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DPChallenge Forums >> Stock Photography >> Photographers Direct - Is it worth it?
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09/12/2006 07:00:11 PM · #1
I'm checking out //www.photographersdirect.com/ . Seems like an interesting place to sell photos, but they don't represent microstock sellers at ALL.

Now here's my question: If I were to dump my microstock portfolios and go with a site like this, what kind of sales am I looking at?

Without turning this into a microstock is bad debate, I'd like some real facts on using sites like PD to sell my images.
09/12/2006 09:36:33 PM · #2
Well the standards of images are completely different with PD than micro. Browse through the recent sales and you will notice these aren't your standard product shots, still life, or "man in a business suit" pictures. PD seems to sell more specialty photos such as exotic locations, people of different cultures, and animals. So if your microstock photos fit into these description PD might be worth a try.
09/12/2006 09:55:38 PM · #3
been there 5 months... havent sold anything yet.... ;o(
09/12/2006 10:00:02 PM · #4
Originally posted by Sunniee:

been there 5 months... havent sold anything yet.... ;o(

Where are your SP's?
*taps foot*
[/hijack]
09/12/2006 10:01:03 PM · #5
Originally posted by alfresco:

Originally posted by Sunniee:

been there 5 months... havent sold anything yet.... ;o(

Where are your SP's?
*taps foot*
[/hijack]


Im sooooooooooo behind....
But will make up for it soon! [/hijack]

Message edited by author 2006-09-12 22:01:20.
09/12/2006 10:48:18 PM · #6
I've sold 4 images there. All from the requests. Some pay really well. I've been very happy so far.
09/12/2006 10:54:30 PM · #7
I've been there since March and also have not sold a single image. But then again, I really only upload to requests. That being said, there isn't a large percentage of requests that I have stuff for or that I'm able to shoot for. I have to agree with the second post of this thread, there are alot of requests for exotic locations and cultural stuff, things that are way out of my reach.

I've only had one request for an image and it was for personal use. Someone was looking for a specific photo for their daughters room. Why they went to a stock site for that, I find a little confusing, but whatever.

PD was my first experience with any kind of stock site so I can't compare it to any others.
09/18/2006 01:20:35 AM · #8
Originally posted by jenesis:


I've only had one request for an image and it was for personal use. Someone was looking for a specific photo for their daughters room. Why they went to a stock site for that, I find a little confusing, but whatever.


LMAO ... Sounds like someone with more dollars than sense (cents) :-)
02/04/2007 04:22:46 PM · #9
Well, fotomann_forever, I just signed up and got accepted so, hopefully I will be able to give you some feedback soon :) *crosses fingers and prays* It does seem like most of the requests are pretty exotic but there was one on there for the Mammoth Caves in KY (pretty close to us)

Jojo
02/04/2007 04:30:27 PM · #10
Originally posted by TCGuru:

...there was one on there for the Mammoth Caves in KY (pretty close to us)


I literally just finished processing a few shots for that request!
02/04/2007 05:01:34 PM · #11
Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by TCGuru:

...there was one on there for the Mammoth Caves in KY (pretty close to us)


I literally just finished processing a few shots for that request!


Work stealer :-P

Let us know how the sale goes.
02/04/2007 05:39:25 PM · #12
yes, please do!!!
02/04/2007 05:47:23 PM · #13
From my experience: You have to treat PD like its a client. Shoot for every request you possibly can and aggressively - not passively persue work from them. If you occasionally get lazy, like I do, and just hope the 300 or so images in your portfolio will sell enough for you - forget it. They don't seem to get many portfolio-browser-clients, but their requests are buyers, just have to give them the right image.
02/04/2007 05:53:44 PM · #14
I've only watched for requests on PD and submitted a few. The first one was a shot of 3rd grade schoolchildren studying geology in a classroom. That request came in the night before I was was already scheduled to take photos (studio lights and all) of my daughter's 2nd grade class. I still had some specimens from when I used to collect rocks, and a few parents would be there for model releases. The shot took about 15 minutes. Easy money!

There's a current request for hidden faces, and I ribboned in that challenge. I have some other inanimate face shots, and personification is perfect for this, too. We'll see what happens.

One of my goals this year is to put some photos up for sale on stock sites (likely PD and Alamy). I've already made several hundred dollars off DPC entries just from direct requests, so I really need to get to it!
02/04/2007 05:59:53 PM · #15
I'm still debating on dumping my microstock portfolio.. but not sure if I want to totally dump it or just phase out my participation in it.

