Where can you post your photos? Where should a photographer post their portfolio? Publishers and advertising agencies

You need to be able to evaluate your own photos.

Professionals are different for professionals. In photography, there are no universal objective evaluation criteria, so it is not so much the evaluation itself that matters, but who evaluates it. The same picture is judged differently by different audiences. So, the famous picture of Andreas Gursky "Rhein II" (wikipedia.org) was most likely met with restraint on Foto.ru and not only there, which does not prevent this photo from being the most expensive in the world. I saw some famous (and certainly good) Cartier-Bresson shots being criticized on some photography forum. Should we trust such estimates?

A photograph cannot be adequately assessed without knowing why it was taken and why it was taken the way it was. There are two nuances.

The first is that photography always gravitates towards some kind of aesthetics, in each of which the image is built and perceived according to its own principles. Roughly speaking, this is the aesthetics of the Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionism and contemporary art. At the heart of the aesthetics of the Renaissance is a figurative cipher (“white rose is the emblem of sadness”), a literary component, photography in such aesthetics says something. The Baroque aesthetics is based on movement, blurring of contours, fog, perspective, dynamics - everything that we usually love in pictures. The aesthetics of impressionism is based on chromatic contrast. In the aesthetics of modern art, the basis of everything is the idea that the viewer reads himself, while the artist and the image are generally secondary.

The second nuance - if the photo is applied (wedding, advertising, reportage, etc.), then it is important how the task is solved. Aesthetics is secondary here. For example, at this link (fearlessphotographers.com), two out of three photos are rather bad, although they look cool. And this is how (jeffascough.com) looks cool and very professional wedding photography. At first glance, it looks ordinary, but take a closer look: all the pictures are good and to the point, there are no technical jambs anywhere, everything is sustained in a single pictorial key, one gets a solid impression of what is happening, the photographer does not show off in anything, 127 pictures do not have time to get bored.

So how do you rate your photos? The easiest way to friend on Facebook is two dozen reputable image professionals for you personally - whether they are photographers, art historians, filmmakers, artists, etc.: if at least one likes or comments on something, then the picture should be postponed and review it after six months. The second criterion is if dozens of familiar people reacted to the picture in a few days.

The second way is to register at 500px.com. The first resource is more poppy, but if the picture got into the Editor's choice, that's good. If it just became popular there, that's not bad.

The third way is to register on 1x.com. There you can ask to criticize your work, but in return you will have to criticize the work of others. If you do this 7 hours a week, then in a year you will review several tens of thousands of pictures and learn to distinguish good from so-so.

If you shoot portraits, you should register on photovogue.it, where you can create a portfolio approved by Vogue's photo editors. They obviously have good taste, the portfolio collected there will turn out to be definitely good, but this advice is not suitable for everyone.

Agree, people quite often post their personal (and even too personal) photos on the Internet, without thinking about any possible consequences of such frivolous behavior.

Of course, it is unlikely that one small photo can cause colossal harm to your reputation, but you probably don’t even suspect for what illegal purposes your photos can be used. So, what do you need to know before you decide to put your photos on the Internet and publish some of your successful pictures online.

1. A photo posted on the Internet can reveal both your identity and your location.

Your photographs contain much more information than you think. Pictures taken with your phone may be tagged with GPS coordinates (geotags) that give away your location.

And a photo against the background of your own home, school, university or office will openly indicate where you can be found. No, this does not mean that you should be paranoid about posting anything online. Just make sure that your photos have a minimum of any data.

2. Photos can be stolen

There are a great many online dating sites that create fake profiles to attract new members.

If you're not careful about posting your pictures online, you may very well find your picture on one of these sites someday.

By the way, this is a huge market, where there is always a huge demand for inviting and attractive photos.

3. Be careful about accepting friend requests

Be selective and look carefully who you accept as friends in. Promiscuity in friends (friends) is not the most a good idea.

Go through your entire list of friends and drastically remove those you don't know at all or just don't want to communicate. This will help you maintain the relative privacy of all your information, including photos.

4. Privacy settings

Most social networks provide users with options that allow them to control how other people see their personal information and photos. offers "Public", "Friends" and "Friends of Friends" options with which you can restrict access to your data.

