Author Topic: 2014: your image market predictions & personal resolutions ? (Read 19901 times)

bunhill · « **on:** December 20, 2013, 07:25 »

What will happen and how are you planning to take your work forward ?

Monkeyman · « **Reply #1 on:** December 20, 2013, 08:26 »

It seems to me like we've passed the peak in this business. Yuri wrote a blog post a while back about how much less he makes per image nowadays than during the golden days, and other top sellers (and medium and low sellers too, for that matter) seem to be reporting decreasing sales.

I only create vectors and I've noticed that I have to spend a lot more time on a vector nowadays to make it stand out, and yet there's no guarantee that it will sell very well. So I'm slowly getting more and more bored with this business. Why spend ten hours on a vector that hardly sells at all?

I don't think the microstock industry will die but I can't see how it would be possible for the contributors to make more money or even stay on the same level, when competition just gets tougher every day. So my resolution for the new year will probably be to find another job.

ShadySue · « **Reply #2 on:** December 20, 2013, 08:29 »

Quote from: bunhill on December 20, 2013, 07:25

What will happen and how are you planning to take your work forward ?

You go ~~first~~ second.

tickstock · « **Reply #3 on:** December 20, 2013, 08:41 »

Curvabezier · « **Reply #4 on:** December 20, 2013, 08:49 »

Learn a lot about SEO with self-hosting and keep on drawing.
I agree, the peak has passed, but Im also convinced microstock will still make sense for dedicated contributors.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #5 on:** December 20, 2013, 09:13 »

Quote from: tickstock on December 20, 2013, 08:41

Diversify. That's my word of the year.

Yep, same here.

I haven't been spending much time on microstock lately. I've seen excellent growth every year until 2013 where growth totally stalled.

2014 will be spending more time on my own site, shifting to macro to see if there's any life left in it, and experimenting with artwork and other non-stock channels.

bunhill · « **Reply #6 on:** December 20, 2013, 09:41 »

Quote from: ShadySue on December 20, 2013, 08:29

You go ~~first~~ second.

OK: I think Symbiostock has the potential to be one of the biggest stories in 2014. I am not part of it but can see that it is a big achievement already. I could definitely see groups emerging from within it and forming their own mini-agencies whilst still being in some ways part of the wider project as a whole. I would expect to see some big 'players' joining which should give it a boost. Maybe even subscriptions. It needs to be a much more unified customer experience like an agency - but I have no doubt that will gradually happen and especially within smaller groups.

Personally - Alamy RM and Airbnb is becoming a big part of my life. And much smaller cameras - since I like to be able to travel with only carry-on luggage.

Ron · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2013, 14:31 »

In 2014 I am going to focus on my new freelance service in cooperation with a project called TripShooter. They accepted me as one of their in house photographers. You go on holidays in Dublin or another famous city in Europe and you can hire our services, pick your photographer available in that city, and we will eternalize your trip and the best part is, you will be in the photos this time! They liked my snapshots, my style matched with their objective. New opportunities.

melastmohican · « **Reply #8 on:** December 20, 2013, 14:53 »

1. Submit only to few sites that generate enough sales for regular payouts.
2. Learn more about video, experiment more with video (I am happy I sold a video at SS today ;-) )
3. Take it easy and shoot what I like :-)

heywoody · « **Reply #9 on:** December 20, 2013, 17:56 »

Keep it as a self-financing hobby while remembering that a day's MS income is approximately 5 minutes income from the day job, i.e. don't forget where the actual money comes from.

Lev · « **Reply #10 on:** December 20, 2013, 18:08 »

2014 will be amazing.

we are planning to triple our income comparing to 2013.

wordplanet · « **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2013, 18:58 »

More than tripled my stock photography income this year and hope to do even better in 2014 since I was not able to put the time into it that I would have liked in 2013.

1. I'm still seeing good growth in my microstock portfolio so I plan to increase my files on the various micro sites that are earning for me.
2. My income on Alamy dropped this year which was a big disappointment and I'm hoping to find other outlets for my RM work, though I will still contribute to Alamy.
3. Best licensing fees are coming from direct editorial licensing of my stock so I plan to approach more publishers and increase my income from those sources. I'm also putting together larger lightboxes of images for the publishers I'm working with now, hoping my income from those existing clients will increase as well. I think my direct marketing efforts are paying off better than my more general marketing efforts on various social media sites, so I will spend more time on the former and less on the later, though I still plan to stay fairly active on twitter, etc and also hope I'll finally find the time to really work on my blog.
4. Also hoping to show more of my work in galleries as that was a good income source for me this year and I'm hopeful it will be even better in 2014. Along those same lines, my income from Fine Art America is growing and I plan to keep uploading work there.
5. Of course, I also plan to keep taking on regular photography and writing assignments - both editorial and corporate/commercial.[/li][/list]

Best of luck to all and happy new year!

