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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: melastmohican on April 18, 2008, 13:32

Title: Critical Mass
Post by: melastmohican on April 18, 2008, 13:32
I got 1 download after one month on FT with 80 pictures accepted and 94 on SS with 162 images and it's quite funny 2 downloads on 123RF with 400 images accepted.
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: sharply_done on April 18, 2008, 13:36
Ack - those are very low numbers!
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: helix7 on April 18, 2008, 15:12
What's this thread about?
 ???

Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on April 18, 2008, 16:33
And?  ???  ???  ???
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: melastmohican on April 18, 2008, 17:50
I am just asking what is a critical mass for newbie. I haven't seem many downloads so far...
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: madelaide on April 18, 2008, 18:44
I have no idea, and possibly these numbers change as the portfolios expands.  I mean, IS didn't have 1,000,000 images when I started, now they have 3,000,000, so I think that 10 images today are less likely to be noticed than 2 years ago.  Still, I have about 220 images in IS and 260 in DT, and yet I have nice earnings despite not having an awesome portfolio (and certainly no smiling-young-business-people images).

Regards,
Adelaide
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: sharply_done on April 18, 2008, 18:52
If by 'critical mass' you mean that your sales will begin to increase once you have 'enough' images online, this does not exist. Your photos will sell according to the demand for their subject and the quality of the image.

There are things you can do to give yourself a 'leg up', but if an image isn't as good as or better than its competition it just isn't going to earn anything significant.
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on April 18, 2008, 19:29
I agree with what sharply said. Plus, looking at your 10 images on IS, they are either sunsets or flowers. These are two categories with a gazillion images out there already and not what I would call huge general demand. There may be demand but buyers need to find you in the haystack of the other ton of images.
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: maco0708 on April 18, 2008, 19:44
I agree with what sharply said. Plus, looking at your 10 images on IS, they are either sunsets or flowers. These are two categories with a gazillion images out there already and not what I would call huge general demand. There may be demand but buyers need to find you in the haystack of the other ton of images.

I have to say that I have decent success with flowers. They certainly don't get into the flames but $5 a year is possible (which makes it worthwhile for me).  And it is sooooo much fun to go to the arboretum in the morning and shoot some pictures while my girlfriend is reading a book at the bench.
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: melastmohican on April 18, 2008, 20:07
@Paulie: Judging by my IS portfolio is wrong. Building portfolio there will be long and painful even if I got 10 different categories it would take months to have many pictures there :-)
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on April 18, 2008, 21:31
I have to say that I have decent success with flowers. They certainly don't get into the flames but $5 a year is possible (which makes it worthwhile for me).  And it is sooooo much fun to go to the arboretum in the morning and shoot some pictures while my girlfriend is reading a book at the bench.
Like I said, there may be demand, but not much. $5 a year? Yeech. That kind of proves my point. You may make something with flowers but don;t expect much.
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on April 18, 2008, 21:34
@Paulie: Judging by my IS portfolio is wrong. Building portfolio there will be long and painful even if I got 10 different categories it would take months to have many pictures there :-)
It may be long and painful but IS alone makes up 75% of my earnings out of 10 sites. The pain is worth it.
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: michealo on April 19, 2008, 03:54
Maybe this is way put there - but maybe putting the keyword flower on a picture of a flower might actually help a buyer find it ...
Title: Re: Critical Mass
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on April 19, 2008, 04:55
Good point. A picture of a flower without "flower" as a keyword but somehow mountain, hike, and house made the list.  ???