While I'm still active in microstock, PD won't touch me. Sooo... just not sure. I was kinda hoping to hear some big money stories first.

I'm still getting stuff ready for Alamy though.
02/05/2007 03:56:28 AM · #16
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

I was kinda hoping to hear some big money stories first.


sorry, but you won't hear them :-)

The fact is that most who contribute to both (RF and RM) report almost the same earnings from both sides.

It depends on what kind of photography you do whether RM will be the way for you or not.

The more unique / rare / difficult / ... photos you make, the more chance there is RM will be better.

If you make mostly generic shots or shots anyone can make, RF will probably be the better for you.

Just my 2 cnts
02/17/2007 10:58:09 PM · #17
I joined photogs direct, mainly because I will not give my work away and more importantly I don't want to cut the throats of photogs that are trying to make a living in product/ad photography. PD also gives me something to shoot for from the buyer's request. I don't blame anyone for the decisions they make in stock photography, this was just the right choice for me.
02/17/2007 11:07:50 PM · #18
I pulled all of my stuff off of microstock sites two days ago. It's not that I think that I can make a go of it with the big dawgs, but I decided to give PD a go. (I don't have anything uploaded, yet, though).

Tonight at Barnes and Noble, I received a little "wake up" call, if you will. In one of the photog mags, there were adds for different things. My husband called me over and said, "Is this one yours?"

It was a picture that looked a lot like this


It wasn't mine, because it was credited to one of the sites I didn't submit to, and I'd never submitted this shot, but I realized that yea, I was making several dollars off of each image,eventually, BUT, if that picture had been mine, I didn't make enough off that one use to even buy the magazine it was in. That made sad.
02/17/2007 11:12:41 PM · #19
Originally posted by karmat:


I didn't make enough off that one use to even buy the magazine it was in. That made sad.


I've learned that one. I've got a good tear sheet (luckily) but the pay was crap.
02/17/2007 11:35:05 PM · #20
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by karmat:


I didn't make enough off that one use to even buy the magazine it was in. That made sad.


I've learned that one. I've got a good tear sheet (luckily) but the pay was crap.


yea, I thought of you, too. :(
02/18/2007 12:22:24 AM · #21
there are no automatic big money stories.

the only people who make real money at stock are those that are constantly shooting for it. with something like PD, you've got to be ready to shoot for the requests. otherwise, you need to build a inventory of 1000s of images before you start seeing decent money--and then, you need to be prepared to be adding 100s of images a month. a few 100 images just isn't going to do much.
02/18/2007 01:44:39 AM · #22
One of the reasons I like working with PD is the fact I know who has my images and for what purpose they are using them for.

I ditto what skip said. you have to build up a huge inventory. No get rich quick scheme here, you have to really work for it and pump out some really amazing shots to get the ball rolling.

I also agree that the exotics take the larger piece of the pie here. But I have seen the requests get more diverse over the last 2 yrs. More and more stuff that I can shoot are being requested every day. American locations are also being requested more. You have to remember, this library is located in the UK so their requests for american are much less than European locations. I would love to find an american agency with the same business model but I haven't yet come across a single one.
02/18/2007 02:15:19 AM · #23
It's like DPC, except when you take the blue in a "challenge" you get a check.
02/18/2007 12:32:33 PM · #24
Originally posted by Skip:

there are no automatic big money stories.

the only people who make real money at stock are those that are constantly shooting for it. with something like PD, you've got to be ready to shoot for the requests. otherwise, you need to build a inventory of 1000s of images before you start seeing decent money--and then, you need to be prepared to be adding 100s of images a month. a few 100 images just isn't going to do much.


That's not really true. I'be been with PD for no more than 6 months, and i kind of forgot to upload anything for a while... because the keywording is a bit of a pain, i only have 62 images up at present. I've never shot for any requests specifically, but sometimes i browse my back catalogue and upload images to requests specifically that i may not otherwise have done. I've made about £800 (~$1500) from PD so far. That's more than i've made on Alamy in over a year. It takes a while to get a break, but every now and again a big money job comes by. That's the advantage of not selling out to microstock :)
02/18/2007 07:43:56 PM · #25
Originally posted by riot:

Originally posted by Skip:

there are no automatic big money stories.


That's not really true.[snip]...I've made about £800 (~$1500) from PD so far. That's more than i've made on Alamy in over a year. It takes a while to get a break, but every now and again a big money job comes by. That's the advantage of not selling out to microstock :)

i guess it depends on your definition of big money and your definition of trying. you might get lucky every now and then, but if you want BIG MONEY it is NOT automatic.
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