my first post.

[alissond]

Hi there guys. This is my first post here under "Best shot" things. I went to White Beach, Puerto Galera before going to another beach here, Boracay. Here are 3 shots as the post limits. These may not be the best but I like them.

Here is a silhouette of my team. Taken during the sunrise.

Sony A100
Iso800
1/1000 shutter speed,f9,26mm.
Sunset Portrait. Three second exposure with one external flash triggered using my "poverty wizards"

Iso400,3seconds shutter,f4,rear flash sync.
And here is a banana boat ride my team did.

Iso100,1/200 shutter speed,30mm,f16.

I can't seem to add the images. It says "It was not possible to determine the dimensions of the image."
Sorry. Just follow the links. If someone can tell me how to correct this. Please. Thank You.

[Dusty]

I like the first, and the second is good except that the person is a bit over-exposed, detracting form the scene. On such shots you often have to underexpose the flash, as he's already had several seconds of ambient light exposure.

The third is is just TOO out of kilter for me. Not that it has too be straight - canted gives it an action look - but it's so far out it makes me feel woozy!

Thanks for sharing with us snow creatures!

Dusty

[David Kilpatrick]

The third shot is great - potentially a selling stock travel image, like the angle, the group of people (right age, ethnicity, for good worldwide stock sales), blue sky, everything about it.

I have corrected your post.

To embed the Flickr images, just open your LARGE image on screen. Mouseover the image and control-click to get a menu which should include COPY IMAGE LOCATION (on Mac) I think on a PC you right-click to get the same menu. That will give a pasteable URL for whatever size of image you are viewing. Paste it into the post, triple-click the URL to do a sentence mode selection, then click the IMG button above the post composition window.

David

[alissond]

Thanks Dusty and David.

I have been wanting to post some pictures here a long time ago, maybe I was a bit afraid. I feel a lot more positive about my first post now.

The second shot, I am using a vivitar auto flash which only has preset exposures. So I just matched the aperture and the iso that i was shooting then the flash would stop when it feels the exposure is right. I felt that the exposure is already good based on the a100's lcd. I have just recently learned not to fully base my shooting on the camera's preview screen.

Stock photos? I'm pretty sure all new photographers like me is interested with stock photography, but I think I don't have the necessary skills yet to cut it. But hearing it from you makes it a bit closer to reality for me.

Thanks again.

[David Kilpatrick]

Photos 1 and 3 are potential stock sellers. It's not a very complicated thing to sell stock editorial, which is mainly used by magazines, textbooks, newspapers and travel brochures (or their equivalent websites). Selling stock for commercial advertising use is very different, you would need a signed model release from every single individual even in the silhouetted group, and for the water thingy (not a banana, but what we call a banana!) you would need a property release from the maker and/or owner.

For this reason, although I am a professional photographer, I have never sold commercial/advertising stock - only unreleased editorial.

Examples from this week:



I could never have got model releases, and I doubt that Cunard would have provided a property release - in fact, if asked they would probably have told me that photography on board the QE2 was not permitted (I have sold many pictures taken on this short 3-day cruise, which was a Pentax press event).



As for this one, it's the interior food court of a well-known UK shopping mall. It was taken on a Konica Minolta A2, anything bigger and the security guards would have thrown me out. For commercial use every single person in the scene would have to sign a release, as well as every business owner for property. This shot and another taken at the same time have sold for newspaper use in the UK several times. Technically, I am not 'allowed' to take such pictures on private property, but I place them on Alamy clearly marked as no property release available. They are normally used in stories about shopping, or places to visit, or the economy etc. So far the owners of the mall have not contacted Alamy to complain - I presume they welcome the publicity, even if they would try to prevent photography when asked.

I used to think that the amount of return from the pictures was not worth having, but on checking my Alamy account (started in 2002 with just 15 small images, now unacceptable, 5 megapixel JPEGs) I have steadily increased the filed images so that now there are more than 8,000 - but I have not done any extra special shoots for this, it's just my daily snapshots and travelling. The sales just passed the overall $30,000 mark and only 250 sales have actually been made, with a good number of those repeats - certainly no more than 200 of the 8,000 pictures have so far found a use.

David

[braeside]

Yes, I would second David's comments about Stock potential.

I thank David for being the catalyst (if that is the correct term) for getting me involved in a small way with Stock Photography. It is a useful source of income, though does require a bit of work preparing the images and key-wording/annotating.

It is surprising what does sell, I have had repeat sales of some coloured recycling bins which I took while on my way from a car park to what I thought would be a good photo opportunity when Sir Gerry Robinson was giving a talk in Glenrothes. That is $612 sales in total for one snapshot.

I only have a few hundred stock photos, but continue to add to it with travel and local shots.

[aster]

breaside,

Which photo stock agencies do you find more reliable with their business policies?

Thanks
Yildiz

[braeside]

Like David K, I use Alamy, as they accept editorial work without requiring model or property releases. They do not edit the photos submitted, however they are strict with their technical requirements.

[aster]

Like David K, I use Alamy, as they accept editorial work without requiring model or property releases. They do not edit the photos submitted, however they are strict with their technical requirements.

Thank you.

[bfitzgerald]

I like the 1st and 3rd shot.

I tend not to be a fan of wonky angles, but in this case it works pretty well, adds to the action as such. It can be overused though..but I will let it off this time!