What Should I Shoot? That right there is the million dollar question.  Even seasoned stock contributors find themselves asking this at times.  The world of stock is a mindset, and even once you’re in it, it’s easy to get to the point where you wonder, “Okay, what should I try and shoot now”?  If you really struggle with coming up with ideas on what to shoot, then you need to start opening your eyes to the world around you.  I don’t care where you are, what you’re looking at right now – inspiration can be smack dab in the front of your fat head.  Sometimes it’s there and we don’t even realize it.  Open your eyes, and don’t just see, but try to truly observe.  Reflecting on the who what, when, where, why, and how of everything around you is an easy way to come up with stock concepts.  Try to write things down when you think of them.  This applies in the graphic design world, as well.  Rip out that cool magazine ad you saw in the latest issue of your wife’s Elle magazine (I wasn’t looking at it, I swear…I was just sitting next to her on the couch at the time).  Save that piece of junk mail with the interesting modeling pose.  I tend to note things a lot, but I forget to follow through.  Make a little notebook or scrapbook of the things you’d like to try, the things that look are cool, and the things you think would appeal to a buyer, especially.

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I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t have many images that I say, “Hey, I want to print that really big and frame it – slap it on my living room wall.”  I was talking to a close friend this weekend, and said to me plainly, “That’s because you see dollar signs every time you shoot.  You’re looking too much for stock, and missing out on the rest of the world.”  You know what?  He’s right.  I need to start taking time to shoot my own personal artsy/fartsy stuff, or even street photography, in addition to my normal backgrounds/textures/model shoots.  My friend Tim can spot things that are dying to be captured.  I give him a lot of credit, he just shoots strangers in the streets and takes their dirty or confused looks, if they even give him any.  Maybe once I can get over that fear, I can start to capture some cool street-photography style stuff that I would normally pass by. Sometimes I also reason to myself, “No, I won’t take that shot – I don’t have a model release for that person, so I can’t sell it as stock anyway.”  That’s probably my main problem.

Check out more of Tim’s work here. He is an amazing photographer with a strength in travel, editorial, street photography and lifestyle images. Tim is a busy guy – he has a lot of great images that would even sell great as stock – but no time to sell them.  If you’re interested in purchasing licenses for any of his images for use in stock or prints, by all means contact tsla1124 AT gmail.com

He has photography from Italy, Greece, Panama, San Blas Islands, Mexico, Boston, New York City, and more.

All images Copyright © Tim Sala 2009

All images Copyright © Tim Sala 2009

All images Copyright © Tim Sala 2009

All images Copyright © Tim Sala 2009

All images Copyright © Tim Sala 2009

All images Copyright © Tim Sala 2009

All images Copyright © Tim Sala 2009

I wanted to share this great I read on the photopreneur blog about photographers, designers, and the spill over.  I have always found that photography spills into design.  I can’t think of one of my graphic design friends that hasn’t tinked around with photography in some way, shape, or form.  It also touches on how those that think they’re going to get everything right in the camera without any post processing knowledge are going to have a rough road in this business.