BIRD TIED UP

I took this picture quite some time ago when in Indonesia. A lot of Asian's keep birds as pets - and they pay quite a lot of money for them. To ensure they don't escape they tie them up like this. It is incredible sad to see. To stop an animal like a bird from flying must be like putting a person in a straight jacket. So while this picture upsets me it is also one of my favourites because of the emotional tie I have with it. When I look at it and just want to reach into it and cut the rope with a knife. I hope it raises your emotions like it does mine.

TO SELL OR NOT TO SELL IN STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

Ahhh, those magic words - what sells in stock photography? If only any of us know. Saying that, with a bit of research you can actually increase your chances of making a sale. Nothing is guaranteed but a little bit of research really does help. So I thought I was on to a bit of a winner with the above shot. I wanted to come up with a picture after reading a newspaper article on Asian's whose populations are getting fatter each year. It wasn't much of a surprise that the influx of western food and culture is making Asians larger. So an image of a chopstick and a french fry summed up what I was trying to say and, hopefully, make it a stock seller. It has been with Getty for about 2 years and hasn't sold once. So there you are - maybe not a good blog post if you want to learn what sells but at least you now know what doesn't!