I’m often baffled by how successful a stock photo of a simple moment from my daily life can be. Why an image sells is quite the enigma sometimes. I could have spent hours and lots of money to create a perfect shot, with hardly any sales at all. And then there is a simple click to capture a moment with my love and cat. Suddenly, there is success.
And this image of some plates with only the traces of breakfast keeps selling. But why? The top one was shot on an iPhone and not particularly well-lit. The one below is nice, shot with a ‘real’ camera, but it’s still just a regular shot of my life.
Why Does an Image Sell?
In my 16 years of experience with creating stock photography, videography and now also illustration, I have never been 100% able to predict an image’s success. However, I can pinpoint three main predictors of success when creating lifestyle imagery:
1) It is a caption of a REAL moment (or it feels real).
This means that what you have captured actually happened in real life, or it could easily happen. It is okay to stage a moment, but make it look and feel real.
2) It is unpolished (it may all be slightly messy).
Lighting and set dressing must not be too perfect (it may even be ugly or dirty when it adds to the concept). Additionally, do not use filters or aggressive retouching of a person. On Getty Images, we are not allowed to retouch a person’s face or body at all. I recommend you refrain from it if you want to create authentic stock photos.
3) It tells a little story.
It is not strictly necessary, but I recommend creating imagery that tells a story or shows a concept. That way, your chances of selling are much higher than when you post a straightforward caption of your cat or breakfast.
Dive Deeper With Me
So, creating lifestyle imagery can be a lazy business. Even if you missed what you thought to be the height of the moment, you can still capture the traces (like crumbs on a plate or a muddy footprint left on the kitchen floor). I find it funny when I make money from the messes I make.
In my Better Stock Photography Series on Skillshare, I dive deeper into this. I also share other tips to help you get started with, or get better at, creating Stock Imagery yourself. The first class in the series, a Staff Pick, is available on Skillshare now, and I’m working on the next part, which is all about how to sell more Stock Imagery.