Taking a Poll ...

[J Wright Photo]

I'm posting in different forums and trying to get the opinions of photographers in different locations as to whether or not I should go towards Stock or towards Publishing with my photography. Your opinion matters - take a look and let me know what you think. Thanks !

http://jwrightphotography.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

J Wright

 

[Rob]

Your blog contains some very good pictures, I don't doubt that you're an accomplished enough photographer to make a leap towards some money.

What I don't quite understand is what you mean by "Publishing" - do you mean coffee-table books, calendars or what?

In my personal opinion, most of the images on your site would not make particularly marketable stock photos. Stock photography is a very peculiar art and the photos which sell are usually depicting something involving people or things. Generalised architectural and arty shots and "standard beautiful" Ansel Adams type work don't sell very well as stock.

There are numerous books on the subject of Stock, I would urge you to invest in this one:

[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582971765/qid=1137780783/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl/202-1491828-6308626[/ame]

It gives an excellent outline of what is and is not marketable in your photographs. I found it a very very depressing read as I consider myself an "art" photographer, not a professional and it gave me all the information I needed to decide not to pursue stock photography as a supplemental income - you however, may differ in your personal objectives.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask any specific questions or look for more infomation here, there are a wealth of professionals, semi-pro and amateur alike and all have valuable experiences to share.

Rob

 

[markc]

I agree with Rob. (I should make that a cut&paste shortcut.)

I think you do very good work and I like it a lot, but it's not what I would expect companies to want for their stock collections. Stock photos tend to have a purpose, but a generic one. It's a weird balance. Something like a person typing at a computer, or a child running in a park. And they don't tend much towards the "artistic".

I also got a bit discouraged after looking into what stock was about. Some people can make a lot of money at it, but for me, photography as an creative outlet came before making money at it, and I didn't want my photography to go in that direction.

I think you could have some luck at the publishing side, though. There's a wide spectrum to the market. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582973954/ref=pd_bxgy_img_a/002-0816593-4181638?%5Fencoding=UTF8"]The Photographer's Market[/ame] would be a great place to start if you want to pursue that avenue.

(fixed link)

 

[J Wright Photo]

Thanks for the information guys and I appreciate the input. It's actually the opposite of what I've been hearing, but what you mention definitely makes sense. I was afraid of this one - with so many opinions, I guess the decision will be mine in the end.

Take care,

J Wright

 

[markc]

I'm curious as to what you've heard.

 

[Ghoste]

Am I related to you o.0

 

[Rob]

Thanks for the information guys and I appreciate the input. It's actually the opposite of what I've been hearing, but what you mention definitely makes sense. I was afraid of this one - with so many opinions, I guess the decision will be mine in the end.

Take care,

J Wright

You'll find out when the images do or don't sell. Don't ever let anyone stand in the way of your ambitions, be prepared for disappointment, but don't let it stop you.

All the very best of luck with your ventures. Let us know where we went wrong when you're rich and famous!

Rob