12 steps microstock workflow

This is my current workflow – in 10+2 steps – for microstock photo contribution:

1. Shooting in RAW format… of course, To Be Improved 😉
2. Downloading images from cards and backup them (2 PCs, 1 external HD, 1 online service)

3. Choosing which photos to prepare (ACDSee browser)
4. Process selected RAW files with CameraRaw

• white balance check
• levels adjustment
• sometimes a bit of saturation
• lens correction/aberration if necessary
• rotation and cropping if necessary

5. Editing in Photoshop (mode 16 bit/channel)

• checking levels again
• noise reduction (generally only skies and dark areas)
• corrections (patch, clone,…)
• sometimes sharpening using high-pass filter method (duplicate layer, apply high pass filter, change blend mode in “overlay”, trim down the “opacity” of the layer to let you say “it's enough”)

6. Compiling metadata fields trying to use templates (Photoshop or Bridge)

• title
• description
• keywords (a little help from picNiche and/or Arcurs keywording)
• location city/country
• author/copyright notice

7. Saving in PSD format (16 bit) for possible further modifications and re-uploading
8. Changing in 8 bit/channel mode to save final JPEG format files (remember to backup your final JPG)
9. Uploading to iSyndica to distribute images to 15 agencies. Exceptions are iStockphoto (uploading via deepmeta) and another couple of sites via web http (such as Snapixel)

10. Connecting to all the sites for the final categorization and submission

Bonus Steps

11. Hoping photos will be accepted and trying to learn from the rejections
12. Hoping accepted photos will sell a lot 🙂 and monitoring using picNiche toolbar and Lookstat

Forgotten anything important?

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