You know time-lapse videos are a crowd-pleaser. But once you’ve mastered the art of capturing time-lapse clips of clouds and sunsets, you may be itching to try something more exciting. Why not amp up your Shutterstock footage portfolio with a few advanced techniques? Here are three extreme time-lapse tricks to try.

1. Go days, not minutes

Time-lapse is a really fun way to compress time, so why not take it to the extreme by capturing events that take days or weeks? Turn your leftovers into art by capturing their slow descent into fungus! Or if you’re more the romantic type, you could shoot the life of a plant from seed to sprout.

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If used correctly, keyword phrases can help you be more specific in describing your content. If used incorrectly, however, they can make your work nearly impossible to find. Here are some good questions to ask yourself when considering whether to include phrases in your keywords.
 

Will someone actually search this?

When you use a keyword phrase, it will only help your content to be found if a customer searches for exactly that combination of words in exactly that order.

A customer may want to narrow down a search by entering several descriptive words in the search bar, but it would be hard to predict the exact combination and order of those words. Instead of keywording your photo with the phrase “cute playful white kitten,” for instance, you should instead use each of those words separately.

White Kitten image ©Shkvarko
 
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A few months back, we used footage from our collection to illustrate some of the things you can do to make your clips stand out from the crowd — regardless of how traditional your concepts might be. Now we’re continuing the series, choosing more of our favorite new contributions on common themes to reveal how their creators made them shine. Check them out, and pick up some more tips on how you can reflect their success in your own work.

The Popular Concept: The Earth from Space

Europe At Night footage ©marianmedia

What makes it unique?
Speed and specificity are the keys that make this video unique. The action is slowed down to the point of allowing viewers (and buyers) to see not only the details of the continent at night, but also passing clouds. Even the zoom is gradual and methodical, offering time to absorb the layers of what we’re looking at. By focusing on a specific place on Earth (versus the globe as a whole) and taking its time to get there, this video is a great example of reinventing a popular theme in stock video.

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We’re excited to announce the public debut of our latest feature for Shutterstock Contributors: the new Keyword Suggestions tool. We heard from you that good keywording can be difficult and time-consuming, so we set out to make it both easier and faster, while increasing the accuracy and relevance of your results.

The first version of Keyword Suggestions is here today, meaning you can start using it right away. This new feature has the potential to drastically improve the way you submit images and videos, so we can’t wait to hear what you think. Once you’ve tried it out, please share any and all feedback using the tab on the left in your Contributor account. We’ll use your input to keep making it even better.

Keyword Suggestions is simple to use. Just search for and select a few images with similar content to your own, and the tool will supply you with a list of relevant keywords that you can refine and add to your image or clip. Keyword suggestions is powered by data from Shutterstock’s 750,000+ customers to recommend accurate keywords that are likely to get you the most downloads. It also offers ideas for great keywords you might not have thought of on your own.

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As you know, if you have an inquiry regarding your Shutterstock contributor account or portfolio, you can always email us at submit@shutterstock.com. We are happy to help you resolve any issue you may be having or answer any questions that you may have.

We have created a list for you below with the email address you should write to for specific issues, should you require assistance. If you do not see an email address provided for your particular issue, please write to submit@shutterstock.com, and we will get your inquiry or issue to the best person to respond to you.

What If I’ve Already Submitted an Email to Shutterstock?

You should only submit one email to Shutterstock per issue or inquiry. Please be assured that we will respond to your email as fast as we can. Do not send us multiple emails as it will cause a delay in responding to your email.

Also, you may reply directly back to any email sent to you from the below email addresses. In fact, doing so will make sure that we can address your inquiry as fast as possible.

Credentials

For submitting credentials or inquiries related to credentials for editorial images, please email credentials@shutterstock.com

IDs/Account Changes

For inquiries or issues related to ID submissions, or requests to make changes to your account, please email ids@shutterstock.com

Inquiries Regarding Content

For inquiries or complaints regarding potential legal issues with content on Shutterstock, please email infringementclaims@shutterstock.com

On the Red Carpet Program

For inquiries or issues related to Shutterstock’s On the Red Carpet Program, please email ontheredcarpet@shutterstock.com

Tax Forms

For tax form submissions and tax questions, please email taxhelp@shutterstock.com

What If My Issue is Not Listed Here?

If your inquiry or issue is not listed above, please write to submit@shutterstock.com, and we will get your email to the appropriate party. Thanks for reading and we look forward to hearing from you!

