Hi all, another quick post on what I’ve been up to during these strange and unpredictable times.

As I’m seeing my work at the micros heading down a slippery slope of devaluation, I’ve been investing in greener pastures by going all in on book covers at Arcangel and hopefully eventually Trevillion.

As I’m not doing as much traveling as I would like due to both Covid regulations and my current soul-destroying day-job, the next best thing has been to head over to local flea-markets and purchase some old props to create concepts. I’ve duly uploaded them and excited to see which will be accepted and hopefully eventually picked up on print!

Brainstorming what I needed

The first flea-market I visited was in Madrid, notably the famous Sunday market known as “El Rastro” in the Lavapies district. If you do head over to visit Madrid, I highly recommend checking it out!

I had some ideas in mind was looking for:

• Old photographs
• Old keys
• An old medal
• A small carpet to place items
• An old book
• An old telephone
• An old typewriter
• Old coins no longer in circulation from various countries

Didn’t want to spend over 100 euros either as I’m never 100% certain I’ll be able to recoup even this small investment!

What I eventually picked up

Taking a leaf out of Trevillion

Some research for concepts helps on what’s already out there…

Concepts created from the above set

Saw some old phones and typewriters but they were just too expensive…for another time 😉 I incorporated a quartz crystal as I already had at home.

Nevertheless, managed to create the following concepts using my trusty 105mm macro lens and 100% natural light:

Finally a fantastic fone!

They were basically trying to rip me off at El Rastro with crazy prices for old phones. So, took advantage of a weekend in sunny Portugal to head to a local flea market where I picked up an old phone for just 20 euros! As well as an old iron frame where I’ll place some of the photos and another old key.

As for the phone, on the way back home I stopped by the beach and thought, why not have some shots of the phone next to the water and on the sand. A publisher / author might see some sort of connection, who knows!

Seeking inspiration at Trevillion

Which ones have been accepted at Arcangel?

Still pending for most! For full results tune back in at the end of the month for my July Brutally Honest Earnings report!

About Alex

I’m an eccentric guy, currently based in Madrid, Spain, on a quest to visit all corners of the world and capture stock images & footage, when things go back to normal (Late-2021??). I’ve devoted eight years to making it as a travel photographer / videographer and freelance writer (however, had recently go back into full-time office work to make ends meet). I hope to inspire others by showing an unique insight into a fascinating business model.

I’m proud to have written a book about my adventures which includes tips on making it as a stock travel photographer – Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock Photography