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Author Topic: 2010 Microstock goals  (Read 16544 times)

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« on: December 22, 2009, 03:34 »
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What are you 2010 microstock goals / or new years microstock resolutions?

And for interests sake, here is the 2009 and 2008 thread
2009 microstock goals
2008 microstock goals


Xalanx

« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2009, 04:07 »
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Microstock full time, quit my day job. It will most certainly happen in 2010.

« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2009, 04:14 »
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Make more money from SS, DT and FT  ;D

« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2009, 04:34 »
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for me

upload more video ... get over 200 hundred online (or maybe 500 if I am ambitious)

I would like to reach 10,000 uploads but I am afraid that may be a bit too high of a goal, but 8000 would be a happy middle ground.

grp_photo

« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2009, 05:01 »
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My goal is to bail-out of microstock completely but this will be step by step and not completed in 2010

« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2009, 05:57 »
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My goals for 2010 (ambitious version):

- Improve quality and diversity (more macros, some business concepts, more portraits)
- 1000 images online
- 300$ a month
- Start doing videos
- Reach exclusivity level on ISP (just in case in the future I dont have time to submit everywhere)
- Get accepted at Getty via Flickr

Extra photography:
- Go back to UK as Technical Director of another important IP

« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2009, 07:15 »
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Thanks for the question. Made me take a pause from Capture One/Photoshop and think ahead. Proactivity is indeed key to succes :)

Of the top of my head my goals for 2010 are:

In terms of quality:

- produce more authentic looking images
- be innovative in terms of angles and composition - experiment more
- improve my eye for styling - more research beforehand and awareness on set
- create highly conceptual great stuff for the bercool VETTA-collection
- seek more advise and inspiration from senior micro shooters
- be helpful and kind to junior shooters (don't worry I will also be kind to you seniors out there :)
- become experienced in new ways of lighting plus refine my present techniques
- unlock even more of the potential of Capture One Pro and Photoshop
- optimize administration and communication between myself and my employees
- be even more appreciative for this great niche of photography on an everyday basis - its a great way to make a living ... makes me feel free as a bird (maybe like a peacock or a green parrot)

In terms of quantity:

- achieve Diamond by the 23rd of February 2010. Go buyers, go, go, go!!!
- max my upload limit on iStock all year. That means I should produce 700 images until 23rd of Feb (7 x 100 per week). And thereafter 5.625 to max out for the rest of the year (43 weeks @125 images per week). Presently I'm good until about June/July.
- attend 3 seminars on lighting. 1 planned 2 to go
- get into stock video
- get into macro photography (making small things appear big ... not traditional stock ;)
- get a bit into food photography (mainly because I'm writing a cookbook about Ekadasi, an ancient Indian vegetarian tradition)
- make enough money to equal out my present investments into microstock

I love reading others goals as that makes me reflect further. One of my teachers always says that one should know a little about everything and a lot about a few things. I want to know a lot about stock photography and this forum does a great job in doing just that; creating a space for learning.
Thanks!

Yours,
laflor

- "No one ever became poor by giving", Anne Frank

« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2009, 07:25 »
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"make enough money to equal out my present investments into microstock"

I would concentrate on that.  If you're running in the red, something is going wrong.

Here's what I wrote in the iStock thread:
More location shoots.
More content to Vetta.
Keep on 2000 images a year track.
Investigate other video sales sites.
More lens flares and blown out backgrounds to approximate trendy P&S flickr look.
Eat less cheese.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2009, 07:35 by sjlocke »

« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2009, 07:38 »
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 My goal is an increase in earnings, despite uploading less than 50 images next year  :)

« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2009, 07:45 »
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To get back to taking pictures that I enjoy and having fun with photography.

« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2009, 08:02 »
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My goals would be:

- Double size of current port (uploading at least 2 pics a day)
- Maintain current RPI (by adding diverse new topics so I don't cannibalize my existing pics)
- Double overall income
- Keep having fun!

« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2009, 08:25 »
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"make enough money to equal out my present investments into microstock"

I would concentrate on that.  If you're running in the red, something is going wrong.

Fortunately that is not the case. I have a substantial amount of money invested in camera and lighting gear, models fees, location fees, styling, assistants, transportation, studio etc. That needs to be taken care of while I'm making a living at the same time. As mentioned I have more than 4.000 images waiting to go online, so that is where my money sits right now.

