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The most important advice I have to offer after my decades in the stock photo business about what images to make is listen to yourself. You know more than anyone about why you want to create imagery. Build on those thoughts first. Then see how to make the images more salable. Once the flame is lit, it's easy to turn up the temperature!
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| Today I was with an old friend who is a top creative consultant to advertising and stock photographers. I asked her to sum up in one word her best advice to anyone needing a kick in the creative pants. She answered, "Oh, that's easy. My word is play." I remembered then that she had been giving away buttons that just said "play" at a trade conference a year or so ago.
We over think; we over analyze; we take our work too seriously. Then the work is in danger of becoming stilted and far too derivative. The images become formulaic. We try to guess what the market wants more than what we can do best. My spouse says it best, "The hardest thing to do, is to be yourself." So get out of the box!
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| All children can and do draw. Most stop once their work is graded or becomes something they have to do or be judged upon. The sense of play leaves and only a few rare, creative souls manage to hang on to the playfulness that frees the creativity inherent in us all.
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| How can we recapture that sense of childish creative freedom and still stay within the requirements of a salable image? Try this:
Forget for a moment about trying to create images that you think will sell well. Sit down in a quiet place with a pad and pen. Let your mind wander. Write down all the words that come to your mind for a period of exactly five minutes. If you get bored, just let your mind drift for a minute or so and then pick-up some words from that detour.
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| Review the list of words. Pick the word that seems the most interesting and let your imagination loose to conjure up images based on that word. Forget about whether the images are technically possible or salable.
Usually one image will keep coming back again and again. I just did this and found that I kept seeing a man in a red armchair with a reading light shining down on him. I haven't the foggiest idea where THAT came from. The word was warmth. I found a lot of interesting images on Dreamstime with the keywords red, chair, lamp, man, warmth but none that fit my vision. Below are the closest to what I had in mind.
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| So in just a few minutes I came up with an image that could be unique to Dreamstime.
And now that I think about it that could be a very salable image if the man was reading or sleeping or even just daydreaming. The cone of light from the reading lamp would make an interesting composition.
Now using what you know about salable images, see if you can turn your vision into a much downloaded Dreamstime photo or illustration. Think: Play...Be Yourself...Let it happen!
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You are so right - the best work comes when I let go and stop documenting and just grab the image that grabs me. - posted by
Amyemilia
on January 08, 2008 |
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Thanks for the advice. - posted by
Sextoacto
on November 30, 2007 |
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Hi Carla,
Sorry I missed seeing this until today. Very pleased that you found the blog to be a bit inspiring. thanks for letting me know. - posted by
Boughn
on March 23, 2007 |
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Hi, when I read this tip I tried to do what you write.
And today I have some images accepted by DT created following your suggestions.
It's so difficult finding every day new ideas: thanks for this blog!!
Carla
my illustrations - posted by
Korat_cn
on March 23, 2007 |
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Great advice. Needed to hear that. - posted by
Markstout
on March 03, 2007 |
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wonderful job of jogging the ol' perspective. thank You, Ms. Ellen. - posted by
Plaintiger
on March 02, 2007 |
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thank you ellen i bet there will be several shots of a man relaxing in a red chair will show up now!! just for the record i bought some of those magnetic letters to photograph before this blog appeared :) - posted by
Denisebeverly
on March 02, 2007 |
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.. - posted by
Gvictoria
on March 02, 2007 |
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I love these blogs, especially this one, great help when we feel stuck with creativity. Thank you for your wonderful insight. - posted by
Gvictoria
on March 02, 2007 |
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Yes ! Something we should remind ouselves often...keep it fun !! thanks Ellen ... - posted by
Cathysbelleimage
on March 02, 2007 |
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Photo credits: Elena Ray, Odelia Cohen, Smileyjoanne, Tomd, Bobby Deal, Edyta Pawlowska, Theresa Martinez, Elena Ray, Bellemedia, Tom Schmucker. |
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| Stock Photography that SELLS! |
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Ellen Boughn, a veteran of the stock photography industry with over 30 years
of experience gives expertise tips on successful stock.
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2008  |
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 Ellen Boughn
Bainbridge Island, US
I am Dreamstime's Director of Content and Business Development. A long time stock industry professional, I have held executive positions at Corbis and Getty (Stone) as well as at several other large US agencies. Although I was given my first camera when I was six years old by my father, I gave up taking pictures when I became a photo editor. A lifetime of looking at the best work from some of the world's best photographers, made me realize my skills were in editing images, not taking them. My areas of expertise are content and business development.
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