This article was taken from the May 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Stock photography is a saturated business, but you can still make a tidy sum. Alex Bortkiewicz, director of photography at Alamy, advises on how to stand out.
Don't be generic "It does help if your style pops out," says Bortkiewicz. This means developing a distinctive visual approach. Don't just shoot anything: have a concept for the image in your mind when you're taking a picture, and tell a story.
Watch trends
Bortkiewicz says it's a good idea to stay on top of what's going on in the world. "There's not much demand for images of euphoric city workers punching the air any more, and clients want images that are more tempered," she says.
Tag it "Your keywording is almost as important as your image," says Bortkiewicz. "Think of it in terms of the photo caption. If you were looking for this picture, what words would you use?" Embed metadata into your photo too.
Specialise
The market has opened up recently -- many agencies are now non-exclusive. If you have a speciality, you can sell images via an agency that covers a gamut of topics, as well as an agency that caters for your subject
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
