CONTENTS
1 Understanding the Microstock Revolution
Comparison with Traditional Libraries
2 How to Make Dollars from Cents
Royalties And Licenses, or “Where Is the Cash?”
3 What Sells and What Does Not
4 How to Make Sure Your Pictures Win
Use Bold and Complementary Colors
Use the Best Aperture and Shutter Speed Combination
5 Technical Issues: Killing the Gremlins before They Kill Your Pictures
The Microstock Inspection Process
Removing Copyright Symbols and Logos
The Best Digital Camera for You
The Big Guns: Medium-Format Digital
Table and Window Setup (Available Light)
8 Twenty Tips andTricks to Winningon Microstocks
Tip 1: Buy the Best Equipment You Can Afford
Tip 2: Decide If Artist Exclusivity Is for You
Tip 3: Buy Decent FTP Upload Software
Tip 4: Buy and Use Adobe Photoshop
Tip 5: Buy a Macro Lens If You Own a dSLR
Tip 6: Buy a Tripod to Go with That New Macro Lens
Tip 8: Get an Independent View by Joining Independent forums
Tip 10: Check What Is Selling—And What Is Not
Tip 11: Enlist Friends and Colleagues
Tip 12: Upload New Work Regularly But In Small Batches
Tip 13: Set Key Words accurately
Tip 15: Challenge Your Creativity
Tip 16: Use sRGB Color Space for Submission
Tip 18: Don't Crop Too Tightly
9 Mixing It with Rights-Managed Stock
11 Copyright, Trademarks, and Model Releases
12 The Future of Microstock Photography
Appendix 1 Microstock Library Links
Appendix 2 Model and Property Releases
Traditional Stock Photo Libraries
Noise-Reduction or Modification Software
Third-Party Raw File Decoding Software
General Photo Sites of Interest
Stock-Related Discussion Groups