Shooting photos that display relatable content is important in stock photography. Current buyers are looking for authentic images; therefore, we put together a list of strategies on how to shoot realistic photos that don’t seem too staged or posed.
Remember Wirestockers: for the best results, your content should include individuals of diverse ages, ethnicities, genders, abilities, and body types. Keep your model releases as well as property releases for recognizable locations loaded!
1. Get comfortable with your models
It is important that your models feel comfortable during the photoshoot in order to capture their real emotions. We recommend not posing the people that you are shooting but rather allow them to respond to your conversations, questions, surprises, and jokes as naturally as possible. We suggest capturing all the emotions as they are; even the disappointments, the stress, and the worry that people are experiencing now.
2. Work in real spaces
There is no need to create a studio in your home. Real-life spaces that you have access to now inside or outside your home is the perfect setting for your next shoot. Do not worry about over-staging, however, do tidy up and remove all distracting elements that appear in the shot. We recommend showing us your home offices and your workplaces, particularly the elements that have changed in the past few months for you.
3. Use natural light
Remember: if you are shooting outdoors, “the golden hour” for lighting in photography is one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset. Indoors, we recommend shooting near windows. Take it easy with the flash, and make sure that if you do choose to use the flash or other studio lighting, that the ambient light remains to be the primary source of light in your shot. Maximizing the lighting and specifically framing it around your subjects is a great way to create a subtext of optimism in your images.
4. Use props
Shooting authentic stock images involves some detail orientation. Planning the model’s outfits and other props in the set can be used as a tool to get the environment to feel more real and convincing. Think about props that relate to “The New Normal”: hand sanitizer, face masks, gloves, toilet paper, thermometers.
5. Move
Don’t be afraid to move around and use different vantage points.Using diverse angles and taking as many photos as possible can help maximize your chances of success in selling your stock photos and making them seem more authentic. Experimenting with space you are in during the shoot will help you figure out what works and what doesn’t.
6. Be flexible
Sometimes the photoshoot doesn’t go as planned and the image that you get isn’t what you imagined it would be. It is okay! Embrace and appreciate the image you shot rather than the image you were expecting to get. Most importantly having fun and creating a pressure-free environment is a great way to create authentic images.
