Photography and the Global Market
A4StockPhotos is dedicated to providing professional quality photos at affordable prices. We know that the globalisation of the photography market has massively increased the demand for images, and the expectations of consumers. What people want these days is instantly available images online, without the hassle of negotiating rates, predicting print runs and paying large sums of money for an image that may not be used.
There is a much larger market out there now, but the bad news is that few customers are willing or able to pay the large sums of money still being asked by many stock image libraries, which is where we come in. We want to make it easier for customers to buy and for photographers to sell their work online, and we believe that the key is downloads.
The challenge for photographers is to provide the material for this market at a price which will ensure it sells consistently and repeatedly, but still makes it worthwhile.
We know from personal and professional experience that there are a large number of photographers out there who have some great shots in their portfolios and would like to be able to sell at least some of them, which is why we are always happy to receive submissions from new people.
If you're thinking about becoming a contributor, here are some basic facts to help you get started.
The minimum basic requirement is that the images are usable at A4 (210mm x 297mm) at 240 – 300ppi, so they have to start life as 18 - 24mb (megabyte) scanned film or digital images shot on a camera capable of producing raw files of a similar size.
Experience has shown that good 6 - 8mp SLRs are quite capable of producing sufficient quality images if the optics are good enough.
What you can get away with
We don't mind a bit of enhancement in Photoshop, but in our experience there are limits to what you can get away with before it becomes noticeable in print. This of course does not apply to the processing and sharpening etc. of files from digital cameras, as some post processing is usually essential. Please do not over-sharpen your images.
Enlarging images
Good images can be enlarged using the interpolation tool in Photoshop, for instance, but don't forget that they should not be sharpened prior to this process. Also, ensure that you use the Bicubic smoother setting for best results. There are limits to what can be achieved, though and it is essential to view the images at 100% before saving to ensure that no artefacts or fringeing are visible.
It's best to shoot in raw, as this provides the best possible quality original and retains all the image information. If you have only JPEG images to work with, they will lose quality each time they are re-saved.
The main points to remember are that you cannot significantly increase the resolution of a digital image in image editing software, and anything that originates from a digital compact with a sensor of less than 6 megapixels is unlikely to contain enough detail to enlarge. Some of the higher end DSLRs can produce excellent results which can stand some boosting, but much of this will depend on the quality of the optics and the nature of the image.
If you shoot on film, we prefer scanned images from a dedicated transparency scanner, as only a handful of flatbed scanners are up to the job. They will need to be 20 - 24mb, RGB images, with all sharpening, cleaning and enhancement already done.
We can accept transparencies if they are supplied with an SAE, but it's up to you if you want to risk your best images in the post.
How to submit your images
It's easy to submit images, just use the photographers' sign up section to create your own account and start uploading your images immediately. Due to processing requirements at busy times, we have had to limit file sizes to about 24mb, although at quiet times it will still be possible to upload larger files, but you may not be able to reliably create the additional versions of your image. If you ensure that all files are 24mb or under when expanded and saved at JPEG settings 10 or above you should have no problems.
The images
We won't insult you by telling you how to take pictures ( though it's surprising how many libraries do), and we don't lay down arbitrary rules about content, but the one thing we all have to take into account is what sells. In our view, the only way to address this as a photographer is to look around at the images you are bombarded with in your daily life and decide for yourself what kind of contribution you could make.
From a sales point of view, however, it is worth mentioning that the best sellers are usually business orientated images and those featuring people (of all ages, with model releases, please) in positive situations. Landscapes and sunsets have to be very good in order to stand out from the crowd. Also, a general tip, avoid dark or cluttered backgrounds as they are a nightmare for designers and art directors to deal with! Good luck.
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