MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: New to Alamy  (Read 8367 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« on: February 14, 2012, 16:17 »
0
I've hinted around this on other threads, but i'd like to just ask this outright....  Is it possible to start with Alamy now and make a living from it?  I understand it takes time, but is it possible for an average photographer like me to make a go of it in say a year or so if i upload a bunch?  (assuming i get accepted, haven't figured out what 4 pix to get to them for initial QC)  Thanks for all the help.  Roger


fritz

  • I love Tom and Jerry music

« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2012, 16:41 »
0
  Is it possible to start with Alamy now and make a living from it? 
Yes, if you have 20000 - 30000  files you can make some decent money for living. Otherwise  ???

« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2012, 16:45 »
0
Hmm. If you're shooting regular stock and want to earn a couple of thousands dollars per month, you'd need about 30-40 thousands images. That's take you a while to shoot and upload. Unless you're a stock genius and can do it with 5,000 images.
I have heard that editorial images sell better on Alamy than regular stock, but I haven't tried that myself yet.

wut

« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2012, 17:30 »
0
Hmm. If you're shooting regular stock and want to earn a couple of thousands dollars per month, you'd need about 30-40 thousands images. That's take you a while to shoot and upload. Unless you're a stock genius and can do it with 5,000 images.
I have heard that editorial images sell better on Alamy than regular stock, but I haven't tried that myself yet.

Why is that so? I mean working with MS agencies you could earn that with 5k as you said easily, even with half of that. If you're a decent tog (not great or even the best) you can easily get a RPI of over 1$ a year. I'm getting around 2 and I'm sure my RPI is not even at 10% of the best togs.

« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2012, 17:46 »
0
Hmm. If you're shooting regular stock and want to earn a couple of thousands dollars per month, you'd need about 30-40 thousands images. That's take you a while to shoot and upload. Unless you're a stock genius and can do it with 5,000 images.
I have heard that editorial images sell better on Alamy than regular stock, but I haven't tried that myself yet.

Why is that so? I mean working with MS agencies you could earn that with 5k as you said easily, even with half of that. If you're a decent tog (not great or even the best) you can easily get a RPI of over 1$ a year. I'm getting around 2 and I'm sure my RPI is not even at 10% of the best togs.

You're getting around 2 what?  do you mean $2 per year per image?   How many sites are your images on? 

wut

« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2012, 18:02 »
0
Hmm. If you're shooting regular stock and want to earn a couple of thousands dollars per month, you'd need about 30-40 thousands images. That's take you a while to shoot and upload. Unless you're a stock genius and can do it with 5,000 images.
I have heard that editorial images sell better on Alamy than regular stock, but I haven't tried that myself yet.

Why is that so? I mean working with MS agencies you could earn that with 5k as you said easily, even with half of that. If you're a decent tog (not great or even the best) you can easily get a RPI of over 1$ a year. I'm getting around 2 and I'm sure my RPI is not even at 10% of the best togs.

You're getting around 2 what?  do you mean $2 per year per image?   How many sites are your images on? 

Yes 2/image. As of late, 9 or so, but it doesn't matter since SS brings in more than half of the dough and apart from a few dozen bucks, the rest is split between the other top 5 sites.

Ed

« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2012, 18:58 »
0
Yes 2/image. As of late, 9 or so, but it doesn't matter since SS brings in more than half of the dough and apart from a few dozen bucks, the rest is split between the other top 5 sites.

$9 per image per year!  Wow!  I don't know of anyone that has a 200 image portfolio that is making $1,800/year....I don't know anyone that has a 3,000 image portfolio that is making $27,000/year on those images alone.

I've hinted around this on other threads, but i'd like to just ask this outright....  Is it possible to start with Alamy now and make a living from it?  I understand it takes time, but is it possible for an average photographer like me to make a go of it in say a year or so if i upload a bunch?  (assuming i get accepted, haven't figured out what 4 pix to get to them for initial QC)  Thanks for all the help.  Roger

At Alamy, most people license one image per month per 1,000 images.  I have about 1,300 images on the site and I am making that average.  Some months, that's $300, other months, it's $70.  Then, you have to wait for those payments to clear.  How many images can you realistically create in "a year or so"?

