Effective Tips for Getting Started in Stock Photography
0If you are passionate about photography, it is time to open your eyes wide and explore the limitless sky of opportunities offered by this platform.
The idea of stock photography drastically changed the outlook of the photography business during the recent years. Photography is one of the most enjoyable ways to start a business. It is the perfect arena to showcase your skills, and it is more than a skill when you can make money out of it.
Let me appreciate your interest in this new concept of stock photography. It doesn’t matter whether you are a pro photographer or not. If you love taking photos, this will definitely work out for you. With the advent of digital revolution, internet is the central hub of everything around us. Finding an exact image for a newsletter or a brochure is not a time consuming task with the entrance of stock photos. Now there is no need to pour hours of effort to find photos for a publication.
Selling photos online is not a fresh concept, but it may not be affordable for everyone to set up a website for selling their photos. Here comes the role of stock photography sites. Whether you are an amateur or a pro-photographer, this article will be a valuable resource for you.
What exactly is stock photography?
Stock photos are the photos that you have taken and you enjoy the intellectual and legal rights over them. These photos are not based on a specific assignment and can be any of the photos you have taken. It is the advertising media, websites and magazines that make the best use of stock photography.
The choice, quality, availability and affordability of stock imagery made it the best shopping spot for royalty-free stock images. I hope you are not confused about the licensing terms that often accompany photographs. Stock photos may be royalty-free or rights managed. The stock photos that come with a royalty-free tag allow you to use them multiple times for a one time license fee, whereas rights managed photos are specifically licensed for a limited purpose.
How to sell your stock photos?
Most of the people start photography as a hobby and later undergo a mesmerizing effect that keeps them addicted to it. When they start to explore their own photographic skills, they think about acquiring more sophisticated photographic equipments. At this point of time, it is not a bad idea to turn photographic skills to a successful money making business.
Image by shutterstock
Before you get started in this field, decide whether to sell your stock photos on micro or macro photography sites. It is a sparkling truth that budget-conscious clients often go for the low-cost version of photographs through “micro stock photos”.
• Microstock photography sites operate on a limited premise, where the photographers may not earn much from their photos. These sites offer stock photos at a lower price, and they are a boon to small businesses and budget-conscious people. If you can offer more photos, there are accelerated chances of getting more sales! You can build your career with microstock photography sites like Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Istock.
• Macrostock photography sites have strict guidelines for accepting photos. They demand high quality pictures with over 6MP to be accepted. Here you are making a profitable deal where you can earn more per picture (around $200 per photo, whereas it may be only 60 cents for a single microstock photo sale).
Now it is your turn to decide the route. But it is often advised to go for a microstock photography career before you step into the macro sites.
Tips for getting started
Here are some great tips for a successful stock photography career.
1. Clear thoughts
Take time to improve your photographic skills and remodel your ideas. Always focus on several subjects according to the market demand.
2. Find several sites
The next working idea is to upload stock photos to a multitude of sites. If you have your photos effectively posted on several sites, you have probably a good online exposure and chances of sale. Even though there are hundreds of stock photography sites, it is your task to explore and find the best out of them.
3. Edit your stock photos
Take your time to find the tools required to enhance the photographs you have taken. Only very few photos require a re-touch that brings it to life. When you can master photo-editing tools, it will make things easier.
4. Effective use of IPTC to add description and keywords
It is vital to add relevant information about your photo through IPTC as it will save priceless hours of work, especially when you deal with a number of sites. The keywords and description play a key role in determining the marketing elements of your photo. IPTC tagging offers a great opportunity to store the information regarding the photo in that photo itself.
5. Explore keywords
Keywords are the stepping stones to success in the online stock photography market. When you consider keywords, don’t forget to look out for the synonyms as well.
How to price your photos
How will you decide the price of your photo? This is a common question among most of the bubbling stock photographers around us. Don’t forget that when you sell your photo on a microstock photography website, you are giving an extensive license to the client to use your photo for multiple purposes.
Image by shutterstock
It is the intended use of a specific image that should be considered before finalizing the price. Usability, size, exclusivity and range of distribution are the vital factors that decide the price of a photo. Now you are in a concrete position to calculate the price and it is often better to go for a photo price calculator like http://photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm . Try to keep the price affordable and at the same time the best price for your image.
Microstock Photography sites
Can you take photos? The question is simple, but if you have a wide answer for this question, you are in the game! If you have a digital camera and internet connection, you are halfway to the online stock photography market. Making money from photography can be a successful business when you have the right resources and ideas.
Here is a list of popular microstock photography sites where you can build up a smart career in photography. When you go for a stock photography site, be sure to read the agreement before you sign up.
ShutterStock
This is one of the prominent websites that offers great stock photos at affordable rates. Here, buyers are prompted to buy specific subscription plans to download stock photos and the seller earns up to $.25 per photo. You can upload photos of 2.5MP (JPEG or TIFF) and there is no uploading limit.
To become a stock photograph seller at ShutterStock, you have to pass the evaluation stage where you upload 10 photos. To be selected as a seller, 7 out of the 10 photos must be approved by the website. Otherwise you will have to wait for the next three months to apply again.
This stock site offers several features like FTP usage and IPTC.
Dreamstime
This one is one of the most popular stock photography websites that offers greater earning opportunities. Their average review time and FTP features make it easier to work here.
You can find may other sites like Fotolia (http://www.fotolia.com/) and 123 Royalty Free (http://www.123rf.com/) which offer high-end market for stock photos.
Knowing your business is the right method of gaining control over what you are doing. Keeping yourself aware of the latest trends in the stock photography market will help you a lot. Check out the most selling photos from popular stock sites and try to figure out the market’s demand. If you have the right perspective, you are going to earn big from your stock photos!
iStockPhoto
With this site, you can earn $1/small image, $3/medium and $5/large sized image. The picture quality is about 2MP. If you are interested in joining this stock site, you need to upload three photos for an initial review. In case the supplied photos don’t pass the evaluation stage, you are a given a second chance to upload different photos.
Even though the payout is high, it will take some time to build a strong portfolio here. The number of photos that can be uploaded in a week is limited to 30.
Big Stock Photo
This site offers $2.50 per photo and makes it easier for photographers to sell their stock photos. Here, categorizing is easier and the FTP feature promises better uploading experience. There are more chances of getting approved by this site.
