Microstock texture
Getting texture shots in a microstock micromarket. The time spent composing the shot and arranging the elements can pay off. Texture can be a tight focus that attracts readers to read the text the image is placed next to. This makes texture shots a potential sales market for your microstock portfolio pictures.
Don’t forget, every detail of the shots and images you load into your online microstock portfolio and picture gallery is what potential buyers see.
The visual component of a texture shot is very detailed. Out of focus areas and blurs have to be sharpened or the shot is unacceptable to submit. If you can render images that are completely clear, centrally focused or accountably composed, and feature color or perspective interest, the images will create microstock buyer interest.
Taking shots for texture can be implanted into your daily or weekly photography “grabs”, or just a few around the house experiments can yield valuable technique hints. Lab or studio experiments should alternate depth of field detail, bright color, subtlety, shadow introduction, and contrast studies.
Look for things with tactile appeal which may transfer to the visual medium. Bumps, patterns, ridges, variations in levels or surface create shadows and enhance play of light. Photographers have done things like sand wood or cut vegetables to enhance the look inside a image.
Become accustomed to seeing what in the real looks flat or interesting but renders well and becomes a stunning shot after cropping and finishing inside a digital manipulation program.
Repetitive experience taking pictures and activity cropping images for microstock submission will fine tune your photographer’s instinct. Developing your eye will save a lot of time reviewing “snapshot” quality images. Look for the money shots. Time and experience editing and processing digital images will teach you what these are.
How much time will you have to tweak these images? This will probably depend on the potential value of the shots. Rare flowers, unique vistas, and rare weather or light conditions can be valuable.
A good microstock photographer will also need experience seeing what raw photo product gets translated into final image detail. Keeping the shine or unique effect may take layered editing photo techniques inside multiple applications. Use contrasting textures in microstock, like shiny satin ribbons over flat matte surface boiled eggs.
Getting a small amount of these shots into your online portfolio can develop a on the fence buyer into a employeer looking to hire you for a commission job. Demonstrating range and variable image dynamic skill is always a great sales tool.
