Shutterstock
Shutterstock is a leading microstock site with a subscription sales model. They have enhanced licenses and a sliding scale for payout rates based on lifetime earnings. Shutterstock's referral program is highly rated and they recently bought out BigstockPhoto to get a "a la carte" microstock option in their toolbelt (although the sites remain functionally independent at the moment). Sign up with Shutterstock using the image on the left.How much can you make with microstock sites?
laryn — Fri, 11/06/2009 - 08:14
Most people who are considering whether or not to upload to microstock sites are curious how much money can be made by doing so. (There are other reasons, too, but this is a biggie). The short answer is that it depends on how much time and energy you put into it, and it depends on the quality of your images. The top earners can make hundreds of dollars per day, but most people will not achieve that. For an overview of my experience, see below. I update the stats about once every month or two so you can get a sense of what I have earned -- without devoting a ton of time to it, to be honest.
The Tao of Shutterstock: What Makes a Stock Photo a Stock Photo? - The Atlantic
laryn — Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:05
There are not many occasions when one will find oneself seeking an image of a cat in smart clothes with money and red caviar on a white background. But there may well be one occasion when one will find oneself seeking an image of a cat in smart clothes with money and red caviar on a white background. This being the Internet, actually, there will probably be two or three.
10 Photography Tips from a Self-Taught Photographer
laryn — Wed, 04/13/2011 - 09:19
Isaac Gube has some recommendations on how to improve your photography skills in DIY fashion:
Contest: Enter the “Threadless Loves Shutterstock” Challenge! Win a $5000 Photo & Design Bundle
laryn — Wed, 06/09/2010 - 11:39
Shutterstock announces:
Threadless is an amazing creative universe where you can submit far-out T-shirt designs, vote for your favorites, and get paid if your design gets selected for a shirt. We love Threadless, and Threadless loves Shutterstock.
Shutterstock Travel Photo Contest - Win a Safari
laryn — Tue, 04/13/2010 - 09:57
Enter your most amazing travel photo for a chance to win a 6-night African Photo Safari.
Shutterstock sets up Facebook app to follow up on Twitter app
laryn — Tue, 02/23/2010 - 16:31
A new announcement today from Shutterstock about the Facebook version of their Twitter app, allowing you to share your daily sales or acceptances with your networks:
Last August we introduced Shuttertweet, a program for Shutterstock submitters that sends a tweet when your images are accepted and sold on Shutterstock.
Explicitly include copyrights to your images in your will
laryn — Tue, 02/02/2010 - 11:08
There's an interesting thread over at MicrostockGroup regarding how to leave your royalties to your loved ones after you die. Not something you have probably thought about very often! The short form is that your beneficiaries will have to provide relevant legal paperwork to the agencies in order for the accounts to be transferred to them, so if you have a will, make sure to explicitly include the copyrights to your images in it.
eHow: How to Make Money With Your Digital Camera (Selling Microstock)
laryn — Sun, 09/27/2009 - 21:26
I've written a short introductory article for eHow entitled "How to Make Money With Your Digital Camera (Selling Microstock)" -- take a look here. It is a short overview and I'm interested in any feedback you may have -- either to improve this article or for ideas for future articles you may be interested in.
Excerpt:
7 tips for selling your photos - Macworld
laryn — Fri, 09/25/2009 - 15:01
MacWorld has seven tips for would-be microstockers (see below). It's always helpful to read other people's summaries of the things that they find important. This is a decent list of basics.
- Understand how it works: "...Selling stock photos is not easy money. It will take time to build up a decent sized portfolio (at least 100 pictures) before you see any sizable return..."
- Think like a designer: "...Designers want photographs with ample amounts of uncluttered negative space so make sure you leave room for a headline or other text..." [Click the title above for more]
Selling editorial photos as microstock
laryn — Wed, 09/23/2009 - 22:48
Shutterstock and Dreamstime allow you to sell images on an editorial license, meaning that purchasers will only be able to use the images in editorial formats (e.g. magazines, newspapers, etc). This is useful for images that you have taken which are of specific interest (famous people, places, current events...) and may not have model or property releases.
This sample editorial image from my collection was taken on the day of George W. Bush's inauguration and depicts items that might not normally have passed as royalty-free for various reasons. It is usable as editorial imagery because of the public nature of the event and the public interest in the event.
