Digital Photos can make You serious money with Microstock Agencies.
Microstock is the term to define low cost royalty-free Digital Photos.
Digital Cameras are now common and have totally changed stock photography.
There are many agencies who will accept digital photos from both amateur and professional photographers.
All pictures must either be from Digital Photos or high quality scans of slides from film cameras.
Most of these agents need a file size of at least 6 Megabytes or preferably larger.
Traditional photographers may be shocked at the low fees charged by Microstock agencies.
These fees fall into two categories -
Fees set by the Photographer and which are split with the agency or
Payment per download at a low fee (typically 20 to 60 cents per download) to subscribers.
(The Agency get the lions share of subscriptions)
The usual reaction is how can I make money from that?
The answer is QUANTITY SALES.
A popular picture can be downloaded a thousand times a MONTH!
There are a growing number of photographers making Big Bucks from these downloads.
Many of these are amateurs with specialist knowledge.
People pictures are always in demand for both regular stock and microstock.
The uses are normally nonexclusive and for a single use (further uses have to be paid for)
A Danger to customers using pictures from these sources is that their biggest rivals may well use
the same picture from the same source!
This could be embarrassing for major advertising uses.
What pictures shall I send?
THe answer is fairly simple - got to some of the major agencies and view their download details.
Most agencies have a list of popular downloads - THAT is what you should be shooting and sending.
Exclusivity is normal for Microstock agencies and you could place your work
with several agencies (sending similar shots but not exact images to each)
I'd suggest sending nearly identical pictures though (with slight differences) and then everyone will be happy.
The Biggest agencies that sell best according to people I have spoken to are:
Shutterstock
Big Picture,
iStockphoto
There are many more equally reputable agencies - a fuller list is on my website
Large Regular Stock Companies are also selling low cost royalty free stock too.
What Subjects should you take?
Rather than answer that question directly, I would ask in turn what clients would use your pictures?
Most customers now look at these sites first - sometimes for ideas!
The clients of Microstock Agencies are a closely guarded secret but can be broken into broad groups:
Book Publishers - frequent users but may store and re-use pictures without repayment according to how well their rights control department is working. It is worthwhile checking on book publishers for unauthorised re-uses.
Calendar and Greetings card and postcard companies - use lots of pictures but seldom have huge budgets.
TV and Film companies - use thousands of images and are good customers for microstock.
Website Designers and other Internet uses .These are the BIGGEST users of internet pictures.
Photographers often use low cost pictures and resell pictures to their clients.
Tour operators will use good digital travel pictures.
Estate Agents will even need attractive pictures of your own area.
Even local and National Government departments have started using low cost downloads.
One of the great advantages of this genre of stock photography of course is that numerous customers can use a great picture at the same time
The big secret of Microstock though is to carve yourself a photographic niche by specialising in a popular subject - and this is how many people succeed.
Pictures should not be complicated to be saleable - in fact simple pictures sell better.
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