IOTD: Jill Flusemann’s “Two women in silhouette” and the Rule of Thirds September 10, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in snapvillage.Tags: IOTD, image of the day, rule of thirds, composition, color, Jill Flusemann
2 comments
Image: 43-00536820
Title: “Two women in silhouette”
Contributor: Jill Flusemann
Why we like it: Uh… seriously. What’s not to like about this shot? ;)
Composition and color align in this terrific image from Jill Flusemann. The two walking women in silhouette anchor the lower right quadrant, and the pink and orange walls contrast beautifully. The bright vertical line leading down to the women, and the clothes line pointing directly back into the large central area of shadow are two fortuitous elements that give this shot a pleasant circular flow and a dynamic composition.
This image is a good excuse to reference the significance of the rule of thirds in creating dynamic compositions. For those of you not yet in the know - the rule of thirds is a simple and effective rule of thumb used to help craft more aesthetically pleasing compositions.
Imagine laying a grid of lines over your shot - with the two vertical lines, and two horizontal lines set at equal intervals. These lines divide your image into 9 equally spaced blocks. Then imagine placing the important points of interest in your shot at the spots on or near where the gridlines intersect.
On a horizontal image the grid would fall like so:
Rule of Thirds - Horizontal
On a vertical:
Rule of Thirds - Vertical
Let’s put a grid over Jill Flusemann’s shot:
Notice the woman walking on the right falls near an intersection point. The line of laundry leads our eyes close to an intersection point as well. While the gridline intersections do not fall exactly into place - they are close enough for our eyes/brains to find this image particularly interesting. Those elements combined with the pleasing color palette give this image all it needs to be our IOTD.
What do you think?
Do you think about the rule of thirds when you compose your shots?
As they say - rules were meant to be broken! ;)
Have you ever intentionally or accidentally “broken” the rule of thirds and still created a successful shot?
- Brian
IOTD: LuMaxArt’s “Online Shopping” September 8, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in image of the day, snapvillage.Tags: 3d, image of the day, IOTD, LuMaxArt, online shopping, render
1 comment so far
Image: 43-00534953
Title: “Online shopping”
Contributor: LuMaxArt
Why we like it: Mixing it up a bit - today we’ve selected a recently submitted image from LuMaxArt - creator of the famous “gold guys” and one of the most prolific SnapVillage contributors to date. This LuMaxArt illustration displays some of what makes his work so successful:
- Appealing 3D render
- Clean design - easy to drop into a variety of webdesigns and business publications
- Clear visual translation of popular concepts and metaphors
Similarly to the Monkey Business shot we picked last week, this LuMaxArt illustration captures a popular concept in a clear and accessible way. LuMaxArt takes advantage of the medium - conjuring a humorously literal take on online shopping in a way that would be a bit more obtuse in a photograph (not to mention difficult to capture without many hours of post-processing effects). Without overcomplicating, he adds some nice details too - the binary “1″s and “0″s that the online shopper is surfing into the laptop screen.
But if online shopping gets this interactive we may all be in trouble… 
What do you think?
- Brian
IOTD: Monkey Business Images Gets Down to Business September 5, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in image of the day, snapvillage.Tags: diversity, image of the day, IOTD, lifestyle, Monkey Business, Monkey Business Images
add a comment
Image: 43-00525372
Title: “Woman and two young children smiling”
Contributor: Monkey Business Images
Why we like it: We’re proud to feature the fantastic shots recently submitted to us by Monkey Business Images. Their extensive and diverse portfolio on SnapVillage already tops 10,500 top-notch royalty-free images. Wow!
This image showcases a few of the qualities that make MBI stand-out:
- Great models
- Targeted to popular lifestyle themes
- Consistently solid execution - this was shot on the high-res Canon 1Ds Mark II
- Comprehensive sets - lots of variants/similars for buyers to choose from
The clean light and great expressions make this positive family lifestyle image a solid example of the type of imagery that is likely to appeal to buyers. You can easily imagine this shot being used for any number of advertising purposes - anywhere from banking to retail to a wide array of consumer services. Not flashy, and not the kind of work that will likely appear on a gallery wall - but the type of solid royalty-free image that deserves high praise in the stock photography world.
What do you think?
