If you decide to try your hand at stocks, you will need to take exams. Exams exist for about half of the photobanks, and almost all large ones,, iStockPhoto. Somewhere you will be offered to pass a simple theoretical test, somewhere to send a certain amount of your work by registration, in some places - to become a theoretical test, then - to send it to check your work.
The exam rules for different photobanks are slightly different, but here I will describe the general principles by which you need to select photos, be it three or ten.
The first and foremost condition that must be met: the photograph will be assessed by inspectors not from the point of view of not artistic potential, not as a work of art, but as a product that should be sold. It should 1) like people, so that they want to see it, and ideally - buy it, 2) illustrate some product, service or event, and 3) have a really good technical quality. Below we will consider all three points in more detail.
1) People should like photography. Therefore, it is better to choose something beautiful and simple enough for the exam. Whatever you shoot, your shot should be a pleasure to look at. Blue skies are better than gray, a smiling girl is better than a sullen grymza, a cute little kitten is better than an evil mongrel, and further down the list. Ideally, the photo should carry a positive charge, and even if you like to take pictures of sad people, think about how to do it so that the person (and the inspector is also a person!) Felt pleasant emotions at the sight of your picture.
2) The photograph should be used as an illustration of an event, product, service or idea. Therefore, it is better if a simple idea is used for the picture. Difficult controversial subjects are great, but not for an exam. The fewer details that might be redundant, the better. A cup of coffee and a diary is a popular concept (the beginning of a working day, a business, some kind of undertakings), and if there is a maple leaf, a rose, plasticine and a plane ticket next to the diary, you will get porridge. You can't advertise with such a photo neither plasticine, nor coffee, nor travel.
From here comes another requirement - the photo must be advertising. Everything you photograph should be beautiful, dust-free, and the model's clothes should look perfect. Your landscape shots should be free of debris, and your plate of cookies should be free of unnecessary crumbs.
Finally, there is no need to submit photographs to the exam that might be considered editorial. The exam is also the knowledge of certain rules of the game by which the market plays. Therefore, if in doubt whether it is possible to photograph a girl in this blouse, and coffee in this cup, it is better to change the model's clothes and pour coffee into another cup.
3) Finally, check the technical quality of your images. The requirements for exam photos are stricter, so it's better to play it safe and send really good photos.
