As we established in the previous chapter, DSLRs should be part of the plan for sessions that are set up in advance. Cell phones are best for spontaneous images—see a great shot, pull out your phone, and capture that great shot. This can be very useful when we are traveling and our senses are heightened by all the new sights. When traveling, photographers tend to be more sensitive and more observant. We need that cell phone camera when inspiration calls!
A photograph is not limited to serve as evidence that “I have been to _____ (any tourist spot of the world).” In fact, sometimes an image that does not reveal its geographical location can be a better stock photo. Take images 3–1 and 3–2, for example. These shots from a cruise ship feature stunning views and an open composition with plenty of negative space. The fact that they were taken in Alaska is not important; these shots could be from a North Sea cruise, an Iceland cruise, or a cruise to Cape Horn.
On the other hand, image 3–3 (next page) has a clearly identifiable landmark: the Statue of Liberty. Because it pinpoints an exact geo-graphical location, the keywords should reflect that feature. The uniqueness of this image, though, lies in the very wide field of view and very small subject. The fun psychology is that the smallness of the Statue of Liberty does not make it any less prominent; the viewer can identify it at a glance. The stunning seascape around it makes a great space for adding graphic design elements. This image appeals to the graphic designer on many fronts.
Image 3–1. KEYWORDS: Alaska; blue; cable; canopy; climate; cloud; cruise; cruiseship; glacier; Glacier Bay; mountain; National Park; peak; pole; sky; sunny; tension; tour; weather
Image 3–2. KEYWORDS: Alaska; blue; cable; climate; cloud; cruise; cruiseship; glacier; Glacier Bay; lamp; light; mountain; National Park; passenger; peak; pole; sky; sunny; tension; tour; weather
Images 3–4 through 3–10 were all taken in Chicago. The “identifiability” of these images falls in between the previous examples. None of the buildings or structures shown have the exalted status of the Statue of Liberty. However, people with an interest in architecture might be able to spot the John Hancock tower, the Navy Pier, Trump Tower, etc. These images can be used to showcase Chicago—or they could simply be used as generic city scenes.
Image 3–3. KEYWORDS: bubble; National Monument; New York; see; Staten Island Ferry; Statue of Liberty; Statue of Liberty Island; sunset; wave
Image 3–4. KEYWORDS: Chicago; city; cloud; Lake Michigan; pier; pirate; sail boat; sky; skyline; skyscraper; tall ship; tour
Image 3–5. KEYWORDS: architecture; building; Chicago; Chicago Children’s Museum; city; dome; John Hancock; lake; Lake Michigan; lake shore; Navy Pier; Sears Tower; skyline; The Great Lakes
Image 3–6. KEYWORDS: architecture; Chicago; city; Illinois; John Hancock; lake; Lake Michigan; sky; skyline; sunny; water
Image 3–7. KEYWORDS: Chicago; Chicago River; drinking water; flag; freshwater; reverse; river flow; skyline; water gate
Image 3–8. KEYWORDS: boat; bridge; Chicago; city; cloud; Equitable Building; pier; sky; skyline; skyscraper; tour; Tribune Tower; Trump Tower
Image 3–9. KEYWORDS: backlit; Buckingham Fountain; cars; Chicago; city; CNA Center; fountain; Lake Shore Drive; Sears Tower; traffic; urban; Willis Tower
Image 3–10. KEYWORDS: backlit; Buckingham Fountain; Chicago; city; CNA Center; fountain; Sears Tower; urban; Willis Tower
Image 3–11. KEYWORDS: building; campus; canopy; city; grass; Houston; medical center; Rice University; trees; urban
Image 3–12. KEYWORDS: architecture; building; Eron; grass; Heritage Plaza; Houston; Police Memorial; Shell; skyline; skyscraper; Wells Fargo
Images from less readily recognized cities like Houston (featured in images 3–11 and 3–12) are understandably often used as generic cityscapes. However, do not overlook the local buyers; lots of billboards in Houston feature images of its skyline. There aren’t many buyers with this need, but there also aren’t all that many Houston skyline stock photos available for sale—certainly not anything comparable to the number of images designers can choose from for New York City or Paris. The supply and demand are quite balanced in the world of stock photography. There can actually be advantages to obscurity; photos of a small town might not get hundreds of searches, but when someone does look for that town, they might have only a handful of thumbnails to choose from—giving each image a much higher chance of being purchased.
The position of the horizon is very influential in terms of the emotional impact a landscape image will have on viewers. Take images 3–11 and 3–12, for example. Both images portray Houston’s skyline, but in image 3–11, the low horizon opens up the sky and creates a sense of the smallness of human activity. In image 3–12, on the other hand, the placement of the horizon emphasizes Houston’s vast landscape. What we do here on Earth is the emphasis in this image.
“Lots of billboards in Houston feature images of its skyline.”
Let’s talk some more about the difference between a cell phone camera and a DSLR. DSLRs are designed without the same size and weight restrictions as cell phones. This means DSLRs have larger pixels, bigger lenses, and processors that can churn lots of data. Cell phones are the opposite; many more functions have to be contained in a much smaller space.
To compensate for this hardware limitation, the native camera app is designed to find the hardware’s sweet spot. So, use the original app, use it in auto mode, and use the HDR mode to maximize the dynamic range. I don’t suggest using apps that try to turn the cell phone camera into a DSLR; manually setting a cell phone camera is like trying to fly a drone after deactivating the GPS, gyro, and other high-tech wonders. At that point, you’re just a 20th century dude misusing a 21st century gadget.