- Brian
Top 10 Photography Equipment News & Review Sites September 5, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in snapvillage.Tags: camera, cameralabs, dpreview, equipment, Fred Miranda, Luminous Landscape, Photo.net, photography, Photography Blog, Photokina, review, Rob Galbraith, Steve's Digicams
2 comments
Using good camera equipment is critical to achieving success in the microstock world. If you’re using a digital SLR or digicam that is a few generations old - newer cameras will offer shaper images with less noise, and with increased resolution for bigger files and more cropping options - not to mention things like autofocus speed, FPS, and cool features like “live view”. Are you hanging on to outdated equipment? Is it time you upgraded your gear? If so, you’re in luck!
While fall is often when major camera companies unleash new pro and mid-range products - this year is extra special. Us photo geeks start to salivate as the biennial Photokina convention rolls around - and the 2008 show is looking to be an exciting one. In addition to several huge recent announcements from Nikon, there are rumors of major new product releases from Canon, Sony, Panasonic, and others. Plus there will always be a few surprises, and a fresh crop of “must have” new photographic accessories to boot. So get your credit cards ready now…
- DPReview
- Probably the king of equipment review sites. This is a worthy first-stop on your review hunting quest. Excellent, very thorough reviews of new camera models of all stripes. Plus, the DPReview team is now giving the same extensive treatment to lenses as well. Sweet! Active forums on here too - lot’s of fun speculation on new equipment launches.
- CameraLabs
- I really like Gordon Laing’s CameraLabs site. Nice reviews and news features - plus a handy “Best Buys” feature that makes reliable recommendations. It doesn’t hurt that the amazing New Zealand scenery provides a spectacular backdrop for testing! More recently the CameraLabs team has started video reviews as well. Check it out.
- Steve’s Digicams
- Not the prettiest site around (but hey - it works!) - they do have a huge database of reviews - this site includes reviews of many entry-level and consumer grade digicams that other sites may not review.
- PhotographyBlog
- Frequently updated - and almost always on top of the very latest hot news. Great email newsletter with highlights of major announcements. Expanding collection of equipment reviews too.
- Luminous Landscape
- While technically not a review site - Luminous Landscape often includes great reviews on major equipment releases - especially pro gear including medium and large formats (wide too!). The reviews here are a nice contrast to others - as they usually focus more on actual field use than on the nitty gritty technical details. Besides including reviews on equipment and software, the LL team also adds thoughtful essays on a diverse range of photographic and creative topics.
- DCResource
- Great Buyers Guide section, plus frequently updated news and forums too.
- ImagingResource
- Solid reviews and plenty of excellent articles. Well-worth checking out!
- FredMiranda
- User based reviews are the main attracting here - their lens reviews are really helpful, plus an active forum with pro topics and users.
- RobGalbraith
- Not as many equipment reviews - but they’ve got very high-quality, in-depth reporting on pro gear and news - with occasional product reviews tossed in.
- Photo.net
- The great-granddaddy of all photography sites on the net. Great archive of articles - a real wealth of material across the entire site - including some great tutorials on photography basics. Definitely worth bookmarking and making a regular visit.
BONUS! While writing this I came across two new sites that look really promising. Here’s a bonus #11 and #12 to add to the above list:
- 1001 Noisy Cameras
- Looks good - lots of updated rumors and news. This is one I’m going to start visiting regularly.
- DSLR Map: a DSLR Review Guide
- Cool chart showing cameras from most manufacturers, with current models linking to aggregate review information - many of which are from sources listed above. This might be a useful place to start your search.
What other sites do you use? Have other favorites? —- Share in the comments!
- Brian
IOTD: Mantonino’s “100 yard dash” September 4, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in snapvillage.Tags: IOTD, image of the day, niltomil.com, niltomil, snail, concepts, running track
3 comments
Image: 43-00524252
Title: “100 yard dash”
Contributor: mantonino
Why we like it: Welcome mantonino to the IOTD club!
Concepts concepts concepts! This shot is simply packed full of nice saleable commercial concepts:
- Adversity
- Challenge
- Slow
- Competition
The deep red color of the running track really jumps out - even at thumbnail size! In addition, the super shallow depth of field adds a cool 3D effect to the image.
If you don’t know him already, Matt runs (among other endeavors) the microstock blog NiltoMil, which we linked to recently in our “Top 20 Microstock Resource Sites” post.
Through Matt’s journey towards his first microstock $1 million, NiltoMil adds a unique commentary to the growing thicket of microstock blog and resource sites. If you haven’t checked out NiltoMil - it’s a great blog to add to your list.
What do you think? What other commercial concepts do you see in this shot?