If my overall investment is returned within 2 years of startup then that is best case scenario (that would be ultimo 2010). Any qualified business school professor will clap his hands with this scenario. As things look right now this goal can be achieved, meaning I will have about 8000 images on iStock and close to zero "dept" ultimo 2010. You may be there already Sean, but again you also started in 2004 where everything you uploaded caught on like wildfire. That is not a "normal" business structure, its like Walt's EPCOT. Point being that it takes more patience and higher quality (meaning good styling, models, locations etc.) to make it big in microstock now. The only reason why Yuri is still growing is because he has madly improved the before mentioned factors. He can only upload I think it is 35 images a week on iStock, but still he is the second best selling artist. Why is that? Well because his quality is significantly higher than everyone below him who can upload 100+ images every week. Isn't it Sean? Please don't take offense. I think you produce great art, but Yuri really excels. You, Lise and the other rulers of iStock can only maintain your positions if you keep on uploading the high standard art you are presently uploading. It simply takes more to achieve the same result anno '09.

Concerning the utopia of 2004+ it seems that now with the new deal for exclusives on iStock the RPI will increase with at least 40-50 percent next year. That sort of pulls us back a few years in time. Don't you think Sean? You must benefit greatly :)

Kind regards,
laflor

laflor

« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2009, 09:25 »
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To buy Getty.  ;D

lisafx

« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2009, 09:48 »
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Get a new house (while they're cheap) with a lot more studio space.


gbcimages

« Reply #15 on: December 22, 2009, 10:39 »
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To continue on and be thankful for what do make :)

« Reply #16 on: December 22, 2009, 10:44 »
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To be richer than my wildest dreams  ;)


« Reply #17 on: December 22, 2009, 10:50 »
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Upload more images per week, generate more sales per month, surpass 2009.

« Reply #18 on: December 22, 2009, 11:06 »
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uploading 300 picture a month
adding vector
adding video
more business concept photo
buy new gear
$2000/month

that's for 2010

WarrenPrice

« Reply #19 on: December 22, 2009, 11:20 »
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A payout from BigStock. ::)

« Reply #20 on: December 22, 2009, 12:26 »
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If my overall investment is returned within 2 years of startup then that is best case scenario (that would be ultimo 2010). Any qualified business school professor will clap his hands with this scenario.

Not sure that this works so well with short shelf-life products. In my experience most microstock images have an earnings 'half-life' of about one year __ that is to say they will about earn half the amount in Year 2 as they did in Year 1 ... and so on. If the image is really unique and difficult for others to replicate then it can go on and on but this is the exception rather than the rule.

You may be there already Sean, but again you also started in 2004 where everything you uploaded caught on like wildfire. That is not a "normal" business structure, its like Walt's EPCOT. Point being that it takes more patience and higher quality (meaning good styling, models, locations etc.) to make it big in microstock now.


To be honest I don't think images actually sold significantly better back then __ yes, there may have been less competition but there were also fewer buyers too. They also generated a lot less money per sale too although the costs of production were approximately the same. It took much longer to achieve payback on a shoot when you averaged 20c per sale


The only reason why Yuri is still growing is because he has madly improved the before mentioned factors. He can only upload I think it is 35 images a week on iStock, but still he is the second best selling artist. Why is that? Well because his quality is significantly higher than everyone below him who can upload 100+ images every week. Isn't it Sean? Please don't take offense. I think you produce great art, but Yuri really excels. You, Lise and the other rulers of iStock can only maintain your positions if you keep on uploading the high standard art you are presently uploading. It simply takes more to achieve the same result anno '09.

Sean might sell a few less images than Yuri but his production costs are a tiny fraction of the latter's. I'd take Sean's business model over Yuri's any day of the week __ it involves less risk, has a faster payback and is much more profitable.


« Reply #21 on: December 22, 2009, 12:36 »
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- 30% growth of uploads, 20% growth of income (or more)
- get my boss to say YES to my request for a part-time job
- be more creative with lighting, especially on location
- have a GREAT photography holiday in France, and may-be another one in Greece
- be proved right in my dispute with Belgian social security (with regard to selling photos) without legal steps
- do less boring shoots, and more fun and creative stuff.
- at the end of 2010 :  buy the perfect photoshop-computer.

« Reply #22 on: December 22, 2009, 12:42 »
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- Find a way to be free of my day job

- upload 1000 images to istock

- upload 400 images to getty

- improve my photoshop skills

- have at least 1 image that was produced for Vetta accepted

- meet more microstockers!

« Reply #23 on: December 22, 2009, 13:05 »
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My goal is to bail-out of microstock completely but this will be step by step and not completed in 2010

This is my ambition for microstock for 2010 as well. I'll likely keep most of my portfolio in place but not add anything to it.

« Reply #24 on: December 22, 2009, 13:25 »
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Hopefully next year goes as well as this year. My goal is to keep growing my portfolio and hit $3000 a month.

