Spy Talk
The stock photography and footage industry is an exciting one. With so many changes taking place every single day it’s hard to stay on top of it all. Here, in SpyTalk, you can hear from industry leaders and follow daily events. Got something to on your mind? You can share your thoughts and insights with others. Whether you are a photographer, videographer, ad agency exec or marketing manager, SpyTalk is your connection to all things stock.
Clint Burkett is an Emmy award winning editor based in San Diego, CA. In a career spanning more than 20 years, his work has included commercials, corporate videos, documentaries, sports, news and event programming both nationally and locally. As production budgets have come under pressure, stock footage has come to the fore as a way to achieve the desired vision without having to spend big bucks to shoot it. Clint is ideally placed to comment on this phenomenon which continues to gain momentum. For more about Clint go to: http://www.timelin3studios.com/
How long have you been editing?
Over 20 years.
Do you remember when you first started using stock footage in edits?About 10 years ago.
What kinds of projects have you worked on that have incorporated stock footage?
Most genres I’ve worked on have involved the use of stock footage at some stage, including documentaries, corporate...
You can’t escape the Social Media phenomenon. Everyone’s at it… from pop stars and private equity firms to CEOs and Presidents. And stock photographers have a huge amount to gain from being what I’ll call SMS - ‘social media savvy’.
The social media phenomenon has morphed into a multidimensional tool that the modern business (whatever its size) just can’t be without. You know all the terminology - “tweet...blog…Facebook me…check out my MySpace…connect on LinkedIn etc” - but are you maximising this incredible platform to drive your stock phtography business? My advice is to cast aside any fears you may have about Social Media and get involved.
In the stock photography business you need all your tools to be as sharp and versatile as possible. You must be ‘SMS’ to maintain a competitive edge. Established photographers have had to re-define themselves and get up to...
On call to diagnose and treat all your stock ailments
Today's symptom: Chronic shot rejection
Diagnosis: Carelessness Treatment: Take more time; cut ‘average’ out of your diet
Many of us are falling into the same traps time after time and our pictures are being rejected…and I’m sorry to say it (but I can because I’m a doctor), but we only have ourselves to blame. With a bit more attention to detail, we could all increase our income considerably.
So instead of getting hopping mad and screaming “what do they know!?” at the top of your lungs, take a good look at these 10 Cardinal Sins that all too often, catch us out.
1. Poor quality Plain and simple - if you wouldn’t buy it, don’t submit it.
2. Uploading duplicates Red flag, Red flag – just don’t do it!
3. Lazy tagging Keep your keywords tight and...
Carl Suede looks at some of the qualities you’ll need to be a success
Visit any notable site or monument around the world, go to a wedding or any kind of party, and one thing is very clear. We love taking photos…and more than that, we love the adulation that comes with taking a great picture. We are called ‘artistic’, ‘worldly’ and told that we have a ‘great eye’. You might even receive the ultimate accolade - “Wow, that one could be in National Geographic.” The digital era enables us to delete the bad, touch up the good and then upload to our preferred sites – notably of course to Facebook where vacations, births, comings of age and celebrations of all kinds are documented by our friends…whether we’re interested in seeing the pictures or not. But some lucky people can get more than praise for their pictures….they can get paid. And with the birth...
Lev started out as a street-life shooter before taking his craft into the studio in 2006. His work has graced the pages of Vogue, Men’s Health, Maxim, FHM, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Marie Claire, Elle and many other magazines. Particularly well known for his photographs of beautiful women, Lev is one of the world’s most successful microstock contributors with more than 350,000 licenses sold to date. He is based in Talinn, Estonia. www.dolgachov.com
How long have you been active in the world of stock photography? How did you get involved? I’ve been active in stock photography for just over 3 years. I heard about selling licenses on stock sites, so one day I uploaded some work to a few sites and forgot about them. Surprisingly, a few months later I got my first check. So I decided to try it as a serious business and started...
Tom Grill is the CEO of Tetra Images (www.tetraimages.com), a stock distribution agency and supplier of RF images to agencies worldwide. He is one of the founding owners of Blend Images, a stock agency specializing in images of ethnic diversity. Formerly, Tom was the founder and principal photographer for Comstock Images for over 20 years. Tom lectures frequently on how to produce stock images with the highest selling power. www.tomgrill.com
The stock photography market is becoming increasingly competitive. How far are we from a major ‘shake down’ where only the best will prevail? The "shake down" is happening right now and has been exacerbated by the current world financial crisis. Stock images are for sale everywhere on the internet. Easy to use digital cameras and microstock agencies have led to a huge increase in stock images. The results have been mostly amateurish but as time...