Don't forget that if another person tagged you on a photo, now it will be fully viewable by the friends of the person who tagged you, as well as by the friends of those people who are also tagged in this photo. It's best to turn this feature off, and then your face in the picture will not be connected in any way with your name and your profile page.

5. Don't upload photos of dubious value

If you have ambiguous or explicit photos, do not upload them online. If you have even the slightest doubt, it is better not to put them on display even for a minimum number of people.

If you are a parent, never post on the Internet those photos for which you will be embarrassed in front of your own after some time. Save spicy shots exclusively for home viewing.

Also, employers sometimes study information about their employees posted on social networks, blogs, websites, considering this information to be public and reliable. I think that you would not want to show every photo to your personnel department or your immediate supervisor.

6. Protect your privacy

If one of your friends or relatives posted a photo with you on the Internet, and you are not at all happy with this, immediately ask to remove them, clearly arguing your request.

You don't know who else might see these photos, so it's only natural that you protect yourself and your privacy.

7. Be careful with microblogs

There are a number of microblogs (such as Tumblr) that differ from social networking sites in that they are designed for a simplified blogging format for a particular person, rather than posting messages from social network users.

Always be careful with the information you provide to readers. And try not to reveal your personal information (including photos) publicly. It is not known by whom and how this information will subsequently be used.

The information posted on the network can be viewed not only by those to whom you address it, but also by those to whom you would not like to show such information at all.

Please vote!

You can choose 1, 2, 3, ... and even all 10 answers.

02.03.2011 35566 reference Information 0

In this article, we will talk about how to make money on the Internet by selling copyright photos in photobanks, or as they are also called photostocks, microstocks and making decent money on it.

I will say right away that if you are fond of photography or drawing vector drawings, then this is a great hobby that can not only give you pleasure as a hobby, but also bring you really good money for it.

What is a photobank, photostock, microstock?

Photobank (photostock, microstock) is an image bank that acts as an intermediary between the buyer of photos and the photographer himself. Photobank (photostock, microstock) takes on the task of attracting buyers and accepting payments from them, which greatly simplifies the work of photographers who only need to shoot beautiful pictures, upload them to photobanks and get paid for it.

For many Western photographers, working on the Internet with photobanks has become not just a part-time job and additional income, but is the main highly profitable profession that brings thousands of dollars every month and this is not a joke!

To dispel all your doubts, let's look at a small real example of making money on photo stocks.

On one of the Western photobanks, a certain Andrey Tokarsky posted a photograph of "Summer Landscape", and so, in three small year she brought in a total income of, do not believe it, more than $ 90,000!

In the picture you can see this same photo. For all the time, the photo "Summer Landscape" was downloaded more than 5100 times, the cost of one download is 12 credits, converting it into a currency it is $18, the commission of the photobank is 50%, we consider: $18 * 5100 downloads = $91800 * 50% = $45900

40 months have passed since the photo was uploaded to the photo stock, this photo brings the author 45900$ per month / 40 months = 1147.5$

Agree, very, very not bad. And the most interesting thing is that this photo is still on autopilot brings a good profit, and will make money for the owner for more than one day! This is probably the coolest thing in photobanks (photo stocks), you upload a photo and get money from it, and on an ongoing basis, the income depends on the number of downloads, the more downloads, the more you earn, respectively.

To start making really good money by selling photos, you must first take them and take photos not just anyhow, but always high resolution, in no case do not take pictures from your phone, even if it has a high resolution. Take better photos with a camera, you can take it for work digital camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels, it will be enough.

The most popular topics for photobanks are: business, cars, people, health, sports, subject photography. Before you start working, be sure to decide on the subject, analyze its demand and price in the photobank market.

Now let's define the photobanks themselves (photostocks). Let's make a reservation right away that in Europe and the USA a lot of photos are more willing to buy every day and the bourgeoisie pay good money for photos and vector images, you can earn from $ 3-5 and more for one photo download, and the main feature is that the download can be an unlimited number, up to several thousand, and maybe tens of thousands. Therefore, they should be given preference.

