Random Moments Photography Blog: 24Dec11 - i-Stock-photo.... Aspirations

24Dec11 - i-Aspire.
An Application Process to iStockphoto

I decided to (try to) take my "quasi professional" photography (more realistically - an amateur hobbyist) one step further. I have applied and subsequently submitted some of my good/great photos to a website called iStockphoto. In layman's terms: this site is a "wearhouse" of photography that general consumers can go to for their personal or corporate designing needs. It's a public site that anyone in general can browse and search (for anything media related), and due to it's very professional only type standards, stringent and very structured "media", you (the consumer) must pay for the items you wish to download. I decided to *attempt* to become a contributing photographer - which means (if accepted) I will be "paid" royalties for any images that iStockphoto sells to the public. Let me just say for the record, applying to become a contributor is/was no small or easy task. Not only do they review and grade you on three (in my case photo) submissions but even before that you must read a very involved 100+ page tutorial manual, complete a comprehensive "contributor application", submit government identification, write and pass a test and then, and only then perhaps be accepted. I have crossed my fingers.

Here are the photos I submitted - which I hoped might show my type of skills. In hindsight however, I think I should have sent some Macro shots (close up flowers, bugs etc....). But too late now.

My skill set of close ups or portraits involving people - and focusing on the correct objects in the field.

My skill set of isolating one large prominent item among several random/environmental objects with lots of busy moving people & differential lighting sources

My skill set of taking the ab out of abnormal. Finding weird & random things to photograph.

I hope that the reviewers of iStockphoto see what I was trying to showcase using only three (max) images that I took. Again, I suppose no matter what I chose, I will always second guess - as they are extremely artistic, extremely picky and have thousands of applicants and existing contributors.

Anyway, to pass my time waiting, I thought I would share some recent images I took. I found some rather beautiful "scenery" at my brother's (best friend of 25 years) home (funny how you can find better things to photograph in someone else's home than in your own....)