Stock Photography Cash! Let Experts Market and Sell Your Photos Online!

ABC News recently featured istockphoto as a good way to earn yourself some extra money, - or even a six figure income.

They go on to show us how a (rather unremarkable) photo of a senior couple has made $10,000 for the photographer.

You will notice that it has been downloaded (at time of writing) about 3330 times, which suggests (average) of;

*Almost $3.00 per download.

*And about $3,000 a year income from one photo.

To view both of these simply
Copy/paste in browser to view

ABC link, includes video of report:
Make Money in May: Selling Stock Photos...

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/MakeMoney/story?id=7667769&page=1

istockphoto link: actual results page...

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-1587118-my-parents-happy-senior-couple.php

Imagine you are a publisher, or running a website or blog and doing a feature on healthy cooking or canal boats.. You obviously need images (Right now) to furnish your articles with interesting and apt photographs. Answer, Subscribe to Microstock galleries. A few clicks and done.

There are many different potential markets and uses for these pictures, including magazine and booklets, or brochure publishers, etc. Also, might be used for business card design, leaflets, and a thousand other possible commercial uses, online or offline.

The internet is used by many millions of such businesses and websites every day.

Microstock: How to make $300pw with your digital camera

First of all, "stock photography" - in a nutshell, - is about supplying publishers, websites and other businesses with the images they constantly require.

Stock photo's are essentially "photo illustrations" employed to illustrate a point, or a concept, or a place or a particular thing. (From a plate of chinese food to a jumbo jet or a child playing baseball)

In years gone by freelance photographers would offer their pictures speculatively to Photo Agencies and Magazines etc, (Many still do) in hope of making a lucrative sale. But without a solid reputation in the industry chances of success would be pretty limited, especially for the amateur or aspiring freelance.

In those days Stock Agencies existed to supply demand, but would have been working with filing cabinets full of 35mm slides! And largely reliant on the postal system to distribute images to customers.

If wanted, buyers would normally pay quite well, but would only typically buy and use once. (Usually with limited royalty agreement attached.) This also involved keeping a large collecton of your slides (the preferred medium pre digital) and posting them to potential buyers. A rather labour intensive situation, requiring a lot of time and effort, not to mention admin.

Microstock Companies on the other hand, specialise in selling "Royalty Free" (RF) images, where the buyer has much less limitations, and can use the images downloaded in almost unrestricted fashion, and for many different projects. (Subject to various Terms and Conditions.)

As to content, microstock images are usually "generic" and therefor very saleable as ideal discriptive images that can demonstrate or illustrate related text or articles, for instance.

Earnings: Each sale made is at an almost alarmingly low price, depending on the quality (file size) chosen by the purchaser for download. Typically perhaps a couple of dollars or so for the smaller size files. You may get just 50% (or less) of this money. Higher definition pictures command more, and so you earn more on a sliding scale. Note: All Microstock site payment scales have significant differences. The point is, it aint much per picture sold.

However,

The big advantage to you, the photographer, is the possibiity that instead of making the occasional one-off sale, your image may be sold dozens or even hundreds of times. (And all with zero further work on your part.) Suddenly the figures start to get exciting!

Ditto the dozens of other images you submit.

Note: I am not describing a 'Get Rich Quick' scheme here. You will need enthusiasm for photography and some creative thinking and planning to ensure you begin earning a worthwhile income. And obviously it's ultimately your talant with a camera and your ideas that will determine your monthly earnings.

Microstock: How to make $300pw with your digital camera

Could you have taken a photo like this? --->>

Your stock photos don't need to be sensational to sell, just very useable.

What about this? ------>>

Stock pictures related to popular sports and pastimes obviously have excellent earning potential.

My aim in this lens is not to mislead, or suggest this is a fast track to getting rich beyond your wildest dreams.

This lens is meant to inform people as to a good way to make some useful extra money, or lucrative sideline, or hobby that turns a good profit. And obviously some may eventually make this a lucrative full time income.

Examples abound where some people are making amazing money from this, but this is far from the "norm" in most cases. Some will inevitably hit the jackpot, and rake in great returns.

So how much microstock money can you earn with your digital camera?

I recently checked one microstock site for a particular type of transport images, and found that several had sold hundreds of times. The TOP seller almost 1000 downloads!

The exact same image may be selling on other microstock sites too!

(This is by no means one of the best sellers on the site, just in its catagory under the specific term looked for.)

Do the math:
Its quite likely that this image will easily pass the 1000 downloads post soon, and probably has likely earned around $1,000 or more in its lifetime so far.

Just one image!

However, (feet firmly on the ground), it will depend on your commitment, drive and determination, aswell as your ability and flair for photography. Nevertheless, it's easy to see how income can multiply if you submit plenty of highly saleble photos.

Yes it would be great to earn big from your hobby, but on the other hand it's also fun to see your images online and selling, and also using your wits and skill to devise saleable photos for this market.

Apart from the need for a decent digital camera, (which many may already own)there is no capital needed to get started in this business.

Study the subject, learn all you can about the subject of stock photography and what's wanted and in demand, and you should be able to eventually build a signifacant income, that continues to grow into the future.

