Author Topic: Do you like your bestsellers? (Read 4971 times)

Perry · « **on:** April 02, 2012, 10:15 »

Of course we all like images that sells well. But do you sometimes feel that the bestsellers are junk and you have much better images that doesn't sell that well in your portfolio?

Or are you lucky and the images you think are your best also sells?

mtilghma · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2012, 10:31 »

Cool question. Don't know if you wanted examples or not, but I'm an open book so feel like giving them. At almost all sites, my four bestsellers are some combination of the following four. I really like two, and then kinda-but-not-so-much like the other two. They are just boring backgrounds, but I can see why theyre useful.

The ones I like:

The ones I think are pretty meh:

And then here's another that I just switched from RM to RF because it hadn't sold and wasnt getting many views. It's creeped up to #5 at SS, but it could be temporary because it's such a new file. I'm hoping it's not temporary and that it continues it's push, because I really like it

wut · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2012, 11:02 »

I mostly don't shoot what I like, stock photography is pretty boring and sadly, cheesy and fake stuff still sells best. But when I look at my bestsellers and am aware of all the restrictions, I have to say, I like most of them. Surprisingly

rubyroo · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2012, 11:25 »

I'm pleased to say that my bestsellers are faves of mine too. They were images I took a particularly long time over, and I'm delighted that the buyers have made that effort worthwhile

tab62 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 02, 2012, 11:38 »

My best sellers have been by luck- I usually spend less than a few minutes on that photo session and goofing off - maybe I am more creative while in the goof off mode compared to when I plan a photo session lol! My three best sellers took less than five minutes to prepare and I didn't even realize I had a gem...

Tom

cthoman · « **Reply #5 on:** April 02, 2012, 11:47 »

I'm sure this is blasphemy, but I really don't pay that much attention to what's selling anymore.

sgoodwin4813 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 02, 2012, 12:38 »

I mostly like mine. Have a couple that I thought were boring but sold well and some that I thought were great but buyers mostly ignored. Still have difficulty predicting what will sell.

stockmarketer · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2012, 12:50 »

This is something I've thought about a good deal. For a long time, I found that the pics I spent the most time planning, executing and processing to get just perfect are the ones that don't get downloaded much. I've actually learned from this... if I want to please myself, that's fine, but it won't make me much money. I should be prepared to just be satisfied with thinking I did a good job. But if the goal is to make money, I have to first consider what will actually sell. Often that means simpler, uncluttered with detail, and must include an obvious concept or message that slaps you across the face. Pics that adhere to this formula are always my best sellers, but I'm least proud of them artistically.

The challenge for me lately has been sticking by those rules in a way that I also find creatively pleasing. I've had a few pics recently that met both goals... this is constantly a learning process.

Perry · « **Reply #8 on:** April 02, 2012, 14:47 »

I have some images that I put a lot of work and effort to, and had a very good feeling about the images "These will sell, I'm sure!". Some of them sells well, a couple of them are bestsellers. These couple of images are the bestsellers I like the most. Too bad some of these images has very low sales, makes me wonder If the effort was worth it.

I have a couple of bestsellers that was just goofing around with camera and props. I'm glad that these creative shots sell, but in the same time I'm a bit sad that the "serious" shots I did during the same shoot have not sold as many times. Some of these "goofy" shots almost didn't get uploaded because I thought they were too weird. I'm glad I uploaded them

I have also a couple of "boring" textures that keep on selling. I think I have much better textures in my portfolio, but these keep on selling, they must possess some magical quality over the competition...

I have a couple of bestsellers that cover a niche. I'm glad I have those images.

I have one image that is a photoshopped combination of several images. I did it already in 2006. I think the work quality is a bit sub-par measured in today's standards, and the image is resized to only 4 mpix. Yet it sells, sells, sells, sells... I could easily fix the image and re-upload a bigger version, but I'm sure sales would be disasterous. I like the money this image brings, but I get a nasty feeling in my stomach every time I someone has downloaded this image (It happens daily...)

gostwyck · « **Reply #9 on:** April 02, 2012, 17:30 »

I guess this ultimately comes down to whether you approach your work as an 'artist' or as a 'technician'. A true artist creates what he whats to create without compromise to commercial interests such as how long it takes and how much it costs. A technician is working to generate as much commercial value whilst minimising risk and unnecessary expenditure on time and resources.

Personally I'm in the latter camp, like the vast majority of those who live off their microstock income. I love my best-selling images much more than any others, irrespective of their artistic merit. I long ago gave up spending countless hours travelling to distant places and waiting for the light and extraordinary conditions. That's now a luxury that would need to be subsidised by the more mundane (but far more commercial) stuff done in the studio.

I still enjoy my photography but in a very different way to how I did before I got into microstock. Nowadays it is the challenge of creating a commercially successful image, in today's crowded marketplace, that I find more satisfying than capturing an interesting landscape.

wut · « **Reply #10 on:** April 02, 2012, 18:23 »

Quote from: gostwyck on April 02, 2012, 17:30

I still enjoy my photography but in a very different way to how I did before I got into microstock. Nowadays it is the challenge of creating a commercially successful image, in today's crowded marketplace, that I find more satisfying than capturing an interesting landscape.

Exactly, getting the best out of a boring scene. I feel pretty good about myself when a boring business shoot etc, comes out a bit different than most MS shots. Well that's not exactly it (not in sync with what you wrote), but that's what I usually find most satisfying. Getting the best of both worlds in a way and learning something new in the process (because you're forced to do something you'd normally, by that I mean if there were no restrictions in making a photo commercially successful, not do)

cascoly · « **Reply #11 on:** April 02, 2012, 18:49 »

firstly, i'm not really sure what my best sellers are since many sites make it difficult to do a listing by sales.

but for those that do, i'm usually surprised by what sells [traffic jam in buenos aires, 'fresh fish' isolation of asign from pike place market]

i do stock because i enjoy travel, first, and photography. i take pictures i think willsell, but am constantly surprised, but my basic philosophy is whatever works.

pancaketom · « **Reply #12 on:** April 02, 2012, 20:02 »

For the most part yes, I like them, although I am surprised by some grab shots that sell well. A maximum of return for a minimum of effort is always nice. It is the inverse that frustrates me more.

I am frustrated when I have a rather poor low resolution or poorly isolated pic that sells well and I put some time into making it better, or at least w/ a better camera and better isolation and then "new and improved" version never sells.

There are also lots of pics I quite like that never sell.

heywoody · « **Reply #13 on:** April 03, 2012, 06:25 »

As a hobbiest, I don't like the fact that lazy ass testing a model isolations / components for the real picture often do better than the versions that entail effort but I like the very best sellers well enough.

grp_photo · « **Reply #14 on:** April 03, 2012, 06:39 »

Quote from: cthoman on April 02, 2012, 11:47

I'm sure this is blasphemy, but I really don't pay that much attention to what's selling anymore.

+1

tab62 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:08 »

The old sayin' -"Never mess with the Original' seems so true...

wut · « **Reply #16 on:** April 03, 2012, 09:56 »

Quote from: tab62 on April 03, 2012, 09:08

The old sayin' -"Never mess with the Original' seems so true...

Indeed, I tried to copy one of my photos that sells well, almost is a bestseller and failed to even resemble the original

. It was just accepted at SS and already sold, so it still has a chance...

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Author Topic: Do you like your bestsellers? (Read 4971 times)

Perry

mtilghma

wut

rubyroo

tab62

cthoman

sgoodwin4813

stockmarketer

Perry

gostwyck

wut

cascoly

pancaketom

heywoody

grp_photo

tab62

wut

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