DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Stock Photography >> Noob stock selling question?
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 11 of 11, (reverse)
AuthorThread
02/18/2007 01:02:06 PM · #1
Once you've got yourself a good portfolio of photographs and want to sell them as stock photography, where do you start? How does someone 'new' start looking.

I'm not near the point where I'd like to start selling anything BUT I thought I would learn as much about it before it comes to that, if it ever comes to that. Where would I start?
02/18/2007 01:18:58 PM · #2
I will warn you in advanced. Just so that you know, this thread will likely turn into a microstock vs. Rights Managed stock debate.

Personally, as a recently burned microstocker, I'm torn. I do make decent money at microstock (with Shutterstock and others) but seeing one of my images (which I got paid 25 cents) for in a full page ad in a major magazine has definitely started to steer me toward Alamy and Photography Direct for Rights Managed approach.

A quick search through the Stock photography forums here will render a lot of debates (several of which you will see me debating for microstock).
02/18/2007 01:23:23 PM · #3
Debating which company is better or worse aside, is it as simple as taking your photos to one and saying "Here, this is what I have. Sell and pay me when they are sold." kind of deal? Is it not possible to take your photos to both sites? Or would you run into trouble (Legally)?
02/18/2007 01:28:42 PM · #4
OK, Photographer Direct won't represent you at all if you do microstock. That's their policy.

Besides them there are a few other Macro (or rights managed) stock sites, such as Alamy. You can upload to them if you are with microstock sites, but you probably shouldn't upload the same images to both. The reason is that with Rights Managed you are selling exclusive rights for a period of time. If you are also selling the same images at microstock sites, you could be held for breach of contract.

Now, for most sites you have to pass a quality control phase first. After you pass that you upload images and they sell them and you get paid.

Photographer Direct is a bit different as you can also shoot for assignments for clients, which they might buy (if they like them).
02/19/2007 02:23:18 AM · #5
OK...

Now do most people clean-up their images? Delete backgrounds, do overlays or create effects even? Or do most sites look for original images (As in untouched, uncleaned) images?
02/19/2007 02:37:39 AM · #6
I would think that the end result is MUCH more important than the path to it.
02/19/2007 03:21:29 AM · #7
All the pics I have on Shutterstock I also sell on dreamstime and on
fotolia - no problem!

Shutterstock usually only accepts noise-free and tack-sharp images, but I don't do heavy post-processing for that. If you CAN delete the background of an image, do it, it will sell better.
02/19/2007 11:19:28 AM · #8
again, ... this should keep you busy for a few minutes

//www.perrush.be/SYF_micro_E_1.html
02/24/2007 06:28:09 PM · #9
Originally posted by Perrush:

again, ... this should keep you busy for a few minutes

//www.perrush.be/SYF_micro_E_1.html


Thank you! I enjoyed reading your informative site. Like heavyj, I hope to make some money to pay for my hobby and I had no idea where to start.
02/24/2007 06:32:32 PM · #10
also check out

Microstockgroup
02/25/2007 10:17:18 PM · #11
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

OK, Photographer Direct won't represent you at all if you do microstock. That's their policy.

Besides them there are a few other Macro (or rights managed) stock sites, such as Alamy. You can upload to them if you are with microstock sites, but you probably shouldn't upload the same images to both. The reason is that with Rights Managed you are selling exclusive rights for a period of time. If you are also selling the same images at microstock sites, you could be held for breach of contract.


Just to clarify this comment, Alamy is not just rights managed (what they call "licensed"), they also list Royalty Free images as well. However, it is still a bad idea to post the same image on Alamy (where a buyer could pay a few hundred dollars for it) and on a microstock site (buyer pays a buck or two). Besides Photographer Direct, some of the other macro sites also state something about not accepting images that are on microstock.

But you should have no problem listing RF photos on multiple macro sites (like Alamy and Acclaim), as long as they are RF and not RM.
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 02:48:32 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 02:48:32 PM EDT.