The junkmail lesson of the day: No matter what you sell, sell it with a smile!

Many photographers take photos of people, but not too many make the images with a market use in mind. Yes, taking pictures of people is great and if the models are professionals, all the better, because usually they know better than the photographer what to wear, what expressions to make, in what context their images will fit and above all, they know how to smile… But do stock photographers know these things as well? To be honest I would not swear on it.

Let’s analyze some interesting spam ads that I received during last week. This one of the family is a great shot, although the background cleaning to accommodate the text was done pretty drastically. The family is natural looking with what looks like natural smiles. Also, the styling is consistent and looks appropriate for the surroundings.

And what about this couple? Again, a really big happy smile just like one on your first date. A nice blurred background, good styling with ordinary clothing and a great couple become a picture that can be done easily at home on an overcast day if you have a good window with natural light. It’s difficult to see the setting, but that doesn’t matter, because you only want the atmosphere the happy smile is creating. Again, there is negative diffused space, created by the graphic designer, but certainly an image with great dynamics that makes one tempted to call eHarmony without delay!

Medicine and chronic diseases, like diabetes, require regular control and thank God that today almost every chronic disease, from hypertension and asthma to diabetes has devices to monitor these conditions from home. The models here show that good control of their illness boosts their self-esteem and makes them confident in the future, hence the smile. The photo was shot from slightly below in order to give the models a predominant position, and well-lit from behind with great reflector in front to open up the foreground. Nothing to complain about.    

Some people don’t need a ton of cash to live; they only need enough to raise the family. Here is a picture that says it all. The negative space was artificially created with a brush of blue but the mother and kid do the job beautifully with a great smile. Sounds familiar? Nice neutral clothing and a very affectionate hug help emphasize the idea that she does need time to take care of her children. And all revolves around a natural smile.

The vendors that used these images had a clear idea in mind and looked for images that fit their idea. The images were carefully selected to match their products or services; in other words, they were looking for images that expressed the sentiments they needed to “wrap” their product around. They were not looking aimlessly, but were searching for very specific images. Those images are not that difficult to do, you just need to stop puttering around and start thinking about what you are going to produce next. Are you producing a product that the market will be able to use?

Hello photographers!  Are you lounging seaside with your favourite model, sipping a deliciously cold and beaded glass of the local brew?  Or is it more like watermelon clean-up and sprinkler duty with the shrieking pack of neighbourhood kids?  (Your Johnny dearest might be among them, but they seem straight out of the Lord of the Flies!)

Well, wake up from your fantasy or nightmare, and get back to work!  A stock photographer should take advantage of the summer months to prepare images for the upcoming season.  And after the slow sale summer months, it’s a good idea to provide a fresh supply of relevant images right as the season kicks off.  One such topic which can be easily produced by almost any photographer is The Return to School.

Come August, September and October, children and youth of all ages will be returning to their nurseries, day-cares, schools, and universities… and we need photos for this moment.  The images can run the gamut from quite realistic to utterly creative and artistic.  No matter your level of originality, the images should reflect your style, and you should keep in mind the following 6 tips.

1. Styling - As we mentioned in an earlier post (styling) it´s important to use a wardrobe which is not just specific to summertime.  You can make the images less season-specific by incorporating clothing like jeans, jackets, sweatshirts, etc into some of the images.

2. More Styling - Alternating styles to include both classic and trendy/extreme clothing will open your possibilities of creating images that will meet both an immediate vs. long-term and trendsetting vs. conservative demand.

3. Coming and Going – Show children going to school, walking, biking, in a bus or a car, hand in hand with big bro/sis.  Try to capture details like the hands being held, the backpack being carried and different perspectives like a frontal shot of the child arriving and a shot from behind or the side.

4. Study Time – Show children and youth studying in different environments such as: the classroom, the library and at home.  The children should use schoolbooks and notebooks, as well as tools such as laptops, calculators, etc.

5. Social Time – For many, this is the best part of school (for others, the only part!) so be sure to take photos of kids interacting with each other at school, in outdoor areas, and at home.  Show them talking, laughing, smiling, walking and studying together.  Add textbooks or a laptop to some of the shots, and change nicer, more formal clothing for a more relaxed, casual look.

6. School Stuff – When you´re tired of keeping the kiddies under control, take a break and photograph common school materials such as books, computers, backpacks, notebooks, pens & pencils.  Warning! There are many boring studio shots of these materials!!  Please have mercy on your photo-editors and send in creative and evocative images of school materials by using lighting, composition, selective focus and more to create an original image.

People may think that I’m crazy for loving spam; isn’t everyone fighting spam with sophisticated anti-virus tools? I was too, until I wanted to see the commercial stock images the advertising market is using.  I concentrate on these subjects when I want to shoot commercial stock instead of wandering around taking pictures without planning, strategy or purpose. Let’s talk about taking pictures with a market segment in mind.