Hmm. If you're shooting regular stock and want to earn a couple of thousands dollars per month, you'd need about 30-40 thousands images. That's take you a while to shoot and upload. Unless you're a stock genius and can do it with 5,000 images.
I have heard that editorial images sell better on Alamy than regular stock, but I haven't tried that myself yet.

These are words of experience and realistic expectations.

wut

« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2012, 19:41 »
0
Yes 2/image. As of late, 9 or so, but it doesn't matter since SS brings in more than half of the dough and apart from a few dozen bucks, the rest is split between the other top 5 sites.

$9 per image per year!  Wow!  I don't know of anyone that has a 200 image portfolio that is making $1,800/year....I don't know anyone that has a 3,000 image portfolio that is making $27,000/year on those images alone.

You misunderstood, I was replying to his questions one by one (one question=one sentence). So it's 2$/image. But I've also made a mistake, it's 2$/month, not year, which would translate to 24k/year if you have a 1k port. Earning 27k/year off of 3k images doesn't sound all that good to me. It's OK, but not good and not even close to being great. For instance Lise Gagne has 7839 images, yet she sells at least 300k images/year, lets say her RPD is only 4$, that makes it 1,2 mil. Her RPI is just over 153$ (with that very low RPD and only 300k images sold we used for the calculation). It might just as well be 2 or 3 times higher ;) . Now a RPI of 2$/year looks pretty pathetic, doesn't it ;)

Ed

« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2012, 20:46 »
0
Yes 2/image. As of late, 9 or so, but it doesn't matter since SS brings in more than half of the dough and apart from a few dozen bucks, the rest is split between the other top 5 sites.

$9 per image per year!  Wow!  I don't know of anyone that has a 200 image portfolio that is making $1,800/year....I don't know anyone that has a 3,000 image portfolio that is making $27,000/year on those images alone.

You misunderstood, I was replying to his questions one by one (one question=one sentence). So it's 2$/image. But I've also made a mistake, it's 2$/month, not year, which would translate to 24k/year if you have a 1k port. Earning 27k/year off of 3k images doesn't sound all that good to me. It's OK, but not good and not even close to being great. For instance Lise Gagne has 7839 images, yet she sells at least 300k images/year, lets say her RPD is only 4$, that makes it 1,2 mil. Her RPI is just over 153$ (with that very low RPD and only 300k images sold we used for the calculation). It might just as well be 2 or 3 times higher ;) . Now a RPI of 2$/year looks pretty pathetic, doesn't it ;)

That sounds pretty remarkable to me.  $2 per image per month. 

200 images at Shutterstock = $400 per month = $4,800 per year? 
2000 images at Shutterstock = $4000 per month = $48,000 per year?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding again....$24,000 per year on a 1,000 image portfolio = $24 per image per year.

Either way, it all sounds pretty amazing.

wut

« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2012, 04:55 »
0
Yes 2/image. As of late, 9 or so, but it doesn't matter since SS brings in more than half of the dough and apart from a few dozen bucks, the rest is split between the other top 5 sites.

$9 per image per year!  Wow!  I don't know of anyone that has a 200 image portfolio that is making $1,800/year....I don't know anyone that has a 3,000 image portfolio that is making $27,000/year on those images alone.

You misunderstood, I was replying to his questions one by one (one question=one sentence). So it's 2$/image. But I've also made a mistake, it's 2$/month, not year, which would translate to 24k/year if you have a 1k port. Earning 27k/year off of 3k images doesn't sound all that good to me. It's OK, but not good and not even close to being great. For instance Lise Gagne has 7839 images, yet she sells at least 300k images/year, lets say her RPD is only 4$, that makes it 1,2 mil. Her RPI is just over 153$ (with that very low RPD and only 300k images sold we used for the calculation). It might just as well be 2 or 3 times higher ;) . Now a RPI of 2$/year looks pretty pathetic, doesn't it ;)

That sounds pretty remarkable to me.  $2 per image per month. 

