Advice for Photographers On How to Make Your Stock Photos Sell

The stock photography market has been enjoying continuous and stable growth within the last few years, as we witness in the case of the Depositphotos library, which has expanded to over 100 million files.

Every photographer naturally seeks to make their work noticeable and unique within this creative mêlée. There are many variables to consider when starting out, some of which may involve the formation of a style and its compliance with requirements of the platform one is going to place the work.

What sort of material is in demand now? How to form a list of products photographers can sell? How to get some position in the market of stock photos? What to do to become part of the Depositphotos project? Here is some advice and some additional ideas on how to attain success within this field.

Determine trends and stay trendy

First, explore what topics are in demand and try to follow the most current trends. There are a variety of resources like the special press editions within magazines and tabloids, art and advertisement exhibitions, fashion events, special meetings, as well as workshops.

Depositphotos also offers special projects like the one devoted to visual trends in 2019. If one is established as an artist try to choose a unique idea or stylistic feature and explore this direction. This way, you can practice, fine-tuning your craft, which would place your images in higher positions in the stock photography market.

Optimization makes things working

Some optimization should be applied to one’s work to make it more visible for stock photography platform algorithms. Application of these basic skills will help you reach the first pages of search results. Depositphotos details some guidelines on the optimization of an image, and here are three universal steps to be completed for optimization of photos for stock photography platforms:

1. Optimization of the file name.

For example, rename “IMG_3241” into “Happy boy with a ball.” Clarity is the key to get a successful description of an image. Also, apply some habitual and recognizable keywords to help clients easily find you.

2. Use tags and the caption.

Filling in these fields, you can try to bring some emotional note to direct description and make the image easier to index. If the boy in the image is standing under summer rain and smiling with happiness, don’t miss these words.

3. Describe the image with different words.

Things don’t have any uniformed meaning for people; they tend to think differently. So, don’t avoid some epithets, like sweet, funny, beautiful, shining.

Special tip:

Visit Depositphotos homepage and look for similarities with your images and topics like examples of modern glamour through the eyes of photographers. You just have to look at several images to get an idea on how the contributors apply these three tips. Again, pay attention to recognizable keywords in descriptions, tags, and captions, and how this helps them in getting higher positions.

Find a niche

Globalization brings us a huge abundance of options possible. But there is no limit to human demands, and some writers, like Chris Anderson in his Long Tail theory are quite optimistic about the perspectives of the global market, claiming that there is a place and demand for every niche subject.

What is more profitable – to follow trends or to keep working at the same thing continuously. According to Chris Anderson, popularity is not the only source of profit, unique and unexplored topics are valued as well on the Internet. So, find a niche for your genius and work hard to put there as much quality images as possible.

Meet the requirements and aim for quality of content

Each platform usually has some outlines and regulations for image size as well as resolution. It is necessary to remember some classical rules of composition such as the Golden Ratio. Lighting and contrast are also a necessary factor with your images. The more professional the images look, the more chance they have to get the top of the search.

To understand the requirements of the market, take Depositphotos’ guidelines as an example:

JPEG format file;
with a resolution minimum of 3.4 MP (2400 × 1600);
the file must not exceed 50 MB;
the file must be attributed in English.
More about how to become an author of Depositphotos and upload photos there, you can find out on the FAQ page. Also, A Beginner’s Guide To Selling Your Photography On Depositphotos will assist you a lot.

Follow variety and authenticity

Our world is multicultural, so your work should present some diversity. Look for a variety of people, characters, natural sceneries, styles, and seasons. This will help you to express the diverse world more freely. You will find and develop your unique style, and start taking brilliant stock photos in time.

Creative ideas are limitless, so do not worry about the multitude of ways you can present your images. Just follow the things you like and love. Don’t think too much about your probable sales; emphasize your inspiration on sincere expression. Remember to create a story, a conversation, and make your images authentic and unique.

Remember to address the multitude of variables while making stock photos. Stay trendy, follow the outlines on optimization, find your niche, explore the guidelines, and aim for uniqueness. These simple tips will take time and effort to implement, but once you develop a strong portfolio of images, it will bring you success.