#ASCRuleofThirds ADOBE STOCK CREATIVE Challenge// June 2023

Keywords listed: girl, mirror, cliff, conceptual, portrait. When I think of cliffs, I usually picture them in my mind from the top view, so I wouldn't use that keyword among the first ten; beach, however, can work better for me here. Also, some of the emotions depicted in the image, such as peace, meditation...

It is a nice conceptual image. And with conceptual images, how they affect you is the main element; there are no right or wrong readings. I would only say that it is a bit monochromatic for my taste, and maybe (maybe!) a slightly more vivid blue on the mirror could have had more impact. However, the dark contrast on her dress is enough to catch our eyes to the most important part of the image.

Keywords listed: vet, domestic cat, professional occupation, check-up, pet. The keywords are relevant. The question here is if they are the most likely to be used by customers for this particular image? My first question is if “vet” or “veterinarian” is best. I think both should be added, but which should make the top 5? Personally, I would go with veterinarian since the word vet has multiple meanings. Your next keyword listed is “domestic cat”. Since you listed it as a compound keyword, a customer would need to search specifically for “domestic cat” for this to surface. I think it’s far more likely they will just search for “cat” here so I would not submit this as a compound keyword. You could add “domestic” lower on the list to reach those customers who are searching with that term.

Wayyyy back in the day, for years I aspired to be a veterinarian. I worked at a busy clinic for around 7 years as a vet tech wearing many hats. Every now and then I think back and wish I would have been into stock photography at that time. Having a working clinic, real equipment and pets to work with creates a level of realism that can’t be staged elsewhere. If you have access to this clinic, and the staff for formal shoots, I would start putting dates on the calendar right now! I believe you have a big opportunity to make good money on an extended series…customers checking into the lobby with their pet. Sitting and waiting in the lobby. Putting the dog on the scale, giving vaccinations, cleaning teeth, general exam photos (and video!!) listening to the heart beat, drawing blood, etc.

With this particular image, I would give it an A for believability, authenticity, subject and location. I would give it a B minus for execution. First of all, it does work for the challenge theme “rule of thirds”. I like the general composition with the negative space on the left. What I don’t love is the clutter on the right side of the image, it’s a distraction for me and doesn’t add value to the image. When Firefly is out of beta, it will take just about a second or two to get rid of it in post. For now, you would need to do it with a clone stamp tool or patch tool and it will probably be tricky and time consuming. Instead, when you are snapping the photo, move to the right and switch up the angle. If there was enough room, you could have pushed that out of the frame.

Another item of note is I would consider removing the stitching on the scrubs. The writing is in Spanish so you may be limiting your audience a bit with that. It’s a very quick and easy fix with a number of tools.

All in all, good job. Great scene, I really hope you can make a lot more stock content there!

Keywords listed: yoga , senior, woman, lake, nature, selfcare. Nice selection of keywords! You have both descriptive and conceptual. Some other relevant keywords could be the yoga posture they're holding, but also relaxation, meditation, well-being, exercise, fulfillment...

Nice image composition! It would have been great that the further woman was on a third too! But the main one, the one with the orange shirt, which is the one that pop ups more, is on the vertical third.

A great stock image that can be used by several different customers for retirement plans, banks, investment, health care, meditation and mindfulness, travel... We have repeated this a lot on our Challenges and livestreams, but it is essential to have a diverse casting, and this image, with younger models in their twenties, would tell a completely different story.

Keywords listed: man, backlight, silhouette, sunset, beach. Good keywords, all are very relevant for the top of your list. I would certainly call out the cowboy hat in the top ten too.

It’s a lovely image. Who doesn’t love a good cowboy silhouette during sunset right? The composition is quite nice. Clearly the rule of thirds played a role in the placement of the man and the sun. It’s aesthetically pleasing in every way. I don’t have much of a critique to offer here. Nice stock image.

For those reading and wondering if a model release would be required for an image like this, the answer is yes.

Keywords listed: red, bell peppers, fresh, organic, isolated. I am not sure about "red" as one of the top keywords. Maybe something like spicy, or even the pan, could work better. The rest are great! I would also add "peppers", "tasty", "vegan", "healthy"...

