I've been working with an art director as my partner. The reasons for this are simple. My career has been as an assignment photographer, and stock shooting mainly consisted of out takes from those shoots. To make microstock work, I needed to have a different method of working- that is, generating new images every day without having a layout in front of me. My art director partner is my "idea" person as well as someone to bounce the image back with changes and improvements. I'm good at putting the idea on film, but not as good at coming up with the idea. Also, and this is big- i have a terrible work ethic, and would be just as happy hanging out or goofing around with the "gizmos" rather than actually accomplishing something. My partner shows up, and I have to work. It's really as simple as that. We share the keywording- he does the print, I do the video. As for my wife, she stays as far away from the studio as possible, unless there's a prop she wants to take home.

How will you handle it when you inevitably split up?

A grim thought but a critical one.

My other half and I just keep it simple.  Completely separate ports.  Different styles.  We help each other  with critiques and share new discoveries and tips, but that's about it.

One would assume, (and hope for) a lifelong partnership with a spouse, whereas, if you just team up with Joe Photog down the street, you'll likely be splitting up and arguing about who gets what, within a year.

Not sure if that makes us partners or if he is my glorified assistant (don't tell him!), but whatever it is, it seems to work. 

I think he's probably your glorious assistant 

Thanks for the input, I really enjoy the thoughtful advice many of you offer in this forum. These are good things to think about before I ask this photog friend to join forces. As for the inevitable break up issue, I have no illusions we will work together forever, actually I have a very clear three year goal in mind where we work our as*es off and when the portfolio reaches a certain number (or three years) we split up and continue to earn our passive income from this portfolio for as long as microstock survives. (I am aware that earnings slowly drop on some sites over time if not kept up with like shutterstock), I feel all images created while working together despite whom actually clicked the shutter would simply stay in the communal port and earnings be split 50/50 on a monthly basis.  Am I being naive to think this model could really work smoothly.  Rather than the usual batches of ten I am working with now, perhaps we can be pushed to work in batches of 50 or more if there is someone to trade off duties with, everyone gets keyword fatigue..am I right? I just feel so bogged down and get de-motivated when working alone.  If another persons income were tied to mine we may help motivate each other to keep producing.   I am not looking to do this forever I want to live a content life on 50k a year passive income that is my magic number.   So my simple math (maybe too simple) is that a portfolio of 4167 images will earn me that 50k/year assuming I earn a dollar an image a month across all sites (I really earn a little more than $1 currently and I am not that focused yet).  I realize working with a partner would double that figure to 8334. So that means producing 231 images/month split between two people so we would each effectively be responsible for the energy to create 115 images/month each.  So the real math is if a team of two people can produce 5.2 images per person a day (not counting weekends) straight for three years, you will both secure yourself a minimum 50k income, assuming RPI stays around $1/mth.

Do I have delusions of grandeur or is this really possible, 5 images a day sounds exactly like the workload I want.  

...So my simple math (maybe too simple) is that a portfolio of 4167 images will earn me that 50k/year assuming I earn a dollar an image a month across all sites (I really earn a little more than $1 currently and I am not that focused yet)...  

As they say, the devil's in the details. 4167 isolated objects on white probably won't earn your target; 4167 lifestyle and business stunners which aren't easily copied the minute they become successful, probably could.

How would you feel if "your" images were earning and your partner's weren't but you're splitting income 50/50? How about if your partner doesn't produce the volume of images or of sales. Two of my brothers write music and at one point asked another more established musician about sharing royalties on songs co-written with a partner. Should they have a split based on how much each person contributed to each song; should lyrics count the same as melody, etc. The advice they were given is that the only thing that wouldn't result in endless arguing was a 50/50 split regardless of who did what. And that only works if both are roughly equally committed to the joint enterprise.

I also agree that thinking of a portfolio as a future income stream after you've built it to a certain level is probably not realistic (and will get less realistic if any other sites copy IS's new model that you earn your royalty percentage anew each calendar year).

One would assume, (and hope for) a lifelong partnership with a spouse, whereas, if you just team up with Joe Photog down the street, you'll likely be splitting up and arguing about who gets what, within a year.

   The guy I work with has been my client and friend for 20 years. We have a level of trust and personality fit that is hard to find. To just get someone who happens to be convenient is probably not a good idea, as one or the other will feel as though they are doing all the work. You need an element of trust, especially since everything is changing so much all the time.
And the concept that you can just build up a reserve of " dollar a day" images is a long shot at best.

Hi All,

 My wife and I have been business partners from before we were married, we met in photo school. Opened our first studio 20 years ago and got married 17 years ago. It works great for us but that is because we both love the part we play in the company. She is a great business person and I take the photos. Neither of us would have reached the same success if we hadn't been a team. Well, she probably would have but I certainly wouldn't 

Cheers,
Jonathan