Great Escape Publishing

Posted April 18th, 2016 by Bonnie Caton & filed under Travel Photography.

Last week, stock photographer Danny Warren told us about the “adventure selfies” he takes to sell as stock. See a few of them here.

If you have a tripod, I highly recommend taking selfies for stock. ESPECIALLY if you’re a member of the “Baby Boomer” crowd. Photos of people in the “boomer” age range sell like crazy right now.

And yes. I cringed the first few times I saw myself in my photos, too. You’ll get over it.

Here are a couple of things to consider if you try it:

Clothing
When taking photos of yourself — or anyone else — for stock, make sure to wear clothes with no logos, trade marks, or distinctive patterns that could be copyrighted. Simple, solid colors tend to be best. Of course, you’ll want the clothes you wear to reflect the theme of the image, too.

Props
What should you bring along on your shoot? If you’re hiking, you could use hiking poles, a backpack, a water bottle, camera, map… vary it up for different photos. And always beware to cover logos with your hands, blur them in the background, or use props that are logo-free. You could also cover them with electrical tape or blank labels.

Facial expressions
You’re basically acting in these photos. Consider which facial expressions to use to make them realistic… but also to convey fun, adventure, success, or whichever concept you’re going for.

The great thing about photographing yourself is that there’s no pressure. No model staring at you while you try to get your settings right. You can slow down and take your time. And you have the freedom to experiment and play without feeling rushed.

The things I’ve learned from photographing myself are skills that seriously carry over to the rest of my stock photography. And it’s really kind of fun to turn yourself into whoever you want to be!

Editor’s Note: Learn more about getting started selling your photos online in stock agencies – no matter how much or little photography experience you have – in the Breakfast Stock Club e-newsletter. It’s once a week, and it’s free to join, here.