How to Take Stock Photos with Your Smartphone

Get out your smart phone. Stock photo agency iStock just announced that they’re accepting phone photos to sell as stock. Yep, that means your iPhone, Android, or Blackberry can now pull in stock photo income right alongside your big SLR camera. Of course, you can’t send in any old photo you snap with your phone. It still has to be a good photo.  We’ll be talking about this in the Breakfast Stock Club as it evolves (get weekly issues for free here) but here’s the general run-down… What iStock is looking for: ** Authentic emotions. Birthday parties, friends having fun, road trips… think moments that define life. ** Spontaneity. Look for spontaneous moments that represent “fun, connection, togetherness…” and other key concepts. ** Details. Shoot the little things that you notice about everyday objects, people, places, things. Phones can go places that a big camera can’t. iStock wants images of those places. When you shoot, keep in mind that you still need a model release for people and you still can’t include any copyrighted elements in the shot. Before you upload, make sure that you: ** Shoot at your phone’s highest image resolution… ** Only submit images that are properly exposed… ** Don’t “over-filter,” meaning don’t use too many “effects” found in camera apps… ** Tag your images with the keyword “mobilestock.” Get iStock’s full Mobile Photography Brief on the Breakfast StockClub Facebook page, here. [Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.  Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]