When it comes to selling photos, candid shots are always more successful than posed ones. People want to see something that looks real and honest. Taking a look at the top contributors on Shutterstock reveals an interesting pattern. With a few exceptions, the majority of the most successful collaborators are selling generic images of people or events, or vector artworks.
Artists such as antishock, Rvector, Aha-Soft and Toluk are among the top 10 Shutterstock contributors and specialize in custom vector illustrations. Each artist has their own unique style, but their work can be broadly divided into two main categories. The most popular searches usually involve nature, animals, Christmas or cars. There are some exceptions such as great backgrounds, but these searches will always be in demand.
Photos of specific seasons at the right time (for example, summer photos during spring and summer) sell well, but pictures of nature and seasons in general are very popular all year round. Other popular photo categories include animals, celebrities and vector art. For vector illustrations, customers often require original vector files so they can customize it to fit their needs. If you're just starting out with vector illustrations, don't forget to check out our guide to working with vector graphics in Photoshop.