Photo bank №1

Shutterstock is the most popular photo bank in the west, it is considered the leader in terms of profitability and sales of photographs. In order to start working in it, you must pass an entrance exam, i. posting 10 photos of yourself, 7 of them must be approved, only then you can upload photos for sale. In case of failure, the exam can be retaken no earlier than one month later. You can retake an unlimited number of times.

A great feature of Shutterstock is that this service has a subscription for buyers, which costs $ 249 per month, which gives buyers the ability to upload up to 25 of any photos daily, which gives a huge incentive to buyers to upload many photos regularly, thereby providing photographers with high profits. .

By the way, if you know how to make video clips, then the Shutterstock photostock accepts authors without exams and pays them up to $ 200 for one clip, the author's fee is 30% - 50%. This is a note to you!

Photo bank №2

Istockphoto - photobank with an entrance exam three photos, Istockphoto photobank has highest demands to photographs, namely to quality and subject, so be vigilant, do not post anything. Photo moderation takes place within a week. If you fail the exam, you can retake it at least immediately after failing and without restrictions.

Photo bank №3

Fotolia is a slightly less popular photo bank without exams, you only need to pass a small test, Fotolia photo bank will not bring you a lot of income, but additional income is provided, information about each download will be sent to your email.

When you upload your photos to photo stocks, be sure to add 10-30 relevant ones to them key phrases, because buyers look for photos in photobanks only by these tags!

P.S. If your photo is really good, it can become a bestseller that will bring real profit day by day, and moreover, on an ongoing basis, in order to make good money on the Internet on photobanks, upload as many high-quality and interesting photos as possible.

A photo bank is an image repository that simultaneously acts as an intermediary between the photographer and the buyer: websites, print media, design and advertising agencies. He negotiates with existing clients, looks for new ones, makes all financial calculations.

According to the ratings of photobanks, frames with everyday scenes, emotional showdown are in great demand. Business sketches will not be left without attention: working meetings, the head at the table, employees in time pressure. The topic of happy old age is relevant - grandparents surrounded by grandchildren. And object shooting of fruits, decorations, interior details is always in demand. Uploaded photos are checked by the editor and only after his approval are published in the catalog. You can upload pictures to several photobanks at once, if this is not prohibited by the terms of the copyright transfer agreement.

All images must be accompanied by keywords (usually at least five) that make it clear what is captured in the photo and allow you to quickly find the right picture. Many photographers duplicate the description in English in order to collaborate not only with Russian-speaking buyers.

Keep in mind that if the photo is of a person, you must attach a model release without fail. This is the agreement of the model for the free use of the image. If you photographed minors, you will need a contract signed by their parents. A sample of this document can be found on the website of the photo bank.

head of PR department at Fotobank/Getty Images:

In print and online publications

Major newspapers and magazines either use the services of trusted photographers or collaborate with certain photo banks. Therefore, it is quite difficult for a beginner or inexperienced amateur photographer to publish in them. But smaller ones may well buy your pictures. Do you have a favorite magazine or news site? Contact the editor and offer your services. Don't forget to attach a link to your portfolio, without it the photo editor most likely won't consider your application.

Publishers and advertising agencies

Do not limit the circle of customers. Your photos may be in demand, for example, by publishers of postcards and calendars or by advertising agencies. They have their own bases of photographers, and it is from them that they begin their search. Getting into this number is not very difficult: offer your work. Remember at the same time that it is easier and faster for editors to view them on your website or in a profile on a special resource than through an archive attached to a letter.

At the device

Remember: before you start making money from your pictures and videos, you will have to buy quality equipment.

In your right

The main document in cooperation with a photo bank is an agreement on the transfer of copyright. When transferring exclusive rights, you should delete the photo from the databases of other photo banks for the period specified in the agreement - you will not be able to sell this photo within the specified period, but the fee will be higher. Non-exclusive rights do not impose such restrictions: you will receive money for your picture as many times as it is bought from you.

Showed everyone

Commercials and documentaries often use videos made by non-professionals, and instructional videos, for example, on how to do your hair, are popular. Local TV channels and news websites sometimes buy footage from the scene that illustrates or even becomes a story. Main requirements: the video must be shot by you personally, and it must not contain copyrighted content.

