There are so many articles about productivity on the Internet and so many definitions that it is easy to get confused about them. So what is productivity? Does it mean 24/7 employment? Or, perhaps, the achievement of all the goals? Today, the question of how to become more productive is relevant for many, and before giving advice to novice photographers, let's briefly define what productivity is.
Being a productive stock photographer means optimizing your workflow in such a way that you not only have time to create high-quality and beautiful materials but also effectively promote them. While dozens of unfinished tasks on the list and thousands of images in folders on the computer have nothing to do with productivity.
If you've been waiting for a clue or a sign from above that its time to finally become a productive stock photographer, here they are. Don't put off anything for tomorrow. You can be more productive today: make to-do lists and anti-lists, take time to find keywords, refresh your keyboard shortcuts, and try a ton of other tricks that will help you become much more productive.
Make to-do lists
If you think that David Allen's book "How to Get Things Done" is only useful for office managers, accountants and executives, you are wrong. It can be a real salvation for you - it doesn't matter if you work in the office or from home.
According to the author, when you free your mind from memorizing tasks and transfer these tasks to an external medium (for example, writing in a notebook), it becomes easier for you to focus on completing them. You immediately see your progress and speed of work, and most importantly, you stop being nervous that you forgot to do something. In addition, you have a competitive motivation - you want to finish everything and put a check in front of each line.
You can add whatever you want to the list: plans for a day, for a week, for a month, and even for a year; photographic equipment to pick up before shooting; locations worth exploring; concepts and ideas that arise in you; photo stock platforms to which you would submit your articles; models to contact, and in general any other important things you might forget if you don't write them down. Put everything on the shelves!
A variety of methods can be used to create such lists. The main thing is that you feel comfortable. You can take a notebook or sketchbook where you already write down your ideas. You can take notes on your computer or phone, or you can use online platforms like Evernote. The advantage of such digital lists is that they will appear on all your devices. There are many options, so you just need to find a system that suits you personally.
Once lists become an integral part of your life, you will immediately understand how much more productive you have become.
How to Be a Productive Stock Photographer
And anti-lists
We receive dozens of notifications, calls, and emails every minute. Agree, it is quite easy to get distracted from doing things on the list. Procrastination often defeats the urge to tick a task, and at the end of the day it turns out that half of what was planned has not been done.
If you are familiar with this (in fact, as well as all of us), read the book by Tim Ferriss "How to work 4 hours a week" This productivity guru is pushing the idea of creating anti-lists. In short, you need to make a list of things that prevent you from becoming more productive. So, for example, an anti-list might look like this:
- do not flip through the feed on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube from 10 am to 6 pm;
- do not check email in the morning;
- do not forget to read a book or a blog on photography before going to bed;
- do not forget to use hotkeys for editing pictures.
Every time you are tempted to break one of the items on the list, think about what will happen if you, for example, reply to an email in the evening. Nothing wrong? Then postpone the answer until the end of the day and focus on the really important things.
Follow the trends
Although some people think that trendy photos cannot be found on stock photo stocks.
In addition to a huge library of more than 125 million files, our site has photo collections in which we collect the most interesting and relevant photographs on trending topics. Customers who use the advanced Depositphotos search (and there are most of them) have the opportunity to view the latest arrivals and select not only popular but also niche and trending photos.
At first glance, it sounds like an introduction to an article on why a stock photographer needs to follow trends. But in fact, you need to clearly understand that if you want to make money on photo stocks, you simply need to be aware of the latest trends.
To keep up with the latest trends in design and photography, follow popular photographers on Instagram, follow the news online, and read our blog. We regularly publish articles on photography and visual trends.
Create a file with good keywords
When you upload files to a photo stock platform, the quality of the materials and their originality, of course, matter, but that's only half the battle. Customers and anyone who wants to buy your photos must first find them among the millions of files on the web. If you want your work to be noticed and downloaded, you need to figure out how to select keywords for stock images.
On many photo stocks, including Depositphotos, keywords need to be entered in two sections: in the description and in the actual keywords. But do not rush to fill them in - first analyze the keywords in the most popular images, and then select those that may be suitable for your files. If you have been working with photo stocks for a long time, try to analyze which keywords helped your top photos to appear on the first pages of search results.
If you regularly devote time to the analysis and selection of keywords, then it will become easier to get high earnings on photo stocks.
Stop worrying about equipment
We live in the third millennium, and smartphones have long replaced a whole bunch of devices, without which before - just a couple of decades ago - we could not imagine life. Today, you don't need a TV to watch your favorite series. You can print a book without a typewriter, and to become a photographer, you don't need a collection of expensive equipment.
What you need is a well-honed photography skill that you can develop:
- having studied all the functions and settings in your camera or smartphone;
- reading books and specialized magazines;
- devoting time to create every day (write, do sketches, drawings and illustrations)
- watching feature films and documentaries;
- observing the work of established photographers;
- properly editing photos;
- sharing knowledge with colleagues.
This list includes the simplest and most obvious tricks, but, in fact, you have a huge number of ways to improve your photography skills and shoot successful and original work - and on a regular smartphone.
Learn keyboard shortcuts
You probably know that you can switch the language twice as fast using the keys than through the command line. And you certainly know how much Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + A make our life easier. The same goes for photo editing apps.
If you start using keyboard shortcuts while editing photos in Photoshop, Lightroom, or any other application, you can be much more productive. And don't worry about a large number of combinations - knowledge comes with practice.
At first glance, all of these tricks seem very simple, but together they will help you reach new heights as a stock photographer. You can streamline your workflow, work faster and more efficiently, and finally, you will end up procrastinating. Above all, don't put it off until tomorrow and include our tips for aspiring photographers in your routine today.
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