200 images at Shutterstock = $400 per month = $4,800 per year? 
2000 images at Shutterstock = $4000 per month = $48,000 per year?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding again....$24,000 per year on a 1,000 image portfolio = $24 per image per year.

Either way, it all sounds pretty amazing.

You got it except for the RPI is for all the agencies not only SS (though I get over a dollar there). I'm sure if you check some RPI threads you'll find 2$/month pretty unremarkable ;)

PaulieWalnuts

  • We Have Exciting News For You
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2012, 05:50 »
0
I've hinted around this on other threads, but i'd like to just ask this outright....  Is it possible to start with Alamy now and make a living from it?  I understand it takes time, but is it possible for an average photographer like me to make a go of it in say a year or so if i upload a bunch?  (assuming i get accepted, haven't figured out what 4 pix to get to them for initial QC)  Thanks for all the help.  Roger

As some of the others have said, Alamy seems to average about $1 per image per year. So if you need to make $50,000 per year you would need around 50,000 images.

Some people do better, some worse, but $1 PIPY is what I've seen most often.

« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2012, 08:16 »
0
I can do 50,000 images......  might take me 25 years, but....   

wut

« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2012, 11:17 »
0
I don't know if it's even worth it anymore, check out this pathetic sale and to make it even more absurd this is the gross price: 14 February 2012    Novel use    Novel Use Scheme 1
   $ 1.00

It takes at least 10x more time to upload and edit a photo and than they mock you with such sales at a macro site. 60c, that's just unbelievable...They've put me off of ULing for a while and if I won't earn at least as much as at FT and DT, forever

fritz

  • I love Tom and Jerry music

« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2012, 11:32 »
0
Lucky me ;D. Sold today 3 files Novel Use Scheme for 1$

« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2012, 12:15 »
0
I don't know if it's even worth it anymore, check out this pathetic sale and to make it even more absurd this is the gross price: 14 February 2012    Novel use    Novel Use Scheme 1
   $ 1.00

It takes at least 10x more time to upload and edit a photo and than they mock you with such sales at a macro site. 60c, that's just unbelievable...They've put me off of ULing for a while and if I won't earn at least as much as at FT and DT, forever

actually its 50

RT


« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2012, 12:54 »
0
I've hinted around this on other threads, but i'd like to just ask this outright....  Is it possible to start with Alamy now and make a living from it?  I understand it takes time, but is it possible for an average photographer like me to make a go of it in say a year or so if i upload a bunch?  (assuming i get accepted, haven't figured out what 4 pix to get to them for initial QC)  Thanks for all the help.  Roger

In which case the answer would be - no.

No offence intended personally, I'd say you could start with any agency and make a living from it with less than 1000 images, but those images would have to be brilliant and targeted, if you're not even sure what to send in for the initial assessment my advice would be not to give up your day job.

« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2012, 14:46 »
0
I've hinted around this on other threads, but i'd like to just ask this outright....  Is it possible to start with Alamy now and make a living from it?  I understand it takes time, but is it possible for an average photographer like me to make a go of it in say a year or so if i upload a bunch?  (assuming i get accepted, haven't figured out what 4 pix to get to them for initial QC)  Thanks for all the help.  Roger

In which case the answer would be - no.

No offence intended personally, I'd say you could start with any agency and make a living from it with less than 1000 images, but those images would have to be brilliant and targeted, if you're not even sure what to send in for the initial assessment my advice would be not to give up your day job.

no offense taken.   I really would like this to be my day job, but i have no illusions of grandeur.   I'm a decent photog, but i don't know that my work is good enough technically.    I do think that i might try.....


 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
10 Replies
9450 Views
Last post April 28, 2006, 07:14
by leaf
5 Replies
5620 Views
Last post November 27, 2007, 09:50
by RT
3 Replies
5404 Views
Last post February 25, 2008, 14:21
by ParisEye
2 Replies
5443 Views
Last post July 29, 2008, 05:38
by john.59
1 Replies
4747 Views
Last post February 27, 2019, 13:32
by serhii435

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors