Holly berries on Flickr. Another from last autumn. Earlier this year I had some photos selected for the Getty Images Flickr Collection, and this image was one of them. It was a lovely little ego boost, but with only 9 images selected I knew I’d be very lucky to make a sale. The best chance of adding more images and hence improving my odds was also taken away when the usual method for submitting images for consideration was closed shortly after. No other photos have been selected by other methods since. Of course one look at the Flickr Collection on Getty tells me I don’t really shoot stock-style images. Getty Images Wants (https://twitter.com/GettyImagesWant) just confirms this further. So I guess this summer I had a choice (and the chance) to try and shoot more stock-worthy photos. Instead I went out and did the exact opposite. Black and white, not particularly stylised, few people, etc. All the things one look at the Flickr collection tells you they don’t want. But I had a great time and I love this summer’s photos more than any others I have taken. So I guess I came to the conclusion (albeit sub-consciously) that I am far happier taking the kind of photos I enjoy, than chasing a few (and it would have been a few) bucks trying to shoot what other people want. One look at the private Getty groups on Flickr and it’s easy to see the irrational panic and paranoia that exists within their members as they chase ‘picks’ (photos selected to the collection). It’s all a bit desperate as egos are inflated and deflated by every decision Getty makes. I wonder whether the joy of photography has died within many of their members, at least until they get the ‘cheque through the post’.
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Holly berries on Flickr.

Another from last autumn.

Earlier this year I had some photos selected for the Getty Images Flickr Collection, and this image was one of them. It was a lovely little ego boost, but with only 9 images selected I knew I’d be very lucky to make a sale. The best chance of adding more images and hence improving my odds was also taken away when the usual method for submitting images for consideration was closed shortly after. No other photos have been selected by other methods since.

Of course one look at the Flickr Collection on Getty tells me I don’t really shoot stock-style images. Getty Images Wants (https://twitter.com/GettyImagesWant) just confirms this further. So I guess this summer I had a choice (and the chance) to try and shoot more stock-worthy photos. Instead I went out and did the exact opposite. Black and white, not particularly stylised, few people, etc. All the things one look at the Flickr collection tells you they don’t want. But I had a great time and I love this summer’s photos more than any others I have taken.

So I guess I came to the conclusion (albeit sub-consciously) that I am far happier taking the kind of photos I enjoy, than chasing a few (and it would have been a few) bucks trying to shoot what other people want. One look at the private Getty groups on Flickr and it’s easy to see the irrational panic and paranoia that exists within their members as they chase ‘picks’ (photos selected to the collection). It’s all a bit desperate as egos are inflated and deflated by every decision Getty makes. I wonder whether the joy of photography has died within many of their members, at least until they get the ‘cheque through the post’.

Burnham Beeches cupule on Flickr.Last week I went to Burnham Beeches, an ancient woodland 15 minutes drive from my house. This time I just walked around but in a few weeks autumn will really kick in and the colours of the changing beech leaves will be spectacular. Hopefully, I’ll remember to go back with my camera. It’s beauty and the proximity of some of the major film studios mean that it has been used for a location in some great movies like ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘The Crying Game’, plus some dross including a couple of Harry Potters….. Anyway as a break from London and monochrome I’ll post a few shots from last year.
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Burnham Beeches cupule on Flickr.

Last week I went to Burnham Beeches, an ancient woodland 15 minutes drive from my house. This time I just walked around but in a few weeks autumn will really kick in and the colours of the changing beech leaves will be spectacular. Hopefully, I’ll remember to go back with my camera.

It’s beauty and the proximity of some of the major film studios mean that it has been used for a location in some great movies like ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘The Crying Game’, plus some dross including a couple of Harry Potters…..

Anyway as a break from London and monochrome I’ll post a few shots from last year.