After some time trying to be a succesful microstock photographer on
Dreamstime I find my 10 commandments. I would like to share with you. I hope it could help some newbies microstock member.
1.
Be constant. It is important to try upload images every month, and obviously that you get an average on uploads monthly. And if you can… try to increase it. It could seem less important than you could think, but if you have a constant activity on “your” Microstock site you’ll be known, you’ll have more opportunities to appear on different parts of the site, like “popular photographers”, “last additions”, etc.
2.
Looking for the moment. Microstock market has his own “typical saleable images”, but an original image could become as a bestseller. It is important to have your camera on hand always you can because nobody knows when nor where a great image can appears.
3.
Check other photographers work. A good way to increase your knowledge on photography and on microstock is looking what other photographers work. This doesn’t mean that you must to copy what top sellers do, but just knowing what exactly they do could help you to inspire and learn.
4.
Check new additions and new downloads. As all market, microstock works by tendencies. Is obvious that ending the year it is normal that images related to Christmas, to new year, to Santa Claus increase their downloads. If you check last additions and downloads you’ll be able to focus your work to popular moment concepts. A good example is the Football World Championship in South Africa. On the dates near this world wide event there were a lot of new images about football, South Africa, sports, etc.
5.
Review your keywords. It is normal that newbie doesn’t pay enough attention on a good keywording their images. An image (if it is technically and conceptually good) doesn’t need a lot of keywords to be saleable; more important is that keywords selected explain and define as well as possible the image. Then check popular images on the microstock site and look their keywords. Use them to inspire to assign real good keywords for your images. Some photographers don’t agree with that, but I think that words are not exclusive, and everybody can use them.
6.
Improve your knowledge. Practice, read, visit other photographer’s portfolios… Nobody born knowing all about all. Experience is very important for all, but specially on technical knowledge, on composition, on light when we talk about photography. Spend some of your time to know more and more. It is also important to edit your photographies. One of the best things that digital photography offers to the photographers is the opportunity to shoot a lot of pictures to select later the best one. And if you have the possibility to edit this picture to do it better… why not?
7.
Hope it could be better. Some newbies lose interest on microstock if many of their pictures have been refused, but it is normal. When you begin on this market is possible you don’t know it as well you thought. You have to pay attention on the reasons of your rejections, because an image refused doesn’t mean that this image was bad. Probably you’ll can resubmit if you correct the refusal cause. In any way, refusals are also a way to learn.
8.
Promote your images on your web or blog. Nowadays most of us have a website or at least a blog. Use these to promote your own portfolio is a good way to get sales. Obviously it is important that website or blog have traffic from outside.
9.
Try to attract new referred members. Most of microstock site allow to photographers earn some money if they attract new members. This is very good to get some relevance on a microstock sites. To attract new members you can use your website, your blog o communicate to your known people who loves photography.
10.
Feed back to and from community. Another thing that gives you relevance on a microstock website is use his forums or blogs. It is important that the rest of members know you, ask for opinions about your images, give opinions about other member’s images, etc. Always to feel a feed back about your work… and at the end learn, improve and grow as a microstock photographer.
