Tag Archives: microstock photography

Simple Stock Concepts

Earlier this week I wrote a post called Starting in Stock Photography. I have had several people contact me who, since reading that post, have opened microstock photography accounts and become approved contributors. How very cool! Within a week, they have gone from enthusiasts – to being able to generate an income from their images. This post looks at where to next, starting with simple stock concepts.

When your first become an approved microstock contributor there is a tendency to want to upload all the images that sit on your hard drive – pictures of flowers, trees, landscapes, and anything else you have. There is a perception that it will just be a matter of uploading those images and waiting for the money to roll in. Danger sign! While it can feel like progress to have images in your account, most contributors find that this burst of energy produces very few downloads.

So, what should you do?

Stock photography has a huge range of uses. Many of those are websites or print material which help to tell a story. Images which help to tell a story are going to do better than plain landscapes or pictures of flowers.

Let’s look at some simple stock concepts and images.

A simple stock concept, bullying

The first image is one which shows a concept of bullying. It was shot outdoor, on a cloudy day. This is a simple image of a much-talked-about topic. The subject is clear, and the message is clear. Some space around the subject also gives room for a graphic designer to crop the image or to add some text on the wall to the left. Don’t think that a successful stock image has to be a masterpiece, simple stock concepts executed well are the key. I have used this image on Beyond Here before. It is a good example of a simple stock concept. It was shot and uploaded in 2012 and has been downloaded more than 400 times.

Finance concept

In the second sample image – I chose to show an example which doesn’t involve a model. Stock images can be shot with household objects and simple lighting. This shot did use a studio soft box, but could have used a lamp or window to light the subject. It was shot with a macro lens, and with a black sheet as the background. Finance and business themed images are popular.

Concept – blue collar worker on strike

The third image is a more specific theme, a blue collar worker on strike. The models clothing has been themed appropriately. Again, this is a simple image which communicates a clear message. This style of image will be slightly more challenging for the beginner to achieve as it involves multiple light sources. When you are ready to move on to having different light sources, have a look at this post to learn how to shoot this image.

Household objects can be used to create stock images

The fourth image utilizes ‘props’ which you can find at home. This is a normal kitchen jar, some money, and a sticky note. The blue background is a poster size piece of paper. In this case the lighting comes from studio soft boxes, but a similar look can be achieved by placing the subject and background near a large window.

Rather than uploading all the old images sitting around on your computer, I recommend:

thinking up image concepts
research what is already available in image libraries
focus on shooting clear, simple images which tell a story
repeat this process!

If you have questions from this post, please leave a comment. If you would like to receive a weekly email from Beyond Here please sign up in the box at the top right of this page.

I’m excited that people who read last week’s post have taken action and set up their own microstock accounts. I hope this post helps them in the next step – building a portfolio and generating their first downloads. Good luck in shooting simple stock concepts!

Starting in Stock Photography

This weekend I commented on an interesting post in a Facebook group. This led to a series of private messages asking me about starting in stock photography. While earlier posts on Beyond Here have covered elements of stock photography, I haven’t written a post for people considering getting started. So here it is – starting in stock photography.

First, let me tell you about the Facebook group. I am not a big Facebook user – you can find me at Craig Dingle Photography Pty Ltd – but have recently joined a forum called Aussie Photography. It is very impressive for the quality of images posted, but more for the positive environment created by the members. It must be very well moderated to achieve such a positive, helpful group. I encourage you to check it out, whether or not you live in Australia.

In that group I commented on a post where the member was inquiring about how to deal with issues associated with client cancellations. The photographer was doing 5-7 shoots per week but seemed to be struggling with cash flow. I suggested stock as one way to generate a steady cashflow. That lead to a wave of private mail messages. They were mainly asking for more detail about stock photography and how to get started.

Simple concepts can do very well as stock images

How Does Stock Photography Work?

Stock photography works on the principal that it will be easier and more cost effective to buy an existing image than to get a photographer to shoot a new one. For example, if you need an image of a koala, you can buy one for less than $20. That is going to be cheaper and quicker than getting a photographer to shoot a new image for you.

