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 04/29/2006 01:53:28 PM · #1
Hello,

I have several questions for anyone with advice about getting started with stock photography. I am not sure the best way to get started, macro sites or micro sites or both? I am really worried about making decisions in the beginning without knowing where I will be as a photographer a few years down the line. For example some questions are:

1) Avoid micro sites if I want to consider macro sites down the line?
2) Any sites to recommend trying first or avoiding? (I have heard a lot about Alamy on here, is that the best to try for?--not sure if my images will make it or not)
3) If I want to be considered a "fine art photographer" do I need to choose images carefully to be considered "stock". Example, I have a ton of images that I love from my travels to a third-world country (mostly people) that I have exhibited in a gallery as art, but think would also do well as "editorial stock". Do I submit them or not? Can I sell prints as "fine art" and also have that same image listed on a stock site?

Any and all thoughts would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks!
Janet
 04/29/2006 02:41:29 PM · #2
here is a micro stock discussion site i manage you might find useful
Microstockgroup

I don't think you are closing any doors if you submit to micros, or macros. Micro's are a good place to learn as they give feedback and review each image you submit. Micros are also a good place to earn a full time income if you put in the work.

Macros are also a good place to earn an income. Alamy would be a good place for your editorial images licensed as RM.

I think a mixture of both macro and micro stock is the wisest in the long run as it is hard to tell what the future holds and a slice of both pies is genearlly a good idea.

As for micro sites, I would avoid the sites that have little or no activity. The 6 sites that do have some action however are

Shutterstock
Fotolia
Dreamstime
stockxpert
Istock
Bigstock

And a couple of macro sites
Alamy
acclaim images
 04/29/2006 02:49:47 PM · #3
if you have travel shots that you like I think they would do well at the macro sites- Photographers Direct is always asking for travel.

I don't think it would ruin an image at all! You would make it more recognizable and more exposure would just make it worth more! I work for a photographer who's work does just this.
04/29/2006 02:54:19 PM · #4
Originally posted by oOWonderBreadOo:
if you have travel shots that you like I think they would do well at the macro sites- Photographers Direct is always asking for travel.

PD will not take you if you have images posted at microstock sites,
 04/29/2006 03:32:10 PM · #5
however alamy and acclaim will take you if you are on the micros.
 04/29/2006 04:16:07 PM · #6
THANKS everyone!

These are great responses to the concerns I have. I wanted to select certain images for micro sites and certain ones for macro, however I have heard that some places will not even look at your photography if your name is associated with micro sites. I hope one day to be a much better and more serious photographer and I don't know how it will look to be giving away images at 25 cents each.

If anyone has further interest, I would like to hear if people have advice for the best uses for my Honduras photos. They can be found at:

www.absolutearts.com/janetlthomas

I don't know if they are good enough for some of the big macro sites, but don't know if I can give them up for 25 cents on the micro sites. I'd love to hear if you guys know of any sites these would do well on, or places/companies I should submit them to. (You can be honest--I can handle criticism, I am still pretty much a "beginner")

I have a ton more research to do on this topic, including the pluses/minuses on "royalty free" and "RM".

Janet

04/29/2006 06:00:27 PM · #7
If you do decide to go for the microstock sites, the only one that take editorial shots (as far as I know) is Shutterstock.
 04/29/2006 06:01:51 PM · #8
what's the difference between a micro and a macrosite?
 04/29/2006 06:20:13 PM · #9
I guess the most important difference is price. Microstock sites sell images for a few dollars and the photographers get a percentage of that. At macrostock sites, the prices go into hundreds.

Oh yes, at macrostock sites rights can be managed, meaning that the same photo won't be sold hundreds of times. I'm sure I'm missing some important info here about the macro sites because I don't do business there - my cameras simply aren't up to it, and probably my photographic skills aren't yet either.

However I've read in discussions comparing the two that some people make much more money on the microstock sites. (Now no doubt I'm going to start ANOTHER argument about this.) What works for one, doesn't work for another and each person has to decide what's best for them.
 04/29/2006 06:23:07 PM · #10
hey you beat me to it :(

but yep, you have it pretty much right there.

What sells the most? it depends on the image and the agency. Both are very good means of earning an income as a photographer
 04/29/2006 06:25:44 PM · #11
Right now, in many peoples opinion the micros are 'giving your images away' and looked down upon by many photographers. I think in the future however, as more and more photographers make a living on the micros, and the standard increases (they are allready comparable to the macro sites as far as quality is concerened) they will not be looked down upon at all. There are allready a few cases of certain photographers seen as professional seious photographers working on the micros.
 04/29/2006 06:38:14 PM · #12
The best thing about the micros is that you can sell the same images on more than one site. I find that quite useful as photos that are my bestsellers on one site hardly sell on another. I wish I could figure out what will do well where, because it would save a lot of time uploading on a slow dial-up connection.
 04/30/2006 05:40:58 AM · #13
i don't think you will ever figure what does well where. I think it has more to do about search rankings and views than about what the image is of.

and as a side note. On the macros you can list images on numerous sites as well (as long as they are licensed as RF)
 04/30/2006 11:07:07 PM · #14
I think I have decided to go with the macrosites (or at-least try), however will I be able to be on several macrosites at once? (Alamy, Photographers Direct, MyLoupe etc.)

Also, will I be able to choose some photos to be royalty free and some to be rights managed (is that what RM stands for?

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