not beholden to an individual’s taste. Submit and see what sells.
Great post.
Rahul