Stock Photography

Submitting Your Own Photographs

Selling stock photography can be a daunting task. Stock photography houses have certain quotas they have to fill, and photographers tend to send in similar subject matter. Stock art houses need fresh ideas and new material in large amounts.

In general stock agencies want images of people in their daily lives. They are inundated with images of landscapes and cute animals. People engaged in daily life such as doctors and nurses, firemen and police officers. Stock agencies prefer that these people be smiling in the images. What else is wanted by stock houses are hi tech images, sports, background images like buildings and clouds, skylines and different cultures.

Most stock agencies require a back log of photography from the stock art photographer with sometimes as many as 1200 images. Stock companies want to make sure that if they run with a photographer that is popular he or she has enough images to keep the company selling.

Slides, tear sheets, email in jpeg format or transparencies are acceptable for submission to most stock agencies.

Selling stock photography can be done, but the photographer needs to be aware of the amount of work that goes into being a successful stock photographer.