Tip 10: Check What Is Selling—and What Is Not
It is no use just pumping out any old images if you want to make
money, as you will realize by now from the earlier chapters of this
book. But to stay ahead of the curve, it is a good idea to keep an eye
on what is selling well. For example, iStockphoto lists the top-selling
images of all time and for the past 3 months. Shutterstock lists its top
50 best sellers ever and the top 50 images for the current week. Shut-
terstock allows you to apply fi lters to show only the top photos,
vectors, or illustrations or the whole lot together. Fotolia has a “Best
Sellers” page with an all-time Hall of Fame (Figure 8.3), and monthly,
weekly, and even daily best sellers listed.
This is valuable information! However, avoid trying too hard to
copy what others have already shot. Examine trends and form your
own interpretation of them. Images that are just a little bit different
may have that crucial commercial edge buyers are looking for. Learn
but do not slavishly copy.
Tip 11: Enlist Friends and Colleagues
Given that people shots are big sellers but professional models
cost money, try enlisting the help and support of friends and
colleagues to act as models, making sure that they understand
what this means and asking them to sign a model release. Wives,
boyfriends, uncles, and so on can all help out. The possibilities
are endless (unlike the bad jokes you may have to crack to keep
them happy)!
FIGURE 8.3 From the Fotolia Hall of Fame
comes this classic stock image. © bellestock/
FotoliaTIP 11: ENLIST FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES 149