The Magic Of Microstock Photography - The Fastest Growing Market For Your Images

For nearly forty years I have been interested, or should I say obsessed with my camera and photography. For the past twenty five years I have been earning a small amount with my camera, shooting the odd wedding and portraits in my spare time. I have even sold my pictures to magazines. Now that was a confidence booster if you ever need one.

Then about three years ago I came across a website called iStockphoto. It was a Microstock Library. I thought then that it was called Microstock because of the poor payment for the use of your images. I didn’t take a lot of notice because there was no way that I was going to sell my photographs for twenty cents. I’d rather keep them on my hard drive, or so I thought.

A few months later I came across this site again. This time I was looking for inspiration in the form of picture ideas. What did surprise me was the number of photographers I thought were almost giving their images away. As I am a bit of a ‘Stat Master’ and like to keep a check on the figures etc, I bookmarked the site, going back and checking the stats everyday.

What really hit me was the number of images waiting to be reviewed. Then never went down, the total number of images that had been submitted increased each and everyday. I thought that it was time to have a closer look.

I browsed the photographs that were on file and thought to myself, I could take that or I have a better shot than that. Then it hit me.. In the past few months how many images could I have sold? If I had twenty files per week downloaded for the past six months at twenty cents each, I would have earned one hundred and four dollars. Not life changing but the money was for nothing. No fees, no costs and I already had some decent images sat gathering dust on my hard drive.

So I registered and submitted my images. As each image was accepted I couldn’t wait to upload more. It became my new obsession. Within a week my hard drive was empty of the images that I thought that were any good, or rather suitable to upload so I started to photograph anything and everything. If I went out for the day I would shoot images to upload. If I stayed in I would shoot images around the home to upload. I even took my camera to work with me.

So after three years of submitting to iStockphoto and over nine thousand downloads do you know which images sell month after month, year after year? Well it’s the photographs that I took in my own home. Forget the Yorkshire Dales or the Yorkshire Coastline, and as for my holiday in Florida, the photographs hardly sold. The images that I took in our home of the kitchen radiator, fire surround and our white w.c., outsell them all.

But that’s the magic of Microstock Photography. Almost any subject will sell if it’s different and the quality is O.K. The main subjects that sell will vary from one library to another so submit to them all. The secret is to make a start and submit some of you photographs providing they meet the specified guidelines. Then once you are accepted just keep submitting, shooting more images and keep submitting. You won’t generate a life changing income overnight. But over a period of time who knows?

To show you what I mean I’ve put the top six selling Microstock Photographic images on my website www.gbphotostock.com so you can take a look and see for yourself. And I guarantee that you’ll end up saying – I could do that or I have one of those.

The Tripod - Essential Equipment To Improve Your Photography

When I started out taking what I would call serious photographs I was told about a piece of equipment that would improve my picture taking enormously. This was back in the olden days of film, but it is still as true today as it was thirty odd years ago. This weapon in the photographer’s arsenal would not only improve the images that I produced but I would improve me as a photographer.

Today with the Microstock Photography market demanding the increased quality, this bit of equipment won’t guarantee success but it will cut down the rejections. So what is this amazing bit of technology and where can you get one? Well, the item that all photographers must have is a - Tripod. Yes that’s it, a tripod. Forget all the electronic gadgets and the digital meters etc. Buy yourself a tripod.

One of the hardest things to do when you are taking a picture is to hold the camera steady or rather rock solid. When I first started out on my journey into photography I was told to use a rule of thumb which went like this. The slowest shutter speed that you can use is equal to the lens size millimetres. So if I was to use a 50mm lens the slowest shutter speed that I should use is a 1/50th of a second or 1/60th on the shutter speed dial. If I used a 200mm lens I’d have to shoot at 1/250th of a second. Although this rule generally worked I still did get the odd image suffering with camera shake.

In the past days of film we could get away with a very small amount of camera shake. As lenses are far better nowadays and combined with the increased resolution and the digital technology available that enables the photographer to record every minute detail and at the same time highlighting the slightest flaw. You need to be shooting as close as possible to perfection therefore as digital photographers we need to take more care when shooting our pictures. By the way, I know that the 35mm film has effectively more pixels per square centimetre but digital images are recorded to increase the overall quality and clarity of the image. So whilst we have the equipment and technology to get better results all this is wasted by even the smallest amount of camera shake.

By fixing the camera to a tripod, and I mean a decent sturdy tripod, you will eliminate camera shake. Not only that but because you have taken the effort to use a tripod you tend to take more care and think about the subject. Landscapes for instance, when you are using a tripod you can evaluate the scene before pressing the shutter. This should improve your results as you can concentrate on the composition and forget about holding the camera.

Along with a tripod I like to use a shutter release. But if I’m shooting still-life I put the camera onto self-timer. This will ensure that there is absolutely no movement as the camera has ten seconds to stop moving after I have pressed the shutter.

