Provence Workshop in the Planning Stage

I am planning a June 2015 Provence, France digital photography workshop. Shoot me an email to get on the info list.

See more of my Carmarge horse photographs in my Camargue Horse Gallery.

In addition to photographing the horses, we'll photograph the beautiful countryside. We will also have Lightroom and Photoshop sessions.

Here's an article I wrote after my previous Provence trip that you may like.

Hope to see you in Provence. If you come, here are some tips on photographing horses that you will find helpful.

Explore the light,
Rick

Today's Guest Blogger: Steve Heap on Getting Started with Stock Photography

Have an interest in stock photography, that is, making money with your images? My friend Steve Heap offers the following suggestions.

He knows how to do it. After all, Steve is the author of  the Step-by-Step Guide to MicroStock Photography.

Good info, Steve . . . and thanks a heap for the guest blog post!

The question I want to explore today – can you make a start in stock photography today? When I started in 2008, the Microstock revolution was in full swing and many photographers told me that it was much harder in 2008 to make money than it had been in 2004 when the early agencies started. Perhaps that was true, but it is still said today that it is much harder now than in 2008. I set out to try to find out if there are facts to back that up. Microstock photography may be hated by photographers with their images for sale in more traditional high priced agencies, but it is still growing – 35M images on Shutterstock at the last count – and the use of those images is growing fast as well. Unfortunately, the income per use is low – normally much less than $1.

Firstly, let me say that I am not a photographer of stock people shots – you know the ones, the pretty girl with the headset, or the handshakes in a modern office building. I take travel, landscape, macro, some still life and objects – a broad range of non-people shots. In fact, my best selling image across all sites is a cat – yes, one of almost 200,000 similar images on Shutterstock.

This particular one was uploaded in 2011 and has sold 1380 times for around $1400 on Shutterstock. For a long time it was in the first few results of the search term “cat” – it is now on page 2 of the results, but it still shows that an image uploaded not too long ago can rise to the top of the rankings and be licensed several times a day.

I sell my images on most of the main Microstock agencies with Shutterstock and iStock still being the most productive for me. Now, with about 6000 images in my portfolio, I’ve grown my income steadily to around $25,000 a year. If you are interested in following in my footsteps, I’ve written an eBook, Getting Started in Stock, about how to make a start in stock photography.

But can you start now, or have you missed the boat? My gut tells me that if:

• You are a good photographer willing to go the extra mile for a great image – ie don’t settle for a second best snapshot
• You are willing to process them properly to get a bright dynamic snappy photo
• You are willing to spend the time keywording and describing them accurately
• You are willing to upload to about 10 microstock sites or so

Then yes, you can still start now and make a reasonable amount of money from stock photography.

But can I prove that? There are hundreds of thousands of new images being added each month to the main stock agencies so how will yours be seen and licensed? The starting point for me is that agencies in general do not prioritize a particular photographer in their search results – they do prioritize images that are already selling well, but those rankings are fluid and change over time. To prove that a new photographer can start to upload now and earn money, I need to look at how my more recent images sell in comparison to the older established ones. To test that, I checked my Shutterstock sales and added up the earnings from images submitted in the last 15 months - a reasonable time period to consider if you are going to compare with a new entrant into the business. In that period, I have added 1200 new images to Shutterstock – about 90 a month. Someone starting now can obviously go back through their portfolio and get more images online more quickly, perhaps. All mine were newly taken.

So, what did I find? Real proof I think! My new images represented 25% of my total portfolio, and the earnings from them reached 26%. In fact, for those math graduates out there, the performance is actually better as my new images were added over time during the 15 months, and so they are actually earning more than an average image in my portfolio! That is probably a combination of improved cameras, improved photography skills, my eye for what is a good stock photo has improved, and perhaps I’m more careful on keywording – although I doubt that last one makes a difference.

I also looked down the list of big earners from Shutterstock. My first 2013 image come in at position 43 (out of 4800) with earnings of $125.

This illustrates an important part of making money in stock – rework your images! This one started as a simple shot against a blue sky, but why not give the buyers more alternatives?

I ended up creating five variants, including one shot of the boards isolated against white and a vertical version with fewer boards. One shot – many opportunities to sell. How about simple animal shots? A nice cute lamb in a field may get some sales:

But in a more natural setting, it can appeal to a wider audience:

My conclusion – if you want to earn something from your images, it is not too late. It is not easy though, but it can drive your creativity to new heights as you constantly look around you thinking – that would make a nice stock photo!

Steve Heap blogs regularly about stock photography at Backyard Silver and also licenses images directly from his own company at BackyardStockPhotos. He is the author of Getting Started in Stock.

• • • • •

Thank you again, Steve, for a informative and insightful blog post.

Explore the light,
Rick

Speaking of making money, you need to present your work on a great web site. I recommend Squarespace. Check it out for free!

Why I Enjoy Teaching Digital Photography Workshops

Above: My talented and dedicated Summer Arts students in action.

