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Learn Digital Photography .. Can You Make Money From Your Photography (microstock)?
We only earned $16 in our first month, but with persistence and lots of research we raised this to $270 in six months. As it was a part time hobby we didn't expect it to earn so much so quickly, but this early success convinced us of the potential and we quickly invested in a digital SLR. Over two years later we're now earning around $600 each month with a modest portfolio of around 700 photos listed with eight agencies. We're still hobbyist photographers creating stock photos in our spare time. You may be wondering, "Who sells photos in the microstock market?" Through the internet I've connected with hundreds of other microstock contributors. You would be surprised at the amazing variety of people who contribute to this market and each has a similarly impressive variety of reasons. There are many retired couples who simply want to see their work published; there are also people who earn tens of thousands of dollars each month. There are a huge variety of people in the middle for microstock is their job or who, like me, have microstock as part of their monthly income. Yet one of the largest groups are photography students - both students who have formally chosen photography as their career and hobbyists who study for fun. Why is microstock so good for students? There are three reasons microstock is so great for students: freedom; money; and education. To participate with Microstock is free and there are no set working hours, no bosses to order you around and no due dates. Microstock actually pays you money for your photographs, which is really great since photography is not a cheap hobby. Most importantly, if you're interested in learning about the commercial side of photography Microstock is a great learning tool. Who could be a better instructor than a global market of photo buyers? Yes, Microstock is a controversial endeavor. You may have heard it is 'bad' for the industry. The microstock concept is relatively new as it only works with the Internet and high quality digital cameras. Because of that there are many professional stock photographers with strong feelings about the impact microstock is having on the industry. Many of the world's most successful stock photographers that I have spoken with have said they're not noticing any impacts on their business from microstock. These professionals know that their photos compete on quality and not price (microstock photos sell cheaper but in higher quantity) and they also know that there will always be buyers interested in the top level of the market, regardless of the price. It's also makes sense to assume that the hundreds of photographers who now earn a living with microstock have displaced some 'traditional' stock photographers. This is a natural phenomenon and happens with any technological change as big as the Internet and digital photography and it's completely understandable that those on the receiving end are not happy about it. The nice thing is that Microstock has now brought new buyers to the market. Small businesses, charities and bloggers weren't big buyers of stock photos when each photograph cost $350 or more. Now that blog size images are $1 and print size images are $10, you can imagine how sales have increased. So how much can I earn in microstock? That depends on both the quality and quantity of photos you can produce. Full time microstock contributors with a portfolio of 7,000 high quality images earn over $20,000 per MONTH! At the other end of the scale some contributors with only a handful of images earn just a few dollars. Like me, you'll most likely find yourself between these two extremes. I earn a little under $1 per photo per month. On my blog I publish my monthly earnings figures and links to my portfolios (About page). With this information you can easily compare your portfolio or photography skills to determine more or less how much you could expect to earn with your photos in the microstock market. Is microstock easy? Not at the start. Some agencies require a test submission which is more strict than their usual review process. Microstock agencies also review submissions based on what sells, which is images that are super sharp, noiseless and commercially appealing. As a result a lot of established and highly skilled photographers experience early rejections and are quick to dismiss the microstock opportunity. By starting with the middle tier agencies that don't require you to pass a test, you can quickly get an idea of what type of photos are accepted and which ones sell well. After that, it's relatively easy to start earning money. Here's two of my best selling photos. Each is a simple shot taken with the intention of selling for stock, but with no more preparation that being in the the necessary place with my camera. Both these photos earn over $30 per month though their success varies between agencies. It's also not easy to create above-average success. The average per-photo earnings of many of the top microstock contributors can be up to ten times what I currently make, so you can imagine the difference in the quality and appeal of the photos they produce. They also need to repeat this success many times to create a portfolio large enough to raise their earnings above average. How can I improve my chances of success? These are my top tips for people getting started selling their photos in the microstock market: Managing your expectations can often sound easier than it actually is. A typical sales pitch might read, "click here to start earning money from the photos sitting idle on your computer". That's not exactly realistic and you'll soon quit if you begin with this expectation in mind. Do your own research to figure out what sells, create these photos well, and be smart about how you contribute. Concentrate on workflow. If you plan to contribute lots of photos it makes sense to have an efficient workflow so you don't waste time doing unnecessary repetitive tasks. Do your research and refine your workflow so you can get a quality product into the market as efficiently as possible. Microstock is business. If you're an artist more than a commercial photographer you may want to seriously consider if you and microstock are a good match. Artistic photos will sell in the microstock market, but not nearly as well as commercial photos. Research. I've already given you a few things to research but don't stop with those. Get all your questions answered before you get started so you save time and don't accidentally do anything that doesn't work to your advantage. My blog is written for people selling photos in the microstock market, so I invite you to continue your research with me at Microstock Diaries. If you have any other questions or would like more details, you're also welcome to ask me questions directly via my Contact page. 6 Microstock Sites Where You can Make Money from Your Photos Here are a number of Microstock programs that offer photographers money for their images: Shutterastock, Dreamstime, Crestock, fotolia, 123rf, Stockxpert. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Looking into digital photography, ever want to start Learning Digital Photography? Get Great Tips on how to take Digital Photographs with This Free Report |
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