Saturday, March 16, 2013

Picking Just the Right Picture

As an author, I spend some time on Istockphotos or Big Stock Photos looking for those perfect pictures for book videos or perhaps cover art or sometimes solely for inspiration.  Along with the perfect, I do have more fun setting up search words and waiting to see what the results will be.  As an example, I often wonder why if I search for a handsome male, I'll get a picture of a 2 year old little girl.  What in all the mysteries of eternity would connect my search with a 2 year old girl?  There is also the return of a male who is so far from what I envisioned, I have to laugh.  This morning, in preparation for a book video, I set up the search "warrior woman bow arrow."  I hate to tell you what I got back.  There were possibly 3 matches out of a large number of pages.  Obviously, some of the models/poses are so contrived as to be ridiculous. A warrior woman with perfectly applied eye makeup, every hair in place and posing with her posterior poked out is not my idea of a warrior woman - okay, I'll give her the fact that she did have a bow and arrow in hand, about the size Cupid would cart around, and she was wearing fur......


I do have to say, there are those moments when the perfect picture just jumps from the page.  And then the fun begins. I found this one when I was looking for an alien woman who was a captive in The Chalice, and this one when I needed weird people on an alien planet.

The pictures are out there, just take a lot of time and patience to find a good one.  And then the search for music......
Patsy

5 comments:

Kayelle Allen said...

I'm with you 100% on that! Very few photographers take decent pictures of women in serious poses. If you wanted a picture of a man with a gun you could find some that look like he knows which end of the gun did what. But a woman? *sigh* It takes a lot of time to find. Once you get a photographer and a model who have a clue, it's great. But finding them is W-O-R-K.

P.L. Parker said...

Yes, it is hard to find the right woman. If I wanted a beautiful model, that would be a different thing, but strong women - that's another thing. Thanks Kayelle

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Beth Trissel said...

I spend ages seeking the right pics too!

Beth Trissel said...

I spend ages seeking the right pics too!