It’s nearly July, which means for much of the world, summer is in full swing. This month’s guide to what you should be creating for your Pond5 portfolio focuses on getting outside — and up in the air. Pay attention to trending events and upcoming holidays, and don’t forget, if you’re shooting video or photos, you might want to have someone shooting you too!
Video: Drone On
Well-shot aerial clips can be dynamic, vibrant, and cinematic. They have high sales potential and are trending currently. If you’re out shooting with a drone, however, please try to ensure that you maintain clean camera movements — if the controls cause jerky movement, simply adhere to the natural altitude or direction adjustment of the drone to provide the appearance of camera movement, as this tends to be much smoother than the controls that adjust the camera in its cradle.
It can be tempting to shoot all that you can when you get the opportunity to create content with a drone, but remember to look out for any regulations or laws concerning where you are filming, and please don’t film near airports or government buildings.
Finally, it doesn’t hurt to follow examples of what other contributors have shot, but also keep in mind that if you’re filming a subject that already has hundreds or thousands of search results, it will be a very competitive market space. Do your research and see what you can add that is unique, or find that element that allows your content to stand out. Play with the composition, the lighting, and the implied mood and tone, and ask yourself what you can add that lends your personal style to your content.
Aerial Shot in the Alps by PilgerFilm
Plane windows offer easy chances to get access to an aerial view, however these submissions frequently appear very similar in nature. If the view shows something truly unique, then we will be more inclined to accept it, but if it simply shows a blue sky and/or the wing of the plane, it will likely be rejected. We already have several thousand shots looking out of plane windows, so they have to be very special to be approved if they adhere to that style.
View from Window on Wing of Plane Over Mountain Landscape by Paha_L
Music: Tunes by Country
If you’re recording new music, try your hand at traditional Irish sing-alongs. The Euro Cup, Copa America, and Olympics are all being buzzed about, so music by country is going to be continually in demand throughout the summer.
As much as we love the sound of it, ukulele is something we’ve already got a lot of and don’t need any more right now. Sorry for that!
Happy Ukulele by sweetwaveaudio
After Effects: Mind the Gaps
People around the world are celebrating Ramadan, and Independence Day is coming up in the US. Currently, we only have four Ramadan-related and thirteen 4th of July templates in our database. Now is a great time to upload templates for these events, and they’ll come in handy even more next year — and all the years after that.
Independence Day Logo Sting by PurpleElkStudios
3D logos have been around for a while now and we already have thousands of them. Since the competition is very tough in this category, why not try creating something else? Of course, if you add an unexpected twist to a 3D logo (like the one below), we’ll still be happy to have your creation.
3D Shiny Old Metallic Logo by Afreelancer
Photos: Shoot Behind the Scenes
We’re looking for a variety of high-quality, model-released, and authentic photos depicting filmmaking and shooting video, be it using traditional cameras, DSLRs, or action cameras. Believe it or not, we have many more photos of drones and vintage cameras than of filmmakers with the kinds of cameras many of our contributors use every day.
We understand that you want to create as many images as possible with minimum effort; however, be careful with too many similar images that differ only in details, such as text. Our buyers prefer originality and a clear concept that is directly connected with the theme, as opposed to a neutral visual with a plethora of unrelated text. Too many similar items might even flood search results and your portfolio with too much similar stuff. Also, please do not use the words “Sample text” or “Your text here” if you’re not uploading a vector or a .psd file.
Try to avoid uploading too many similar versions of one concept.
Illustrations: Watercolor and 3D
You’ve probably already noticed that watercolors and other traditional media are very much on trend right now — whether you’re traditionally art-school trained or just having fun with brushes, our tip is to look into digitalizing the outcome and putting it into your Pond5 portfolio.
Summer Vintage Watercolor Sea Life Greeting Card With Seaweed Starfish Coral by Depiano
If you’re a 3D model creative, you’re going to get hit by huge competition from thousands of similar files in our illustration collection. 3D artwork has its base of buyers, but can look a bit drab and lacking in creativity compared to vector and traditional items. Keep this in mind when modeling and consider uploading to our 3D-model collection, too!
Grey Branding Mockup, Template Set on Yellow Background by Evitte83
Header image: Hovering Drone by agnormark