Since 2020 was mostly spent at home, I decided I needed to do something else to keep me busy with my camera. Back in January of that year, I had attended the annual photography convention in Nashville, TN. There I learned about stock photos. It seemed like an easy way to make a few pennies submitting photos I pretty much already had on file. I took a bunch of notes and decided to start uploading when I got home. One of the first images I uploaded was the first to be downloaded by someone! It was only a few pennies for that bicycle wheel, but it made me feel successful right off the bat. So of course, I had to keep going.
I was taking pictures of anything I could find that seemed interesting. Sometimes the photos were just of things I thought would make a good background or texture overlay, like the popcorn ceiling... And someone bought it! That one made me laugh, but it also made me realize this was something I knew I could keep doing. As long as someone was out there needing photos of random objects, I had something to do.
I'm slowly grasping the concept of stock photos and what people really want. I've even interviewed friends in jobs that use imagery for marketing or graphics. I've learned there is a season for certain photos and current events also plays into it all. My goal this year is to be more cognizant of what is required from potential consumers.
Meanwhile, I get a kick out of the fact my pool image gets downloaded the most! And honestly, I don't blame them. I'm ready for summer to get here again!
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