karolina_nowosielska

<p>Thank you all for your comments, I deeply appreciate your opinions.<br>

Mikael, both Getty and Corbis "went microstock" (istockphoto, SnapVillage). Kindly click:<br>

http://www.stockphototalk.com/phototalk/2006/02/my_prediction_w.html .<br>

This website has recently become a good source of knowledge for me about this market.<br>

I wish I could offer a nice summary for our discussion, but still feel ambivalent about this issue.<br>

At work I often deal with people from advertising industry, so I performed an informal research :)<br>

The conclusion is that whenever possible, they would buy pics from microstock websites. But still, those images are often not "premium" enough, so one has to buy image from a macrostock website.<br>

Microstock has got a huge potential when it comes to generic themes like: nature, landscape, still life etc.<br>

But in demand are actually classy, stylish images of people.<br>

According to my interviewees these are images that are most desirable.<br>

They are not so likely to be found on for example Dreamstime.<br>

In order to take such images one needs to have a lot of visual experience, one needs to find suitable models (not your mum or girlfriend) and perform a photo session that will result in convincing and natural images. After such an effort a photographer would not be so willing to submit them to a microstock website, he/she would opt for a macrostock agency.</p>

<p> I'm searching for opinions about microstock business.<br>

I have started submitting my pics to a few microstock websites a few months ago and I'm still very enthusiastic about my new "activity".<br>

But I have come across some very negative opinions about microstock's influence on the photography market. Some photographers believe that microstock will eventually destroy photo-market, since there is going to be a flood of extremely cheap pics.<br>

What do you, guys, think about that? </p>

<p>From submitting my images to microstock sites I've learnt:<br>

1. Be patient<br>

2. Be persistent<br>

3. Be determinated<br>

4. Have always Plan "B"<br>

So if you consider starting "micro-business", keep in mind that you will need a long time to build a collection that will ensure you some income. Patience and determination are essential here.<br>

Do not stick to the biggest sites (like istock), whose data base got saturated, but try newer microsites like 123rf (they are not that picky, and my images there still sell). </p>

<p>From submitting my images to microstock sites I've learnt:<br>

1. Be patient<br>

2. Be persistent<br>

3. Be determinated<br>

4. Have always Plan "B"<br>

So if you consider starting "micro-business", keep in mind that you will need a long time to build a collection that will ensure you some income. Patience and determination are essential here.<br>

Do not stick to the biggest sites (like istock), whose data base got saturated, but try newer microsites like 123rf (they are not that picky, and my images there still sell). </p>