What Makes an Image Marketable For Stock?

Photographers who have made a career out of licensing their work as stock photos know that there is a difference between a “good” image and a “marketable” image. There are many beautiful and great photographs out there, but that doesn’t necessarily make them sellable images. If you’re hoping to make money from your photography, you need to know what it is that makes an image attractive to photo buyers.

1. Themes/Concepts: In order for an image to be marketable, it often needs to illustrate a theme of some sort. It must present a specific concept or tell a story that people can relate to. For example, I typed in the keyword “struggle” and came up with this image. It’s quite powerful and it clearly illustrates that concept. That doesn’t mean that you have to present the theme in an easily digestible, Wonder Bread way, unless you’re trying to sell your images as bottom dollar microstock.

2. Real Life: Images that are used in advertising need to be identifiable to the mass market. That means that they have to illustrate concepts that have relevance to the lives that most of us lead. Again, you don’t have to spoon feed these concepts to your audience, and in fact, the more stylized and creative you can go with them, the more chances you have that your work will stand out to photo buyers. I love this highly conceptual shot of the kid in the classroom. It also came up when I did the keyword search for the word “struggle.” It illustrates the concept in a way that so many of us can relate to.

3. Originality: Again, I point to the classroom shot above. The photographer found a unique way to illustrate the concept of “struggle,” as opposed to the shot of the two business people arm wrestling. How many times have we seen that? Shoot what you know, but apply a concept that has an original twist. Be creative and use all your techniques, and most of all, apply your own style to your images. Remember, the higher paid uses usually come from ad agencies who are always looking to wow their audience with something that they’ve never seen before. If your work is eye catching and original, it can compete in this arena.

4. Up To Date: Sellable stock imagery needs to be fresh. That means current styles, looks, clothing and technology. Fortunately this is one of the things that will always keep us photographers in business. Styles constantly change and there will always be a need for updated imagery. I like this image of the girl on the phone. It looks current. If an image looks dated, it probably won’t sell.

5. Technically Perfect: With the overwhelming flood of stock photos in the current marketplace, only the best shots will get noticed, let alone sell and make you any money. Create outstanding imagery that is sharp, perfectly exposed, creatively composed, well lit and technically perfect, and you will have a much better chance of seeing royalties from your work.

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Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, outdoor and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska. Follow his own blog at danbaileyphoto.com/blog and see his daily updates at facebook.com/danbaileyphoto.