From the photographers point of view, the stock photography model works on the basis of generating a high number of downloads (sales) for a relatively small amount per download. And again, in the case of the koala image, the photographer uploads the image to the stock photography site, and that image can be downloaded by multiple buyers. I have images dating back to 2008 in my stock portfolio. It seems amazing that images taken back then are still generating an income for me.

A significant income is possible through stock photography

How Much Income is Possible?

This was the most common question I received after the Facebook post. Of course, the answer is – the sky is the limit. There are people generating hundreds of thousands of dollars per annum via stock photography. They are in the minority. But it is a pity that most of the people I swapped messages with today had a view that you couldn’t make real money in stock photography. It is possible to make a significant income, but it will start out small, and it will require persistence. I have uploaded over 1000 images per year for 6 years now. I am not in the top echelon of stock photographers, but have generated an income well in excess of 5 figures per annum for the last 3 years. I expect to be able to maintain that level, as outlined in this post.

What Type of Images are Popular?

This was the second most asked question after my Facebook post. It is not an easy one to answer. If you look on a stock photography site, you can search nearly any subject and find images with hundreds of downloads. Try, diced tomatoes, for some really well lit and successful stock images. Pick another obscure subject and you will find the same.

That said, if you can shoot images with a clear theme they have a good chance to be downloaded. Again, search a stock site for ‘global warming’, or ‘workplace bullying’ or just ‘bullying’. You will find clearly themed, well executed images which have been downloaded many, many times. Nice.

What if you don’t want to shoot images like those? Well, study the type of images you do like to shoot, and see what sells. I can tell you in advance that simple, plain, uneventful landscapes will not be popular. There are just too many of them. But, if you have landscapes that are very well lit, or contain iconic content (like the Sydney Opera House), they have a good chance to do well. (The Sydney Opera House can only be used in editorial images – I will explain that in another post).

Sydney Opera House

When people are starting in stock photography – I encourage them to shoot the type of images they like. If they are wildlife shooters – shoot wildlife. If you like shooting architecture, shoot architecture. Got the idea? As your skill level and success grow you will find other areas of interest that have a market.

What’s My Story?

I got started in stock photography in 2008. At that time, I wasn’t very successful but I could see the power of being able to shoot an image once, and have it downloaded for years afterwards. In many ways, stock photography is a form of passive income. Make the effort to shoot the image once, and get paid multiple times.

Like many stock photographers, it took me a long time to come to grips with the quality standards and to understand what types of images would sell. I like to shoot wildlife and first came across some success when shooting images of flying foxes. They are popular in the lead up to Halloween each year. While it is a fairly small market, I was able to do well by shooting a wide range of flying fox images and uploading them in the weeks before Halloween. At that time, there wasn’t much competition either – that has changed now.

I have been successful with Flying Fox images at Halloween

Today I have over 6000 images available to be downloaded. My most successful files are of people doing something and with a clear theme. (I still shoot and upload wildlife images, mainly because I like to).

What Stock Sites Should You Consider?

There are a growing number of stock sites where you can upload your work. But I would suggest starting in stock photography with the largest and best known sites because they have the most buyers. I suggest Shutterstock, Dreamstime, and iStockphoto. (You can find a link to iStockphoto on the right hand side on each page of this blog).

Each of these sites have millions of files available. Do a search on a topic that interests you. What is there? How can you add different files? Is there something to learn from the files which are successful?

What About Model Releases?

Where ever a stock image contains recognizable people, it will require a model release to be accepted by the stock library. A model release is a document that provides permission to use the person’s image. Model release templates are available from all the major stock photography sites. You simply download, complete, sign, and upload the release with your image. They are not hard – and once you are familiar with them they are straightforward.

Is Stock Photography Easy?

Starting in stock photography is easy. You just go to a stock photography site and open an account. Try, you will have it done in just a few minutes. But succeeding in stock photography is not easy. There is lots of competition and you need a large number of downloads to generate a meaningful income. That generally means you need a large number of files, and that takes time, skill, and persistence.

Can Anyone do It?

