How to Get Your Photographs Accepted at Stock Photo Sites

Selling your photos online can be a great way to make extra money, but sometimes it is a challenge to get your photographs through the stringent review process of the major stock photo sites. With a little planning and dedication you can submit photos that won't be rejected.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Start with the right equipment.
   
   You don't need a $1000 digital SLR camera to take stock photography, but you do need a camera that can take high quality photos. Each stock photo site has its own minimum requirements and if your camera doesn't meet them there isn't much you can do. "Upsizing" or increasing the dimensions and resolution will degrade the quality of your photos and they won't be accepted.

2. Choose interesting subjects.
   
   There are lots of cliches in the stock business and it just doesn't pay to have the 291493832nd picture of an isolated businessman. Choose a different angle and get your photos noticed.

3. Learn the technical aspects of photography.
   
   Shutter speed, aperture, white balance, depth of field? Knowledge of the basics of photography will go a long way in your new found career. Images must be properly exposed to be acceptable as stock.

4. Check your images.
   
   Before submitting, check the whole picture at 100% and 200% in an editing program like Adobe Photoshop for noise and artifacts. Noise are dots and specks on your image and artifacts are where the image looks pixelated. The best way to fix this is to take properly exposed images, but you can also use noise reduction software.

5. Use proper keywords.
   
   It is always best to use as many keywords as possible since that is the only way people will be able to find your images within the thousands the stock agency displays. But using misleading keywords, intentionally or unintentionally, will get your photograph rejected.

6. Try, try, again.
   
   Different stock photography sites have different guidelines, so while you may be a shoe in at one, you might get the same photos rejected at another. Most people sign up for more than one stock photography site not only because of this, but also for the opportunity to earn more on each photo.

[vyeshi]

on 12/18/2009 i have had a few accepted but haven't tried in awhile. hope to revisit this soon.

[vallain]

on 3/28/2009 Thanks for the advice on getting photos accepted at stock photo sites. I've had some accepted already, but many more rejected. They really do have to be perfect.

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on 2/2/2009 Great Article!

[missbb]

on 1/30/2009 This is something I've been looking into, so thanks for the tips :)!

[WordWhizKid]

on 1/4/2009 Interesting and helpful article, thanks! I'd like to try this someday. 5*s!