- Brian
IOTD: Michael Svoboda’s “Boudoir” Set September 3, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in snapvillage.4 comments
Image: 43-00526592
Title: “Boudoir”
Contributor: Michael Svoboda
Why we like it: The pale and hazy light in Michael Svoboda’s “Boudoir” set is truly alluring. As a modern RF lifestyle shot - this image in particular stands out for its composition and the candid pose.
This set of 5 images combines a beautiful model and a rustic set that provides a great array of textures.
Check out the overlapping textures in the image below - both on the model’s print dress and the ornately tiled wall that serves as a retro-vintage backdrop. (This image would have been even stronger without that distracting shower head in the upper-right, but it’s still an attractive shot).
Image: 43-00526593
Title: “Boudoir”
Contributor: Michael Svoboda
The other three images in this set are great too - you can find ‘em here.
What do you think?
- Brian
IOTD: Looby’s pink flower still-life September 2, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in image of the day.Tags: flower, image of the day, IOTD, looby, pink, still-life
4 comments
Image: 43-00526102
Title: “Close-up of flowers floating in water”
Contributor: looby
Why we like it: Looby’s been uploading some good stuff recently, with some especially good spa-style still-life’s rising to the top. This shot is a good one that could also easily be used by buyers in health, wellness and spa contexts. Great color here - the pink flowers are incredibly saturated and have a really nice contrast atop the aquamarine colored water.
Check out the rest of looby’s portfolio for more!
What do you think?
- Brian
Call for Content: Room interiors August 29, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in snapvillage.Tags: buyer request, call for content, content, iofoto, Monkey Business Images, room details, room interiors, what buyers want
add a comment
We’ve had a request from one of our buyers for more shots of room interiors. They need images of full rooms as well as close-ups of tables, etc. The two images above a good examples. These images will also give you a good idea of what they’re looking for.
Full rooms like the one above (especially with some blank wall space!) are particularly good. And of course, please remember to include a property release with all full room shots.
If you’ve got it - upload it! 
- Brian
IOTD: Yuri’s Light: Using Cinematic Flare to Create Mood August 29, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in image of the day, snapvillage.Tags: cinematic, exposure, flare, glare, image of the day, IOTD, lighting, Yuri, Yuri Arcurs
1 comment so far
I
mage: 43-00310344
Title: “View from below of couple kissing”
Contributor: Yuri Arcurs
Why we like it: Today we’re highlighting several images - this time from one of the world’s top microstock shooters - Yuri Arcurs. In just a few years Yuri has become a true celebrity in the microstock world and his reknown has stretched into the professional photography community beyond. Yuri is a contributor we’re really glad to have on board!
Yuri’s images are almost always technically brilliant modern stock shots. Great lighting and exposure combined with the excellent post-processing that lends his work a distinctive edge.
While browsing through his portfolio recently, I started to notice several good examples of what I’d call “cinematic flare”. Instead of a potentially distracting technical flaw, lens flare and light bleed in these shots help create an evocative mood that is truly cinematic in nature.
The light spillover in these shots reminds me of scenes with flare effects from some of my favorite films and directors: Many scenes in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Punch Drunk Love” have flirting sparks of blue-tinged flare. The scene where Elliott Gould’s Marlowe descends in the elevator just before the opening credits of Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye” has a truly spectacular moment of flare - I am not sure if this is an accident or not - but it is an amazing moment.
Here are a few more images from Yuri Arcurs with cinematic-style flare:
Image: 43-00340529
Title: “Friends enjoying cocktails”
Contributor: Yuri Arcurs
Image: 43-00340019
Title: “Rocking the night away”
Contributor: Yuri Arcurs
Be sure to check out the rest of Yuri’s portfolio.
How do you use lens flare? Why not share your tips in the comments!
( IOTD will take the day off on Monday the 1st for the Labor Day holiday. See you on Tuesday! )
- Brian
Top 10 Cool Camera Hacks August 28, 2008
Posted by Team SnapVillage in snapvillage.Tags: camera hacks, kite-flown camera rig
add a comment
Can’t afford the Hasselblad we mentioned yesterday? (Neither can we.) Looking to make your own unique camera rig?
Check out these 10 camera hacks. From a kite-flown rig, to a camouflage trail camera, these photographers used ingenuity and creativity to solve aesthetic and technical challenges.
Have you “hacked” a camera? Tell us about it!
- Brian
