My understanding of the editorial publishing industry is that they look for kitsch or candid sort of photos, especially regarding travel and foreign destinations, sort of like if you search for "old man sitting" in PhotoShelter.

 

However, what sort of photos do you often find yourself looking for and using? And, to sort of help me out, if you did need images from Japan, what sort might you need? What subjects?

However, what sort of photos do you often find yourself looking for and using? And, to sort of help me out, if you did need images from Japan, what sort might you need? What subjects?

 

I don't have any need for photographs of Japan myself, so can't advise directly. However if you're looking at providing editorial stock, it might be worth looking at commerce, finance, industry, shipping, consumerism, economics, etc.

 

I figure the current recessions are generating huge amounts of coverage, and will do so well into any recovery. Every country has its business, investment, trade and financial publications, websites, economic commentator's blogs, etc., and a lot of articles will be written about other countries economies, with Japan obviously being a major one of them. Gloomy businessman stock for now, happy shopper stock for when things start to improve!

 

Just a thought - 'The Freelance Photographers Market Handbook' will have hundreds of UK contacts, might be worth a few enquiries to publishers to see if they're looking for anything.

 

It's only a bit of a hunch, but if you give it a go, I'd be intrigued to hear how you get on.

Thanks for the ideas. What I've got selling at the moment is about the same as three years ago, except less on the environmental and pollution side (curiously). So, I thought I might scout-out some trends.