copyright Warren Goldswain - click image to purchase

I know a lot of photographers that use HDR processing in their photography and I think that HDR software is adding a new layer to professional photography. It is all a matter of personal taste and the right situations. I find that some HDR images look awful and way over processed. I am a fan of the more natural feel HDR processing in the right situations with the right pictures. I started experimenting a little with HDR photography a little while ago and have learned through online tutorials how to create effects that I like. One of the most common and popular software choices for HDR blending is Photomatix, this software is quite powerful, it can enhance images or totally ruin them, treat with care. I recently came across a video tutorial on HDR by Trey Ratcliff that I thought beginners would find interesting and informative. Trey runs a photoblog called stuck in customs and features a lot of awesome travel shots, many of which are HDR processed, I am a traveler at heart and am naturally drawn to travel photography, have a look at Trey’s portfolio for some travel inspiration!

Every one of us gains knowledge and inspiration from various sources. As photographers we tend to identify and appreciate the work of other photographers, we are visual people, it is in our nature to be attracted and inspired by certain images. I have a love of travel and a keen interest in portraiture and the telling of tales through faces and settings. This does not really reflect in my stock photography, at Microstockhelper we shoot what we perceive to be in demand in the stock photography market and what we feel will be best for the business. On a personal level I am drawn to and inspired by the work of a few photographers, among them are Steve McCurray, Annie Leibowitz and Joey L.

I first came across Joey’s work when I watched a video about his trip to Indonesia and photographing the Mentawi Tribe. At the time I was living in Indonesia (now in Cape Town) and just starting to develop an interest in photography as a career. Needless to say his work left me with such inspiration, such a desire to reach a higher level of lighting skills and technical knowledge as well as some serious itchy feet! I love travel and especially in developing countries, meeting real people and putting myself into situations out in the world far away from my safe apartment back home. Joey’s work combined my appreciation for lighting skills and mood created by Annie Lebowitz and my interest in travel. Needless to say I subscibed to his blog and kept up to date with his new work and announcements.

I was super stoked to learn that Joey was bringing out a new DVD tutorial, Lara Jade vs Joey L. A shoot off covering a lot of different aspects in photography. So stoked in fact that I was the first person to purchase the DVD once it came on sale 1 December 2011. I would highly recommend this DVD for all photographers, it covers some basic principles and goes all the way into in-depth lighting setups and photoshop tutorials. They go through a wide range of photographic situations and I can see each area of this DVD being very helpful for all types of photographers out there. On sale at the moment for only $199, I would say this is a steal, a perfect gift for a photographer you know. A perfect tool to help you improve your photography. This DVD is definitely an asset for any photographer.

Although there is a lack of daily routine, there is a workflow that we do subscribe to and I will share it with you. Today’s edition will be Part 1 of a 5 part series describing the typical workflow of a Microstockhelper shoot from pre-conception to post upload. I think this information would be useful to those who are new to stock photography and for those willing to take stock photography one step further than the occasional travel picture from a weekend away. Organising photoshoots will not be as daunting as one would imagine as long as you have your bases covered.

Firstly, conceptualising a shoot and the early part of planning you need to do for a shoot. As you already know, stock agencies do not restrict their contributors on what to shoot and how to shoot it. Therefore, photographers are free to shoot whatever they want and however they wish to interpret a certain concept. One can choose to shoot based on upcoming seasons or holidays to address the expected increase in demand, or shoot according to a noticeable gap in the market of existing stock images or simply what one would imagine sells well on stock photography. I don’t think we’d ever see a lack of new ‘smiling woman isolated on white’ or ‘confident businessman’ type images Here at MSH, we tend to vary our shoots, mixing the basic isolated on white studio work with more lifestyle, outdoors type of shoots. Occasionally we feel the need to push our buttons and do something completely different (which more often than not ends up being a gap in existing stock images). So, conceptualising a shoot is purely up to the individual but this is the vital first step towards having a well executed stock shoot. Without a proper idea of what you want to achieve on your shoot, it will be difficult to provide direction for all the subsequent steps.

After deciding on a theme for the shoot, the next step is to collect references and inspirations. This is what we call creating a moodboard. The purpose of the moodboard is to help translate your vision to the people you will be working with on the shoot. By providing them visual references, all parties on the shoot will have a clearer idea on what you wish to achieve and how they can help you achieve that. Elements of the moodboard could range from styling of wardrobe, type of make up, use of props, lighting set ups you wish to mimic to type of location and range of model poses. The more parts of your concept you share, the better the results of your shoot will be as everyone will have the same expectations as you.

Once you have completed your moodboard, it all boils down to planning, planning, planning. Who are you going to work with, where are you going to shoot and when. Just like casting directors choosing different actors for different roles, photographers must remember to choose their models with care. Don’t choose your models just because they are ‘hot’ or have a fantastic body, rather choose your models based on whether they have the look you are going for. Depending on your concept, age or maturity of a model also makes a huge difference. For example, when executing a medical related shoot, you’d want to have older models who look more matured as this will lend your final images a more realistic touch to it. Your images will not be convincing nor believable if you used an early 20-something model, bright eyed and bushy tailed to pose as an established and reliable medical professional. It just wouldn’t work. Stock images are about being believable. Apart from model(s), we also work with make-up artists (MUA) who provide all hair and make up expertise for the shoot. We have a few MUA on our books that we choose to work with on most of our shoots so part of our planning process is to contact them for their availability. If you’re new to stock photography, you might not have established contacts wit MUA and there are few ways you can get in touch with MUA in your area. ModelMayhem is a good resource to turn to, it is a platform that encourages collaboration between photographers, models, MUA, retouchers and stylists and the best part is you can search for talent according to your location. Another way is to list a local classified ad on websites such as Gumtree or Craig’s List. If you like being cautious, I would highly recommend for you to ask new MUA  (one whom you’ve not worked with before) to do a trial prior to the actual shoot day. This allows you to judge their standard of work and will help to prevent any shocks on actual shoot day. Most MUA will be willing to do a test for free or at a cheaper rate.

Lastly, you have to plan a tentative shoot date in which all parties will be available to shoot. Don’t underestimate this part of planning, it may sometimes be the most difficult part! Trying to juggle and coincide everyone’s schedules can be quite a mission sometimes, so one way we like to minimise the hassle of this is to regularly ask our models and MUA about their upcoming schedules and be aware of their regular commitments such as work or school hours so we can plan our shoots around that.

I think that’s quite enough information to absorb for one post, so keep following us to know more about the next step of our workflow which will cover the planning process 3-5 days before the actual shoot. Hope you liked my first post and that it will help you get closer to successfully selling your photos online!