• Do not submit images that include any copyrighted material. Avoid photographing company logos, trademarks, third-party images and brands.


• Provide a model release for any recognizable person in your image. Each site has its own standard model release form that you have to fill in and send along with each image containing a recognizable person. It could be a good idea to keep handy printed copies of model releases for all the sites where you submit your photos. When you shoot a person, do not forget signing your model on one or more model releases! Note, that most sites will also ask you for the copy of model’s ID, the witness signature and a copy of witness picture ID. Keep all this in your mind when you prepare a stock shooting session.


• Editorial content
  Some stock photo agencies, e.g. ShutterStock has a separate section for editorial content. Different rules set apply for editorial images. Editorial content can be used only in news and therefore editorial images do not require model releases and can include the copyrighted material. So, if you have a series of colorful and beautiful shots of a carnival in Rio, do not throw out all these pictures just because you do not have model releases for all these people in the frame. You still can submit your images as editorial content!


• Use appropriate lighting and composition This is a common sense, but I am going to say it anyway. Your images compete for the buyers attention with other images created by highly qualified talented professional photographers who shoot for years, own an expensive professional equipment and definitely know how to take a perfect picture each time they pick up a camera. It's a tight competition and you must think creatively in terms of lighting and composition, otherwise your images will never sell. For instance, if till now you relied on a built-in camera flash as a proper source for indoor lighting it is probably the right time to change your mind. Go to the stock sites and take a look how other photographers use light in their work. Be creative and learn the technique, and you will win the war for the buyers’ attention and for the buyers dollars. Want to learn more on lighting? Adorama offers free online photo courses (look for "Free Photo Lessons" banner there)


• Images format must be JPG at most sites, typically starting from 2 megapixels and with max JPG file size of 8-10 MB

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