Can you take stock photos on a cruise – part 2
I wrote about this topic earlier this year after an ocean cruise around Australia and New Zealand. The basic question was whether the organized trips and activities gave a photographer any time to create useful stock images. In the fall, I went on a river cruise from Nuremberg in Germany to Budapest in Hungary, and every day was structured – arrive at a new city, go on a walking or coach tour, see the sights… Nice for a vacation (in fact it was like a floating hotel waking up each day in a new city with no need to pack and unpack the suitcase), but I wasn’t sure about the stock possibilities. Finally, I’ve processed and am starting to keyword the images (which is why that Lightroom slow running issue was so annoying) and I’m pleased to say that I ended up with 420 images that I plan to put on the various stock agencies. The weather wasn’t great, and so there are some cloudy shots, but there are some great opportunities for interior shots (of churches) as well as nice details that could sell. Of course, I wanted a nice set of photos of the vacation (and I put about 40 on my portfolio site if you are interested), but here are some that I have in my upload list:
Typical German Beer mugs
Interesting lock on castle door
Very dangerous activity – 4 floors off the ground
Congress Hall in Nuremberg
So the simple answer is – take a vacation, enjoy yourself and keep looking for opportunities – both for artistic photographs and potential stock images.
Always enjoy your site – great tips. Was in Budapest earlier this year for 3 days and managed to get the tripod set up for some night shots of the various sights and some have even sold! Always find it difficult to combine holiday and stock photography, as you say time and weather are always an issue – take what you get. And have to keep the partner happy too or get accused of spoiling the holiday as always behind the camera, and lugging loads of gear around.