Question for Microstock Photographers.

[john_pang]

I'm new to this, so this may have been asked & answered already, but here goes ...

 

Can you list the same photos at multiple agencies/sites?

[adam_buteux]

My 2 Credits Worth

 

I have recently joined iStockphoto after hearing about it from one of many podcasts and articles about it.

 

Whilst I am very happy to include some shots that I have put together quickly specially for the site, or are shots where I am trying to learn something. I now feel that 20% is far too little for some shots where I have spend time and effort working on creating a great shot only to have it sold and I make 20 cents a time (and the exchange rate on the $ >> ? at the moment is rubbish).

 

In the near future I will be putting together a collection of images that I feel represent good quality work for a RM agency. I will continue selling the less good quality work on to iStock (or images where I think that I will make more money with the on iStock).

 

iStock offer an "exclusive photographer" program where the rate can"go up to 40% - but this is again not something I that I would say that something a photographer should be thinking about, You need to sell 500+ images to improve the rate - if you can sell 500 images I think you can upgrade to selling better quality stock. I look at it in terms of an hourly rate - if a photo took 1 hour to create and upload, I want at least $10 back from that image.

 

The sad thing about iStock is that the isolation shots that I can knock up quickly sell for the same amount as the shot I got up at 4am and took ages working on.