I was in NYC walking down Canal street (Chinatown) back when I was about 20 years old, with a bunch of my friends one afternoon. My friend Paul is a crazy guy, and I told him, “Quick – Go and chase that pigeon over there!” When he took off running, I snapped the shot with my Vivitar point and shoot, and this was the result

Sometimes you get a conceptual image by accident…this one could portray escape, stress, fear, moving away, luncacy – you be the judge!  A little bit of photoshop, a little zoom blur and color isolation, and this was the final result.  An abstract motion blur of a guy running away while flailing his arms around.  You just have to be ready for unplanned action.  Keep that camera around your neck, at your side, or in your hand with a hand strap if you can.  Don’t carry it around in your bag all the time.  Anticipate capturing the next random thing even before it occurs.  It only takes a second or two to move your camera from your side to your face.

Feel free to share your own “accidental conceptual” images here – just post a comment below with a link.

There was recently a discussion regarding different pricing of the same images on through different websites at Microstock Diaries.

Many of the industry’s best have posted their viewpoints.  Here is how I personally feel…

It’s a proven fact that when products or services are priced higher, some buyers think they are getting something “better” or of “higher quality”. Many times this isn’t even the case. A generic product could even be identical, only in different packaging. Is Tylenol going out of business, just because CVS sells the same thing in a generic form? It doesn’t seem like they are. The product could probably even be manufactured in the same plant. Many times, manufacturers only want you to think you’re getting less when you purchase the same product for a lesser price. In actuality, many are identical – even if the product is packaged or marketed in a different way. Paul Mitchell hair care products come to mind. The CEO gets on TV and in commercials he testifies that it isn’t genuine Paul Mitchell, if you find the product being sold in a grocery store. In fact, it is – and I know many professional hairdressers that will attest to that. Want to know the difference? About $10-20 per bottle, depending on what salon is selling it.

If a buyer wants to be choosy and shop around, they will. If they are willing to spend extra money on photos from agencies that offer better guarantees, or a different user experience, then let them. I don’t see anything unethical about that. Product pricing is the same in all markets, it’s just all about the brand label many times that determines the pricing. Even if it’s the same exact product. Designer clothes are sold at outrageous prices, and sometimes the quality is even lower than that of the cheaper department stores’ clothing lines.