|
The Mysterious Powerful Element of a Picture That Sells
A photo buyer calls for a picture of pigs. It could be about anything. A hundred responses go online and one lucky so-and-so gets the sale. That's 99 pictures deemed to be second, and that's no good in any race. So, what is it about that winning picture that produced a sale? It may good lighting, it may be striking content... but hey, all the pictures submitted were about the same topic, so eliminate that one. Let's face it, there could be a million reasons for the selection of that winner, but there isn't!! The winning shot is unusual. It's different from the rest. It's got something the others just don't have. It's got oomph. It's got pizzazz. Call it what you will' it's got that winning streak that just knocks spots of the competition. It has? Well what the heck is it? Tell me, and we'll bottle it. It might be stunning exposure. Well it might. That certainly helps. In fact, exposure IS a factor, it must be spot on. However, that's not the killer factor. Picture researchers, editors and publishers don't set out to look for stunning exposures. No. That's not it. There is something else, an elusive factor that underpins every sellable photo. It's not something you can find by playing blind man's bluff either. If you want to sell photos You have to recognize it, pursue it, capture it, master it and make it work for you. It there for all to see in practically every photo that sells and yet most people and even many photographers just don't see it. How can something so obvious be invisible to a creative eye? It's a mystery. I don't understand it. When I look at the range of submissions for any photo request, my heart sinks. Most photos betray a complete absence of this elusive essential quality. They are duff! Shots taken so far away from the subject that life-size objects are mere pimples. Boring views that have 5% coverage of the intended and desired theme. Constant repetition of the same unimaginative angle. Yes, you've guessed it. I'm talking about composition. If you want to sell photos, for pity's sake THINK about what you shoot. The first angle of view MAY be the best one, but I doubt it. The old gunfighter adage ..no matter how fast your are...seems to apply to photography also. Stalk around your intended subject, look at it from all angles, make mental photos before committing one to film or digital memory, as the case may be. Don't TAKE pictures MAKE them. Fill the screen with powerful compelling artwork. Look for interesting shapes, textures, colours in the most fascinating combination possible, given the lighting conditions and your time constraints. How you compose your photo says everything about you, so train your eye and mind to maximise your artistic ability. When you shoot in pursuit of beauty, you fulfil yourself. When called upon to make pictures of mundane everyday scenes, you will bring a eagle eye to scour the most pleasing elements of vision and combine them in a most powerful way. You will always be an unpredictable photographer who can capture unusual shots. Shed the snakeskin of normality and kick out the usual suspects in favour of the racy, the dangerous, the exciting and discover how to enjoy your using your camera, finding the unusual angles and great whacking compositions that draw photo-buyers to you like flies to a honey pot. You just can't achieve that by shooting the same stuff as the average Joe. Be a special Joe! Be successful and you'll sell your photos with ease. About The Author One of a series of articles by Robert Hartness, successful freelance and author of an hot-linked, flip-over, e-book, published on the web in October 2004. It offers a step-by-step guide to those on the threshold of freelance photography and is illustrated with 40+ published photographs. Acclaimed as a great reference source for serious freelancers. More information and order link - http://www.cashfromyourcamera.com
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Infrared Photography and Big City Crime One of the major problems of the larger cities of the word these days is crime. It appears that the larger the city the more-acceptable serious crime seems to be. If not because to the proliferation of serious crime then because the mindset of its citizens have been conditioned to accept the serious behaviour of a minority of its inhabitants. African Safari Photography Best Five Destinations Good wildlife safari photography is not only about composition and camera equipment because you first need to find your subjects before you can even lift your camera. This best five African wildlife destinations list helps you do that. Start Your Own Photography Business from Home Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills can set up a home business, marketing photography. You need only to convert a room of your house into an office, and then you can work immediately. Christmas Rush this Holiday Season to go to Digital Photography So you have rushed out into the malls in a mad panic for this christmas holiday and are going to purchase a electronic item on Credit think again. Consumers are paying again through the nose agin this year 1.5 billion in sales up from last year and sure to gain ground next year again. Landscape Photography - Capture the Beauty That is All Around There are many different types of photography. You can take pictures of anything and there is someone out there somewhere who would like to see the pictures that you take. So, photography is a great field to get into. Help! My Old Colour Photo has Turned Pink ? 