Microstock Photography:
How to Make Money from Your Digital Images
By Dauglas Freer.

I was delighted when I received this book from Amazon. This NEW book is excellent, and very comprehensive, covering all the main questions most will want answered about producing and selling microstock.

Covers all main topics, including equipment. Another chapter provides 20 tips and tricks to win with microstocks. Also includes a number of case studies, which even includes graphs relating to yearly income of several Microstock contributors. Highly recommended. Fully illustrated in colour.

Note: I have found that a good many books on the subject of selling photographs are somewhat out of date, and still largely about selling 35mm film based images. Useful, but far from ideal for todays market. But I'm sure this will soon change.

Personal recommendation: "Microstock Photography" (below) is the most up to date and comprehensive guide to this subject I have found.

www.istockphoto.com
www.shutterstock.com
www.dreamstime.com
www.fotolia.com
www.stockxpert.com
www.bigstockphoto.com

Is this the most exciting, fun way to make extra income??? - Doing something you love doing.)

Whether you want to become a pro, or just earn a part-time residual income from your camera, you need a business strategy that grabs it by the throat and gets your business off the ground quickly.

Digital Camera Cash
Digital Camera Cash is a very affordable (illustrated) ebook that I found very enlightening. It reveals how people are making hundreds of dollars per month from a single photo, and how you can earn thousands per month with the right business approach and market knowledge.

This book illuminates this exciting opportunity in easy to understand language, that is available to anyone with a digital camera - thanks to the latest advances in digital technology and web based innovations regarding the stock photography market.

One thing is for sure; There's a lot of money just waiting to be earned if you can supply images currently in demand.

Microstock: How to make $300pw with your digital camera

If you want to sell photos online and make proper money, then you'll obviously need a decent quality camera. The good news is that almost all (recent) digital cameras are capable of producing decent stock images of the required quality. And good enough to get started in this exciting field.

TIP: INVEST IN QUALITY EQUIPMENT: IT WON'T
LET YOU DOWN, AND THE RESULTS WILL BE FANTASTIC.

Never before in history has it been easier to earn money from your camera, even as an amateur. The latest generation digital cameras have features that make it almost impossible to take a bad photo! (Unless taken in very difficult lighting conditions perhaps.) And prices are coming down to very affordable levels, even for top makes.

Obviously if required for producing highly saleable photo's it's a big advantage to own a decent quality digital camera. So the advice is use the best quality equipment you can afford. Buying cheap could be a big waste of your money, and render many of your shots unsuitable for stock photography.

It will also depend on the seriousness of your involvement.

But which TYPE is better? The basic choice boils down to:

1/ A Compact digital.
2/ A Bridge camera/ or Superzoom/
3/ A Digital SLR (DSLR)

Frankly, a Digital SLR is considered the most compatable camera for obtaining highest quality clean images beloved by the Stock Photography Industry. DSLR's have bigger sensors, and so generally speaking deliver higher quality results. Anyone taking this up as a career will probably invest in a good DSLR eventually.

Downside; Expensive, especially when the camera and all required extra lenses are taken into account. Wait until you have proven income, and are sure it can make money to pay for itself, and provide a good return on investment

However, both Compact and Superzooms can be used, and I suspect most microstock contributors will carry a slim compact about much of the time, to avoid missing a big unexpected photo opportunity.

*Note: Dauglas Freer, in his new book "Microstock Photography" (Listed above) reveals that one of his microstock "all time best seller's" was taken using a 6mp compact!

A Superzoom is something of a compromise between a compact and a DSLR. Typically smaller than any SLR, they are quite compact and sport a powerful zoom lens, (from wide-angle - to X10 or more) and often have significant and useful extra features. But different makes and models vary quite widely.

Advantages? No need to carrying extra lenses about, as with a digital SLR. system, (not to mention shots missed while changing lenses!) In short, these are small, light, and very portable cameras, and usually much less expensive than a DSLR + all lenses required.

Most Microstock sites stipulate a minimum jpg size of 4mp (Mega pixels) So it seems wise to own something with at least 6mp or 8mp to allow for any cropping etc. Also they may conceivably raise the bar at a future date.

Tip: Choose a top trusted maker with major reputation. And read reviews prior to getting your credit card out. (Not afterwards!)

But remember, just ONE popular seller could easily pay for the camera you buy many times over.

Microstock: How to make $300pw with your digital camera

As you already know, you can save a fortune buying online. But obviously be careful WHERE you buy.

There are fantastic bargains to be had on the internet. And one site that has huge buying power and a great online reputation, is Amazon.com. They offer some amazing bargains, and even better, you can check out the Customer Feedback relating to the product you plan to buy. You can then compare features and buyers comments, to make an intellegent investment, and avoid buying something unsuitable.

eBay is also a good choice, but check the seller feedback for good service and reliablity. You can often buy brand new, -at cut-throat prices, or obtain an "UNWATED GIFT " type bargain.

TIP: YOU CAN USE AMAZON CUSTOMER FEEDBACK TO ESTABLISH YOUR FAVOURITE CHOICE, BUT THEN BUY ON EBAY OR ELSEWHERE.CONFIDENT OF MAKING A GOOD PURCHASE.