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Weeding out the bad ones...

posted by Oreckel, Dec 9, 2005 7:28 PM — 7 comments

You ever go through your great stack of photos... but you don't know if they're "suitable" for a stock website? It can be pretty tricking deciding which ones go, and which ones stay.

For example, I have this wonderful picture of a dirty spicket. Beautiful depth of field, great lighting, colors, etc. But who would use it?

http://allenellis.com/public/dirty_spicket_1.jpg

(and from another angle)
http://allenellis.com/public/dirty_spicket_2.jpg

Personally, I like the photograph. I'd even go as far to say it's artistic. But honestly - it's a water spicket that probably hasn't been cleaned in years! It's terrible decisions like these that I hate, and I've got dozens of other examples. I'm perfectly confident with my composition and depth of field, but you have to ask these hard questions: will anyone use it?

So then, is it better to just submit it and hope that somebody looking for an image just like this will happen to stumble across it? Countless other people with no use for this will be tripping over it in the mean time.

I wonder what would happen if sxc removed the approval process and accepted everything. You've got to admit - there would be a lot of junky photos. But then maybe some jewels will shine through that didn't make it before. I wonder if we're throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

Comments | RSS

1. posted by pentond, Dec 9, 2005 7:58 PM

You could compile your own collection and make a coffee table book!


2. posted by a51media, Dec 9, 2005 8:28 PM

Its really tough, sometimes I sift through my photos, wait months and then come back to them and sift again, that helps alot.

Btw, is it just me or are those "dirty" spickets supposed to be really phallic?


3. posted by a51media, Dec 9, 2005 8:38 PM

Also, I think sxc is due for a spring cleaning, there are alot of photos out there that arent up to todays quality standards,

A good way to do it would be to cut photos if the ratings are very low for a long period of time or that in combination with low download numbers.


4. posted by hilaryaq, Dec 9, 2005 9:11 PM

@3..Nah.. ratings are bollocks, do it by no. of downloads, if a photo hasn't had a download within 4/6 months, it's gone!
@1, I think the first one would be more useful for a designer, nice space on the top left for copy and it's great quality..
the second one, I like the vibrant green alright, but it makes the subject very puzzling!
Both pictures remind me of a bottle of champagne gone wrong, or a statue going for a pee! I don't know, it's a very odd subject :D


5. posted by jzlomek, Dec 9, 2005 9:40 PM

@4, I agree, cleaning house by lack of downloads is the answer.
However, in response to the blog, I contend there's value in posting one of the two spigot photos to your gallery anyway ... if only for a few months. I'm amazed at the response I get to shots I think are good but have little practical use, only to find they offer value to someone else in a use I couldn't imagine. That's the real beauty of SXC.


6. posted by slonecker, Dec 10, 2005 6:32 AM

2...looks to my like a guy with a urinary tract infection....


7. posted by Oreckel, Dec 10, 2005 2:43 PM

@5,

Well, I took your advice and submitted the picture. They've accepted it (http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=421199), so we'll just wait and see what happens.

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