Selling photos online... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

chrisbur

darich wrote: »

i would add that I use a 12.8mp Canon 5D and if I shoot RAW then convert to TIFF without compressing I have a 48mb TIFF file.....at my 12.8mp resolution.

If I use photoshop and increase the resolution my file size increases even further.

Alamy reqiure a 48MB uncompressed file size at 8 bits, the Canon 5D produces images 4368x2912 which at 8 bits gives a file size of just over 36MB so would need upsizing for Alamy. To get the required size you would need to increase the longest side to about 5100 pixels. I would guess that either your RAW converter is upsizing your pictures or they are at a higher bit depth.

Wiggynut

matt1987 wrote: »

Here is my first album. Any comments greatly appreciated!

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/3007014

try using gimp or photoshop (gimp is free and rather good and photoshop elements is cheap) to take the colour casts out and improve the contrast.
you images are too dark but this can be corrected in either of those software packages.

people think that changing your images this way is manipulation but it's actually the same processes that is used at the printing stage. only if you make huge changes and add elements to an image that it counts as manipulation.

Also, try looking at photo libraries - you will see what sort of compositions they use.

I use to work for Getty Images and a few other photo libraries and even their 'snaps' are highly stages and polished - they also prefer images that can be 'slotted' into articles for newspapers, books, brochures, reports etc - they tend to be impersonal (if that's the right word). I'm not very good at describing this sort of thing - I just retouched or duplicated them! lol.

Newspapers and magazines obviously use photo libraries for the majority of their images so have a look at the credits for the images they use. (they are not always listed in the paper/mag has a 'deal' with the company - to my knowledge anyway) but you'll see the type of pics they use (I'm not talking about the celebrity type photo libraries... more stock images).


I recommend joining (it's free) lots of photo libraries - see BAPLA for a list and have a mooch around their images to see if you can do something similar (ie: in quality, composition etc) plus do remember that most of these images are retouched to some degree... the times I've had to take out a photographers foot or the plant that looks like it's coming out of someone's head from images or even correct colours/exposures etc... so it is mostly down to composition and the idea behind the image... ie: pic a 'theme', business, people, couples, babies, clouds (they have thousands of sky/cloud shot!!)

hope that helps... I take pics too but I don't think mine would work as stock - either that I just don't have the confidence!

ps: google how to resize images... and yes take your pics as RAW otherwise the quality will go! (most photo libraries deal with 50mb images... except one company who wanted me to scan at 5mb?!?!?!??!?!?! don't recommend that though)

hope that helps

Dnav78

I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 and love taking landscape shots. I am contemplating attempting to take this a step further by looking at trying to sell some of my shots on-line. I realise this is no mean feat!

I have to admit that I'm not great at the technical side of things! I have read through all of the posts on this thread and have ended up just feeling a little bit lost and confused! Not a great start I know! A couple of questions for starters....

What is the best way of going about getting some honest opinions on my shots? Who should I ask / where should I post to do this?

I have considered uploading to Photobox's Pro-Gallery - do I need to add a watermark or copyright mark first or can I simply add them as they are? I did have photobox elements (version 4 I beleive) - got a new laptop which has Vista which doesn't like my version of Elements!

I am very confused by the sizing, dpi, MB and MP of the shots some of the sites require and how I go about ensuring I'm shooting at the right requirements - it doesn't help that I appear to have mislaid the instructions for my camera!

Any help very much appreciated!

Dnav78

Just wanted to move this thread up as it was getting buried, in the hope someone can offer some tips/advice for me.......

kayke_dee

Hey guys, i'm new to this so sorry if this is a question already posed, and im guessing its a pretty obvious answer...
But i was just wondering, what are my chances of selling photos taken with just a standard 8mp digital camera. I'm guessing very slim compared to the SLR'S but i have some really nice shots taken a couple of years ago in New York that i would like to give ago. I'm just getting into photography a lot more and looking into purchasing a cheap beginners SLR, so just wondering could any of you recommend a cheap one to start me off?!

any advise would be highly appreciated
thanks, kayleigh

patman99

Welcome to the forum Kayke-dee.
I have a huge collection of photos taken with a variety of cameras over the years, from 2mp up to a 10mp DSLR, however, most of my most useable shots over the last 18 months were with my 7.2mp Fuji Finepix S5700. Even though these print-out at A3 without any image degredation, they still aren't suitable for sites like Alamy. One way I've found with 'jpeg' images is ti up the dpi from 75 to 150, and to save with a compression level of '12', this pushes the image file size beyond Alamy's 48mb requirements without actually resizing.

As I have a 16Gb CF (133x), which cost me £17 brand new from Bentham Print (the firm with the 'cockerel' logo), I will be shooting with my camera set to 'RAW' in future.
Not sure if 'GIMP' can handle Sony's RAW format, but am willing to try.

One danger with upsizing images is the 'moire' effect on tiled rooves and stone buildings. When experimenting with your photos, make sure you don't erase the original.

Hopefully, I can sel a few prints and generate enough cash to buy a Pro DSLR like the Sony A900 (I can then use the lenses from my A200).

Just a point, does anybody know of a firm that will do small, low-cost print-runs of calenders and the like?.

chrisbur

patman99 wrote: »

One way I've found with 'jpeg' images is ti up the dpi from 75 to 150, and to save with a compression level of '12', this pushes the image file size beyond Alamy's 48mb requirements without actually resizing.

Sorry to disagree but if your camera produces pictures below the 48mb that Alamy requires then the only way to get the required size is to resize them. I would guess that when you change the dpi that the program is automatically changing the pixel size of the image as well, certainly Photoshop elements does this unless you untick the Resample image box.

patman99

PS increases the pixel size, and the end result is much better than simply re-sizing the image. I was trying to enlarge a photo of a church, all attempts at simply resizing the image resulted in a moire effect on the tiled roof, however, I tried changing the dpi, and got a bigger photo without the undesired effects.

I'm still looking for anyone who has had any experience with sites that allow you oreder small runs of calenders, postcards & other bits and bobs.

bing0

Thankyou for all the information,very useful.....:T

AlastairI

Hi there,

This is a helpful thread, I've always wanted to sell some of my photos, I feel the work I produce could be sold but I'm unsure of the channels to do it.

I've created a Photobox account, where I have some landscape photography and also some graphics work:

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/3008915

Plus my Deviantart account:

http://the-baron.deviantart.com/gallery

I've not sold anything in Deviantart, and I only set up Photobox today, but I would appreciate your comments as to whether you think any of my work is sellable?