The stock image industry is filled to the brim with all kinds of images that cater to a global market. The intent is to cover the customers’ image needs. A lot of these are for straightforward images such as product shots but there is also a huge market for images that present an abstract concept, such as a visual representation of the concept of ‘business’ or ‘health’. Oftentimes, these kinds of shots are harder to capture since you are trying to transform an idea into something more concrete, which is the image. The following are three popular abstract concepts with helpful tips on how you can create stock photos that represent them:
1. Love – put your own spin to cliché images that show the concept of love such as people hugging or kissing, red paper hearts, heart balloons, chocolate hearts and the like. Although your image may be perfectly exposed and composed, it could get buried under the thousands of similar images from other good photographers. Instead of a young couple kissing, why not make it an old couple instead. Instead of composing some chocolate hearts on a white background, why not have someone about to eat the chocolate heart instead. By going a step further, you are separating yourself from the pack. Keep in mind that the concept of ‘love’ has many levels, such as ‘familial love’ and ‘romantic love’. Try to compose shots which portray various kinds of love. Examples of images that convey ‘love’ are a father holding his baby, a child and her pet, and a mother hugging her elderly parent.
2. Health and Fitness – nowadays, people of all ages are very health conscious and there are millions of products and services that offer the concept of a healthy lifestyle. The concept of good health is dear to our hearts and images that convey this are widely popular. When creating a shot, first imagine what you would consider as promoting health and fitness. Common topics would be diet and exercise so the next step is to use a subject or shoot a scene that shows this. People jogging, vitamin pills, gym equipment, and healthy looking people exercising are some examples. Again, the trick is to avoid shots similar to what others are offering. Play with your camera angle, the framing, the depth of field, etc. to further push your concept.
3. Work/Business – the most common stock images that show the concept of business are people in business attire, briefcases, office desks and handshakes. There is nothing wrong with having a good quality stock image that shows any of these examples but you must remember that the competition has similar images of their own. To add your own creative touch, why not make use of workers that are less noticed and who normally do not wear business suits to work such as fishermen or construction workers.
Whatever concept you are trying to present, always keep in mind that these are for stock and as such, need to have commercial and resale value. Customers should be able to use them to promote their own products and services. Also the idea should be immediately clear to the customers and not make them wonder what is the message you are trying to get across.
Tags: abstract concepts, how to shoot abstract ideas, stock images
Are you at a loss for a subject to shoot? Why not pick some very common subject matter and see if you can present it in interesting ways? Challenge yourself with little exercises in composition, lighting, and creativity. What better way to do this than to start by photographing common vegetables and fruits. They make such great potential subjects because they come in so many varieties, from long purple eggplants to broccoli sprouts that look like miniature trees; from small bright berries to giant watermelons. They are also very accessible. You can get them in the market, if you don’t already have them in your refrigerator. Among other things, you can mash, slice, dice, puree, cook, chop, carve, squeeze, or shred them.
Close up or macro shots, for instance, will direct the viewer’s eyes to the intricate details. These details may not be obvious or even interesting if seen at a regular distance. But by showing how the fruit or vegetable looks like up close, then the viewer gets to notice and appreciate what he or she would normally miss. The skins or surfaces are usually textured and peeling or slicing them off will show further details and textures.
where they have been rinsed to remove specks of dirt. But shooting them outdoors, still clinging to the stem or root and a part of nature, is another effective way of portraying them. Taking advantage of it being in its natural habitat and soaking up the sunlight can make for some wonderful shots.
Additional tips when shooting jewelry:
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Photography is a broad and extensive professional field that can, more often than not, be very competitive. The competition spans from part-timers that freelance for the daily local newspaper to big wig photographers that command astronomical fees. One way to stand out in the crowd is to find your niche and be good at it. For example, by specializing in pet portraiture or wedding photography, there is a bigger chance potential clients will contact you since they know you are good in that particular area.
redeemed with minor post processing, which is perfectly fine as long as the editing is flawless.
subjects can provide context and subtext which you can use to their full advantage.
to make a landscape shot more unique is the addition of a foreground subject. Instead of just a plain beach in sunset scene, why not include a person or an object in the foreground. This gives the viewers something to focus on while also appreciating the beautiful landscape background. 
Read design and photography magazines – use what you see in these magazines as inspiration rather than mimicking styles or other photographers’ work. Learn to develop new styles and techniques that you can use for your own images. This is the best way to learn what other photographers are doing to create business concepts that you can use to your advantage.
You always take photographs on every occasion, including Christmas, so why not consider making a profit from all those holiday images. Here are some ideas how to earn:
have a steady stream of clients that will recognize your work and would periodically check on your images each time they need one.
of the festive mood such as people shopping in malls, carolers singing, etc. Try to tell a story or make use of techniques such as silhouette or motion blur to spice up your shots. It’s always easy to spot a great scene this time of the year so be prepared and don’t let it pass you by. 
