By Ben Kessler of the Graphics.com Network

Dateline: September 8, 2008
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The work of Barbara Helgason—or Hannamaria, as she's known on Stockxpert—proves that you can create a success in microstock out of near-to-hand stuff. Her vibrant, eye-friendly imagery depicts things we all live with—simple but inviting meals, domestic items, household pets—and makes them "pop" in a way that entices buyers. Working with and within familiar locales such as supermarkets, airport terminals, and even idyllic beaches, she makes minimal choices that perfectly convey a sense of the whole environment. The images in Barbara's portfolio have a warmth and a transparency upon which buyers would be foolish not to capitalize.

This exceptional Stockxpert contributor generously answered my emailed questions about inspiration, comfort food, and how to get a puppy to strike the just-right Christmas pose.

Ben Kessler: Who are you outside of Stockxpert?

Hannamaria: Barbara Helgason; age 43; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Do you have any formal training in photography? If so, where did you train? If not, how did you hone your craft?

Although I haven't had any formal training, I believe that I developed an eye for photography at a very young age by admiring and studying the work of others. My favourite images have always been photos that tell a story. As the old saying goes, "A picture tells a thousand words." Those were the kind of images that I was aiming for prior to microstock and before I had ever heard of the word "noise" in relation to photography! Everything I've learned has been through trial and error, as well as lots and lots of reading: books in my earlier years, and more recently online.

What technological tools do you use to create your images?

My current camera is a Canon 40D. I use several Canon lenses, yet my favourite has always been the ultra-sharp Canon 50mm f1.8. My lighting equipment consists of a Canon speedlite and an AlienBees flash kit. I also couldn`t manage without Photoshop.

How long does it take you to come up with a microstock image, from conception through to completion?

I would say that it takes me anywhere from one hour to four hours to create a microstock image. Food images are the most time-consuming. I always have an idea of what I want the image to look like before I start. Preparing the food can take an hour or more, then I shoot it under different lighting conditions, check it at 100%, make necessary changes, and shoot again. Final touches are done in Photoshop, and the whole process can take up to four hours, start to finish, for a series of good food images.

What led you to join Stockxpert and the microstock industry?

I had been actively reading the online forums of several major photography sites and came across several threads discussing the pros and cons of microstock. I'm never one jump into anything uninformed, so it took about a year before I finally felt that I was ready. I wish now that I had gotten involved much earlier, but that's always easy to say in hindsight.

What do you think is the one crucial element a successful microstock image must have?

It's hard to put it into words, but it's got to have that "wow" factor. I know it when I see it and I would love to see it more often. A successful food shot should make your mouth water.

"Sandwich" shows an especially appetizing piece of comfort food. It's one of several good-enough-to-eat pics in your portfolio. What's the secret to making food images look inviting?

Lighting is always number one. And great attention has to be paid to detail. It can take a lot of time to get food to look that good. The lettuce has to be perfect, the ham has to lie just right, the grains on the bread should be evenly spaced, the tomato slices have to be just the right size. I often use glycerine to keep things looking moist, and plenty of toothpicks to keep it all in place while I move things around and play with them. Nothing is ever edible by the time I'm finished with it.

Your camera subjects appear comfortable with the camera, even poised, yet are always believable as "ordinary people." How do you select your models?

All my models are family and friends. Before we start I have usually decided on a location, and have some poses and outfits planned. But I think the secret to get great shots of people is simply to have fun. When we're having fun, we're all relaxed and it shows. It's really that simple.

What is your ratio of images captured to images uploaded, on average?

Hmm, not sure if I want to answer that. Let's just say it's pretty high. I'm very grateful for digital!

Your Stockxpert portfolio proves that there's nothing cuter than a puppy in a Christmas box. How was this particular image created?

Shooting our new puppy was quite a challenge. Like most puppies, she wasn't one to sit still for very long. Getting her to stay inside of the little box was one thing (it required my daughters' help and an enormous amount of patience). Having her wear the little Santa hat proved to be impossible, and in the end I photographed the hat on a teddy bear with the same color fur, and Photoshopped it in. It was incredibly time consuming, but definitely worth it.

When you make an illustration such as "Sunset," do you use hand sketches to plan the digital drawing, or do you start on the computer?

I've never done sketches. I usually just have an idea in my head, and I love to play around in Photoshop and just see what happens. Occasionally I surprise myself with what I come up with.

"Palm trees" was shot on Saona Island, Dominican Republic. What are the drawbacks and difficulties of shooting in actual outdoor locations? How do you counter these?

The major drawback of shooting in actual outdoor locations is having to carry all of the equipment around, especially in hot climates and near sand and water. I can never quite relax when I have my camera with me, so my husband and I usually spend the first few days of our vacation relaxing and scouting locations, checking out the lighting, sunrise and sunset times, etc., while my equipment stays locked away in the room safe. We usually dedicate one or two days to shooting. He carries all the equipment including the tripod, which goes everywhere. I couldn't do it without him. These days I always travel with an entire carry-on filled with camera gear. It's a bit of a hassle, but you never know what you are going to need. The challenge with my image titled "Palm trees" and other outdoor photographs, is that there are often people in the way. Finding a truly deserted beach can be difficult and costly. There were some people in the water in this particular image. Fortunately for me, water is easy to clone, and I had a deserted beach in no time.

Your photo "Airport blur" poses an interesting question: Do you normally avoid putting as much detail into your work as appears here? Many microstock providers believe that a detailed picture doesn't replicate well at smaller sizes.

For microstock I prefer simple and clean images with vibrant colors, but this scene simply wouldn't have worked any other way. The motion of the busy, colourful crowd is what makes the picture. A simple flight delay gave me a chance to explore the busy terminal and come up with this particular image.

From where do you draw inspiration?

Occasionally an idea just comes to me, but I draw most of my inspiration from all of the images in the world around me. I`m now so much more keenly aware of how we are surrounded by photographs and how they can have such an incredible powerful influence on us.

Can you give us a preview of your upcoming uploads?

Our next trip will be to Japan. I hope to get some Tokyo cityscapes and night scenes, etc…. and I'm still sorting through and processing pictures from our recent trip to stunningly beautiful Iceland. Besides that, I have plans to shoot some winter comfort foods as soon as I can find the time.