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Stock Photography - Stock Photos & Images - John Lund Photography

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Great stock photography requires high quality stock images

Creativity and Shooting Stock Photography and stock photos

Creativity is the mother of, as well as the offspring of, great stock photography.  With stock there are not the limits that one finds with assignment photography.  The only limits are ones self-imposed by the photographer.   Some might think that the lack of large advertising budgets, the necessity of coming up with one’s own ideas, or even absence of art directors could be a limiting factors…but I rather think that such a lack only stimulates creativity more.  In fact, the whole business of stock photography is enhanced by creativity….from getting a contract with one of the major agencies right on through to creating brilliant images on a shoestring budget. 

Persistence pays off for stock photographers

A good friend of mine was trying his best to get a contract with one of the big two (Getty Images and Corbis).  He sent his book (portfolio) to four or five different art directors in the agency’s three different creative offices.  All to no avail.  Finally, through persistence, he managed to get one of the art directors on the phone…an art director that was 800 miles away.  He told the man he was going to be in town the day and asked if he could come by…the art director said yes, as long as he was going to be in town anyway…come on in.  My friend hung up the phone, then called an airline and arranged a flight.  He saw the art director in person and managed to talk his way into a contract.  Persistence and creativity equals success.

The same is true for big images on small budgets.  I recently managed to shoot an actual operation including nurses, a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, an operating room, the waiting room and more, all in a major hospital and all at no cost.  How?  I needed surgery and arranged to have my own operation photographed by a good friend and fellow stock shooter…and offered to share the resulting images with the hospital in lieu of a fee. It was a difficult sell, but it worked…and the hospital loved the images.  In fact, I often team up with other photographers to pool our resources and the results…once even participating in a “gang shoot” with 12 other photographers!

When shooting stock photography it is important to make images that the market wants…and yet to make stock images that don’t compete with every other image already in the market place.  One sure fire way to find success in making stock images is to shoot the same old concepts but with your own twist.  Success, teamwork, communication, connection, the way forward…the need for images illustrating these and other basic ideas never goes away…but there is a constant need to present them in new, contemporary and interesting ways.

Succeeding in stock photography requires self-discipline

To succeed in stock photography requires many skills as well as persistence, self-discipline and strategic thinking.  In my opinion, though, it is creativity that makes stock photography such a satisfying career.  With stock there are no creative limits on me, no clients to to hold me back, no artificial deadlines to interfere with the creative process…only the proverbial wide-open road.  Is it any wonder I love shooting stock so much?