Author Topic: I quit microstock and you can too! (Read 26865 times)

PROStalkFatagopher · « **on:** October 17, 2015, 06:00 »

I did it! I pulled all of my ports. No complaining about getting screwed over by these thieves. I will not be give my work out for free (that's sure how it feels) any longer.

JPSDK · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2015, 06:19 »

Congratulations.

anathaya · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2015, 06:32 »

Quote from: PROStalkFatagopher on October 17, 2015, 06:00

I did it! I pulled all of my ports. No complaining about getting screwed over by these thieves. I will not be give my work out for free (that's sure how it feels) any longer.

I wish many others will follow you.

Dumc · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2015, 07:21 »

Quote from: anathaya on October 17, 2015, 06:32

Quote from: PROStalkFatagopher on October 17, 2015, 06:00
I did it! I pulled all of my ports. No complaining about getting screwed over by these thieves. I will not be give my work out for free (that's sure how it feels) any longer.

I wish many others will follow you.

Me too. Less competition is always good.

KnowYourOnions · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2015, 07:37 »

Quote from: PROStalkFatagopher on October 17, 2015, 06:00

I did it! I pulled all of my ports. No complaining about getting screwed over by these thieves. I will not be give my work out for free (that's sure how it feels) any longer.

Respect!

cobalt · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2015, 08:07 »

And where are you selling and making money now?

fritz · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2015, 08:15 »

Now what?

mojaric · « **Reply #7 on:** October 17, 2015, 08:20 »

maybe in the classic way...customers companies/wedding/commercials/catalogues etc etc

cobalt · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2015, 08:40 »

But then you are no longer a stock artist. Stock is a genre of it's own.

Deyan Georgiev Photography · « **Reply #9 on:** October 17, 2015, 08:45 »

Quote from: PROStalkFatagopher on October 17, 2015, 06:00

I did it! I pulled all of my ports. No complaining about getting screwed over by these thieves. I will not be give my work out for free (that's sure how it feels) any longer.

Well, i guess that not you are those who pulled your portfolio from microstock, but the sales potential of your images did it.

mlwp · « **Reply #10 on:** October 17, 2015, 09:14 »

I'm down to Stocksy (which I don't consider microstock) and self-marketing.....left iStock a couple of years ago and Shutterstock last month.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #11 on:** October 17, 2015, 09:23 »

I think many of us are heading that way. There just isn't the return on investment any more.

stockastic · « **Reply #12 on:** October 17, 2015, 10:00 »

I quit submitting over a year ago. The final straw for me was a bunch of goofy rejections at SS. The next time they announce a royalty cut or a giveaway - no matter how they try to spin it - I'm closing the account. I'll leave my small portfolio up at Alamy and GL.

There are just so many better ways to spend time than jumping through hoops for a company like SS, which has steadily and systematically devalued photographic work.

Shelma1 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2015, 10:02 »

I quit advertising!

Here's how you do it:

1. Miss your umpteenth flight to L.A. to shoot yet another bad commercial because you're still jet lagged from the red eye you took back from L.A. two days before, but you had to fly back because you had 100 things to do at the office and nobody would cover for you.

2. Call your partner from the airport to tell him you missed your flight, you'll miss the day's casting, you've had it and you're not doing this any more.

3. Each time someone from work calls to convince you to come back, laugh and say no thanks. Repeat five times.

That's all there is to it!

(Is there a way to make a living that doesn't suck?)

cthoman · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2015, 10:18 »

Quote from: Shelma1 on October 17, 2015, 10:02

I quit advertising!

Here's how you do it:

1. Miss your umpteenth flight to L.A. to shoot yet another bad commercial because you're still jet lagged from the red eye you took back from L.A. two days before, but you had to fly back because you had 100 things to do at the office and nobody would cover for you.

2. Call your partner from the airport to tell him you missed your flight, you'll miss the day's casting, you've had it and you're not doing this any more.

3. Each time someone from work calls to convince you to come back, laugh and say no thanks. Repeat five times.

That's all there is to it!

(Is there a way to make a living that doesn't suck?)

Congrats. That makes stock art sound easy.

PeterChigmaroff · « **Reply #15 on:** October 17, 2015, 11:52 »

Nice to see a post like this.

marthamarks · « **Reply #16 on:** October 17, 2015, 11:56 »

Quote from: cthoman on October 17, 2015, 10:18

Quote from: Shelma1 on October 17, 2015, 10:02
I quit advertising!

Here's how you do it:

1. Miss your umpteenth flight to L.A. to shoot yet another bad commercial because you're still jet lagged from the red eye you took back from L.A. two days before, but you had to fly back because you had 100 things to do at the office and nobody would cover for you.

