Stock Images

[kmgibbs]

Disclaimer 1st. I am very new to the area of stock photography so if I am wrong

please enlighten me.

 

First Question: Is it just me? It seems like many of the images that are placed

on the stock websites (microstock and agency) by photographers are grab

snapshots? Having perused many of the RM and RF images on some of these there

doesn't seem to be much thought or work put into the creation of the images.

 

Second Question: In your opinion, would putting my images on these sites tend

to drag them down in the eyes of photo buyers.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Kent

[mikael_karlsson]

Kent:

 

There's a huge difference between the miccrostocks and conventional agencies, both in

image quality but more so in licensing fees to the photographer. Unless you shoot things

that everyone else does, i.e. seagulls against a blue sky, beach sunsets, etc, I'd stay as far

away as possible from the microagencies.

 

I am often surprised at my image sales. Images I think are good and interesting might

never sell, while a static close-up photo of meth is licensed over and over again week after

week. Look less at the content at agencies and more at images acttually used in

publications, as this is a better guide to which images are actually making money for

photographers.

 

If you put your images on micro-sites you're severely restricted in what you can do with

them. Once a photo sells as RF you lose control over how that image is used by the buyer.

On the other hand, if you shoot the type of images that are on the micro-sites and nothing

sets your images apart from what is offered there, microsites might be the best for you.

 

I talk to a lot of people starting up or starting over in editorial stock (I also work with

PhotoSource International and write a lot of the guides and reports) and the one thing I

think is always important is for you to find a section of the market where you can offer

something unique, different from what is currently offered. Find a niche and become an

expert in that niche.

 

Hope that helps.

[kmgibbs]

Thanks for the info Mikael.

[qtluong]

Some of the images that appear as snapshots may do so because of the apparent lack of artistic merit, but at the same time they have been given a lot of thought on their marketability.

 

Having your images on a high-end stock photography site certainly won't devaluate them. On the other hand, having your images on a low-end site might just do that. As far as I can tell, and if price is an indication, micro is low-end.

[justinblack]

Read the June 2007 issue of PDN for details on the state of stock revenue in the rights-

managed, royalty-free, and microstock sectors.

[kmgibbs]

Justin,

 

Thanks for the info. Very interesting!