Author Topic: iStock and Shutterstock application - advice requested (Read 3981 times)

Jimages · « **on:** December 06, 2012, 10:14 »

Hello everyone,

In April I placed a post, asking for help with my iStock application.

I put on 7 images that I selected from my portfolio, and was gently told that there was not much chance of getting accepted.

Since then I joined Fotolia and have been shooting and designing specifically for stock, I've got 57 images on Fotolia and have had 18 sales, (having any sales at all has been very exciting to me).
I am now in the process of uploading the Fotolia images to Dreamstime, but i would really like to get on to iStock and Shutterstock, so would love any advice on whether it's worth trying to apply now, or if I need to wait and keep working on Fotolia and Dreamstime.

Here's my Fotolia portfolio:

http://en.fotolia.com/p/203317997 [nofollow]

Any advice on area's I could work on to have more chance of being accepted would be very much appreciated.

Thank you very much for your time and help

Jimages

JPSDK · « **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2012, 10:27 »

I dont know anything about illustrations.
Your photos are overprocessed for istock, you have clipped the colours and fx the beach houses are too light, and the exposure is tweaked to much for istock.

Shutterstock like tweaking, but i think these are too much.
Fx your cornfields are too clipped and your sunflower is near burnout in the yellow channel. Maybe Im wrong, I clip and tweak myself, but maybe not so much.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2012, 10:48 »

The illustrations are too simple for IS. I don't think the photos are too bad, but again, they're a bit simple.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2012, 11:22 »

teeth and leaves, that said you need to watch your focus and the blowouts 255 (lower them on the curves)

you can try a few other on your port but I think you need to work on more photos

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2012, 11:34 »

I agree that I don't think your current images are likely to get you accepted at Shutterstock (limited commercial value & composition) or iStock (overfiltered and not suitable for stock -or whatever they are calling that these days).

As far as what to do: improve your post processing on photographs. You can get punch and pop without damaging the image as much as it appears you have in the ones on Fotolia. Branch out a bit on subject matter. For the simpler illustrations, try doing some sets of things with related theme, color and style. IS won't like that, but SS probably will.

Good luck

Jimages · « **Reply #5 on:** December 08, 2012, 06:06 »

Thank you all, for your fast responses and advice,

I think it is probably best to keep working on fotolia and dreamstime for the time being, I'll try and get my portfolio over the 100 mark then have a re - think applying to iStock and Shutterstock.

When i do apply, do you think it is a good idea to submit a mix of illustrations and photography, or stick to one or the other?

Also about the over exposure in my photos, often i feel the pictures are a bit dull without pulling the curves quite high. I have discovered the technique of duplicating the image layer and adding soft light or an overlay, then playing with the shadows and highlights.
Does anyone have any other techniques for giving my images more vibrancy without clipping the colours and exposure?

All help is very much appreciated

Thank you

jimages

Oldhand · « **Reply #6 on:** December 08, 2012, 07:01 »

I'd avoid too simple illustrations when applying to IS - they won't go for them.

Just the opposite I find illustrations easier to get accepted at SS than photos, again with the caveat of avoiding too simple ones.

See if you can get some more photos accepted at FT and DT to choose from, then post the portfolio link here. You're certainly not far away from being accepted at both IS and SS.

Good luck - it's a while since my first sales, but I can still remember them!

uvox4 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2012, 09:05 »

As a newbie myself, I find FT are the hardest to get my photos on. Many others seem to say the same.

Please, don't wait. Submit your photos, take the plunge. The worst that can happen is you have to wait a month to reapply. Its a learning curve. Learn from the rejections, don't take them to heart. I reckon you will get accepted at IS.

Your pictures are simple, but sites like that.

Good luck.