If you’re a footage contributor looking to shoot a different kind of content, one thing worth considering is aerial videography. We talked to three Shutterstock contributors — Vladimir Kurilov, Stephen Griffith, and Antonio Urquijo de Simón — about their experience shooting aerials, and each one gave us great tips for those getting started in the field.
 

CHOOSE YOUR METHOD WISELY

The contributors we interviewed each use different methods for obtaining their videos. Vladimir flies a paramotor (a paraglider powered by a rear propeller). “It’s easy to transport, weighing about 30 kg [66 lbs], and can be placed in a car,” he says. “No special area is needed for take-off and landing.” It takes 2 to 3 years of experience to really master, though, so it may not be the ideal choice for those just starting out.

Those with no flying experience might try paying to charter a flight. Stephen, a professional pilot, says that helicopters can be expensive and potentially shaky. He recommends using a small airplane, if possible, with a “high wing, retractable gear, and lack of wing struts” to avoid obstacles getting in the way.

Antonio’s clips showcase yet another option: hot-air balloons. Unlike a plane or helicopter, these allow for slow, smooth motion. But they don’t allow for much control over the direction you fly in, and, similar to a paramotor, a balloon leaves you exposed to the elements.

Running Horses footage ©kurilov vladimir

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Shutterstock takes immense pride in our ability to represent creative individuals from all over the world. The diversity of Shutterstock contributors is truly what allows us to open the boundaries of creativity across the globe.

In order to encourage the diversity of content that we are so proud of at Shutterstock, we are happy to announce that Shutterstock’s model and property releases are now available in 14 foreign languages, and we are now accepting certain foreign language model and property release forms from other agencies.

Here is a list of releases we will accept for your reference:

If you have any comments or questions regarding foreign language releases, please do not hesitate to contact us at submit@shutterstock.com. We look forward to updating you on our continued efforts to support our international contributors here at Shutterstock!

One of our most important goals at Shutterstock is to foster a safe environment for both contributors and customers to license images and videos.  To better protect both parties, we occasionally ask for supporting material, such as reference images, with image submissions.

Our guidelines for submitting vectors, as with all work you submit to Shutterstock, is simple:  you may only submit content to which you own or control the copyright. This includes any content that you use to create your image.  Therefore, you may use an image to create a vector (“reference image”), but only if you own or control the copyright to the reference image.

For example, you may not submit a vector that you created from an image you found online and which does not belong to you. This includes reference images found through online searches and on “free” image websites. Unless you own or control the copyright to the reference image, you may not submit a vector created using the reference image.

We request that you submit the reference image for vectors that have been created using a reference image. You can do this by uploading a copy of the reference image to the “property releases” section along with your vector submission.

Please note that you do not have to submit reference images for vectors that were directly created on a program or tablet. However, please know that our reviewers examine every image submission very thoroughly, and may request more information about a vector if it appears that the vector may have been created using a reference image.

By providing us with a copy of a reference image, you are helping to ensure that you are the rightful owner to the image, and that you are providing content with integrity to our customers. Additionally, providing us with a copy of a reference image can help protect you if there is ever any dispute related to the ownership of your image.

Below are some examples of vectors created using reference images where we would require you to upload a copy of the reference image.

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Some of you may have noticed a delay in the review of your illustrations recently. We are aware and want to work with every contributor in order to ensure timely and accurate reviews. In order to do this, we need your cooperation, as follows:

It is important to tag all illustrations as illustrations properly, in the Content Editor, prior to submission. (See Content Editor View)

Content Editor View

Delayed Illustration Reviews

The main reason for a delay in illustration review has to do with many images not being tagged as illustrations properly prior to submission.  When an image is tagged correctly, that sets off an internal process here that ensures a timely review.  When an image is not tagged correctly, then a delay occurs as we begin the process of manually reassigning the illustrations to ensure that the review is accurate.

In order to assist you with determining if your image needs to be tagged as an illustration, here are some guidelines and examples on what qualifies as an illustration.

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For any videographer, knowing how light influences your images is key to creating great content. The good news is that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on C-stands, key lights, or fill flashes. All you need is your camera, a few basic tips, and a bit of sunshine.

Sunshine on Your Shoulders

Understanding how daylight and weather influence your subject is important to achieving a number of desired effects. Here are some examples:

Midday sunshine, characterized as having high-contrast neutral-colored light, can cause harsh shadows on portraits, but is great for making water appear more transparent:

Rippling Sea footage ©holbox

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