istockphoto.com

I was recommended to check out istockphoto.com a couple weeks ago, and I can see this site becoming my new obsession. It's a great website that can be used for fully-licensed, inexpensive photos. The site, however, seems to double as a cool artist's community with vibrant forums and profiles for the photographers.

In an effort to weed out the less serious artists, istockphoto.com requires people to complete an approval process, which consists of a brief 10-question test about their policies, and the submission of three photos to be judged on whatever they're looking for, before they are permitted to upload photos

It's more difficult than it seems. Reading the message boards, I am keenly aware of how excited people become upon their approval from the site, and how frequently photos are turned down for a variety of reasons.

I'm a casual photographer, and am fascinated by this site. Just the thought of taking pictures that other people elect to view and possibly purchase is so flattering to me. I know I have a good eye for photo composition, and have always enjoyed taking pictures - all the way back to high school when I constantly snapped pictures for the yearbook. I just bought a brand new 10 megapixel Canon digital SLR camera, which arrived yesterday and is sweet.

So far, I have one of three photos approved (one of home plate). The more I look at the photo that they approved, the more I really like it's simplicity and quality. The dirt isn't perfect, the pebbles and grains are distinct and visible, and the subject is obvious.

According to istockphoto.com's photo evaluators, the two that were rejected had "artifacts" that were visible when viewed full size. I resubmitted two new photos yesterday, but the process takes a week or two before they are able to view them and respond.