Red Dove · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2013, 19:07 »

2013 was my most successful year since starting out in 2009. Microstock is about 35% of my income, the rest comes from from other self employment (non photography) but the plan is to turn photography/design into 50% or more of my income in 2014 which would allow me to spend more time with the family.

The market is unpredictable....I haven't read an accurate assessment from anybody on here, in a blog or in the press in five years...so I won't even go there.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2013, 19:09 »

Quote from: dolgachov on December 20, 2013, 18:08

2014 will be amazing.

we are planning to triple our income comparing to 2013.

how do you know the next year sales? crystal ball?

edited: you guys can hide this post but I haven't said anything stupid, how can anyone know if agencies will maintain/lower royalties or even some closing doors or dramatic changing in terms of searches or lowering marketing or approving different content? I can only understand "triple income" statements if there is inside info regarding future earnings, yes I mean deals

Shelma1 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 20, 2013, 19:40 »

I plan to do more drawing and uploading to really increase my portfolios, and less time working in ad agencies. I'm hoping to transition to illustration full time within the next two years. Then I'll move to a nice, warm climate.

Goofy · « **Reply #15 on:** December 20, 2013, 19:44 »

at my level all I have do is submit more and pray...

stocked · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2013, 04:38 »

Quote from: dolgachov on December 20, 2013, 18:08

2014 will be amazing.

we are planning to triple our income comparing to 2013.

you go exclusive?

ShadySue · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2013, 05:28 »

Quote from: stocked on December 21, 2013, 04:38

Quote from: dolgachov on December 20, 2013, 18:08
2014 will be amazing.

we are planning to triple our income comparing to 2013.
you go exclusive?

Nowadays, that's no guarantee of anything.

stocked · « **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2013, 05:58 »

Quote from: ShadySue on December 21, 2013, 05:28

Quote from: stocked on December 21, 2013, 04:38
Quote from: dolgachov on December 20, 2013, 18:08
2014 will be amazing.

we are planning to triple our income comparing to 2013.
you go exclusive?

Nowadays, that's no guarantee of anything.

Therefore the

Pauws99 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 21, 2013, 07:35 »

Work harder and smarter and concentrate on what I can control

Beppe Grillo · « **Reply #20 on:** December 21, 2013, 10:45 »

If I will not make better in 2014 I surely suicide…

Freedom · « **Reply #21 on:** December 21, 2013, 10:57 »

Quote from: Pauws99 on December 21, 2013, 07:35

Work harder and smarter and concentrate on what I can control

+1

stockastic · « **Reply #22 on:** December 21, 2013, 16:01 »

In 2014, microstock's downward spiral will only accelerate. Small agencies that offer fair deals but can't make sales will disappear. The big agencies will announce nothing except more great "deals" like IS/Google and SS/FB, in which the agencies keep all the real money - in the form of upfront fees - while offering pitiful token returns to contributors. Contributors will respond by telling each other that it "sounds like a good deal."

The SS/FB deal was the final straw for me: I say we've seen the future, and it's 35 cents. So I'm not doing any more photos specifically for microstock. I've sold a few prints on FAA and from now on, the only photos I do will be things I actually like and intend to offer through FAA or other "art" channels. I might also put them on a couple of micro sites - if they're lucky - but I'm done thinking about microstock as a goal in itself.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 21, 2013, 16:26 »

Wheres the evidence of this downward spiral?

Batman · « **Reply #24 on:** December 21, 2013, 17:56 »

Quote from: Freedom on December 21, 2013, 10:57

Quote from: Pauws99 on December 21, 2013, 07:35
Work harder and smarter and concentrate on what I can control

+1

Make Symbiostock the new place to grow. Old will go level and not grow more, small will fall and fail more.

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Author Topic: 2014: your image market predictions & personal resolutions ? (Read 19901 times)

bunhill

Monkeyman

ShadySue

tickstock

Curvabezier

PaulieWalnuts

bunhill

Ron

melastmohican

heywoody

Lev

wordplanet

Red Dove

luissantos84

Shelma1

Goofy

stocked

ShadySue

stocked

Pauws99

Beppe Grillo

Freedom

stockastic

Pauws99

Batman

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