Selling photos on stock photo sites

[catchlights]

I won't go into specifics.

I just want to illustrate that subscribing to all sites is not a smart idea. You have to do your own research.

i wonder why you are so secretive.. but it's fine anyways.

it is not secretive, just simple common sense,
manage one site need some efforts, manage a few site take lots of efforts, if subscribing to all sites than where got time to shoot?

 

[Sion]

it is not secretive, just simple common sense,
manage one site need some efforts, manage a few site take lots of efforts, if subscribing to all sites than where got time to shoot?

The master has spoken.

There is an Australian girl who is a talented and prolific shooter I has come to know of. She shoots exclusively for only one site.

And she has made enough money from it to buy a house and send her husband to uni solely from its earnings.

So now I can expect someone to post a question like, "Which site is that?" :nono:

 

[catchlights]

The master has spoken.

There is an Australian girl who is a talented and prolific shooter I has come to know of. She shoots exclusively for only one site.

And she has made enough money from it to buy a house and send her husband to uni solely from its earnings.

So now I can expect someone to post a question like, "Which site is that?" :nono:

please don't call me master.........:sweat:


I think someone might ask: "where can I find such girl???" :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[JacePhoto]

please don't call me master.........:sweat:


I think someone might ask: "where can I find such girl???" :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

Haha... marry girl, solve all problems.

 

[Sion]

please don't call me master.........:sweat:

I think someone might ask: "where can I find such girl???" :bsmilie:

I think there may have some in CS too. :lovegrin: :bsmilie:

 

[sprintist]

I won't go into specifics.

I just want to illustrate that subscribing to all sites is not a smart idea. You have to do your own research.

haha fully understand of course

please don't call me master.........:sweat:


I think someone might ask: "where can I find such girl???" :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

LOL!! maybe a woman now

 

[btrenkel]

sxp is stockxpert maybe?

Good job on signing up, tester99. Good Luck and Happy Shooting!

amazes me that you guys skip istock, who has more than 50% marketshare.

Also a very 'Singaporean thing' - try all, and hope you hit something with your bullets (sorry, couldn't resist ;-)).

Alternative - focus your energy on what you shoot; and upload your best. Figure out what sells - and don't waste your energy on uploading (that's the most boring part of all - happy to outsource it, if someone wants to do it for me). Gives me more time for taking pictures

At least it works well for me ;-)

 

[btrenkel]

The master has spoken.

There is an Australian girl who is a talented and prolific shooter I has come to know of. She shoots exclusively for only one site.

And she has made enough money from it to buy a house and send her husband to uni solely from its earnings.

So now I can expect someone to post a question like, "Which site is that?" :nono:

There is more than one. The Australian is here. And the Canadian (actually French Canadian, very French) is here. I've met Lise twice - she is fun, and damn good in what she does with her camera. Learned a lot, by just watching her shoot.

 

[Darcy.Zhou]

amazes me that you guys skip istock, who has more than 50% marketshare.

Also a very 'Singaporean thing' - try all, and hope you hit something with your bullets (sorry, couldn't resist ;-)).

Alternative - focus your energy on what you shoot; and upload your best. Figure out what sells - and don't waste your energy on uploading (that's the most boring part of all - happy to outsource it, if someone wants to do it for me). Gives me more time for taking pictures

At least it works well for me ;-)

It is not easy to get into istock since they changed their search algorithm... and the upload limit, the review time, as well as the rejection rate..... might be a bit terrible for a newbie

 

[barracuda]

It is not easy to get into istock since they changed their search algorithm... and the upload limit, the review time, as well as the rejection rate..... might be a bit terrible for a newbie

Mmmh, I guess it depends on how you view it. It is harder to get into iStock, but once you are in, you have a better chance of generating steady income from even a small portfolio, without constant uploading of new pics.

If you go through iStock's tutorial carefully and follow their teachings strictly, together with a bit of luck, it is not that hard to get accepted. Two of my friends were accepted at their very first attempt.

 

[Sion]

It is not easy to get into istock since they changed their search algorithm... and the upload limit, the review time, as well as the rejection rate..... might be a bit terrible for a newbie

This is the reason why you have to look for what works for you.

If you are a big fish in the other 50% of the market outside istock it is still a sizeable income.

All in all the game is getting a lot tougher these days with increasing competition.

