In the next two months I'll be traveling across the US more than once, going to Alaska and to several destinations in Europe. Travel destination images are plentiful but what about images of travel itself? If you have money to burn and can show that you are a professional with liability insurance, you are free to make arrangements to bring models and crew into the Seattle airport, for example. Also bring $500 for a location fee. If that isn't in your budget and your local airport doesn't cooperate, here are some tips to get better "grab" shots as you move around the world by air. If you are a stay at home shooter, many shots can be accomplished without being in an actual airport.... [ Read more... ]

April 22 is Earth Day. The tipping point has been reached. Politicians and corporations have joined the rest of us in sharing concern for what human activity is doing to the earth. As a consequence there is an increasing demand for images that illustrate these major issues. Everyone from the UN Committee on Climate Change to an academy award winning former US Vice President have played a part in shifting public opinion to the side of the environmentalists. Droughts in parts of the world and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina have also heightened public awareness. Research reports released in the past month... [ Read more... ]

Youth and sex have forever been used to promote and sell products and services. And sexy pixs are especially important to the calendar sector that isn't dominated by kittens (the more feline type) and gardens. I'm not an expert on what is sexy; that is gender specific and tied to sexual orientation, age, culture and personality. But I can give you some tips on how to make pictures that will have sex appeal AND still useful for some mainstream buyers. This article is illustrated exclusively with images that can be downloaded with the Dreamstime content filter on. To be certain that the filter does not block your images, don't submit photos that are overly sexual in nature. Nudes will escape censoring... [ Read more... ]

I've been churning out blogs at a furious pace. Now it's your turn. Here are a few of my favorite images from the Dreamstime collection. I'll tell you why I responded to them and then I hope you'll suggest subjects you would like to see in future blogs. Post suggestions to the forum. Remember my expertise is in what to shoot and why and not in techniques. A few of the images have been posted to the blog already. If one of your images isn't included here, don't feel overlooked. I've only seen a fraction of the over 1,100,000 images in the Dreamstime collection in my short time here. I wasn't looking for subway pictures when I saw these images but both found their way into... [ Read more... ]

June is just around the corner and all over the world, brides are lining up for their big day, panic setting in. Some Dreamstime photographers are accomplished wedding shooters. Sooner or later, though, most of you will be asked to take photos for someone's event. Here are some tips for wedding and event photography. I've also added suggestions to ensure that some of your wedding photos will be useful as stock photography. Up until over a decade ago, wedding photos were mostly limited to formal portraits with a few candid shots of the wedding and reception tossed in. Today's wedding may not always be a formal one and trends in wedding photography have evolved... [ Read more... ]

A growing awareness of environmental issues has created a parallel change in personal values for many people. Instead of the conspicuous consumption of years past and the over indulgent styles of the 90's, more and more seek a quieter lifestyle. Instead of leaving a big footprint on the earth and its resources, young and old are seeking simplicity, privacy and inner peace. These trends are reflected in images used in today's advertising and media of all kinds. The sound of water in nature has a wonderful calming effect. Whenever you have a chance to include the sea, a lake, river or waterfall in your... [ Read more... ]

An industry that involves big trucks, banks and emotional trauma needs images to illustrate its goods and services. Americans change locations on average every five years. Standard business leases are often for five years or less. I am about to cart everything I own, two cats and 2,000 books from one side of the US to the other. Moving is on my mind. Images that symbolize starting a new life in a new home are used to illustrate concepts like "future", "security" and "caring." A business move can mean growth, progress and opportunity. The next time someone asks you to help him or her move, bring your camera. Those photos could be good ones. ... [ Read more... ]