Little Italy

Wandering along the ancient cobbled streets of uphill Lincoln, taking in the peaceful atmosphere and beautifully weathered and ancient architecture, not to mention the odd ale or two, you can't help but notice dozens of Lambretta and Vespa scooters parked along the many lanes and backstreets. Pretty much every corner you turn, there is yet another pretty little bike to greet you. Photographing these vehicles in such fantastic surroundings can be great fun, and the resulting images can easily be transformed into fine art prints that can be offered for sale through galleries, or online.

Pretty much any camera will do for this sort of street photography, although the more discreet the model the better. The main problem that I've encountered when photographing the bikes can be the frequency with which people inadvertently step into shot on such crowded narrow streets. Patience is key in these situations and eventually you'll be rewarded with a cracking image of a multi coloured scooter decked in Union flags or a multitude of lights and mirrors.

Submitting these photographs to stock libraries can also bring financial benefit. Banks, building societies and insurance companies are always on the lookout for this type of image. My third picture in this post has so far made over $900, and has been sold to the banking and insurance sector for use in promotional brochures and leaflets.  

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 105mm F2.8

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8

Nikon D90 with Nikkor 18-70mm F3.5/F4.5 - photograph by Emma Stickley, edited by Brett Gardner

Stock

For a number of years now, I have been submitting a wide variety of photographs to various stock agencies. For people who aren't familiar with these companies, they basically allow you to upload your images to their database, where clients can search for, and buy pictures which are needed for their book publications, magazines or websites, (subject to quality control). I have sold numerous images to these sites and most have been fairly run of the mill and not particularly inspiring. I have come to realise that the more ordinary the image, the more likely it is to sell. This goes against everything I have learned to look for as a photographer, and whenever I venture out to take stock photos, I have to bear this in mind. That doesn't mean to say that the image can be poorly exposed or out of focus, just that anything and everything sells. Alamy is my preferred stock agency and they are fantastic. Images sell for good money and they really know how to push your work. They also have an international presence and a news section, where you can upload any breaking news stories.

This rather simple crossword image has so far sold twenty times through various stock agencies, and was shot with my Nikon D200 and Nikkor 105mm F2.8 macro lens on a manfrotto tripod.

I have to confess that this isn't my image, it's my girlfriend Emma's. (Although I did edit it). This has sold three times through Alamy so far, and has netted over $900. Nikon D90 with Nikkor 18-70mm lens. You can follow Emma over on her blog,   www.organdie.wordpress.com