5 Minute Digital Fix Almost all of us will have seen this particular photographic problem, namely, your old colour photographs appear to have taken on an overall pink or blue tint. Traveling to Europe with Your Digital Camera? The Vacation Season is fast approaching and naturally you will be taking your digital camera along for the journey. After all your vacations are far and few between and it is nice to look back on those memories as you slave away at your job. However, when you travel with a digital camera, it is a completely different experience from that of traveling with a film camera. This is a lesson that far too many travelers seem to be learning the hard way, especially if you're traveling to Europe. After a couples years of relying solely on digital camera for taking photos when I travel, there are things you should consider before you head off on your next trip. The Truth About Pixels - Part I: Digital Cameras Most digital cameras today boast of greater resolution and picture quality. What does that mean to the amateur or occasional photographer? You hear of cameras with 3 megapixals up to 6 or 7 megapixals. What is that? The book that comes with the camera explains all the buttons, bells and whistles, but does not explain megapixels. Most people do not like to work with numbers much, but it is necessary to understand pixels. So here's my attempt to explain pixels. I'll try not to involve too many numbers. Getting the Most From Your Digital Camera Memory Card Imagine taking your new digital camera on a vacation and then realizing that you can barely click 20-30 images at a go. So, what do you do to avoid such a situation? The answer to this question lies in the purchase of an extra memory card or two. The Benefits of Disposable Cameras Disposable cameras are cheap and easy to use. If you just want to take some snapshots and have fun then this is the camera for you. You can buy them in bulk for weddings and other special occasions. You can even take some of them underwater. Whether you take them snorkeling or to a messy kid's birthday party, you won't have to worry about ruining your expensive equipment. The Beginner Buyers Guide To Digital Cameras, Or The Ins And Outs Of Megapixels The most important part of buying a digital camera is making sure that the one you select meets all of your needs. Underwater Digital Cameras Underwater photography's is primarily focused towards entertaining and informing the people and the users themselves about what is happening in the world of under water with the aid of photography. The advent of digital cameras has opened up new horizons for such ventures. These digital cameras are not only handy and sleek but also they offer a spectral range of features that helps the underwater photographers in their work a lot. In this discussion these special features of underwater digital cameras are necessarily been revealed and done justice to! Selecting Your First Digital Camera Purchasing a digital camera is a wise decision, particularly if you take a lot of pictures and you want to control how they are developed. Camera prices continue to plummet and Americans are exchanging their 35mm cameras for digital devices at a record pace. The choices for you can seem endless, but with careful comparison shopping you can bring home a bargain! The following online sites provide visitors with helpful information to make an informed decision: The Well-Dressed Photographer - Summer Outdoor photographers shoot year round. That includes the hot summer. You may be surprised to learn that the best way to tolerate the heat is not to strip down to your skivvies. Instead, using the right products and wearing clothing designed to face the challenges of summer will help you keep your cool. The Well-Dressed Photographer - Winter Some of the best images can be captured during the winter months, so don't let the cold stop you. For the best photography experience, wear clothing that will keep you comfortable and safe. Digicam File Formats Looking at the digital camera, a person can visualize it as a combination of a camera along with a miniature computer system that stores the images as files or sets of bits, rather than a chemically treated film. Thus it comes to be a fact that there are certain file formats in which these images of the photographs captured by the camera are stored. And again, this is subject of discussion for understanding the digital camera properly. In this effort this discussion reveals the intricate but overlying to provide a brief overview to the readers regarding the file formats of the digital cameras. Video Camcorder Formats and Media There are way too many tape, disk and stick formats out there: Getting Your Photos Ready for Sharing One of the main reasons people buy digital cameras is so they can share their photos with others. Even if you are just going to print your photos for yourself, you will want them to look their best. Here are some tips on getting your images ready for sharing or printing. Specialized Styles of Photography Outlined below is a list of genres that call for specialized treatment in the process of creating outstanding photographs. These thematic approaches will be discussed in detail here, though there are few more categories and sub-categories in thematic photography like ad messages, corporate brochures, under-water photography and so on. Photography Has No Gender Women photographers are fortunate. Unlike other titles, photographer has no gender. Women photographers don't have to force stilted language like "flight attendant" instead of "stewardess," or "letter carrier" instead of "mailman." "Photographer" doesn't have the historical male/female titles such as "author" and "authoress," or "actor" vs. "actress." Women photographers may not even have to battle the associated gender that "doctors" or "nurses" do. Did you know that bank tellers always were men up until WWII because it was thought that women couldn't handle money? |
|
Copyright © 2006 Advancing Women/font> |