iStockphoto

blaze_away

blaze_away

Suspended / Banned
Messages
195
Name
Frank Wilson
Edit My Images
Yes
I am considering selling stock images via iStockphoto.

Anyone got any experience of them ?
 
If you like selling your photos for a few pence each then I'm sure it's ideal.

However, unless you have thousands of images online and you sell plenty then I doubt you'll ever see a penny as they have quite a high pay out level in comparison to the pay levels.

Personally I'd avoid microstock
 
I've set an account up but not submitted any pics to iStock yet.

I think the Microstock sites are a potentially lucrative source of income for us and I am very keen to submit to as many as I can. But I believe it will take a lot of work before you will see any significant returns.

One thing you need to watch is the fact that some site require you to build a cash balance of say $100 before you can withdraw you money. With images selling for a couple of dollars and you receiving say 30c per sale, that can take a long, long time.

You may find this site of some use for your research:

http://microstockinsider.com/front

They seem to have a view on lots of sites and you may find it interesting.
 
SimonTALM said:
If you like selling your photos for a few pence each then I'm sure it's ideal.

However, unless you have thousands of images online and you sell plenty then I doubt you'll ever see a penny as they have quite a high pay out level in comparison to the pay levels.

Personally I'd avoid microstock
Click to expand...

You are right, but if you can build up a good number of images (and with digital this is easier and cheaper to do than ever) it is possible to have a welcome little (and hopefully increasing) income ticking over in the background.

You can up-load your images to several sites and have your images available for people to buy 24 hours a day all over the planet. I'm sure there is a way.
 
Badger UK said:
You are right, but if you can build up a good number of images (and with digital this is easier and cheaper to do than ever) it is possible to have a welcome little (and hopefully increasing) income ticking over in the background.

You can up-load your images to several sites and have your images available for people to buy 24 hours a day all over the planet. I'm sure there is a way.
Click to expand...

But you can do with most normal stock sites (e.g. Alamy) too and they pay better.

I suppose each to their own and perhaps I've not yet seen the benfits for photographers from Microstock (I can see there are clear ones for the operators and the end customer, perhaps I should look harder)
 
The only constant in life is "change", the way people (designers) buy images is changing, you can fight it, but the market will win in the end, so you have to make a choice, walkaway or go with it. I don't want to walk so I'm looking at joining in.

Great comments guys, thanks for the input
 
deanlewis said:
I have used them, got 3 pics listed, and got $8 in my account lol!!

I minght put a few more on if I have a sucessfull safari next month

Dean
Click to expand...

$8 wow, that should be enough to put a deposit on a new lens cloth !!:lol:
 
I think I may have an idea. I'll PM Marcel on the morrow see what he thinks.
 
Badger UK said:
I've set an account up but not submitted any pics to iStock yet.

I think the Microstock sites are a potentially lucrative source of income for us and I am very keen to submit to as many as I can. But I believe it will take a lot of work before you will see any significant returns.

One thing you need to watch is the fact that some site require you to build a cash balance of say $100 before you can withdraw you money. With images selling for a couple of dollars and you receiving say 30c per sale, that can take a long, long time.

You may find this site of some use for your research:

http://microstockinsider.com/front

They seem to have a view on lots of sites and you may find it interesting.
Click to expand...

Not only does Badger have a point with the $100, but you've got to ask yourself another question. What protection is istock going to give you with regard to image theft?

If someone steals your images will istock go after them? If not then you might as well post them on your website with a big FREE Download link at the top.

I recently caught a guy selling website templates with watermarked Istock images in them and reported him. This was 2+months ago.

Test question: Is the guy still in business or did Istock shut him down?

Answer: The guy is still in business.

Which leads me to believe that Istock isn't very aggressive when it comes to protecting their own. You would think they'd want to make an example of this guy.

I went as far as to make some videos that clearly show what this guy did and I still haven't heard anything from istock. This guy is not only in business but he did it again, AND he's in Canada which is very accessible to istock. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

http://www.youtube.com/user/istockphotopirate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEOHg5QRCwQ&feature=channel_page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=badYXRybXnM
 
I have sold some of my work at iStockphoto and I've a good experience. Not only for selling point of view iStockphoto is really good for buying. Last week, I bought photos from it at 10% discount because I used iStockphoto coupon code.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top