This is 100% Simi! Great still-life shot, with a perfectly well-executed composition and bold color contrast! The tactile feeling of every Simi image is present here too, with that harsh stone background and the glossy, plasticy sensation of the softness in the peppers... Maybe I'm missing a bit more texture on the darker areas, but that also helps it being used for copyspace!

Keywords listed: abstract, background, 3d, spiral, loop. Since this video is abstract, it is difficult to add many keywords that are not only descriptive. However, you used "background", as this is one of the uses this image can have. Wallpaper could be a good one, and you should try with "animated", since animated wallpaper or animated background could be good searches where this video should appear 😉

I like this video background! This kind of content was one of the subjects Tom Spota, and Jorge Rodriguez covered in our AMA about video that we hosted on Discord, since we see an increase in demand for these. Loopable videos like this one are great to be used as a background on an animation, an Instagram story or even a "loading" page for an app! It is also so mesmerizing that one cannot take the eye away from it!

Keywords listed: cocktail, bar, watermelon drink, drink, margarita. I don’t think “watermelon drink” is going to be a big search term for many customers. The watermelon is an almost irrelevant part of this image so I would not include it in the top 5. You don’t need it to be a compound keyword since you listed “drink” also in the top 5, this is redundant. If you were to zoom in close and the watermelon played a more prominent role, I would definitely include it, but for this shot it should be much lower in the list in my opinion. The bar and the drink are clearly the hero here and you emphasized that well with your keywords. Instead of “watermelon drink” I would include the keyword “martini” since the gass is prominent. There are loads of good, relevant keywords for a cocktail in a bar. It should not be too tricky to come up with a solid list of 30-40 good words.

The image itself is nice. As it so often does, when used properly, the rule of thirds provides optimal composition. This is aesthetically pleasing. The bar feels authentic and real. The light is a bit warm, but that kind of works with this show and provides a general sense of what the ambience is like. Plenty of good use cases for this image. Plus, it’s extra fun to do shots like this (no pun intended) because you get to enjoy the subject immediately after! OK, maybe the pun was intended.

Keywords listed: snowy white egret, fishes, lake, mirror, bird. It is great that you put the name of the bird as the first keyword. The scientific -latin- name should also be included on the top ten keywords, since they are used when the customer wants to be sure that the animal of the image is the specific one. I would have used "reflection" instead of "mirror", since "mirror" is more related to the object than the reflection.

I really loved this image! There is something unique in the way it conveys a sense of peace and calm, and then you realize it is actually an action scene where the egret just caught that small fish! But I think the contrast between the still water and the energy of the moment captured with a high shutter speed makes it something special.

Keywords listed: Moraine lake, landscape, travel, mountains, canoe. It’s a great idea to include the name of the lake in your keywords, very relevant. That said, if were me, I would use the word “lake” as a standalone for the first word and add “Moraine Lake” a bit later since it would be more of a niche search with far fewer results to compete with. That’s my only feedback there.

It’s an absolute stunner of a scene. I LOVE glacial lakes in general, so I’m going to be biased. They are so clean, so pure, and so beautiful you can’t help but want to be there, which is what travel photography is all about in the stock world, right? I appreciate the person on the dock providing a sense of scale. This “feels” so quiet and peaceful. I don’t have anything to critique on this photo. It’s a gorgeous location and a well-composed, beautifully executed image.

Keywords listed: crochet, yarn, amigurumi, hand, hobby. Clearly crochet should be your number one keyword and it is. I had never heard the word amigurumi until I saw it here. There are just over 11,000 images in Adobe Stock with the word so it’s not over-used. With the high placement in your list, if it’s a well-known term in demand, you may find some excellent placement in the search results here. The other keywords work. Maybe try “handmade” instead of “hand” as I think that might push the right customer your way.

It's a good image, little to critique. I can feel the texture of the doll with my eyes. The anonymity of the model works well here in my opinion. I like the natural light as it provides a strong sense that this is an authentic scene. It’s a well executed stock photo Liubov. Well done!

And, one, two, three... this image emerged as our favorite for the challenge!