 

[marios_pittas]

There is more than one. The Australian is here. And the Canadian (actually French Canadian, very French) is here. I've met Lise twice - she is fun, and damn good in what she does with her camera. Learned a lot, by just watching her shoot.

Followed your link.. came across one of the "hot photos" from her portfolio, deep roses with 2,225 downloads, you would imagine many would have bothered about the uneven lighting.. seems the best bet is to go and try, shoot and upload, ask and learn..

Not interested in this line of work, but find the discussion about how this markets operate interesting!

-- Marios

 

[btrenkel]

It is not easy to get into istock since they changed their search algorithm... and the upload limit, the review time, as well as the rejection rate..... might be a bit terrible for a newbie

the inspection is the same for everyone. No difference - newbie or experienced. Maybe join a workshop I'm planning for May on stock, workflow and inspection. I'm running now at 90%+ acceptance on istock. And I know which ones are the critical 10%, so it is a bit of luck, who do you get. The inspectors are humans too.

Yes, the limit is initially a hurdle, but be patient, work hard, and you can become exclusive in a few months, and they will raise your limit. I can't fill mine any more.

BTW, they didn't change their search algorithm, but what is called 'best match'...

Review time is no big deal; try video and you wait 4+ weeks, or upload to Getty, and you wait 6+ weeks

Isn't this a nice challenge?

 

[btrenkel]

This is the reason why you have to look for what works for you.

If you are a big fish in the other 50% of the market outside istock it is still a sizeable income.

All in all the game is getting a lot tougher these days with increasing competition.

Agree, the pie hasn't grown as much, as the players fighting for it. So it has clearly become tougher to make money...

But hey, if you are good, you succeed.

 

[Sion]

Not interested in this line of work, but find the discussion about how this markets operate interesting!

You have to be willing to shoot boring stuffs and a lot of them.

 

[marios_pittas]

You have to be willing to shoot boring stuffs and a lot of them.

And I am not there goes a business opportunity begging..

...but I wonder how many other professions will follow in the same way as micro-stock photo libraries in the future.. ebay is an interesting change (the new sell and buy your ware).. paypal (the world's bank for transactions kind of thing??).. the world is changing fast, quick take a snap to remember it!!!

-- Marios

 

[aosis]

I have earned close to USD200 with just about 50 photos in Shutterstock. Mostly landscapes. However, my recent upload of 40 landscape (sunset) photos got rejected with the reason 'limited commercial value'. As mentioned here, have to know what they want and what to upload. You have to be willing to shoot boring stuffs and a lot of them.

Hah ... which stock agency likes landscapes ?

 

[Sion]

And I am not there goes a business opportunity begging..

...but I wonder how many other professions will follow in the same way as micro-stock photo libraries in the future.. ebay is an interesting change (the new sell and buy your ware).. paypal (the world's bank for transactions kind of thing??).. the world is changing fast, quick take a snap to remember it!!!

-- Marios

I guess it makes commercial photography less elitist and it opens up opportunities for amateurs like many of us here with simple entry-level dslr.

 

[sprintist]

the inspection is the same for everyone. No difference - newbie or experienced. Maybe join a workshop I'm planning for May on stock, workflow and inspection. I'm running now at 90%+ acceptance on istock. And I know which ones are the critical 10%, so it is a bit of luck, who do you get. The inspectors are humans too.

Yes, the limit is initially a hurdle, but be patient, work hard, and you can become exclusive in a few months, and they will raise your limit. I can't fill mine any more.

BTW, they didn't change their search algorithm, but what is called 'best match'...

Review time is no big deal; try video and you wait 4+ weeks, or upload to Getty, and you wait 6+ weeks

Isn't this a nice challenge?

will you be announcing the workshop anywhere on CS? i'm keen, my istock though has a good selling photo my acceptance ratio is terrible due to a bad start when i just started off, its quite a reversible change right now though.

 

[btrenkel]

I have earned close to USD200 with just about 50 photos in Shutterstock. Mostly landscapes. However, my recent upload of 40 landscape (sunset) photos got rejected with the reason 'limited commercial value'. As mentioned here, have to know what they want and what to upload. You have to be willing to shoot boring stuffs and a lot of them.

Hah ... which stock agency likes landscapes ?

I disagree - the bar has moved up. Good landscape sells.