I realise that you cannot use a tripod in all situations and for some subjects you need to move around freely. But on the occasions when you can use a tripod, use it! As I said earlier, if you want to submit your images to the Microstock Photography market the acceptable quality for digital photographic images has got even higher. The answer is to meet the demand with higher quality images and your trusty three legged friend will help you to do just that! After all, if a photograph is worth taking.. it’s worth taking right!

Mathew Street Festival, Liverpool

For the past seven years Every Bank Holiday in August has been spent at the Mathew Street Festival in Liverpool. Having living on the opposite side of the country, I must admit until 2002 I had never been to Liverpool.

The history and musical connections with the sixties groups such as The Beatles, Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Merseybeats, The Mojos, The Searchers, The Fourmost, Farons Flamingos, The Undertakers and The Dennisons but to name a few. Then there is the most famous club in the World, The Cavern, Mathew Street, Liverpool, where it all started back in the late fifties.

Although the original Cavern has was closed in 1973, the new Cavern is a replica of the original. I can remember walking down the stairs, the heat, sound and humidity increased with every step down. The atmosphere was electric. The bar was packed and trying to get served at the bar was an experience.

As my interest is photography I had to capture the moment. But as soon as I took my lens cap of the lens steamed up and I couldn’t see a thing. As the camera warmed up the lens cleared, I was able to take some descent shots of the acts belting out the sixties music.

As you climbed the stairs back out, all thirty two steps I believe, you could feel the air getting fresher and colder. Saying that, remember that this is a sunny day in August. It just appeared cold after an hour in The Cavern.

Then there are the Pubs. We like to visit as many of the back-street pubs as we can. Not just for the drink but maybe there’s a chance of a seat to take a well earned rest for ten minutes or so. The atmosphere in almost every pub is almost like a party.

Most of the weekend was spent at the various stages set around the city. It’s a party atmosphere that is hard to comprehend unless you have been there. On the Bank holiday Monday the streets are closed and the party really starts. By Monday evening you begin ache from the standing and walking. There’s very few places to sit, but there again you don’t want to - you want to see the acts.

Will we be going this year? Well now I’m getting on a bit now, in fact I’m the same age as the original Cavern. But will I be at this year’s Mathew Street Festival? – You bet I will!!

Setting Up Your Own Microstock Photography Web Site

Although Microstock Photography is without any doubt the biggest growth market for your photographic images many of you may be put off selling your photography through the libraries because of the small returns per sale.

The business model for the Microstock Photography market is ‘Royalty Free’ images at a very low price. You are looking at around a dollar per download from the library less the libraries fees of up to 80%. So this leaves you with as little as 20 cents per sale. It doesn’t sound good but when you consider multiple sales of all the photographic images you have submitted to various libraries, you can still create a regular income.

However, you have to get you image accepted by the libraries. With so many subscribing to the Microstock Market, the required quality of the images that are accepted has rocketed over the past year or so. So it’s getting even harder to get accepted with the Big Boy’s. What’s even worse is when you get a photograph reject for ‘No Commercial Value’. It’s happened to me on a number of occasions only to be a regular seller with another agency.

The obvious answer is to set up your own on-line photographic library where you can upload what you like, set the price and even enrol more photographers on your fully automated site. If you were to specialise in a niche you would be able to charge more per download. You can set up the website and sell prints, mugs and tee shirts etc. All automatically whilst you concentrate on your photography.

To bring you back down to earth with a bang I’ll let you into a little secret.. That’s the easy part of the business. The hard part of this and most other on-line businesses is the small overlooked fact of marketing. Getting your well stocked website into the marketplace takes time and money along with bags of commitment. Of course it can be done, as many photographers already have.

Apart from your photographic talent you need persistence. Persistence to see the whole project through, not just for the next few weeks but months or even years before you see the true value of your work. Of course, whilst you are building your photographic empire you can still submit to the Big Boys and continue giving away 80% of your income. But that 80% that they take is for administration, marketing and promotion.

If you do think that you could set up your own library selling your images whilst you keep 100% of the income then go for it! I can assure you that when you make your first sale through your website that was down to your marketing and promotion, you will feel totally fulfilled. You will need to be fully focussed on your goal throughout. You will need to invest in marketing your site. You may decide to enlist other photographers to submit their photographs to your site. But whatever you decide to do, Microstock Photography is a long term investment of your photography, time and money.

If you do decide to go for it I can recommend a website that will allow you to sell your images and automatically take the money, then allow the files to be downloaded, automatically sell other items such as prints, mouse-mats and tee shirts etc. Other photographers can upload their images for you to edit and accept to your site. You set their commission so you can make what money you want from the sales. This site is paid for on a monthly basis so there’s no massive financial outlay. To find out more about the website click here (At the moment they are offering the first month FREE!) or learn more about Microstock Photography – The biggest growing market for you photos - go to www.gbphotostock.com