Premium – October Stock Concepts

Another month and time for some more ideas on what concepts might drive stock photo sales in the coming months. Of course the US election is showing no signs of calming down and we are headed for a tumultuous November. I don’t think I have done anything like enough to get some images online to illustrate the confusion and perhaps violence that will pervade that period – and I think there is still time to get those sort of images online.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see one of my basic vote by mail shots selling for $39.45 on Shutterstock this month. This one has now earned $136 and its sister shot which focuses more on the address and the badge has sold $80. Not bad for 30 minutes work.

But what to take for this month? In the US, and many other countries, Halloween is celebrated at the end of the month. Normally this is a happy event with children dressed in costumes going house to house and being given candy and small gifts. This October we will see small children in costumes with masks and much more remote handing out of sweets. So getting some shots of children in advance in their costumes with a medical mask will be worthwhile. There won’t be many illustrations in this post of these images because I haven’t taken them yet, so a chance to get an early image high up in the rankings!

I do have this one from a couple of years back that I plan to recreate with the skull wearing a mask – I think there could be opportunities for more humorous or darker traditional skull images but with masks or medical gloves perhaps.

Looking a little further ahead, we have Thanksgiving in the US and, of course Christmas. I think there are lots of opportunities for Coronavirus thanksgiving and xmas shots – the turkey being carved by someone in a mask, guest in masks around a table, decorations with masks or being put in place by someone with gloves on. Just try to think of articles that could be written (in their thousands probably) about being safe at these holiday events and how to deal with a family guest who refuses to wear a mask. Everyone of those articles will want a topical picture (or video) to illustrate it. I need to do a lot of this myself yet, but I plan to look at all the popular Thanksgiving meal stock photos and imagine how they will change this year – that is what you need to and get those unique shots online as soon as possible. I do intend to cook a turkey in the coming weeks and set the dining table up as though it is a Thanksgiving/Xmas gathering and get my shots taken well in advance. We can always eat the turkey and freeze some for later! So get your ideas together now on those shots.

Another event that is written about every year is turning back the clocks. How about some shots of someone in a mask turning back the hands on a clock?

This is a bit further away, but also give some thoughts to those end of year resolutions. How many of those will have a Covid feel to them this year? You could also have new year wishes for a vaccine, a vacation, a chance to travel and meet friends again, go out to a restaurant. Lots of new approaches for the coming holiday season.

This is a very short post as I am busy this weekend but I wanted to get these time sensitive ideas in your mind. More later!