« Reply #25 on: December 22, 2009, 13:32 »
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It took much longer to achieve payback on a shoot when you averaged 20c per sale

My first sale was $.10 for a small!  Ouch :)

« Reply #26 on: December 22, 2009, 13:38 »
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My first sale was $.10 for a small!  Ouch :)
Do you have a dime framed on your desk somewhere?  ;D


« Reply #27 on: December 22, 2009, 15:43 »
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1 - Continue to grow my portfolio
2 - Be happy and positive
3 - Help people as much as possible
4 - Get a full-frame body
5 - Learn more about lighting (see #1)
6 - More location shoots (see #1)
7 - Ignore changes in the industry since I can't do anything about them!
8 - Increase my microstock take-home by 40%

« Reply #28 on: December 22, 2009, 15:57 »
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My first sale was $.10 for a small!  Ouch :)
Do you have a dime framed on your desk somewhere?  ;D

Way back then, I spent it on a new piece of flint to light off the flash powder so my black and white film would show the Colonel in a good light.

« Reply #29 on: December 22, 2009, 17:09 »
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Learn to overlight and almost blow out the backgrounds on every shot so that my images will look the same as all the big sellers.

« Reply #30 on: December 22, 2009, 17:33 »
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-Get accepted by SS. (Step 1: get the ID accepted, they declined the first one)
-Reach 1000 $ in overall earnings. (The result for 2009 is more than 200% over the goal we had, hoping for the same result next year)
-Finalize the split between our (my and my husbands) ports (no split between the persons, only affects the copyrights of the pictures :) ).

« Reply #31 on: December 22, 2009, 18:03 »
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My goal is to get steadily over $2,000/month from my "big 5". Now at $1,500 (give or take a hundred), so only a few hundred quality images should be needed.

I also have another goal: $24,000 for the full year at my "big 5".
« Last Edit: December 22, 2009, 18:05 by Perry »

« Reply #32 on: December 22, 2009, 18:14 »
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You may be there already Sean, but again you also started in 2004 where everything you uploaded caught on like wildfire

That's not true. Back in 2004 there were few images at Istock, but the costumer base was also tiny. Selling well wasn't so easy as it seems to imply this comment.

And, on the other hand you seem to imply that diamonds and black diamonds are uploading their full (150/200) quota weekly. That's  miles far from true: For instance, Lise has uploaded just 12 photos the last week... that's 23 less than Yuri's 35.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2009, 18:29 by loop »

« Reply #33 on: December 22, 2009, 19:35 »
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I have such a long way to go :(. I just want to be better in my lighting techniques/take perfectly isolated shots esp and if time permits do some documentary photography of interesting people and subjects/places

$300-500/mo would be nice, and pay for some of my gears, sigh :(


m@m

« Reply #35 on: December 22, 2009, 21:06 »
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Stay healthy and with a positive frame of mind...material and professional gain will follow  ;)

WarrenPrice

« Reply #36 on: December 22, 2009, 21:47 »
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Attitude Adjustment... I'm not a negative person.  I've let little things affect the pure joy of being a photographer.  More smile and fewer frowns.  :-)

Edited ... additionally,
I promise to be less emotional.  I want to concentrate my efforts on taking pictures and avoid running my big mouth.  I'm looking forward to a much more "professional" approach in my 2010 efforts. 

GROUP HUG   ;D
« Last Edit: December 23, 2009, 16:47 by WarrenPrice »


« Reply #37 on: December 23, 2009, 11:00 »
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Since others are posting dollar targets, here's mine... to work up to $4,500/mo which I would hope to hit next Dec.

« Reply #38 on: December 23, 2009, 18:37 »
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More and better photos, another step. That's all.

« Reply #39 on: December 23, 2009, 20:48 »
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Do something.

« Reply #40 on: December 25, 2009, 04:42 »
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I only had low expectations for 2009 in Microstock and did not reach any. I've been (more or less) on creative hiatus since June and barely uploaded any images to any of the agencies. With that being said, I want to keep 2010 goals even lower. My main goal is still to finish my dissertation - photography is gonna come after that. So my goals will be - to have fun shooting pictures in the little spare time I'll have.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #41 on: December 25, 2009, 05:15 »
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Hmm, I met my side of the goals for iStock this year in uploading terms (grew my port by over 50%. Unfortunately, the pics I uploaded weren't what the gazillions of new buyers every month wanted so every month my sales have been well down on last year - Oct-Dec have even been down on the same period in 2007. And despite price rises and Vetta, my $$$ are also well down on '08, even though I didn't turn silver until April last year.
As I don't have models or a studio (and, realistically, virtually no chance of getting either out in the boonies), my only sensible Micro goal would be to become independent, but apart from the very serious time implications, the changed canister goalposts at iStock would make returning if it didn't work out a disappointment (I'd need to wait til 20000 before reaching gold, whereas now I'm grandfathered in at 10000. It's a consideration.)
I guess I have to sit tight, at least until I (hopefully) retire early in around eighteen month's time.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2010, 10:35 by ShadySue »

