Welcome to the tenth issue of Stockilicious

Index
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1 - Thumbnail Feature and Stock Tips - Poses
--- Tutorial included
2 - Stock Contests
3 - Forum Activity
4 - Support Stock News
5 - Chatrooms
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FEATURES AND TIPS:
What is a stock photo without the posing of the model? You can be dressed in whatever funny costume, hair and makeup done up like you're from the old ages but without the proper pose you'll just be a mannequin for someone to hang their nice duds on (glorified coathanger, much?). There are different degress to posing - ranging from something simple that you would do in your everyday life, to almost breaking your back on a chair You'll see what I mean in the thumbnails below.

Posing for the camera is generally the easier part of making stock for a lot of the stockers out there. Throw your hands in the air, kick a leg out - hey, you're done! It's trying to find a new, different and imaginative pose after you think you've tried everything that makes things difficult in the end.



TIPS FOR POSING:
Don't be afraid to turn side-on or have your back to the camera. Sure, we love seeing people's faces but when an artist wants to draw extra attention to the backdrop the easiest way is to have the model looking that way. Also, artists can see themselves in the mirror every day. They know what the front looks like, but its a lot harder to get a clear look at the back. Make it a bit easier for them and throw a few different pose directions in there
You don't need to just stay all on 'one level' in front of the camera. Grab a box or chair and step onto it all fall off it. Heck, you could even bend yourself back over it and try the 'flying/falling' stock photos that everyone seems to be doing
You don't need to be standing/sitting up. If you can manage it - rig the camera to shoot down on you from above. You may have a counter or bench that you could put your tripod on (or get your photographer to stand on ) while you lay on the ground. Word of advice - be careful. Cameras don't grow on trees so make sure whatever surface you put it on is steady and is still easy to reach the shutter button (or remote).
If you're going to try something 'full on' and intense like arching yourself over a chair and haven't exercised those muscles in a while it would be best to do a quick warm-up first. Better still - take some photos of the warm up. You may just give yourself a few new ideas!
Don't be afraid to PRETEND there is something there. You may be straddling a chair, pretending its a horse. Or you could cup your hands so the fake rain can drop down into them. This way you give the artists more creative edge to work with your stock - and they can put whatever they want in the blank space.
Just like pretending there are objects around you - you can pretend there are people too. Maybe your friends and family are camera shy. Don't fret, pet. Just pretend there's someone there. Sure, you may look a bit silly with your new imaginary friend but that's where the artists can put you with other model stock photos. Before you know it - you really are having a conversation with some other stocker on the other side of the world... in the fancy environment of a newly created artwork.
If you're playing a character - think how they would act. How they think, how they move and how they stand will give you a huge list of possible poses to work with.
Shake it, baby! That's right, we love a little pretend movement. You don't need to be running for real to look like you are. You don't need to really be dancing to strike a few of the dancing poses. Just think of some of the fancy movements you could go throw and freeze frame on one second and mimic it.



STOCKER CONTESTS:

Its not just about the prizes! Stockers get to see all the lovely artwork made with their stock and a set theme in mind. If you have a stock contest you want promoted, drop me a note with the details

is hosting a Use My Stock Contest
Details: [link]
Deadline: 10 May 2007

is hosting a Animal Kingdom Contest
Details: [link]
Deadline: 21 July, 2007


FOCUS ON THE FORUMS!:

The StockArt forums are located here: [link]

A place for stockers to promote their contests, artists to request specific stock, ask for help finding stock, discuss stockart in general and much more! We go a little silly sometimes but don't let that scare you off! Just remember what we're about - STOCK!!

Manipulated vs Raw: A question I never thought to ask people, by the lovely ~ldymech. A lot of stockers twig their images before uploading to save trouble for the artists - but which is better for both of us? Any manipulator worth their weight should know how to change levels and lighting, so should stockers really be doing that for them? It does look a lot better in your gallery, after all.

Promote your stock news here.: Want to keep updated on what's happening in the Wonderful World of Resources and Stockart? Drop by this thread by our fave chicki, *Hanratty-Stock, and get updated the minute a new stock news article is posted so you can rush by, read and fav it!!


SUPPORT STOCK NEWS:
Want some more stocky love in your news section? Loooove seeing new and awesome resources you never would've found without the news?

Support Stock News! Stamps courtesy of =LawrenceDeDark (and muchly needed, I might add )


And if you want to check out the ALWAYS up-to-date list of Stock News being submitted - check out =stocknews and support us by posting the stamp (made by ~pyerflystock) in your journal



CHAT WITH US:

Don't forget that stockers chat too! A few haunts the stockers visit are below:
#StockTalk | #FishnetStockers | #TheHarem

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PREVIOUS ISSUES:
Vol 1: Perspectives (MC) | Vol 2: Lighting (MC) | Vol 3: Characters (MC) | Vol 4: Fight Stock | Vol 5: Requests | Vol 6: Portraits | Vol 7: Backgrounds (Real) | Vol 8: Nuuuuuudes | Vol 9: Stock Packs


Don't forget my Promotionals Contest is still running!

Off to Pimp some more!

-Demonic