An Intro to Online Stock Photography

How to Make Over $2,000 a Month

Selling Your Photos Online

An Intro to Online

Great Escape Publishing

How to Make Over $2,000 a Month Selling Your Photos Online: An Intro to Online Stock Photography

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2 Table of Contents

Where to sell, How to Break in, and How Much You Can Expect to Make 4

The Difference Between “Traditional” and “Microstock” Photo Agencies 4

Why Start with Microstock? 5

How to Choose an Agency 5

Six Microstock Agencies Where You Can Get Started 6

How to Take Stock-Quality Photos that Sell 7

Cash in on Your Interests and Expertise 8

Can You Make a Living Having Fun with Stock Photography? 9

A Word About Model Releases 12

Selling Your Photos without a Model Release 13

Further Photography Resources 16

3 How to Make Over $2,000 a Month Selling Your Photos Online

An Intro to Online Stock Photography --

Where to Sell, How to Break in, and How Much You Can Expect to Make

If you’ve never heard the term ―Stock Photography,‖ sometimes called ―Royalty- Free‖ photography, then you’re in the same boat as three-quarters of Americans, according to a recent study by istockphoto.com.

Yet traditional stock agencies have been around for decades.

Stock photography is simply a term used for images that are not photographed for a specific client’s use. Instead, they are images photographed and cataloged for individuals to buy later from agencies that collect photos from hundreds of other photographers.

Traditionally, stock photography agencies will provide their customers with a catalog of photos to choose from—either online or in print. And customers would flip through the pages looking for the photos that best match their needs. And in the end, they’d pay $200-$800 a pop depending on their choices.

But there’s a new kind of stock agency everyone is buzzing about and that’s what we’re going to talk about today…

The Difference Between "Traditional" And Microstock Photo Agencies

Today we have both "traditional" stock agencies (and by that I mean big corporations that act as brokers for all sorts of images) and we have the new kids on the block -- "microstock" agencies -- which exist on the web and deal with digital files only.

To break into a traditional stock agency you need five things:

4 1) Approximately 200 technically perfect images - good composition, perfect exposure, proper focus

2) Captions for each

3) Keywords for each photo (Some agencies do this for you, check their guidelines.)

4) A Word document that contains a list of all the photos you're submitting along with their captions.

5) A commitment to upload 100 to 200 further images every month.

But the money is good. As a general rule of thumb, photographers with traditional agencies claim $1 per year for every image they have on file with an agency.

Why are they happy to give up their photos for $1 a piece a year?

Well, as noted above, with traditional stock agencies you often have a contractual obligation to submit photos every month. One hundred photos a month (which is typical) translates to 1,200 photos a year or $1,200. And your portfolio will grow exponentially each and every year.

Why Start with Microstock?

When it comes to microstock agencies, it’s much easier for a beginner to break in. And the pay is much greater.

With microstock sites, photographers generally earn $1 an image A MONTH. So 1,200 photos a year means $1,200 a month or over $14,000 a year.

What’s more, there's no commitment, no quota, and no exclusive contract. You can upload your pictures at your leisure, and you can upload them to multiple sites at the same time for more money if you want.

And since they don't buy exclusive rights (like the traditional stock agencies do) to the picture, you can always sell it on your own for more cash.

How to Choose an Agency

To get started in the right direction and find the right stock agency -- or agencies -- for you, here’s a list of a few whose acceptance rules are fairly flexible -- agencies that only require you to submit between one and ten photos to get started.

5 I recommend you choose the agency first -- before you collect your pictures -- because that will affect the way you prepare them.

Each agency has different requirements, from the size of image they accept to the number of keywords they want you to submit. So take a look through the sites and read through the requirements and the photographer agreement before you decide.

Once you decide, you can upload your images at your own pace (there are no minimum requirements but there are some maximum limits). And you'll need to supply titles, descriptions, and keywords for each photo (be specific, descriptive and clear -- not prolific and creative).

WARNING: Be your own worst critic when it comes to sorting through your photographs and deciding which ones to submit. Most microstock agencies monitor your acceptance rate and some will even put a hold on your account if you submit too many images that don't meet their needs or follow their guidelines.

