Picture Potential
frog rocks
The above picture makes me happy. I think it makes other people happy, too. But if I hadn’t gone out that freezing day on December in Oregon, around a frozen lake, I would never have found these fun little rocks. These rocks make great article accompaniment fodder. Different angles have sold well in various color combinations. Cropping was the secret.
This type of image makes very good marketing to recycling or garden and home design project sites and companies. Their keywords would be garden, rocks, whimsy, landscape, projects, recycling, backyard.
One of the elements of taking pictures for micro sales and resales online was my feelings of insecurity. Look at all those people online taking amazing pictures. How could I ever be as good as that? Then after a few months I realized I was getting as good as some of those shots the professionals were submitting.
How do you take better pictures? With practice, of course. it’s frightening how efficient, even bloodthirsty a micro photographer can be with the right success drivers. I soon began walking down the street with one hand in my camera pocket, even in 30 degree weather. Great picture taking is all about the opportunity.
I soon realized many of my article submissions online got offers immediately when there was a topically suitable photo attached. This was where the market was going, I realized. And then I started learning lessons about what set of circumstances began a great picture. What types of compositions made sense in the editing light box.
Pictures like the one above underscore the need for flexibility in the photographer’s approach. Test yourself and challenge your tried methods. Turn around that unwalked corner and see what’s behind the hedge. You might be three or four footsteps away from an outstanding contribution to your microstock portfolio.
Start measuring usable shots by how much time you spend preparing. keep a notebook or mental checklist of paths, streets or locations you want to spend some time taking pictures of. Your mind will automatically lend itself to areas where your strength are. It will project a successful group of shots instinctively, with practice.
Taking shots like this spurred a huge increase in the ability I developed to write online copy for home design sites and landscaping articles. With references like the above photo, there was always a lot of great inspiration in my micro stock image files.
