Image Brief – Second Award
Image Brief Award
I mentioned Image Brief before as a great source for ideas for future stock shoots, but it is also a potential revenue stream if you are lucky enough to win one of their briefs. You can sign up here if you are interested in joining them. They will check your portfolio so make sure you have a representative set of images available that shows both the quality and range of images you can take.
I’ve just been awarded my second brief – this time, an image of the back of my head. My costs for this image were not great – I had to have my hair cut, and also make sure my shirt was ironed, but all I used for lighting was a flash in a large umbrella and a reflector. I heard today that the designer chose my image to license – they paid $1500 and I get $1050 of that. Not bad…. As someone said, think what a picture of the front of my head would be worth…
Although the rate of awards is not high, I still find it gives me many great ideas for a shoot, and then I have images I can later upload to the stock agencies. For instance, there was one about a hand pressing a wall mounted thermostat. I happen to have a modern thermostat and so my starter picture was very simple – flash in an umbrella with a white card behind to help the isolation:
Original shot
After some work in photoshop and adding in a blurred background from another room in my house, we end up with a pleasing and warm looking shot that sells most days on Shutterstock and the other agencies. I hadn’t thought about taking this shot before I saw the Image Brief request.
Final Thermostat Shot
So, if you enjoy the challenge of taking shots as they are requested by designers, Image Brief could be the site for you!
Hello, do I have to pay to join brief image?
I still does not see how it works. Do yo use photos already online on other stocksites or do they want new exclusive photos?
Hi Chris – no, there is no fee to join the site. They do check your skills via a portfolio inspection, so they don’t accept everyone, but a good stock photographer should be OK.
Steve
Haha i want to join, but I already joined. NO idea when. But i never get email with new photo questions. I see I did not select one or more options. No I have. Do you get messages when photos are asked or do you look at the site every day.
I do get the daily email, but it often doesn’t give you much time to contribute. I tend to look at the site a few times a day and just glance at what is new.
Steve
Hello Steve, clever and very inspiring.
Congrats for the award!
I signed up to Image Brief following the link in another article of yours.
The challenge is entertaining and amusing but also frustrating.
Anyway, it is true: making a shoot ad hoc and then using it as stock is useful too.
Thanks for sharing!
Luisa
Great to see you posting again. You really are an inspiration. Keep up the good work and keep posting! 🙂
/@jdizzleswe on Twitter
Thanks! I try to keep adding information of interest, but I need to fit it in with real work!
Steve