I’ve often talked about the important of finding your niche when it comes to supplying the Microstock Photography Market and one of the most ‘in-demand’ niches appears to be Industrial Images. It could be a superb opportunity for the photographer who likes the idea of photographing technical details, gadgets and machine parts etc.You don’t have to go far to find Industrial subjects. We are not talking about the large organisations but the smaller business units that have sprung up all over the place in recent years. If you were to offer a free photo’s in return for the owner signing a property and model release then your earning potential should be pretty good. Also you could charge the owner for additional prints but I would advise that you agreed the finer details before progressing.
I looked up the word industry on ‘iStockphoto’ and the top image had been downloaded over 3000 times. So you can see the earning potential. I would recommend that you browse the libraries to see the type of ‘Industrial image that is selling. If you can get a signed ‘Model Release’ and ‘Property Release’ then your income could triple.
One thing that I would add is that you take extra care at all times. You will be taking photographs in an Industrial environment and there are many dangers. Whilst taking your pictures it is very easy to forget where you are and pay little attention to the risks around you. Be aware of the dangers at all times and I am sure that you will come away with many images to upload to the Microstock Photography market.
If you are interested in this niche and wish to delve further into the possibilities I suggest that you take a look at this book, ‘Start Making Money Shooting Industrial Product Photography’ by Stephen Spreadbury. It’s not about Microstock Photography but it does explain how to approach this speciality niche and shoot Industrial images.