Remember that the photo must be:

• copyright;
• high-quality (no overexposure and dips in the shadows, no digital noise and compression artifacts);
• without dates, signatures, copyrights, frames, borders;
• with well built composition and plot.

Photo prices

Photo banks: the price varies depending on the size of the image and the purpose of its use. The photo bank will evaluate your photo according to its price list and after the sale will pay you a fee of 30-50% of full cost- from 10 to several thousand rubles per photo.

Printed and online editions: depends on the magazine/newspaper/website. On average, one photo can earn from 300 rubles.

Publishers and advertising agencies: here you can bargain, but remember that it will be more profitable for you to sell more frames at a low price than not to sell one because of the exorbitant cost. Advertisers and publishers pay about 500 rubles per picture.

You can post your work...

In photobanks:

• http://www.fotobank.ru/
• http://www.profimages.ru/
• http://lori.ru/
• http://www.microstock.ru/
• http://www.clipartbank.ru/
• http://www.fotostoki.ru/
• http://club.foto.ru/
• http://photoxpress.ru/
• http://ru.depositphotos.com/

In videobanks:

• http://lori.ru/
• http://shop.565.ru/
• http://www.shutterstock.com/
• http://www.pond5.com/
• http://www.revostock.com/

TEXT: Irina Styufeeva

Users of one of the most popular sites for photographers, art lovers, and design ambiguously evaluate the redesign, moreover, for many, it has become an occasion to start looking for a new platform for publishing their work.

Look At Me explored alternative photo sharing platforms for personal and professional use and the communities that have developed around them.

Exposure, unlike Stampsy, was created as a platform for photographers with an emphasis on narratives, series of photographs united by one thought. In general, for photographers who want to tell stories, and not just upload photos as they come. This description includes not only sequentially arranged photographs, but also the actual description of what is happening on them. Of several such photo stories, in principle, it’s more than realistic to put together a kind of portfolio (even without buying a pro account - a free one allows you to publish three photo stories), if you don’t get around to making your own website. Although the latter, in general, in 2014 is a rather pointless undertaking.

Main plus

The ability to tell stories that are easy to read thanks to the illustrative series, and not just upload photos.

Also a kind of online photo storage, something like Tumblr, but for author's photos; the main difference from its predecessors is the ability to sell photos directly through the site. To do this, select the For Professionals option, and then set the price of the photo, etc. The service promises to take care of all legal aspects, take care of protecting your copyrights and provide round-the-clock support if, for example, selling photos is a new business for you.

Main plus

Ability to sell photos directly through the site.

A platform for creating your own portfolio website for mobile and web versions, with a separate focus on iPhone and iPad. On the basis of the Viewbook, in fact, your own site is created, within the framework of the given design variations. Viewbook has 3 types of memberships, the cheapest one starts at $4 per month.

Main plus

Create a website with your own url.

The French-based site is arguably most popular among those who fled Flickr out of dissatisfaction with being out of control. appearance your page. Ipernity, indeed, is very similar in appearance and functionality to Flickr and, most importantly for the established community, the presence of groups (where any user can add their photos) and discussions - in general, it is the exchange of experience within the forum, supported by the visual part, and Flickr was strong the most.

Main plus

A photography community where many former Flickr users migrated to.

The VSCO app is remarkable not only for its filters (and tutorials on how to use them) and the purpose of reminding you that photos can still be beautiful, even if no one needs cameras anymore, but also for its attempts (quite successful) to develop a photo community. To do this, the team maintains VSCO Journal, where it shares the best photos, selected over the last week or weekend, and also created a special social network and at the same time a photo platform - VSCO Grid, in which each user of the application can upload their photos, and the most beautiful of them can get into the "editor's choice".

Main plus

VSCO does not just provide a platform for photos, but constantly publishes tutorials and interviews with professionals, that is, it tries to give users new knowledge.

Simply put, it's Learn from photography. Website slogan: a photo a day. The photos are sorted by the date you posted them and are side by side on a calendar. That is, it’s rather not even a platform, but a photo diary, which, with its functionality, reminds you that it’s time to update a couple of photos already. Well, the feedback system works according to the same principle: subscribers write comments by analogy with the same Livejournal.