The question we get asked more than almost any other here at 500px is a deceptively simple one: “What kinds of photos sell?”

People want to take advantage of the 500px Marketplace to start making a bit of cash on the side, or maybe even a substantial revenue stream, but they don’t want to waste their time submitting work that just won’t sell; so they ask us great questions like “what do buyers actually want?” and “what kinds of photos sell?”

Simply Sellable is our attempt to answer this impossible question… weekly.

Since the answer to this question changes week in and week out as trends, seasonality, and other factors continue to shift, we are answering the question regularly. Every week in fact. Each week one of our expert Content Editors picks one of their favorite photos that has sold recently, and explains exactly WHY it sold—what makes that photo “simply sellable.”

Simply Sellable #9 features a touching portrait of a father and daughter sharing a sweet moment, broken down for you today by 500px Content Editor Janet Weldon.

Father and daughter laughing and bonding by Mark Carper on 500px.com

Simply Sellable #9: A Love Supreme

by Janet Weldon

We think of February as the month for celebrating romantic love, but this edition of Simply Sellable looks at the universal love between parent and child. How do you catch a single moment in time that captures togetherness, love, and joy? It’s not an easy task, but Mark Carper was able to do just that in his image Father and Daughter Laughing and Bonding.

It’s understandable why this slice of life speaks to buyers. Father and child share a similar expression with open, smiling mouths, and closed eyes that convey happiness, relaxation, trust, and tenderness. The daughter’s hands, affectionately placed on her father’s face, draws your eye to the father, while the movement of her hair draws your eye back to the daughter.

The wildness of unkempt hair with the bunching and messiness of the white sheets are in contrast to the smoothness of the daughter’s skin. A truly sweet moment captured in time.

And that, my friends, is why this photo is ‘simply sellable.’ A touching moment that captures so many of the emotions photo buyers are often trying to convey: happiness, relaxation, trust, togetherness, and, of course, love.

If you have any more questions for Janet about the photo above, don’t hesitate to drop them in the comments below. And don’t forget to check back in next week for the tenth installment in the series!