Microstock Photography

30 What Sells and What Does Not

2. Many stock images are used small. Small images need to be simple to be under-
   stood and to convey their message to their audience. Fussy images are less likely
   to reproduce clearly at smaller reproduction sizes.

Simple does not mean basic or unimaginative. It means uncluttered,

strong compositions that make an immediate impact. Many of the most

successful stock images have that immediate impact as soon as you

see them, and that is true of most of the images used in this book. So

let’s have a look at some popular stock genres.

Business and Lifestyle Images

In a recent survey of 18,000 of our members, lifestyle and business were the two

predominant categories. All vectors sell unusually well on the site in general.

Bruce Livingstone, CEO, iStockphoto

The most popular images on microstock libraries are those that feature

business and lifestyle subjects, including corporate shots, groups, and

team images. If you think for a moment, it becomes clear why this is

the case. Many of the microstocks’ best customers, including design-

ers, are producing brochures, company reports, Web sites, and other

work for businesses in which conveying a positive image of people in

their environment is critical. Images like this sell ideas and products.

Our “Business” and “People” categories are consistent best-sellers.

Jon Oringer, CEO, Shutterstock

A good number of the most successful business and people images

convey a sense of team. They are direct, clear images often shot on a

white or high-key background or a themed-added background (such

as a map of the world). They are generic in the sense that they can

be used for many different businesses. They have an almost universal

appeal.

Let’s look at some examples to illustrate the point I am making.

You saw one in the previous chapter by leading microstock photogra-

pher Yuri Arcurs. First up in this chapter is Figure 3.1, “The Business

Team,” an image I have downloaded from Fotolia. You’ll fi nd a number

of similar images on all the microstock sites. This picture ticks a

number of buyers’ boxes that help to make it a repeat seller:

• It’s a group of happy, smiling, youthful businesspeople. You can almost taste the
  sense of success and vigor this image projects!


• The group is representative of a modern, multicultural society—a positive image of
  inclusiveness.


• The image is simple in composition and uncluttered; simple sells.