Comments on: How to Keep Your Job and Be a Part Time Photographer

By: Joni Griffin

Joni Griffin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:35:26 +0000

I just had to write..THANK YOU THANK YOU! I love to create concept photos and have decided to join the stock photo market. I bought your book "Digital Photography" yesterday and not only read the whole thing last night but can't seem to stop reading from all your sites today. You have taught me so much already! The information you share is invaluable and is so appreciated.
Joni Griffin
Conceptual Intentions

By: Ivan

Ivan — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:17:31 +0000

Or.....

Just shoot weddings part time and make 10-15k extra every year.

Done.

By: Djabues

Djabues — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:38:00 +0000

Microstock works and you can make a little bit of change on it BUT don't sell your best stuff.
I have an "alt" persona for my Microstock sites where I dump my not so great photos and left overs from projects.

I keep the good stuff for me and real clients.

In no way should you consider this a source of any real income. But it's a good way to get some money on crap you would otherwise never use.

By: Gregor

Gregor — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:23:36 +0000

Microstock is is like playing the lottery - everyone loses in order to support a system that celebrates the one in a billion "winner" which is all done to distract from the fact that only the corporation that's created the system is winning and it's doing it by destroying the market. Yeah, it's a great idea. You can have a fun career with no work at all...

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:12:57 +0000

Microstock is a double edge sword. Fortunately, I am a designer and photographer and see the benefits of both the microstock agencies and the regular stock agencies. I also know the drawbacks as well.

I have a lot of small business clients that can't afford full blown rights managed images. As a designer, I rely on Microstocks to help give them an improved image. This helps their bottom line as well as their identity. In turn it makes me look better as a designer.

Even with that said, you have to look very thoroughly on microstock sites for a quality image, whereas on the larger stock sites its a much easier task to find, but albeit more expensive.

I think they both have a place, however can admit, the ms-sites have really cut into the larger ones, which is likely why getty bought istock.

As a part time photographer, I really rely on my event work for my revenue and don't contribute any to microstock sites as even there, the commissions are low (< 20%). I can make much on an assignment job that generic stock.

By: David

David — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:48:58 +0000

I consistently make a $100 a month from a small portfolio of 120 photos that I have not added to for over a year.

There is a lot of money to be made from microstock if the quality of your work can be applied commercially, the market has changed with a lot of small companies (website designers, marketing firms)catering to other small businesses who need need a website or print work done.

No longer is there just a market for selling images to large corporations and govt agencies and small business related stock is now an ifinitely larger market than the traditional large corporation market of old.

Those who say it is awful do not understand the microstock model and have never tried it, and most of them most probably still shoot only in film.

By: Lincoln Barbour

Lincoln Barbour — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:41:39 +0000

Microstock is an awful business model. By selling your photos on sites like this, not only are you devaluing photography prices in general, but you are losing money every time you sell a photograph.

If you want to get a real idea of how much it costs to be a professional photographer, even a part time one, then do yourself a favor and learn about Cost of Doing Business. You'll never sell a photograph for $.25 again.

Here's a CODB calculator provided by the National Press Photographers Associaton: http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/cdb/cdbcalc.cfm