Introduction to Microstock Photography – More Rejection Reasons
Table of contents for Microstock Photography
In this post I will continue discussing the main reasons photographs are rejected from the microstock sites today. I have already discussed copyrights, noise, and focus. In this post I will discuss framing and bad lighting.
Framing
In simple terms, your picture must not look like a snapshot. A snapshot is typically defined as those millions of vacation shots that come out each year of random things. More specifically, a snapshot is defined as a picture that didn’t require thought and looks like it. OK, so maybe that’s not so specific.
In order to have a properly framed picture, you need to pay attention to the layout of the objects inside it. For instance, watch what is creeping into the picture. Very often trees and other things find their way into the picture. If you find a branch coming into the shot from the side, use Photoshop to clone it out. Over time you’ll find yourself able to notice this when taking the shot and reframe the picture appropriately.
If you are taking pictures of buildings, make sure the tops aren’t clipped off. Many stock sites will reject shots of buildings with their tops cut off – even very tall ones. In general the entire subject should be in the shot – though there are exceptions to this. Distracting elements also should not be in the picture. When taking photos of the beach, try to find viewpoints that have the least amount of garbage – then clone out the rest of the garbage in post processing.
Another interesting aspect of microstock photography is that very often the shot that sells the best has the subject in the center of the photo. This is against the rule of thirds and will make many artists cringe – but the truth is microstock photos are made to be sold – not to be admired.