I believe anyone can succeed in stock photography (I can hear people criticizing that statement already!) One thing all successful stock photographers have in common is persistence. They research image concepts, shoot quality images, and repeat the process. They keep at it. Over time they build a large and diversified portfolio. They don’t give up. Persistence is the key.

Where to From Here?

I’ve tried to keep this post simple. If you have questions, please add a comment to this post. I will do my best to answer them for you. If you would like to receive a weekly update of popular posts on Beyond Here, please go to the top right of this page and sign up.

Give Me More!

If you are ready to get cracking, consider this ebook called Build a Five Figure Income in Your Spare Time through microstock photography. It is available to download for $5.

Thanks for reading this post. I wish you success as you are starting in stock photography!!

Featured Photographer Rob Mattingley

Welcome to a new section on Beyond Here – where we meet featured photographers from around the world. First is Rob Mattingley from Canada.

Rob is a stock photographer based in South West Ontario, Canada. He supplies images exclusively to one of the world’s best known microstock agencies (iStockphoto). He is also one of their discussion forum moderators. In his early microstock days, Rob was known for his friendly, helpful approach to other contributors, and for modelling in own stock images.

Rob, tell us about Rob Mattingley Photography and the type of images you make.

Family Portrait. Copyright Rob Mattingley

Hi Craig – thanks for having me! I am based just outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada and primarily focus on stock photography. Occasionally I am asked to help out taking photos for a variety of events, but most of the time I’m shooting stock (when not taking photos of my family). A good chunk of my stock photography came from two events I attended over the past few years, but I also have a bunch that were taken closer to home. I try to get as many “people images” as I can – but I also created a bunch of “child like drawing” images over the years which have proved to be successful.

In the early days of your microstock photography career you regularly featured as a model in your own images. How did you manage being on both sides of the camera?

It definitely takes a lot of trial and error when trying to take these kinds of self portraits, that is for sure! I often find myself too far on the side of the image and then need to adjust myself in the next shot. It is a lot of fun though as you can go for as long as you want – and the model doesn’t cost you any money!

Angry Painter. Copyright Rob Mattingley

Beyond Here is going to call these “stock selfies”. Where have some of your stock selfies appeared in use?

I am a big fan of the Google Image Search for finding my photos in use. Some of my stock selfies have shown up on websites either to sell a product or to help tell a story. A friend in England found a photo of me on a bank billboard which I thought was pretty cool. My favorite find though had to be when one of my self portraits ended up on the American television program TMZ. I’ve managed to sell quite a few of my stock selfies and my most downloaded image is one of me as a construction worker – I guess I look the part!

Construction worker. Copyright Rob Mattingley

You have been an active contributor to microstock forums and are now a forum moderator. What is it about the interaction with clients and contributors that you enjoy?

Honestly, I just like helping others whenever I can! As an iStock moderator, it allows me to be able to point people in the right direction to get the answers they need. For a lot of people iStock is their main income so I want to help make sure that they can quickly find what they are looking for and get back to taking photos. I remember when I first started, I saw a lot of new contributors asking the same questions, so I decided to put together a FAQ for “newbies” so that they could find everything they needed in one place. It was great that so many people found it useful.

Rob, you have attended organised stock photography events with other microstock photographers. Can you tell us about them, and how they have benefited your photography?

Line of scrimmage. Copyright Rob Mattingley

I have been lucky enough to attend two fantastic events through iStock. The first one I attended was in Utah in 2011, hosted by Rich Legg. We had a 3 day shoot with 12 different “stations” where we had the ability to take photos of things such as indoor rock climbing, auto mechanics, police officers, a yoga class, and a backyard pool to name a few. The second was in Texas in September 2013, hosted by Steve Debenport. We had a 2 day shoot that was made up of various business scenarios on the first day and American football on the second day. Both of these events were very well organised and had lots of models to work with. I met some fantastic photographers who were willing to help me learn. I was able to add 250 images from each event which really helped build my portfolio. Definitely a great experience each time!

Policewoman. Copyright Rob Mattingley

For Beyond Here readers starting in microstock today, what are your tips for success?

