Stock photography is getting more and more popular. Predictably so with magazines, publishing houses and advertising agencies, but even more so with private persons who, for instance, buy stock photos in order to use them on their websites. For you to be a successful stock photographer, though, it takes more than just uploading your latest holiday snapshots on the website of whatever agency.
In this completely revised edition of his German-language bestseller, Robert Kneschke – a German bestselling author, well-known blogger and successful stock photographer – demonstrates what a good stock photo is all about and what you can do to make it sell. Newcomers eager to earn just a little extra money will benefit from reading the book as well as amateur photographers who have been selling photos for years and are now aiming for the professional champions league.
The book is divided in two parts: “Taking Photos” and “Selling Photos”.
The first part focuses on technical aspects of the shooting and presents perfect examples of lovely, popular and attractive images which will easily sell. It deals with Props, locations and the different ways of working with models and it gives brief overviews of stock audio and stock video. This part is supplemented with an additional chapter on US Copyright Law Basics for Photographers written by Nancy E. Wolff, a practicing lawyer for more than twenty years, Legal Counsel of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) and author of “The Professional Photographer’s Legal Handbook”.
The second part of the book introduces the reader into the necessary routine and workflow he or she should follow as a professional stock photographer. Keywording and statistics, though often underestimated, are essential parts of a stock photographer’s job, so Robert Kneschke deals with them extensively and thoroughly. The author also lists the most popular agencies, weighs their pros and cons and shows the various licensing models on the market. Real world examples of stock photographers and their earnings and interviews with them allow the reader an even deeper insight into the business mechanics of stock photography.
If you are looking for advice on how to find your way around as a professional in a highly competitive market and how to make money with your own photos, this classic by Robert Kneschke is the book to consult.
Testimonials referring to previous editions
I ́ve said it before and I ́ll say it again: This book is definitely THE classic on stock photography in the German-language book market.
fotografr.de
This is the book for people who are serious about making money with their own photos. The author himself is making a living from taking photos and selling them. So he knows what he is writing about. I assume there are very few people who know so much about the different ways of licensing and selling with all sorts of microstock agencies involved.
DigitalPhoto
Robert Kneschke – quite impressively – shows in his book, that stock photography is more than just trying to sell holiday and animal photos. Going far beyond such topics as choosing the right subject and technical details of the actual shooting, the book gives professional advice on legal matters, key wording as well as well-grounded background information on how to eventually make money with your own photos
Chip