If you get five rejections in a row without a single acceptance, stop submitting and go back to practicing your craft.

Six Microstock Agencies Where You Can Get Started:

Bigstockphoto.com currently has 4 million royalty-free photographs and illustrations, which they sell for $1.00 - $15.00, depending on the number of credits you purchase and the size of the photo you want to buy. A photographer will earn $0.50 to $3.00 per download, and up to $60.00 for special licensing downloads. Bigstockphoto claims it will only allow JPG photograph uploads. Photos must be at least 800 pixels across the longest side, but images that are at least 2500 pixels.

If you don't know how large your photos are, you can right click on the thumbnails in your computer and you'll find the size under "properties." Be sure to read the rest of their guidelines, too, before you submit. Just click this link for more information on selling your images on Bigstock photo: http://www.bigstockphoto.com/faq.html

Shutterstock.com has 15,310,383 photos online and boasts over 296,601 photographers. Rather than selling photos individually, they sell a subscription that allows 25 downloads a day (up to 750/month) that costs $249/month or up to $709 for three months. Photographers earn $0.25 per download until they reach $500 in earnings, at which point, it goes up to $0.33. This price structure may scare away casual photo shoppers, but subscribers are encouraged to download many photos and are more likely to download a photo on a whim. They require

6 JPGs that have a minimum of 4.0 megapixels. Be very careful here: if you upload below-standard images, they'll lock your account for three months: http://submit.shutterstock.com/

Dreamstime.com has more than 11,000,000 images that they sell in a tiered pricing structure. To simplify, the more times an image sells, the more it costs, and the more the photographer gets paid. Prices start at $0.20 with a photographer's payout of 50% - 80%. They require JPGs that are at least 3 megapixels: http://www.dreamstime.com/faq13-what-requirements-do-you-have-

Canstockphoto.com has over 4,000,000 images that sell from $1 - $5 or by monthly or yearly subscription. There are over 21,000 photographers that submit photos. The photographer gets 50%. They require JPG images greater than 3 megapixels, but less than 8 megabytes. They also have an application process that requires their approval of 3 photos before you can get started: http://www.canstockphoto.com

123royaltyfree.com is a subscription-based agency similar to Shutterstock. They have over 9 million royalty-free stock photos. As a photographer, you get up to 60% of net credit price, plus commissions for referring members or photographers. Be sure to read their requirements first: http://www.123rf.com iStockphoto.com has over 6,7000,000 photos that sell for $1 - $25, depending on size and rights, and pays contributors base royalty rate of 15% for each file downloaded with ―exclusive contributors‖ making 45%. You also have opportunities for more money as your file builds. iStock must approve 3 sample images, first, and accepts JPG images at least 1200 x 1600 pixels. http://www.istockphoto.com

How to Take Stock-Quality Photos that Sell

The most important thing to think about when you're shooting for the stock- photography market is the word "useful." You want photos that buyers will find "useful."

Having said that, "useful" can be anything from photos of a textured wall or TV static (graphic designers buy these to use as backgrounds for their designs) to pictures of people and places (these get snapped up to illustrate magazine articles, company brochures, space ads, websites, and more).

But while the content of stock photography is diverse, buyers seek out some subjects more than others. Like people shots. People shots are the number-one stock subject -- and I highly doubt that will ever change.

7 Now, most amateur photographers make the mistake of trying to get the people out of their photos. But, if you're shooting for a stock audience -- you should, in fact, be doing your best to get people in them. Incorporating the human element in your travel images will increase the dynamic interest of them and produce more sales.

And, if you're a travel writer or travel photographer, here's more good news: People can change the context of your images so that they will not only sell as travel photographs, but can also be used in other contexts as well.

For instance, a business man with briefcase in hand running to catch the Underground in London is saleable to someone looking to illustrate an article about London. And since the guy's in a business suit, it's also saleable to someone looking for business-type images -- an entirely different market.

A couple holding hands as they watch the sunset on the beach at Diamond Head is a great photo to sell to someone interested in photos of Diamond Head. But because of the couple, this photo can also be sold to photo buyers looking for photos that illustrate love, happiness, good relationships, relaxation, etc.