2. Call your partner from the airport to tell him you missed your flight, you'll miss the day's casting, you've had it and you're not doing this any more.

3. Each time someone from work calls to convince you to come back, laugh and say no thanks. Repeat five times.

That's all there is to it!

(Is there a way to make a living that doesn't suck?)

Congrats. That makes stock art sound easy.

Yep. And I think that was Shelma's point.

Difydave · « **Reply #17 on:** October 17, 2015, 12:48 »

It's up to the individual what they do of course. For myself, if I was that fed up with microstock, I'd leave what was already there with whoever I was with, and just stop uploading. I'd already have put the effort into getting my images online, those images are already "in the wild" so to speak, so why not take any continuing income off them?

And in answer to Shelma's question above.

"Is there a way to make a living that doesn't suck?"

Not that I've found so far in 40 years or so. :-)

robhainer · « **Reply #18 on:** October 17, 2015, 20:56 »

I'm sure some people find work that is fun and easy. Maybe. I've never found it. Being a full-time photographer is hard work, too. I sometimes put in 16-18 hour days with travel. No overtime pay. No vacation. No sick days.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #19 on:** October 17, 2015, 21:33 »

Quote from: PROStalkFatagopher on October 17, 2015, 06:00

I did it! I pulled all of my ports. No complaining about getting screwed over by these thieves. I will not be give my work out for free (that's sure how it feels) any longer.

Congratulations. When I win the lottery or inherit a large sum of money I will happily join you!

Mrblues101 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 17, 2015, 21:36 »

Quote from: robhainer on October 17, 2015, 20:56

I'm sure some people find work that is fun and easy. Maybe. I've never found it. Being a full-time photographer is hard work, too. I sometimes put in 16-18 hour days with travel. No overtime pay. No vacation. No sick days.

Well, vector illustrator work involves being in front of the computer the whole day without leaving home...

I think that even doing the work you love, when you repeat it for 8-10 hours a day for years it becomes boring

cthoman · « **Reply #21 on:** October 17, 2015, 21:51 »

Quote from: Mrblues101 on October 17, 2015, 21:36

Quote from: robhainer on October 17, 2015, 20:56
I'm sure some people find work that is fun and easy. Maybe. I've never found it. Being a full-time photographer is hard work, too. I sometimes put in 16-18 hour days with travel. No overtime pay. No vacation. No sick days.

Well, vector illustrator work involves being in front of the computer the whole day without leaving home...

I think that even doing the work you love, when you repeat it for 8-10 hours a day for years it becomes boring

I find it tough to work more than 6 hours. I don't think I could do 8 or 10 hours a day.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #22 on:** October 17, 2015, 21:57 »

Quote from: Mrblues101 on October 17, 2015, 21:36

I think that even doing the work you love, when you repeat it for 8-10 hours a day for years it becomes boring

+100!

Do work you love FT for long enough and eventually you will probably tire of it. Add dropping income and then you may end up hating it.

Microstockphoto · « **Reply #23 on:** October 18, 2015, 02:23 »

Did anyone read all 18 comments of the OP and consider he might be pulling your leg?

Shelma1 · « **Reply #24 on:** October 18, 2015, 05:52 »

Quote from: cthoman on October 17, 2015, 21:51

Quote from: Mrblues101 on October 17, 2015, 21:36
Quote from: robhainer on October 17, 2015, 20:56
I'm sure some people find work that is fun and easy. Maybe. I've never found it. Being a full-time photographer is hard work, too. I sometimes put in 16-18 hour days with travel. No overtime pay. No vacation. No sick days.

Well, vector illustrator work involves being in front of the computer the whole day without leaving home...

I think that even doing the work you love, when you repeat it for 8-10 hours a day for years it becomes boring

I find it tough to work more than 6 hours. I don't think I could do 8 or 10 hours a day.

One of the great things about working at home and setting your own deadlines is the ability to work when you like. Since summers are slow for microstock anyway, that's when I cut back my work substantially. But in bad weather or the depths of winter I'll work 12 hours a day drawing and uploading. Maybe next summer I'll work harder...

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Author Topic: I quit microstock and you can too! (Read 26865 times)

PROStalkFatagopher

JPSDK

anathaya

Dumc

KnowYourOnions

cobalt

fritz

mojaric

cobalt

Deyan Georgiev Photography

mlwp

Justanotherphotographer

stockastic

Shelma1

cthoman

PeterChigmaroff

marthamarks

Difydave

robhainer

PixelBytes

Mrblues101

cthoman

PixelBytes

Microstockphoto

Shelma1

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