Cash with your Canon
In the second part of our new series, learn how to make money for stock libraries
There are many professional photographers who will tell you that stock photography is dead, but that’s not really the case. The market for stock photography has changed dramatically over recent years, though.
In the ‘good old days’ you could get good returns from a few images, but with the proliferation of images and low-cost ‘microstock’ sites, nowadays the returns per sale of individual images can be extremely low. This means that making an income from stock is now mostly about getting many lower-return sales, rather than a few bigger ones. Don’t let that put you off, though – if you’re determined, you can do it, and we’re going to show you how with our step-by-step guide…
Do your research
There are many stock libraries that could sell your images, so you need to do some research to find the right one for you. You should check that the library wants the type of images that you can supply, and then make sure that your images will meet their guidelines. Most of the larger libraries will then require you to register, and submit a small number of images for approval. This process is critical, so make sure that you only submit your very best images. Once these have been accepted you will be able to upload more, although some libraries still have a limit of the number you can submit per week or month.
Once you have started to upload your images to the site your work doesn’t stop. The first thing you need to do with some sites is to decide on how your images will be sold. There are two main ways that libraries sell images (known as licensing), which can affect how much money you will get. These are royalty-free (RF) and rights-managed (RM).
With royalty-free licensing, the buyer pays a single fee, which allows them to use the image multiple times and for any length of time, but the image is still available to other buyers to use. Rights-managed gives the buyer exclusive use of the image for a limited time and number of uses. What this means for you is that a royalty-free image will bring you less money per sale, but has the potential to be sold many more times, while a rights-managed image will command a higher price per sale, but potentially fewer sales. So you need to choose a library that offers the type of licensing agreement that
suits your images. Most image libraries now use the royaltyfree licensing model, particularly those known as microstock, as it enables them to sell more images more cheaply than the rightsmanaged model.
You then need to get busy with the task of keywording your images. This may seem like a waste of time, but it’s the main way that buyers will find your images among the millions available on many sites. So, do some research about which words image buyers are likely to use, and add the relevant ones to your photos. Finally, it’s best to keep adding shots regularly, so look at uploading at least five or ten images per week for some time to give you the best chance of making some cash.
What to submit
The simple answer to this is to submit only your very best images, both technically and aesthetically, but there’s more to successful stock photography than this. When considering what type of images to submit to stock libraries you need to bear in mind that the shots that appeal to other photographers, friends or even users of online sharing sites like Flickr aren’t necessarily what image buyers are looking for.
One of the most popular uses for stock photography is to illustrate articles, books or websites that are trying to get across some concept or meaning. Because of this, for your images to sell well they need to be more than just a good photo. Take a look at any stock site and they are full of images of models striking various poses, laughing, crying or even in a specific situation that can be easily categorized, such as ‘business meeting’ or ‘phone call’.
This focus on easily identified subjects isn’t restricted to portraits; try to shoot images that can be used to illustrate specific themes, such as ‘waste’ or ‘energy’ or even ‘dereliction’, as having this extra element will help
Making a living from stock photography is possible, but requires time, effort, dedication and really understanding the requirements of image buyers
you add successful keywords and sell more images.
There are also many small details that can help you make your images more appealing to both stock libraries and buyers. For some uses it’s important to avoid any logos or trademarks being visible in the image. For example, if a buyer from a retailer or manufacturer is looking for an image to use, the last thing they want is for a competitor’s logo to be visible in the image.
You need to make sure that the image looks great as a thumbnail as well as at full size. This may not seem obvious, but a simple, graphic image often works better as a thumbnail, rather than a complex and very detailed one. This matters because most buyers will be searching through hundreds or thousands of thumbnails searching for the right image, and your image needs to stand out as a thumbnail for them to even click on it.
check the small print
One of the most important things to check, when choosing a stock library, is what percentage of each sale you will get. The amount you receive can be as low as 15 per cent for some sites, rising to around 50 per cent for others. The higher the percentage is obviously better for you, but it’s not always as simple as the numbers may suggest. Some libraries offer better rates the longer you stay with them, or the more images that you have, and some also offer different rates for different licences. You may also be able to increase your cut by signing an exclusivity agreement. This means that you won’t offer these images through any other agency, but this may limit your returns long-term.
a question of release
While it’s not essential for every stock image, most agencies insist that you have a signed model release form for any people that are recognizable in your images. This release essentially means that the person in the image acknowledges that the photographs can be sold, although there are still certain restrictions concerning exactly where they are used, such as for advertising certain products. It’s also advisable to obtain a similar property release form if an image you’re selling was shot from private property or it contains any recognizable buildings or other structures.
Some stock libraries will accept images without signed releases (especially for property) as the pictures can still be used for editorial use, but it will mean that the image is less likely to be sold as easily, and you may not make as much cash from it.
the long haul
Stock photography is best seen as a long-term investment rather than a get-rich-quick scheme. The chances are that you won’t get much money for the first few months, but it’s still worth persevering. Make sure that your images are of the best quality and are of subjects that buyers want. Keep uploading new images and you can make some significant cash. Making a living from stock photography is possible, but requires plenty of time, effort and dedication, and really understanding the requirements of image buyers.
While it could only take a weekend to submit your first images, once started you’ll need to set aside around one evening per week to upload new images and keyword them. You will also need to be shooting new images to keep your submissions fresh. You may already be shooting new images every week or two, but if you are shooting specifically for stock this can add another day or two to your photography schedule. When you start submitting your photos to stock libraries the initial returns will be pretty small. With microstock sites you will typically get a few pence per image sale, so you need plenty of sales to make any significant cash. With rights-managed images you can make more per individual sale, but the volume of sales will be much lower. So, if you only have a few images on a stock site you will be lucky to make a few pounds per month, especially with microstock sites. The returns can become significant once you have a good selection of hundreds – or even thousands – of high-quality, saleable images uploaded.