It is definitely getting harder to make a name for yourself in stock photography these days as there is so much competition. I would suggest that if you want to be successful the first tip would be to take it seriously! Obvious I know, but so many people don’t do that. You need to do some research to see what makes a good stock shot and how to make it possible. You typically need to have models “doing something” – but that doesn’t mean you can’t use friends and family members (or yourself, if you are like me!). Most sites have millions of images so you need to make sure that you always upload your best work and keyword it properly or else it won’t be found. I started roughly five and a half years ago and I definitely learned a lot in my time at iStock and look forward to what the future brings!

Thank you to Rob for being Beyond Here’s very first featured photographer.To connect with Rob Mattingley, look for the Rob Mattingley Photography facebook page or follow his work through his istockphoto portfolio.

Making Unique Portraits

In this post we look at an example of making unique portraits without spending hours in post production.

For this stock photography shoot, the model had very long red hair. We decided to make a feature of her long hair, to make an interesting and unique series of images.

A unique portrait created using fishing line and parental support

How did we set about making these unique portraits? For the first portrait, we took her plaited hair and attached several pieces of fishing line at different intervals along the length of her hair. Her parents stood on each side of her, holding the fishing line. Then it was a matter of raising or lowering the different sections to achieve the wavy pattern. The total time to shoot this image was about 15 minutes. That consisted of preparing the fishing line, attaching it, and then taking a series of images to get the right look. What about post production? There were small parts of the fishing line visible in her hair and against the white background. These took about 5 minutes to remove in post production. There you have it, making unique portraits version one.

For the second image, the idea was similar, but the execution was different.

Unique portrait created using a coat hangar threaded through her hair

In this case, we unwound a wire coat hanger, and threaded it through the models hair. This time, her hair was in a single plait. This made it possible to create more solid shapes out of her hair – in this case a large question mark. Once the shape was formed in the hair, again a parent held the coat hanger – which protruded from her hair. This one took longer to make. The coat hangar had to be threaded through the models hair, then shaped appropriately, and then the images taken. This took approximately 30 minutes and I was grateful for a very patient model. Again, about 5 minutes was required in post production to remove the coat hanger and parents hand which were visible in the corner of the shot.

There you go, making unique portraits without spending hours in post production.

If you have found this interesting, you may be interested in these related posts:

Do you have a story to share about creating unique portraits? Please add a comment to this post.

My Take On Microstock Photography

The microstock photography industry is going through a period of change. This post is my take on microstock – and whether it is still possible to make a financial return through microstock.

I have been actively contributing to microstock photography sites since 2008. This was firstly through sites including Shutterstock and Dreamstime, and since 2010 as an exclusive contributor to istock (owned by Getty Images)

In 2008 the istock discussion forums were very active. Contributors were reporting strong growth in download numbers. It seemed that every day there were people posting they had “ditched the day job and were now full time istockers!”

Those times have changed. Today the istock forums are not as active, and there is almost no-one reporting increases in download numbers.

Challenging times for microstock contributors

So what’s changed?

istock and other microstock sites have increased prices. It is no longer “cheap” to buy good quality stock images.
there are more competitors. The number of stock photography sites has increased and continues to increase.
there are a lot more contributors
there are even more images

My average royalties per download have increased fourfold over the last 3 years. On the surface, that sounds great. But the trade-off has been a reduction in the number of downloads. Overall my total monthly royalties have remained steady, despite an increase in portfolio size.

The total market has seen a very significant increase in the supply of stock images, without the same growth in demand.

What does the future hold?

If you are a customer looking for stock images, the growing supply of images is going to give you a huge range of images to choose from. Given the very competitive nature of the market, you should be able to get these at fair prices.

For contributors, I see it being very difficult to make a full time income from microstock photography in the future. That said, microstock continues to generate a significant supplementary income for me and many others. I expect to be able to continue to build my portfolio and maintain the current level of income. It is a very worthwhile part of my photography income and I encourage others to commit to microstock.

Are you a contributor to microstock? What is your experience? What are your expectations?