If you want your photos to be searchable, you need to keyword or tag your photos. Think about what words someone might use to find your photo. Consider these options when keywording;
- List everything you see in your photo. If you see grass, list it.
- Be specific. List proper names of places that are in your photo, like Eiffel Tower.
- Consider what is happening in the photo. What are people doing?
- List the places that may be recognized in the photo. Where was it taken?
- List categories in keywording. Travel might be good for a beach scene.
Most sites allow you to go back and add tags later but I find that tagging them with every keyword you can when you list it helps get it to the top quicker.
Here are some words you may see in your photo and other words that could compliment them…
- Grass: grass, green, environment, environmental, blades, photosynthesis, nature, carpet, earthy, plant, seasonal, Kentucky bluegrass.
- Horse: horse, livestock, farm, riding, rider, animal, mammal, friend, legs, mane, tail, bridle, saddle, hooves, hoof, horseshoe, beautiful, equestrian.
- Shoes: shoes, sandals, high heels, running, jogging, walking, soles, shoestrings, feet, sports, jumping, athletic, warmth, comfort, worn, new, old.
- Beach: beach, sand, white, black, ocean, lake, pond, water, waves, sun, sunbathing, tanning, vacation, travel, stormy, footprints, sand castles, lifeguard, sharks, beautiful, beauty, sunset, sunrise, horizon, Jamaica, Barbados, Florida, Daytona Beach, warmth.
Also remember that some of these words may not be pertinent to the photograph so don’t use those words.
Many of the stock photo sites have keywording assistance. Check out their site and find what works for you before uploading all your photos. Keyword your photos in photoshop or some other program so that you don’t have to keyword each time you upload them. Most sites will auto populate the keywords you have put with the picture.
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