By simply introducing people into your images, you not only make your photographs more unique, but you increase the potential market for those photos, expanding beyond travel into the broader range of buyers who purchase stock photography. Images with multiple uses are great for stock.

Note: When you photograph people to sell for stock purposes, most agencies require a legal document, called a ―model release,‖ signed by the model. You’ll read more about the circumstances that call for a model release later in this report.

Cash in on Your Interests and Expertise

Another good way to understand what stock agencies are looking for is to open up any magazine and start looking at the ads or articles. You can be confident that a good majority of those images are stock photos.

Start with the magazines that get delivered to your door (or that you migrate to at the bookstore). Since you have an interest in the subject matter already, this might be an area for you to hone in on, especially if you have skills, equipment, and knowledge of something that the rest of us may not.

Most photographers, for example, probably don’t know much about the violin. They can put a violin in a model's hand, but they wouldn’t know the right way to hold it, play it, and capture it in a way that was truly authentic. However, if you're a violinist, or you know a lot about the violin, you have an advantage over other

8 photographers. You can use your skills and knowledge of the subject to shoot images that are not only interesting but will be more genuine and precise.

Keep in mind that stock agencies will each have there own unique list of wants, so be sure to check and re-check those lists every now and then, as they may spark a new idea for you.

Can You Make a Living Having Fun with Stock Photography? An Article by Stock Photographer Andrea Gingrich

When you turn your favorite hobby into your main source of income... is it still fun?

Stock photographer Andrea Gingrich thinks so. In fact, she guarantees she’s always having a blast.

Below, she reveals how she turned her favorite things -- photography and travel -- into a full-time income and shares some of the photos that have funded her adventures, too.

FROM HOBBY TO INCOME: HOW TO CASH IN ON FUN By Andrea Gingerich in Portland, OR

Before I started shooting for stock, photography was an expensive hobby for me. I didn’t want it to be more than that. In my eyes, if I had a career as a photographer, I assumed that I could never be happy because photography would become ―work.‖ I had no concept that work could actually be fun.

When I began shooting stock photography almost nine years ago, I filled my portfolio with concept images -- people in business and education scenarios, and objects that could be used for a myriad of purposes. That was my idea of stock photography.

Fast forward a few years later and I found myself becoming bored and unmotivated. I wasn’t shooting at all. Photography had become work to me and it wasn’t fun anymore.

It was during this time that I decided: I was only going to shoot whatever makes me happy. If it sells, great. If it doesn’t, oh well.

Today, I shoot what I’m passionate about. And I can guarantee you that I’m always having fun.

I truly believe that if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, it will show in the quality of your work.

I don’t plan my photo shoots, but I do sometimes take photos with stock in mind. I travel quite often and I always tie it into stock photography. My goal is to come away with at least a few photos that will pay for my trip. Allow me to share some of these with you...

“Philidelphia”

I took a boat tour with my family last summer. I specifically chose this tour because it might offer some unique views of Philadelphia. The weather happened to be just perfect. I shot many angles of this same shot, but this was the one that worked. It was unique and the composition was just what I had hoped for.

It has sold over 200 times.

“At the Salon”

I attended a small iStockphoto meetup in New York City a few years ago. While most of the group was chatting, I wandered away for a series of quick snaps of this model having her hair styled. They weren’t even posed shots and were taken in the mirror!

“youth”

When I’m out for a walk, I sometimes take my camera. I have developed a knack for finding the smallest things that may go unnoticed by most people. Once I found the word ―youth‖ scrawled in graffiti on a brick wall. It’s proven to be a very useful stock shot, and it’s sold over 100 times.

―portrait‖

I gathered with some photographer friends who had very little experience with studio lighting. We set up the lights and I helped everyone get some shots of their own as I taught various techniques.

Because everyone had such a great time, I was able to get some portraits of my friends with amazing, genuine expressions. What was initially going to be just a night of hanging out with friends turned out to be a great stock opportunity for me -- I got all of them to sign model releases!

A Word about Model Releases

Most online stock photo agencies require a model release for every photo they accept. And while some print stock agencies will sell your photos for editorial

12 use without a model release, you won't get the money for those shots that you would if you had a release available.

