When I made this portrait of myself standing on a local commuter railway platform while a train pulled out of the station, I was just thinking it would be a fun shot to try. And it was – the camera sat on a tripod at eye level on the platform with the self timer ready and a long exposure manually set. I also set the flash to go off just before the shutter closed. When the train started moving, I pressed the shutter button and moved into position while the timer counted down, then stood stock still until the flash went off.The end result seems to have none of the fun that I intended. The viewer becomes a witness to a lone man in thought as a train moves on. Is he pondering his decision to not board? Did he narrowly miss the train? What is the significance of the backpack he is wearing?
Am I thinking too much?
Taking stock: About a week ago, I filled out an application to become a photo supplier to iStock Photos, one of the leading stock photography sites on the Web. I completed an involved process that includes sitting through an online briefing that runs through the technical and legal issues of supplying stock photos. Before photographers get to the dotted line, they must pass a quiz which includes evaluating a number of sample photos and declaring them acceptable or not and if not, identifying their shortcomings. The final step is to upload three photos of your own for consideration, then wait to hear back from someone as to whether or not your application has been accepted.
The wait is over and I am a new member of the iStock team. All three of my sample photos were evaluated as being of sufficient commercial and technical quality to justify their inclusion in the iStock collection. I can now upload up to 15 photos a week to the site for consideration and hopefully, some sales.
Which three photos did I submit? This one, this one and this one.
Click on this post's headline for image EXIF data. Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2008 James Jordan.
9 comments:
Good news about the iStock thing. I hope you sell tons.
If you want to add some junker car shots, let me know.
Roger
Thanks, Roger. I'm still up for car shots. Maybe we can balance some rocks on the hood of one. That'll take care of two subjects at once!
Congratulations ~~~ I love the pictures you submitted and really love the picture of you and the train~~~
LOL:Wanda
Hey Congrats, on this. Those of us who visit your blog would say it would be their loss if they didn't choose you!
Another rare appearance of James. I love it.
Your appointment at iStock is well deserved.
With all the wonderful shots you have taken it must have been awful trying to choose just three. iStock will be the richer for your contribution. Congratulations.
Thanks, everyone for the words of encouragement. Like all new iStockers, I start at the bottom, so it will take a lot of uploading (with each submission subject to the editors' thumbs up or down) to begin to build a portfolio of saleable photos on iStock. But at least I'm in the door.
Congrats, Jim!
And, regarding the train shot... it's sad: like, is your wife on the train, and you're so sad to see her go that you can't quite walk away. Or, did you get your wife a really bad Christmas present and now she's mad and you're left with it in your backpack having to return it and wondering what to do next....
I'll stop.
But Congrats!
Yes, I thought it somehow portrays a longing sadness of someone's departure. The back pack? Perhaps you were going to catch another train taking you into another direction.
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