« Reply #42 on: December 25, 2009, 15:52 »
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« Reply #43 on: December 26, 2009, 15:38 »
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1) Learn how to create vectors
2) Learn how to create videos/sound samplers
3) Work out how to make money out of citizen journalism

Good luck everyone and Happy New Year.

PS. Thanks to those members who have written to me inside and outside of this forum with advice and words of encouragement. Very much appreciated. I hope we'll meet one day.

« Reply #44 on: December 26, 2009, 21:42 »
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A sale on CutCaster.

« Reply #45 on: January 07, 2010, 11:49 »
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Sorry to revive this thread - couldn't get on the site while in Mozambique over Christmas, and MSG seems to be having problems on some ISPs in South Africa too...

Anyhow - read over the goals from last year, and this is how I went-

1. Upload in excess of 20 photos per week (was on track until I pretty much stopped all uploads in about August - more like 10/wk as a result)
2. Learn Spanish to a reasonable conversational level (sort of got there)
3. Travel from Guatemala where I am now, all the way to Tierra el Fuego in Argentina, without jumping on a plane for any part of the trip (got to Argentina, but ended up going to Brazil instead of all the way south... then jumped on a plane to Africa)
4. Do my scuba diving certificate (done)
5. Fund all of the above + my trip back home solely from microstock earnings...(still on target for this - but not home yet...)


So the goals for this year:
1. Double microstock income from last year
2. Set up a base to work from for at least 6 months this year... still deciding where!
3. To make it home to Australia for Christmas.

« Reply #46 on: January 07, 2010, 11:54 »
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kick all your sorry arses in stock photography...
esp those who supported subs, and now are screaming foul
and those who kept their blooming heads in their rear end when we needed to stand up and speak up.

 ;)


« Reply #47 on: January 07, 2010, 13:05 »
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 To take better aerial photos and make more sales in microstock.
Smiling Jack

« Reply #48 on: January 08, 2010, 15:52 »
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sell enough photos  to produce a portfolio and have fun

« Reply #49 on: January 09, 2010, 22:22 »
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I'm a newbie and right now my biggest portfolio is on Fotolia with 4 photos. My goal for 2010 is to get at least 500 photos and vectors in all of my portfolios. I'd also like to be able to get $100 a month by the end of 2010, but don't know if that's a reasonable goal right now or not.  :)

« Reply #50 on: January 11, 2010, 07:37 »
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I want to pass examinations and start the first sales this year  8)

« Reply #51 on: January 11, 2010, 17:42 »
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Goals 2010

1:  Get power supply for computer (check it's on it's way)
2:  Put that Nikon D40 to work for me and get my first photo accepted
3:  Step up my vector game
4:  Make it to payout anywhere
5:  Diversify my portfolio more
6:  Get back online
7:  Upload 10-20 images per week

Hope to get that achieved this year that would be nice :)

« Reply #52 on: January 26, 2010, 09:37 »
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First of all this is my first post here so hello to all.

Goals:
- find time for shooting (can be difficult)
- submit more photos than in 2009 (should not be difficult)
- diversify the photo subjects
- open the photo studio (only if I quit/lose my day job :)).

Good luck to all of you.
Mat
« Last Edit: January 26, 2010, 09:49 by absolut_photos »

« Reply #53 on: January 26, 2010, 09:39 »
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Here's what I wrote in the iStock thread:
More location shoots.
More content to Vetta.
Keep on 2000 images a year track.
Investigate other video sales sites.
More lens flares and blown out backgrounds to approximate trendy P&S flickr look.
Eat less cheese.

I'm already eating less cheese.

« Reply #54 on: January 26, 2010, 10:31 »
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My goals are:

- to upload regulary or constantly
- improve in term of quality
- some new photo gears

...and to get them, we need health, the most important thing to keep in mind.

« Reply #55 on: January 26, 2010, 22:29 »
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Get a new house (while they're cheap) with a lot more studio space.

hope you werent kidding lisafx...  one of my goals too.  now that I've kicked cancers backside, I'm back to looking for land to build..   I did absolutely zip in 09.
will try to build my Alamy port...   micro, focus on IS and SS only.
do a lot more free lance..    8)=tom


 

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