Awesome, beautiful and creative stock photography

Some experts doubt there is a future for stock photography. Paul Melcher in his blog post Full Frontal Disclosure:

First, stop shooting stock. The market is not there anymore. well, not for pros. Shoot commission work only and put that in stock. That is how the whole market started anyway and how it will survive.

Brrr….I just decided to be a serious stock shooter. Is there a way forward ? I think there is … shoot with passion, shoot the images you really want to make. Escape from mediocrity, develop your own style, be unique. In fact the photographers who only shoot commission work have the same challenge. That’s the way it is for all photographers.

Commodification-of-the-image race

The other day I read this article of Chase Jarvis on the Art Wolfe initiative to create a virtual photo stock agency together with some other photographers. In this article Chase says:

I haven’t shot an image for stock photography in nearly 5 years. And I don’t plan on doing it any time soon. That sentiment governs how I’ve felt about that part of the industry for some time now.

That’s not to say there’s not some money to be made – after all, I still collect checks from old work and outtakes that would be rotting on my server – however I decided long ago not to further participate in the commodification-of-the-image race down to $1, or even Free (type that word in the search bar next to ya for more on that topic…). It’s a personal choice, a creative decision and a business decision–I’m not criticizing it as a still-viable-opportunity in the marketplace.

Trying to find my way in the world of stock – both in micro and macro stock – I noticed I felt kind of offended by these words of Chase. Like the shooting of stock is synonym with shooting commodity images. Maybe I felt pissed because he has a point.

When you look at the collections of some (famous) stock agencies – it is true you see commodity. In these collections I can find no beauty, no passion, no creativity. These images are technically perfect and have a lot of so called production value – great styling, good location, good models – but there is no emotion.

On the road to mediocrity

Maybe Seth Godin says it all:

Along the way, we settle.

We settle for something not quite right, or an outfit that isn’t our best look, or a job that doesn’t quite maximize our talents. We settle for relationships that don’t give us joy, or a website that’s, “good enough.”

The only way to get mediocre is one step at a time.

You don’t have to settle. It’s a choice you get to make every day.

How to escape from mediocrity ?

Or how to create awesome, beautiful and creative stock photography that sells ? Although Paul Melcher’s advice is “stop shooting stock”….perhaps some of his advice is also true for the diehards who decide to continue with stock photography. Here some of his ideas I like especially (read the full article here ):

Second, do not copy. If you have an idea, look to see if it has been done. If it has, drop it. Move on. be creative.

Third, stop looking at your sales report. They tell you what sold, not what will sell. and while you are at it, stop reading those creative intelligence papers. If you read it, thousands of other photographers have too. What is the point ?

Go to workshops to learn how and what NOT to shoot. Same as above. Learn to be a loner.

Be emotional : too many photographers, in an attempt to be as generic as possible in order to be attractive to the biggest market, create blend, lifeless images. Be as emotional as humanly possible. The more your images generates emotions in its viewers, the better. But do not shock, or repulse. Reach for the happy, good emotions.

Do not think volume. One image will not compensate for the other. The more scarce your work, the more valuable. You are not a factory, after all.Work on the process, not the result. If the process is perfect, the result will be.

Do not equip yourself too much. Talent is not measure by the numbers of lenses or gizmos you carry. Actually, the less you carry, the more you can concentrate on your images.

In other words, be exclusive. Make your content unique and keep it so.

As usual Melcher is like a doctor who tells you an undeniable truth – from that point it is up to you !! In my opinion there is a way forward in stock – as long as you are prepared to escape from mediocrity, as long as you strive to be exclusive. That’s difficult because you have to push yourself everyday not to fall in sleep, not to nurture your babies….