Hey all,

I keep thinking how this stock game is no longer viable as a source of full-time income in most developed countries.

Therefore, I've been thinking about the best way to transition to more lucrative private client work. How have many of you gone about this...sure you can create a portfolio page at SquareSpace or Photoshelter but do you also ever link to you existing stock portfolio?

In addition, would you say that the skills learned creating stock concepts helped out in a wider context? I feel that when I started back in 2012, that the agencies were much more strict with technical reviews that it forced me to improve drastically. These days, that's more difficult as we've seen them let in all sorts of junk.

The above concerns me personally since I'm finally picking up some regular client work in real estate, conferences, events, etc but my true interests lie more in travel and breaking news type work of which I receive no commissioned work, so looking for better ways to pitch myself in those areas. 

Looking forward to a fruitful discussion.

Nope.

Give it time, you will get better. We were all bad at the beginning. 

No, it's even just the opposite.  From 2006 to 2011 I only did stock photography.  Stock shoots with people meant free photo sessions, so my models were paid with images and a photo book.  In 2012 I quit my day job and started a portraiture studio, as I expected stock income to go down eventually.  NONE of my former models EVER came to my studio for a PAID photo session.  The only benefit I had was that I was able to show stock children/baby images on my personal website, to attract parents, but the bulk of my new clients came from offering cheap sessions in the beginning, and moving my pricing up every year.  Today, the studio generates 60% of my income, and 40% stock.  My advice is :  do NOT send potential client a link to your stock sites (they will see the low pricing), but do use your stock images on a personal website, and add a LOT of text to the website AND to every single image, so Google can find you.

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on August 04, 2019, 20:15

Nope.

Give it time, you will get better. We were all bad at the beginning. 

Thanks for making me smile this morning

I was a commercial photographer in the 'good ole daze' from mid-80's through to end-90's. Had a bit of a barren 6 years until an old advertising client asked me to do their Easter and Christmas product brochures and got some work from other clients in the food industry as a result of the work for that client but never had any client work as a result of stock (at Adobe/FT since 2008 and SS since 2012.

I have been asked by the client to ferret out stock photos of backgrounds or subjects that would be too expensive to shoot but haven't had any new clients enquiring about commissions because of my stock work. I must say though that I have absolutely no social media presence and don't even have an Instagram account. I think I would hate being a 'starting' commercial/freelance photographer today. You probably have to find a really small niche for yourself and do it extremely well before clients will consider paying you proper photographer rates.