Photoshop. When you are done and ready to send the fi le to the microstocks, convert
to sRGB color space and then save as an 8-bit JPEG fi le.- If your camera does not support raw fi le format but does allow you to choose between
Adobe RGB and sRGB, choose Adobe RGB; then convert the JPEG to a 16-bit TIFF
fi le in Photoshop. When you are fi nished with any corrections, noise removal, and
so on, convert to sRGB; then convert to 8 bits and save as a JPEG ready for
submission. - If your camera only allows you to save in sRGB, then stay in sRGB. However, still
follow the conversion to 16-bit routine for manipulation before saving as a JPEG for
submission.
Although sRGB color space is smaller than Adobe RGB, it is big enough
for most purposes.
Tip 17: Read the Manual!
Modern digital cameras are really complex computing devices. Buried
in the small print of your camera manual and the sub-menus of the
camera itself will be a range of different options that may affect in
fundamental ways the quality of your photographs.
Unlock the power of your equipment by reading the manual. Good
digital cameras will allow you to change default sharpening (turn it
down or off—sharpening should be the last step in your workfl ow),
color space (see Tip 16), noise reduction (experiment with settings,
but generally, if outputting JPEGs, turn to low or off), exposure, focus-
ing defaults, and many other functions.
Tip 18: Don’t Crop Too Tightly
Many microstock images are used by designers who value some spare
image real estate to allow for cropping in order to fi t your picture to
their design.
In some ways this seems counterintuitive. Simple sells and that
means a reasonably tight crop. You want your subject to fi ll most of
the frame, but if you overdo it, then you may limit the usefulness of
your images. My tip is to leave a little space around the main subject
to allow for cropping and resizing.
Tip 19: Shoot the Light
Photography is all about shooting the light. Learning about light—not
just how much for correct exposure, but its quality—is a key to suc-
cessful photography of all kinds, not just microstock photography. An
TIP 19: SHOOT THE LIGHT 155