This post originally ran in June 2013. For new followers, I am running it again.

I'm just back from teaching a digital photography workshop at the Summer Arts Program in Monterey, CA. The event, organized by California State University and produced by my friend Professor Mark Larson, brings together students of all ages and from all backgrounds - and at all different stages of learning.

I was one of several instructors at the event, and I was honored to be included.

You can see from the picture above just how much fun the students and I had on the workshop. That's probably the #1 reason why I do workshops: we all have fun!

Above: Getting ready to teach Photoshop and Lightroom in the classroom.

During the three-day session we covered: travel, people, HDR, flash and landscape photography. In the classroom I shared Photoshop and Lightroom techniques, as well as tips on social media marketing.

This workshop, as do all my workshops, emphasized why I enjoy teaching digital photography from start to finish. Sure, I get to impart some ideas and techniques to the students, but I also see how each photographer pictures the world in his or own unique way.

I also get to meet awesome individuals, many of whom have incredible talent. I learn, too - and we all learn from each other.

Above: That's Mark on the left and me on the right.

What could be more fun? Well, I'll tell ya. At the end of my workshops I go around the room and ask the students, "What does your photography mean to you?" This is a good question that you may want to ask yourself. It may help you define your photography.

During my "What does your photography mean to you?" sessions I ask the students to give a short answer, which I break down to one word. We put that one word on a white board. New for me to hear this session: Loving, Confidence, Blessing, Celebration and Heart. Always something new.

I hope to see you on one of my 2014 workshops. We learn a lot and have non-stop fun.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. If you can make a live workshops, you can take a virtual workshop with me on-line. Check out my Kelby Training classes here. 

It's "Hey Rick! What's Your F-stop?" Wednesday #3

It's "Hey Rick! What's Your F-Stop?" Wednesday. This series was prompted by the question I get asked most on my workshops.

My response to the question is, of course, "What is your creative vision? That will help you determine your camera settings."

After we discuss that all-important topic, I share my settings.

Hey Rick #3

Photograph: Forest Paradise

Location: Conway Valley, North Wales

Camera: Canon 5D Mark III

Lens: Canon 17-40mm lens

Exposure: ISO 100. f/22 @ 4 seconds. EV -1

Reasoning: Use a slow shutter speed to blur moving water.

Concept: Use a neutral density filter in bright light so you can shoot at a slow shutter speed. Use creative composition to "cut the clutter" in landscape photography.

Scroll down to find more "Hey Rick!" posts.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S.
Learn about landscape photography in my on-line Landscape Photography class - and get 50% off. Click here for info.

It's Stay Healthy Saturday and Sunday: Mow Your Own Lawn

I turned 64 about 8 weeks ago. That same week my doctor wanted to put me on Lipitor. I said, "Doc, I feel like an old man." He said, with a grin, "Well then, I'll give you a newer drug."

That week I made being healthy my # 1 priority. Yes, I am still as passionate about photography and playing music as ever, maybe even more so . . . because I feel better than ever. In fact, just last week I finished my 37th book: Creative Visualization for Photographers (Focal Press, due out early next year). I think I sprinted to the "finish line" with more energy than ever.

And speaking of being healthy and and feeling great: I once met a Buddhist monk who, when I asked him about the most important thing in Buddhism, replied, "Being healthy. If you are not healthy, how can you really do anything else?"

So 8 weeks ago I changed my diet (salads everyday at lunch, cut the carbs, cut cheese, cut red meat, cut fried foods and cut intake by at least 25 percent) and doubled my exercise time to 1.5 hours a day.

I lost 10 pounds.

My doctor called four weeks ago: "NO need for an old or new drug."

I always tried to be somewhat healthy, which included mowing my lawn, which takes about 45 minutes, for the past 38 years.

Last weekend, while vising my friend Steve (who had just cut his own lawn), we discussed the benefit of cutting one's own lawn. Here's our list:

View fullsize

After cutting your lawn, take a break and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

BMW - In this case, you might think BMW stands for "Best to Mow Wisely." However, it actually stands for BMW - the car. If you mow your law for 38 years, you'll save enough to buy a BMW.

Exercise - My neighbor has a sit-down, tractor mower. I have a gasoline-powered push mower. Pushing it around for 45 minutes twice a week is good exercise – upper and lower body.

Think time - While mowing the lawn, you can get into the moment and "zen out" and think about other things while doing a fairly routine task.

Satisfaction - Mowing the lawn is not brain surgery. It's not hard, but you'll get a nice sense of satisfaction once you are done.

Smell - Freshly cut grass smells good. It's good aromatherapy.

Art - I cut my lawn in a teardrop pattern (when viewed from the side). Like a Japanese sand garden, one might consider that art.

Smile - Cutting the lawn makes my wife happy. Happy wife, happy life.

Stay healthy my friend.

Next Weekend: The Wonders of Weed Wacking. :-)

Happy mowing,
Rick

P.S. Do you know how to say "Cut the lawn" in French? "Moe de laun."