Microstock Photography

78 Technical Issues: Killing the Gremlins

The Microstock Inspection Process

The microstocks have to review and assess many thousands of

images every week (e.g., Shutterstock was adding around 30,000

new images each week in November 2007). They do this by

employing image inspectors, who are often other contributing

photographers paid to undertake reviews. The libraries therefore

have to set some pretty basic and easy-to-follow guidelines for

these inspectors to use. Being human, the inspectors can make

mistakes and are sometimes overzealous in rejecting images for

vanishingly small and irrelevant defects; plus, being microstock

photographers themselves, the inspectors are unlikely to pass images

less perfect than their own.

Once I started taking high-quality pictures, it occurred to me that they could be

useful to others—I had always needed imagery in the past for my previous busi-

nesses—and then saw that there was no real forum to market images like my

own.

Jon Oringer, CEO, Shutterstock

So, they are not out to get you; it just feels that way at the outset. But,

help is at hand.

Read the Rules!

Each library has useful guidance on its technical criteria. For example,

iStockphoto has the Photographers Training Manual that outlines

its own quality standards. Although this book covers technical

requirements, you should check each site for more site-specifi c

requirements.

When images are rejected, you will usually be told why, at least in

general terms, in the rejection notice. So, your fi rst step is to read what

you have been told and understand the reasons for rejection. Then go

back and check to see if you can detect the faults in your image.

Remember to review your image at 100% magnifi cation on your

monitor!

Kit

You cannot correct image defects unless you can see them, so get

yourself a decent computer monitor and, preferably, calibrate it so

that it shows accurate colors. Monitor calibration is easy. There are

plenty of inexpensive calibration products on the market, and if

you are planning on selling images, you really should invest in

basic calibration tools. Examples include Pantone’s Huey and

Huey Pro and Colorvision’s Spider 2; there are many others, all