MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: visceralimage on January 21, 2011, 02:46
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I have been working at microstock almost a year; I have been a contributor at DT for all that time, have a bit over 800 images online and a bit over 400 sold. Originally, I was contributor to many agencies but closed them to try exclusive. My exclusive contract expires in a couple days and I need to select 12 outlets to sell my work. I am intrigued by Tim at the business card site and also Zazzle. What other nine agencies or outlets (other than DT, Tim's business cards and Zazzle) would you recommend for a wildlife photographer.
I do some product and other general images; seldom do people images; mostly animals. Here is my work at DT: http://www.dreamstime.com/Visceralimage_info (http://www.dreamstime.com/Visceralimage_info)
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Why 12?
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I would keep wildlife photos off the microstocks and put them on Alamy for example. Even more so if they show rare and hard to find animals.
I don't think too many people will be looking for a photo of an "ural owl", for example - but if they truely need one, I'll bet they are willing to pay a lot more than a measly $2.50,- (especially if the photos are as good as yours are). Put the cat, shoe and tool photos on microstocks, but a photo of an Amur tiger playing in the snow is wasted there, especially if the tiger truely is wildlife and not from a zoo as those from your competitors are...
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Yup, for really good shots the best place might be http://www.sciencephoto.com/ (http://www.sciencephoto.com/)
I think they are the leader in the field and may have some tie-in with the BBC.
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FLPA are a very good specialist site for wildlife.
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Why 12?
Good starting place, even dozen to concentrate my efforts.
Concerning RM sites, I have been on these for over 5 years; numbers declining so fast I can see the handwriting on the walls. I need to eat and micro gives me enough to buy chinese noodles. With a few more sites, I hope to move out of my tent into a hovel/makeshift cabin. As a full-time wildlife photographer, I need to generate income. Even a $5.00 business card sale is significant for me as I live and work in Far East Russia (I am American but over here for my wildlife photography work).
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I do write a couple articles for magazines and my shots are used there before going to micro; of course, the articles pay much more than micro but micro pays long after the articles have died.
I am writing two books and my images will be in them; one a photo book about the only private wildlife park in Russia and the second a book about Photography in Russia.
I appreciate that micro is getting less and less profitable; but I need the diversified income sources.
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You may check the german agency Okapia:
http://www.okapia.com/index.html (http://www.okapia.com/index.html)
(Don't be scared by the website, they are *really* good!)
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The highest earning micro sites are the "big 4" on the list. Then come the "middle tier" which might not make you much. As far as micros go, there's no special site for wildlife.
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What other nine agencies or outlets (other than DT, Tim's business cards and Zazzle) would you recommend for a wildlife photographer.
Zoonar.com (http://www.zoonar.com/?wid=1364) has a new partner agency: Picture Alliance. For the time being they accept only animal photos for this partner.
Price categories: premium and standard, minimum resolution: 4000 px on the longer side. No microstock photos should be uploaded for this partner or they will delete your port.
Maybe it could be interesting to you. They also have other interesting partners (AGE, Photolibrary, etc). Warning: referral link included.:)
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You may check the german agency Okapia:
[url]http://www.okapia.com/index.html[/url] ([url]http://www.okapia.com/index.html[/url])
(Don't be scared by the website, they are *really* good!)
Ouch! You should warn people... that yellow just made me blind!:)
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You may check the german agency Okapia:
[url]http://www.okapia.com/index.html[/url] ([url]http://www.okapia.com/index.html[/url])
(Don't be scared by the website, they are *really* good!)
Although they are non-exclusive, they will not allow you to sell the same files on any micros...
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I think you should try FLPA