Photo © Otávio Almeida

Last month, several members of the Shutterstock team attended the World Photo São Paulo conference in Brazil. Our director of content operations, Anthony Correia, gave a presentation about stock photography that was well received, and several attendees requested copies of the presentation.

We’re happy to share the presentation with everyone interested in being a successful Shutterstock contributor — just follow the link below to download it. This presentation is a beginner-level primer to shooting photos for Shutterstock, including some helpful tips on lighting, subject selection, composition and keywording. Read More

CandyBox Images, based in the Czech Republic, has recently emerged as a major player in royalty-free image production.

This team of 15 has been a Shutterstock contributor since 2008 and now has over 13,000 images in their collection. Specializing in images for creative professionals, the Candybox portfolio covers in-demand subjects such as business, health and families.

We asked founder Jean-Marie Guyon (pictured) some questions about Candybox Images’s success. Below are his answers, along with a selection of his favorite images from Candybox.
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By Shutterstock contributor Karl Rosencrants

Professional photographers have long used filters to assist in taking photographs. A neutral density gradient filter is an external filter that can darken the sky of a landscape as the image is being taken, allowing for a more balanced exposure of a landscape scene. The filter keeps the sky from becoming blown out and losing color and detail.

(Photo of a gradient filter ©mtsyri/Shutterstock)

With the advances in technology, Photoshop makes it possible to never have to rely on a neutral gradient filter again. Here’s how you can use Photoshop filters and gradients to improve the exposure and color balance in a photo.

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We know stock photographers are hungry for information about how to shoot good pictures and achieve the most success in licensing them. As the industry grows, there are an increasing number of books on the subject. We recently came across one that does a great job of explaining our sometimes-esoteric business.

Microstock Money Shots is a new book by Ellen Boughn, a photo consultant who has worked as an executive at several stock agencies, and who knows the industry as well as anybody. The book includes many real-world examples of top-selling images, with explanations of what has made them successful. Boughn knows how to choose subjects in high demand, cast models, and compose photos in ways that increase their potential. One chapter explains how to appeal to specialty customers, like textbook publishers and greeting card makers. (Sample advice: “Young children have to be photographed using appropriate props and wardrobes, such as wearing bicycle helmets and carrying the see-through backpacks that many schools now require.”) There are also chapters on the dry but important topics of keywording and legal compliance.

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By Sophie Ibbotson, Shutterstock Contributor

Sometimes you visit a place that is screaming out to be photographed. It can be the simple beauty of a place that captures your imagination, or perhaps the striking costumes of the people, but for me the desire comes from wanting to show things that few other people have the privilege to see.

I never intended to be a photographer. I read Oriental Languages at university with the intention of going to work for the Foreign Office, but the more I worked overseas the more frustrated I became with the “official” view of the places I went. Governments and the media alike seemed to get a sickening thrill from describing my favorite places as war zones, security risks and militant strongholds, or simply ignoring their existence altogether. I never read about or watched a news report on the overwhelming hospitality of Iranians, Pakistani villagers resisting a rising tide of militancy, or Afghanistan’s rich and multi-cultural heritage. A sense of injustice is a strong motivator, and I’ve been writing and photographing the unseen sides of Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan ever since.

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If you’ve ever thought of taking photos of airplanes, this article will provide you with some helpful tips.

By Ivan Cholakov Gostock-dot-net

Airshows are popular events that take place in most places of the world on preannounced schedules. They are a great way to get up and close to interesting and one of a kind aircraft, see aerobatic performances or learn something about the history and future of aviation. Today’s commercial airports have increased security, making it difficult to photograph from short distances. So be sure to consult the schedule of your next local airshow and be prepared for a fun day.

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A Tale of Two Beaches: The BP Oil Spill, Before and After
By Cheryl Casey, Shutterstock Contributor

Cheryl Casey is a photographer based in Pensacola, Florida. She has been capturing first-hand the impact of the BP oil accident on the Gulf Coast.

I am blessed to live in a beautiful area: the western panhandle of the Florida Gulf Coast. Part of our charm is we are not as well-known as the more popular vacation destinations in our state. We “locals” treasure our hidden gem for its snow-white beaches and emerald waters.

As a stock photographer, this idyllic backdrop has been an absolute dream to capture in images. I walk the pristine shorelines of the Gulf of Mexico, shooting rippled sand dunes and wind-blown sea oats with a backdrop of the most amazingly clear water that looks like it’s Photoshopped. When out shooting, I often say to myself, “This is my job… and I get paid for it!”

Then came April 25, 2010.

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By Paul Prescott, Shutterstock Contributor

I am very lucky that travel and photography have become my way of life. To date, I have been through South America, Asia, Europe, India and New Zealand, to over 41 countries. Along the way, my faithful companion has always been my camera. I often dreamed of getting sponsored for my travels, but it was only when a friend suggested I sell my photos as stock and sent me the crucial link that my photographic adventure with Shutterstock began.
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