How to get accepted to an photobank

How to get accepted to an photobank (shutterstock example)

(Part III)

To start selling on shutterstock - you must pass an exam - from the 10 photos uploaded by you - at least 7 must be accepted. It will be an general exam - you could upload any type of your work (vector or raster images).

You should really prepare yourself for this exam, do not hurry. Do not select the 10 most sold photos from your portfolio on other pshoto stock and consider it a guarantee of passing. You have to understand what kind of requirements shutterstock has, for what reason rejects happen and what can be done to correct the situation.


The requirements and reasons for rejection:


Quality.
Shutterstock has usual requirements for quality but is very sensible to noisy pictures.

Key words.
This is the most difficult issue when dealing with Shutterstock, because many people write about the inadequacy of inspectors and often rejections for key words on absolutely inexplicable reasons.

Model Release.
No model release with the photo of people just like - and you'll fail without options. Do not forget about it.

All other requirements and the reasons for rejection consider a simple version of the subjective views of the inspector "I didn't like that" and that's all.


What can simplify your exam:

* It is better to reduce the size of the photo to the minimum, the income from it does not affect, but the chance of acceptance will be higher, because reducing the size for example from 8 megapixels to the minimum allowable 4 megapixels we thereby slightly improving the technical quality.

* It is desirable that all the work was most unlike each other, but focus more on that subject which you have the most turns.

* Make a photo more saturated and bright, but try to not lose quality. The usual stock photo - is light, bright, licked.

* Use the noise-reduction plug-in in Photoshop, but do not do a photo looks like some plastic stuff, just a bit remove a particularly noticeable noisy places.

* Use only the main keywords. Do not spam keywords in the examination papers.

* Do not forget to attach a model release for photos with people.


If you didn't pass the exam - you'll be given a month to realize typur mistakes and re-take the exam. Believe me, even proffesional photographers do not always pass the exam at first time (the reasons are quite understandable by the way - the pros believe that the pictures should be natural light and color, consider that some noise is a good thing). One of my friends photographers, two years ago, when he started work with photobanks, having a huge portfolio failed to pass the exam the first time. But do not be afraid, mostly statistics show that chances to pass from the first time are 75%, 20% from the second and to the third 5%.

Good Luck!