for Finding the Niche that Lets You Make Magic in your Photography Pursuits
- Daryl Byklum
- June 5, 2024
So, you want to be a stock photographer? The tone of that question has the ring of an old song by the Byrds, “So You Want To Be A Rock ‘n” Roll Star.” As Roger McGuinn of the Byrds would continue, “Well, listen now to what I say. . .”
Stock photographers, in their own way, are rock stars. Not the flamboyant personalities who dominate the stage but, instead, the competent backing band that bring quality picture images to the business and entertainment world. Multimedia sources are crying for their next evocative visual moments. Stock photographers supply the pictures that make the photography world go round.
The hardest thing about being a stock photographer is finding the niche market that shows you at your photographic best and fits the unique style you have honed over years of practice. For many practitioners, they simply submit some of their “extra” photos to a stock photography agency and let them fall where they may. The truth is, to be successful in stock photography, you must target the subjects that are in high demand and in low supply on the market. This will most often involve extensive research on your part.
It is important to explore and become familiar with the site on which you wish to sell your pictures. Dreamstime is one such site and has many options available to its photographer contributors to analyze market trends and tendencies. Data is your best friend when making decisions about potential photographic subjects. Dreamstime also offers many forums of support to new photographers who have questions about the workings of the stock photography profession.
An early task for a stock photographer is to conduct research for popular topics and discover what markets are in the highest demand for stock photographs. Even highly competitive markets can use an infusion of creative and high-quality product. Yet, in the end there must be a demand for your particular portfolio of pictures. In a nutshell, one must know what genres of pictures are selling and how you personally can fit into that market. It is possible that your personal picture ideas and creative additions will make your images stand out in a field of plenty.
Another important decision for you to make as a stock photographer is how many pictures to submit on a given topic. It is common, after a photo shoot, to feel you have a plethora of great shots on the subject in question. But, herein lies the problem. If many of the photos are similar in content and composition, are they not just simply taking up space in your portfolio? If you submit all of these similar photos, you run the risk of saturating your own market through “overkill” in a possibly already crowded arena. Choose wisely, grasshopper.
Some pictures can create their own subtle problems if you disregard the advice to “keep it real.” If your images of people look too posed, potential buyers may be turned off by the lack of authenticity in your photos. Consider shooting unposed images that offer their own natural charm. Unposed photographs harbor their own risk of error but you can also score big if your timing is right.
Everyone knows the expression “thinking outside the box.” Overused, yes, but a necessary concept in obtaining unique and specialized photographs. For lack of a better term, many people give in to the easy choice of “cliched photographs.” There are times when cliches work but, more often than not, they make for tired images. Really, the high five shot again?
It is easy to get discouraged in the field of stock photography. Certain images can sell splendidly for a given time and then a drought can occur. It is important to remain vigilant in your craft and constantly look for creative ways to photograph the world around you in new ways. Don’t get caught in the trap of taking the same picture over and over again and expecting different results. That’s insanity – plain and simple.
At the outset, you need to envision your goals as a stock photographer and make a strategic plan for how to accomplish them. Knowledge of the profession is your most important asset. Even in a crowded marketplace there is always room for another inventive and creative photographer. You, too, can be that person if you are vigilant, tenacious, and possess a “can do” attitude. These are not adjectives that fulfill themselves without a grand effort of hard work.
As always, stay healthy, stay safe, and keep on clicking.
Photo credits: Cacaroot, Ganna Todica, Eakrin Rasadonyindee, Everythingpossible, Netfalls, Sripfoto.
Daryl Byklum
- Dpbyklum
- Rochester, United States
Good photography is not accidental. The ability to “paint with light” is neither random nor mystic. It comes with practice and application of the rules of photography that are learned over time. The old cliché holds true: You must take a lot of bad pictures to get a good one.