Images from the same series on the Dreamstime photobank

It happens that many respectable photos and illustrations are rejected by photobanks due to similarity or likeness, with the original wording “Similar.” Microstockers who upload technically perfect works with good commercial potential are stunned by photobank rejections due to similarity. After all, the work is perfect! In today’s article, which is more aimed at photographers, I would like to explain why it is so important to select only the best photos from each photoshoot and not to upload everything to the standard photobank (using Dreamstime as an example) in the hope of increasing earnings through a massive portfolio.

Let’s take, for example, a photo of a laughing girl. In principle, one high-quality photo on this topic will be quite sufficient, and it is not necessary to upload 10 photos to Dreamstime. Moreover, it doesn’t matter to the Dreamstime photobank that these 10 photos differ in the photographer’s location – the idea and subject remain the same.

For instance, for microstock inspectors at Dreamstime, similar images are works that depict the same idea and do not significantly differ in composition or type of subject matter. In other words, similarity here refers to a situation where a buyer at the photobank can purchase any work from the series without changing the concept of their design.

Very often, similar photos result from studio shooting, but they can also arise from any type of shooting. The same applies to vectors from the same series. For example, there are 10 illustrations that differ only in background color.

The Dreamstime photobank bases its rejection due to similarity on the fact that series of images are less frequently purchased through credits and more often via subscription. Photobank subscribers download images from a series “just in case,” but ultimately, only one image will be used.

It is clear that the more similar images from one series are in your portfolio, the harder it will be for the buyer to choose the right one among them. Moreover, images from the same series will take longer to gain higher popularity levels. For instance, if you have 5 similar images, they will need to accumulate a total of 25 downloads for promotion, while a single image from the series will quickly gain 5 downloads.

And even if one of the images rises to the top, it will compete with other images in the series. Who will buy a more expensive image if they can get a similar one from the same series for less?

Be critical when choosing images:

1. During the photoshoot, immediately sort and delete unsuccessful shots.
2. After copying the photos to your computer, select the best shots and edit only them. This, by the way, will save you time. Try to evaluate the photos in terms of commercial potential, concept, composition, and lighting, as if you were a buyer at the Dreamstime photobank.
3. For uploading to the photobank, select the best from the edited images.
4. Don’t forget to review the previews of uploaded images afterward. This stage is also important, as you will see the photos and illustrations the way a Dreamstime buyer sees them. Photobank buyers might not even look at the full-size image if the preview doesn’t make sense to them and fails to attract their attention.

After such a selection, you will have 2-3 really strong works from a series of 100 photos. These figures are, of course, conditional and approximate, as experienced photographers with good skills shoot much smaller series but with a higher number of excellent works. The only exception accepted by photobank inspectors is horizontal and vertical versions.

Attention: previously similar images passed the check because they were sent at the same time. Try to send photos from one series together; if you have a strong work in your portfolio (for example, level 5), add only one similar one to it (otherwise, you will undermine its popularity).

When checking, the Dreamstime photobank considers similar images in the portfolio that were uploaded earlier, and new works from the same series will not be accepted. Try to upload all similar works simultaneously. It is clear that not all photos will be accepted, but at least the photobank inspectors will choose the best works from the series.