Micro Spec
 
The above image is a practice test for the Reader’s Digest photo contest. I figure Easter themes and lilies can’t go wrong.
I just registered at a name brand camera forum online and found the section of the forum I really wanted. The photos wanted section has threads for people to post what specific stock photos they want. This is the classified section for help wanted. Maybe they don’t have the time to trawl the micro stock sites for exactly what they want. Maybe they want similar suites of shots.
I joined the Canon photo forum. Lots of great member feedback and critiques of photography. This can make a great photographer out of a part time hobbyist. Lots of tips on how to get the great shot. This site has people looking for services like making a landscape or working with Flash. There are lots of categories about what kinds of photos you can take and how to improve images. It looks like resourceful people have bypassed the micro stock sites.
Normally doing business online and spec work are a risky combination. But what if you happened to have all models of Porsche in image files, with the rights watertight? What if you have images of Times Square? You could be collecting $200 and passing “Go” in the great game of Microstock-opoly right now. The “Wanted” section asks for states and wedding specific photography.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Webmasters are looking for help with their images and want files for their websites. They don’t always work well with the layout of micro stock sites but are willing to pay for low cost legal images. Finding the ones willing to negotiate directly for the images they want is tricky. But if you have a gallery ready and a link for your signature, you could get some real stock photo customers.
But a site like the Canon Photography Forum has gear for sale and to buy as well. It’s great commmunity resource for an amateur who has few people to talk to about the camera hobby. I like this section about camera straps and memory storage. Critiques and advice don’t always come easy. Getting them while you can can improve the portfolio makes future commissions assured.
Someone looking for a wedding photographer will feel more comfortable hiring someone with a decent set of wedding and other photographs easily available for review. Great opportunities can happen with some good integration of the stockblog.net advice and gallery and editing effort.
