I spy with my little eye

 

 

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I spy with my little eye

via Yuri Arcurs by Yuri Arcurs on 5/2/09

I spy with my little eye…
How letting a little mess into your photos = sales

Successful stock images are clean, conservative and simple…right? Well, yes. And no. You can also create blockbuster images by breaking those rules. If you're running a little low on inspiration, consider messing things up a bit.  I'll tell you how I like to do it.
First, let's face it: basic stock images are often bland, square, and all around vanilla. Yes, these photos have their place, but if you want to add a little spice to your portfolio, consider doing something more random and authentic. Use the I spy method and add a little mess to your pictures. I promise they will instantly stand out from the crowd.

 

What is I spy?

The "I spy" concept was introduced to me by Scott Gordon, former Chief Creative Editor for Veer Images (and now part of the Yuri Arcurs Production team). He and I talked about small variations that a photographer can use to enhance the creative output of a shoot. He explained his notion that a little bit of intentional chaos can sometimes make a good image great. This method is designed to engage a viewer's curiosity. By leaving things in the photo that are vague but intriguing, it's as though you've set out  a trail of breadcrumbs – hints about the story behind the image, and this subconsciously captures our interest.
Real life isn't always simple and ordered. It's messy, it's three dimensional and it doesn't fit inside a tidy viewfinder.

If you can intelligently incorporate some of that real world chaos into your images, they radiate authenticity and the buyers love it.
This is a daring approach and should be used sparingly, but when it works, it really works.  So what do I mean exactly by "mess"? Well, what I'm talking about is leaving some extra (even slightly distracting) elements in the shot, in the periphery. These unplanned items add a feeling of spontenaiety and truth to your pictures. When they work, the resulting images are alive and energetic, they add a mature level of sophistication to your portfolio and surprise—they sell.

 

Through the grass, glass or leaves

One of my favourite ways to use this technique is by shooting through grass, leaves or through glass.

Grass or leaves. Getting down to a bug's eye view in the grass really opens up a new world of possibilities. Lay on your belly and let a few strands poke into the frame. This doesn't distract too much from your main image, but it gives a wonderful sense of context and place. All of a sudden instead of a boring static shot, you have a picture with a sense of place, the viewer knows where they are and what's going on, and feels as though they're getting a sneak peek in on the action. They want to know more.

Glass. Shooting through glass gives a great alive and gritty urban feeling. There is a certain anonymous voyeurism to this type of shot. The viewer feels like they're on a busy street catching the subject unawares. We get a sense that we are in a busy urban place where things are whirling about, but where our subject is unknowingly the object of attention. Put these elements together and you have a shot with some real oomph and charisma. 
In conclusion - does it sell?

Yes.  It sells.  Adding these extras to your images makes them ring of truth, and in the end that's what our buyers want. Using this method does something else that's very important too. It beefs your portfolio up with something more mature, interesting and different, and in the end that's what keeps our buyers coming back again and again.  Give it a try and good luck!

 

 

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