This leaves you with two choices:

1. Carry a model release with you at all times and have no fear about asking the people you photograph to sign it, or

2. Shoot in such a way that the people are not identifiable -- their heads are turned, they're in shadow without facial detail, or they're simply blurred into the background.

Either way, adding the human element to your travel images will increase the dynamic interest in them and produce more sales for you.

Selling Your Photos Without a Model Release

Sometimes, you don't need the full person in the photograph to make it a saleable people shot. Adding just a simple human element -- an arm, a shadow, someone's foot -- can make the photograph more saleable too.

Take a look at these wedding photos taken by professional photographer Shelly Perry. They include people (or at least parts of people)...

All three of these photos say, "wedding." All three include a human element. But none require a model release.

Why are pictures like this an attractive option for photographers?

First, when you’re traveling to destinations where you don’t speak the language, ordering a cup of coffee is a challenge... and getting someone to sign a model release would be nearly impossible.

Not only that, it can be uncomfortable to ask folks to sign a release. If you were going to ask people to model for you in some sort of formal shoot, that would be one thing.

But to stop somebody on the street and ask her to sign a model release -- somebody whose picture you’ve just snapped, no less -- can feel invasive. Especially if you consider yourself a little shy.

Does that mean that you should only snap pictures where you can't identify the people?

No, of course not. You should take both.

Rule for Model Releases

Here's the rule of thumb: For editorial or fine art use (that's magazines, newspapers, textbooks) - you don't need a model release. For stock agency or other commercial use - you do (and that's where the human element pictures come in).

If the person in your shot is unidentifiable (as in the photos above) then you don't need a model release -- even if you are selling your shot for stock or commercial use.

What distinguishes "identifiable" from "not identifiable"?

If a stranger could identify the person in your photograph (which is to say the person in your photo has a unique tattoo or scar or is clearly visible and anyone could pick him or her out of a lineup) then you do need a release. Short of that, you don't.

But even if the bride in the photos above could prove in a court of law that she was in that exact location, wearing that exact dress and jewelry, holding those exact flowers, at the exact time that those pictures were taken, she still wouldn't have a case. A judge would still say that, in those photos, she is unidentifiable. And, so, you could continue to sell them for stock and commercial use without a model release from her.

What does the above rule mean for you?

It means that you can easily turn any special event into a money-making opportunity (and you won't even need a model release).

The next time you attend a wedding, a birthday party, a high school graduation -- don't try so hard to capture the front of the subject's face or her entire body in

15 your picture. Look, instead, for "unidentifiable" people photos you could sell for stock use.

Look down at your subject's feet. Focus on her hands. Shoot from behind her head. You'll discover all sorts of ways to include a human element in your photos -- without including an identifiable human.

A Few Photography Resources

How to Buy the Right Camera

You can take stock-quality images with a digital point-and-shoot camera or a more professional Digital SLR, and there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Find out how to buy the right camera with this free e-report: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/how_to_buy_camera/index.php

Saleable Photo Ideas

You can start taking stock photographs in your home, your neighborhood, your kitchen, at work, at family gatherings, in hotel rooms, or wherever you go. Here’s a free report with 101 stock-worthy photo ideas to keep you going. It’s called, ―101 Things You Can Get Paid to Photography in (and Around) Your Own Hometown.‖ http://www.thephotographerslife.com/free/101things/index.php

Post-Processing Your Photos in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom

Professional photographer Shelly Perry doesn’t submit any photos for sale as stock without first editing them in Photoshop and/or Lightroom.

Here’s a free report with a collection of tips to help you get started post- processing your photos.

Adobe Photo Editing Software Free Trials

Adobe lets you download and use free trials of many of their products. They just work for 30 days, but it’s enough time to practice and get a feel for the programs before you decide to buy.

You do have to sign up with Adobe.com, first, but it’s quick and free.

Photoshop free 30 day trial: http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop (click on ―download free trial‖ on the left under the image of the box)

Lightroom free 30 day trial:

16 http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom (Scroll all the way to the bottom – the link is on the left under ―Next steps.‖)

Photo Tip Archive

Updated weekly, you’ll find a treasure trove of tips on how to better take, edit, store, and sell your photos in The Right Way to Travel’s online e-letter archive, here: http://www.thephotographerslife.com/category/articles/