Remember: cell phone cameras don’t have adjustable apertures, so there is no control over depth of field. A cell phone camera is a totally different animal from a DSLR, so don’t try to use it as one.
Image 3–13. KEYWORDS: 5th Avenue; Metropolitan Museum; New York; New York City; pedestrian; pigeon; shadow; stair; sun; woman
Image 3–14. KEYWORDS: boots; fallen leaf; feet; jeans; leaf; leaves; light; pavement; shadow; shoes
Images 3–13 through 3–16 were shot in New York City. Clearly, I did not focus on prominent landmarks in these images taken with my cell phone camera. I planned my trips to those spots and shot them with my DSLR. My cell phone captures at those moments served mostly for the purpose of GPS tagging or Facebook posting. These four images, however, are good examples of impromptu shots—taking advantage of great photo ops that just appeared out of the blue, when my DSLR was out of reach. When it happens, pull out your cell phone!
These two composition types are differentiated by their use of negative (open) space. Closed compositions have negative space at the margins; open ones do not. Image 3–15 has a closed composition that provides a good overview of this stunning sunset in New York City’s Central Park. Image 3–16 features an open composition, which puts more attention on the intricate shapes of the trees and the skyline of lower Manhattan.
Image 3–15. KEYWORDS: Central Park; city park; New York City; park; skyline; sunrise; sunset; trees; urban park
Image 3–16. KEYWORDS: Central Park; city park; New York City; park; skyline; sunrise; sunset; trees; urban park
The severe California drought during 2015 prompted me to start another environmentally themed project. During the shoots, which were done mostly using a DSLR to capture both still photos and video, I also noticed opportunities to shoot stock photos. Images 3–17 through 3–20 were captured in such situations. Note that image 3–17 and image 3–20 both feature the DSLR camera. These will make them unique; with a serious-looking camera on a tripod pointing at the scene, the senses of observation and involvement are blended in with the content. Although this character can’t be effectively expressed in keywords (we can use “observation,” but buyers are not likely to search this way; using “camera” might work a little better), buyers who see the thumbnail would grasp that concept.
Negative space is not always the big sky. Consider image 3–17, an image depicting the California Aqueduct cutting through a drought-stricken grassland. A straightforward pick for negative space would be the large area of the grassland to the left.
“Buyers who see the thumbnail would grasp that concept.”
3–17. KEYWORDS: agriculture; California; aqueduct; camera; drought; dry; fence; grass; irrigation; mountain range; prairie; tripod
Image 3–18. KEYWORDS: boat ramp; drought; lake; Lake Shasta; mountain; reservoir; water shortage
Image 3–19. KEYWORDS: boot; drought; dry; feet; hike; hiking; leg; nature; pine cone; sock; soil
Image 3–20. KEYWORDS: brush fire; California; camera; drought; fence; fire; fire hazard; grass; haze; prairie; smoke; sun; sunset; tripod; wire
Images 3–21 through 3–24 were shot on a trip to Sydney, Australia. Here we have a wide range of identifiability—from image 3–21, which is likely only identifiable by the locals to image 3–22, an almost postcard-style image to which I applied a twist with the panoramic format. Image 3–23 is a very interesting example. Besides the prominent appearance of the Sydney Opera House and the cruise ship (the logo, by the way, must be retouched out or it will definitely face the fate of rejection), the silhouettes of the cafe patrons set an interesting stage, making it more narrative. Another great thing about these silhouettes is that I might be spared the need for model releases, which are required in stock photography for “recognizable faces.” Of course, the possibility of rejection for the requirement of a model release would depend on which inspector checked the image!
Image 3–21. KEYWORDS: Australia; castle; historic building; old town; panorama; souther hemisphere; street light; Sydney; The Rocks
Image 3–22. KEYWORDS: Australia; boat; cruise ship; Harbor Bridge; ship; Sydney; Sydney Harbor; skyline; southern hemisphere; yacht
Image 3–23. KEYWORDS: backlit; cafe; cruise ship; customer; patron; restaurant; shadow; ship; Sydney; Sydney Opera House; silhouette
Image 3–24. KEYWORDS: architecture; building; crowd; outdoor; outdoor concert; people; Sydney; Sydney Harbor; Sydney Opera House; stairs
Image 3–25. KEYWORDS: airplane; building; city; cloud; flight; jet trail; sky; skyline; sunset; Taipei; twilight
Image 3–25 shows a glowing jet trail that appeared above a Taipei neighborhood. This breathtaking sight lasted for only about 30 seconds before the trail was blown away and the twilight lost its strength. What did I rely on to capture it? There was no better option than the cell phone in my pocket.
Gone are the days when cell phone cameras were “focus free.” In those days, the strategy was to use the very deep depth of field (resulting from a very small aperture) to encompass a reasonable range of distances. The hope was for everything to look sharp; the reality was that nothing actually looked very sharp. Additionally, the very small aperture also made it very hard to capture decent photos under anything other than bright daylight.
Starting with the iPhone 4, AF (autofocus) became the standard. Thanks to a microelectromechanical system (or MEMS actuator) that replaced the traditional technology of a voice coil motor, the moving parts of the AF system were made much smaller—so small that they could be contained within the tight confines of a cell phone. (To see a MEMS actuator in action, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YxoyHzGYzw)
Like the autofocus on a DSLR camera, the cell phone camera’s focusing system is based on a closed loop of feedback between the focusing mechanism and the sensor. The sensor reads the scene and feeds that information back to the AF; the AF system then continues to move until the sensor detects a sharp image. You might not hear the whirring, but when you tap on the screen to focus, some tiny element in the cell phone is working hard for you.