We all have older relatives or friends and here is relatively easy image that contains all the elements of a good seller: the right age, a frontal view, excellent modeling with a natural, self confident expression, good lighting, and plenty of negative space for text and titles.  In summary, an excellent example of an image that covers a very clear market need.  Isn’t that what stock photography is all about? Covering the needs of the market with images that are ready to be used? Otherwise it would be assignment photography...  The images in this post came to me as spam and weeks ago, before I developed my love for spam, my filter would have deleted them before I got a glance. Thank goodness that that I did…

You might think that none of your friends or relatives would like to pose for you and appear in an ad like this one. Yes, I know, people have prejudices, personal pride or are too shy to face the realities that we all have to accept… but are you going to give up so easily? Well, you shouldn´t!  Why don’t you take a more anonymous image? Below is an example of an unrecognizable senior person that fits the add beautifully, at the same time fulfilling the basics of great advertising photography with a frontal view, good lighting, carefully selected depth of field to emphasize the idea of the image, and again, negative space. What more could you ask for?

 
If you are not ready for retirement yet, but eager for a more social life, what about this one?

Here is another great advertising image. These models might be pros, but you could produce an image like this with close friends willing to pose in exchange for a weekend barbecue.  They don’t have to be a paramount example of senior beauty; they only need to be believable and healthy.  This image shows a luminous, natural atmosphere, confident expressions, and classic clothing. All in all, it’s an excellent example of an image that covers a very clear market need.

Many photographers seem to have lost direction and their only drive is to complain and give up, just because a bunch of young talents have proved that by organizing and industrializing production, they can sell masses of images at peanut prices and still be profitable. The solution is not to attack those who have accepted the challenge and profited from the digital revolution, but to change your production of images and to shoot what the market demands.  It is difficult to sell images that the market doesn’t want. See the light?  Now if you´ll excuse me, my spam filter is blinking...

6 in 10 members of the population in the U.S. are overweight and 5 in 10 members of the population in the U.K. and Spain are overweight.  If the latest health statistics for the general population are true for photographers, than probably at least half of you reading this are overweight.  So why are dignified, overweight models an endangered species in stock?

You might contend that our societies prefer to show men and women with impossible bodies (literally, in the case of some photoshop touch-ups) on the covers of magazines, etc.  And you might be right.  But that doesn’t explain why photographers don’t make photos of overweight models.  Believe it or not, clients are looking for those photos.  See these excerpts from real researcher/client requests:

“We are always looking for overweight people…”

“Please note, they want an overweight man doing all sorts of typical, everyday activities like eating breakfast at home, leaving his house, getting in the car, driving to work, stopping for coffee, maybe working near a window, eating lunch on a park bench, coming home to his hyper and/or loving kids, watching a little league game outside, riding bicycles with his wife, or roller blading with wife and kids, etc...”

“Also, some slightly overweight people doing everyday things i.e. not on the scale, or eating but just living…”

Please note, they didn’t request photos of obese people on the scale, in bikini on the beach, or stuffing their mouth with fried snickers at the state fair.  So, let’s forget about those immature, stereotypical images and move on to show slightly (or less slightly) overweight people living, working, laughing, and loving just like the rest of the population.  Like in these images...

It´s always summertime in stock…

That´s what editors think sometimes when they see hundreds of photos of women wearing tank tops, spaghetti straps, and short skirts while at work.  Is there a need for season-specific, summer (and winter) imagery?  Yes.  Will “season-neutral” or “between season” imagery have a better chance of selling?  Big Yes!  Many advertising clients will not even look at images of professionals wearing the clothes listed above. 

If you are producing lifestyle images of professionals, you might choose to shoot a super-hip, “edgy” office every so often.  For those shoots, you can disregard our advice and go crazy, but in all of the normal, professional lifestyle shoots, keep in mind our Top 10 Wardrobe Do´s and Don´ts.

1. Do lighten up. Use lighter, fresher colors and classic looks.


2. Do be natural. Use tasteful, subdued make-up and hairstyles for models.


3. Do cover up. Use short or long sleeves for models, not tanks tops or other skin-baring options.


4. Do cover up part 2. Skirts or pants should cover models' legs adequately.


5. Don't shoot Hairy at Work. Do use clean-shaven male models.


6. Don't be busy. Avoid clothing with busy patterns or extreme/dark colors.


7. Don't be loud. Beware of trendy clothes that will become “so last year” next year.


8. Don't bling.  Please no flashy jewellery or piercings.


9. Don't even go there.  Please avoid suggestive poses and looks.  Even if your models are drop-dead gorgeous.  Models in office environments should express and communicate attitudes such as confidence, friendliness, and responsibility.


10. Don't get the wrong idea!  It's not that we want your great-grandmother to style the shoot... Just try for simple, stylish, tasteful and natural. 

A few careful wardrobe choices can allow you to get much more mileage out of your photos.