8 Secrets of Mastery from Yuri Arcurs

You’ve probably heard of the renowned microstock photographer Yuri Arcurs. Not long ago, I published an interview with him on my blog.

Today, I’ll share some valuable advice from Yuri Arcurs. In this article, he reveals the secrets to organizing the work of a successful stock photographer.

It’s clear that this is just his perspective, but considering his achievements in the stock photography industry, I believe there’s definitely some wisdom to take away.

Learn to See and Separate Your Images into Meaningful Layers

What does this mean? The camera focuses on the subject, while the elements in the foreground and background can be seen as separate layers. Accordingly, we have: a foreground, focal point, and background.

The interaction between these layers often makes the image more interesting. If you analyze the winners of photojournalism competitions, you will notice many similarities.

When these meaningful layers harmoniously combine, they complement each other and highlight the emotions or ideas of the shot. The best photographs have multiple layers that “speak” together.

For a photojournalist capturing everyday life, layers are one of the most complex aspects to master and truly require multitasking. In commercial photography, meaningful layers can be used as a tool to create a complete photo.

Amateur photographers often overlook the background, or it might be entirely absent. However, by carefully creating layers, you can gain a competitive edge over others.

Notice how the first photograph resembles a real concert, while the second appears more technical. This isn’t a concert, and only 23 models were involved, but thanks to the well-planned layers, the final image looks like a real concert.

Think in Icons: The Power of Visual Impact

Will your envisioned image be just as impactful when it’s significantly reduced or displayed for only a quarter of a second? Can the photo convey its essence in such conditions?

The best commercial photographs can – they utilize different lighting and colors to create contrast between the main elements in the photo.

In today’s fast-paced world, your photos need to make an impact. In stock photography, the “icon effect” is what allows your photos to stand out among the masses. Too many unnecessary barriers and distractions will dilute the ‘icon effect.’

Be very selective about what should be in the foreground and background layers to avoid giving the shot a sense of clutter.

Here’s an example of how we edit our photos. Notice how we hide many distracting elements, thus achieving the “icon effect”.

Harnessing Stereotypes for Stronger Imagery

As you read the following lines, please follow the instructions carefully. This is important—don’t skip it, or you might miss the point. Mentally calculate 6×6, add 14, and subtract 50. Done? If not – calculate…

Now think of any hand tool. Picture it clearly in your mind. Then think of any color. Close your eyes and visualize that color.

95% of people immediately picture a hammer, and the color they associate with it is red. This is because the hammer and the color red are stereotypes of the categories “hand tool” and “color.”

Use this knowledge to enhance the “icon effect”.

If people glance at a photo for just a couple of seconds, be wise and use stereotypes so they can easily identify elements in the photograph. Recognizing stereotypes should happen effortlessly, at a subconscious level.

Let’s take, for example, the theme of “classic female beauty.” The image of Marilyn Monroe is probably the best fit for it. Considering that it’s extremely difficult to get her photo, you get the main idea.

The color of this guitar was chosen with great care. If it had been black or any dark color, it would have blended into the background. By choosing a white guitar, we made it stand out in the frame, creating an ‘icon effect’ – even at smaller sizes, the photo’s message is clear.

Leveraging Human Nature in Photography

When working with a demanding client I want to impress, I use my knowledge of psychology to understand the best approach. Most people focus on one or several moments in a photograph, namely: humor, extraordinary things, or contrasting symbols.

Contrasting symbols occur when two opposites collide, creating irony.

For example, a priest and petty theft in a store, or a skinny person standing behind a fat person. These are basics, but they work – tap into everything that reflects irony and the diversity of our daily lives.

Try to take a photograph that you like, but which lacks the aforementioned elements.

Using the contrasting symbols technique requires prior thought and planning, but if you achieve that effect, it will be a true eye-catching photograph.

Sometimes during shoots, I find myself telling the stylist things like “This scene isn’t strange enough, make it stranger.”

People are drawn to the unusual. So, twist reality, bend expectations, and make the shot stand out.

Feel the mystery of this shot.

Breaking Free from Traditional Composition Rules

Classical textbooks can only teach you certain rules of conservative composition: don’t crop foreheads in portraits, shoot only standard images with all objects inside the frame, and so on – but that’s routine and boring!

Don’t be bound by these rules!

Any photograph from my most popular works has a composition that contradicts all the rules from textbooks, and in addition, it is often framed in an unconventional way. Experiment! Try!

Take a shot from a low angle, from a high one. Focus on your inner vision, even if it defies the rules.

As the years go by, your sense of composition will grow, and you will achieve mastery and professionalism in your way, while also developing your recognizable style.

In this shot, you can see sunflares and a composition that would surely shock a rookie inspector in stock photography. There are also overexposures, a tilted horizon – the only correct focus is on the eyes.

The young man’s head is intentionally cropped. In many ways, this photograph is “textbook nonsense” but it is much more interesting than the standard approach.

The Art of Explanation and Timing

Clear explanations are key! If a model doesn’t understand what you want from the scene/shoot, then she simply won’t be able to do what you strive for. The best models know their best angles and poses and start posing as soon as they see the camera.

Pause the process and help the model reconnect with the moment, so she appears natural.

When shooting more than one person, you should try to engage people in conversation, add some interaction, and say “STOP” when you want to take the shot.

This method works wonders for creating relaxed, natural photos—making it feel as if you were never there.

When I shoot business themes or staff portraits, I often involve models in a game like collaborative storytelling, where one person writes one or two lines, the next adds another two, and as a result, they relax and laugh – it’s a great opportunity to get a good shot.

The Importance of Productivity in Photography

My senior assistant, a photojournalist, recently told me after a behind-the-scenes report on a Danish rock band, ‘I don’t get it… all the other photographers were just sitting around talking, while I was capturing everything through my viewfinder.’

My assistant noticed this during the entire concert through his camera. He shot over 1300 RAW files in just three hours with his 1Ds, and honestly, it’s not about the talent behind each one.

Creating beautiful photographs requires a lot of shots; that’s normal.

Shoot relentlessly, especially when you’re short on time with a model or in a specific location. After a good day of stock shooting, only 3-4% of the material shot remains.

This percentage reveals an important truth – the more shots you take, the more quality work will end up in your portfolio at stock photo agencies. This conclusion is very simple and can be interpreted in various ways, but it inevitably leads to the realization of a truth.

Sitting and talking or shooting half-heartedly is surely a waste of a chance to get a cool photograph. Get out there, shoot, and push yourself relentlessly.

Striving for Excellence: Never Settle for Less

Here you see part of the file of one of my usual studio portraits. You don’t need to increase sharpness, creating artifacts (I’m preparing you for using top-notch optics). This shot wasn’t sharpened in any way; camera sharpness settings were at zero, and there was no additional processing.

This is sufficient resolution and quality I get with an ordinary 1Ds Mark II, and I don’t need medium format.

The vast majority of photographers who learned to shoot on film cameras eventually switched to digital cameras but did not make the same transition in their knowledge and workflow and did not gain enough understanding of digital technology.

Currently, this concerns me, as many photographers, despite holding themselves in high regard, lack knowledge of digital workflows and dismiss crucial details like artifacts, compression, and TIFF files, thinking themselves too ‘creative’ for such ‘trivial’ matters.

Don’t follow that path. Instead, focus on improving your knowledge through up-to-date online resources.

Gradually, the demands for digital standards are rising, so be prepared for that.

Good luck!

This article is available in the following categories: About Microstocks