Things are not going so good with my photography on stock photography sites...

yes the subject is a bit blurry... if you look closely (bee) you will see that not all parts of the subject is sharp, not vivid enough... if you try to print it, the photograph would look horrific... have you tried printing your digital photographs? i think that you should try to print this one and tell us if we are wrong... the problem about this stock photos is that they will have a 60% chance to be printed for commercial use and most of it are a whole spread (magazine page size) and if the photograph has (even) tiny blur then it is very noticeable... yes! the page would scream at you... i have seen such error in one of a travel magazine... the only available photograph was that picture (cellphone) it looks so ugly. i hope i help you somehow to clear things out for you... good day!

The problem with the photo is that the main subject (the bee and, to a certain extent, the Bleeding Heart flower) is not in focus. I know that the picture you have uploaded is on the small side but I cannot see the bee's wings. A good photo would have the bee and some parts of the flower very sharply in focus against an out of focus background. Here it seems that the top pair of flowers (immediately above the bee) are more in focus - in other words, the point of sharpest focus would appear to be half an inch or more beyond the main point of interest. Compare these two photos, for example, with your image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robroy/9902908/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/robroy/9902909/ Notice how the bee's wings are crisply in focus (you can see every detail) in both photos. The depth of field (distance from the nearest point to the furthest where all objects are in acceptable focus) here is very small - less than 1cm, I believe. Shooting close-up with a point-and-shoot camera, even if it has a macro setting, can be very tricky. The depth of field is controlled by the aperture (a larger aperture gives you a smaller depth of field than a smaller one) and, of course, correct exposure is given by a combination of aperture and shutter speed (the larger the aperture, the faster the shutter speed must be to give the same exposure). To achieve good macro pictures with a camera where the focus, aperture and shutter speed are chosen automatically by the camera, you need to know exactly which part of the frame the camera is using to adjust the focus and what areas of the frame it uses to decide the expossure. It is also best to shoot in the best light possible because this will usually mean that the aperture will be smaller and therefore the depth of field will be larger. You should also try to make sure that the background is some way behind the subject (so that it will not be too sharp and distract from the main interest of the subject). For the same reason, it is often better to have the background darker than the subject, though this is not always so easy to achieve.

I've never heard of stock photography sites before. I did not know you could earn from uploading photos. To your photo in question, the subject (bee) does appear blurred. Otherwise it would have been a really lovely photo. Best of luck with your future photo's. Practice makes perfect!

I think photography is just a rough business now that there are so many people who can sell photos. I considered doing stock photography sites, but after reading all the rules and requirements, I figured it wasn't worth it for me. I enjoy taking photos but didn't want to make it into WORK. Your photo looks good to me! Very talented to get that up-close and personal to a bee without scaring it away. Try another site :)

Owlwings is right, the problem with the picture is that it was blurred and you cannot see clearly the wings of the bee and it wasn't that defined. I understand, your camera is just 10MP and the way you need to consider the shutter speed, the aperture and the ISO settings for your cam is another option for you to practice. I really did try those stock photo sites but as long as I don't get myself a DSLR camera, I will never dare again to try my luck, besides I am not even a professional photographer, and beginners should be competing with those who are already professionals there. It will take time for me to buy a good camera but I will not stop to practice on photography, its a good hobby anyway and its a potential earner too as long as I improve my craft. You can just share those pictures you have on Redgage and other photo sharing sites that pays you for your activity.

Sorry to hear this! My son has the same issues with them.

I have submitted photos and had only a few accepted. What thes companies are looking for is crystal clear photos. Remember the people that are buying these usually want something that they can use in a peice of work that they are going to sell. Keep trying and good luck.

While the set up on the shot is a good one, I have to agree with the other responders here, the main subject which I assume is the bee is a bit on the blurry side, as is part of the flower. They would have accepted it more than likely if the subject had not been blurry as it is basically a good shot...if it were not for that. Keep practicing and trying. You will be able to get there with practice, plus when you submit to stock sites do not be surprised if more are denied than accepted. That goes with the territory, so do not get frustrated!

hi angelee its almost right but the bumble bee needs to be a bit clearer and the background just a tad muted not quite so blurred. \My son has sold some scenic photos of places here in orange country and several were specially done one as a negative effect and they did buy it. I think your buyer was a bit too picky as its not that bad a p hoto really.but my only objection was the bumble bee needed to be a bit more clear. really pretty shot.

This is nice