Keywording Tips for Stock Photographers, Part 7: What Am I Really Looking At?

Posted on 23. Aug, 2010 by in Interesting News, Keywording Tips, Recent Posts

Details are important when keywording stock images, but stock photographers shouldn’t get so wrapped up in the little things that they forget to take a step back and look at the big picture (pun intended).

For each of your stock images, ask yourself what is the story that this photograph is trying to tell?  What are the most significant aspects of the image?  In short, what is the image “about?”  Once you’ve got this figured out, the keywords for your stock images will come easily because most of them will point back to that main theme.

Also keep in mind that there may be a difference between the things that are significant to your stock images and the things that are relevant to stock photography buyers.

For example, in a stock photo of a businesswoman working on a laptop computer at an outdoor café, business, technology, and connectivity are the significant themes of the image; however, the woman’s hair color, facial expression, and ethnicity aren’t that important to the image itself, but they are all relevant elements that stock photography buyers may use as search terms.  On the other hand, the types of trees in the background and the specific food on her plate probably aren’t that significant and shouldn’t be included in the keywords.

Developing a sense for what’s significant and relevant for your stock images’ keywords will help you master the complicated art of keywording for stock photography.  If you haven’t already, don’t forget to check out our earlier Keywording Tips for Stock Photographers.

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