Been at this since 2007. From what I remember I was expecting a big drop in sales and it never happened. Maybe I was too new or maybe a lot of micro buyers stopped buying but were replaced by macro buyers who were forced to find cheaper options.

Hard to say this time around. A lot of buyers would probably stop buying again but they could be replaced by the people who feel more marketing is needed during a downturn. I'd predict an overall slowdown in sales but not a big drop.

I've diversified a lot since then so I'm hoping that will balance sales out.

With the recession customers could prefer stock photos sites to expensive studios�

I'm not worried about it but....for what it's worth...the effect of the recession pushed more people into trying to sell stock images (which helped put us where we are today).

The reason?  Because just about every web blog out there started publishing posts about how you too can make a few extra dollars by selling photos....

http://frugalbugle.weebly.com/blog/make-money-selling-photos

http://www.my-frugal-money.com/Sell_Stock_Photos_Online.html

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/5-sites-where-you-can-sell-your-photos.html

etc.,etc., etc.

So yeah, if people are pinched for cash, they are going to do what these "frugal" sites recommend...and they're going to try to submit their photos for cash.

Most economists are about as useful as a chocolate toaster - and let us not forget 99.9% of these charlatans were caught with their pants down during the last recession.

Really, such events are so far out of my control I can only make sure I maintain a firm grip on my own income and expenditure and keep shaking things up in my revenue streams.

As the saying goes, economists have predicted five of the last three recessions. That being said, I think the odds are that we will have a recession.

On the topic: I am an illustrator in microstock since 2005. I agree with everyone who said that recession did not adversely affect microstock. Part of the reason may have been that in the recession graphics designers and ad departments looked for ways to cut costs and discovered microstock. Since that can't happen twice, the next recession may not be so kind to us.

Agree. But, they can discover microstock twice. This time even cheaper one  - Dollar photo club, subscription plan for as low as 5 pictures, etc 

Agree. People don't seem to even want to spend $10-$15 on a stock photo, whereas before micro they had to pay $100-$200 a photo. I also think another recession will encourage even more stealing and people using free images.

That's my view also. Every year around Christmas, we hear how things are better, and they interview shoppers who are charging through the holidays based on, predictions that things are getting better. Talk about cons! And the people just spent all kinds of money, based on the promise of good times and better economics.

Watch TV on Black Friday and see how they interview people who have once again been led to believe, things will be better soon, so spend and buy more, Fools! We have been in a slow recovery since 2008.

Since 1928, nine of 14 recessions have begun in the year following a presidential election, far more than then the three that should have occurred randomly.

In other words, 2017 is more likely, which if you are a doom and gloom type, is just around the corner. Oh woe is me. The sky is falling. If you are more optimistic, it's two years in the future, make the best of what we have now.

We havent even recovered from the crash in 2008, a recession now will be a disaster