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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: PixelsAway on June 12, 2011, 12:08

Title: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: PixelsAway on June 12, 2011, 12:08
I posted 3+ year trends of RPI (return per image) statistics from my portfolio:
http://microstock.pixelsaway.com/return-per-image-rpi-from-my-microstock-portfolio-3-year-trends/ (http://microstock.pixelsaway.com/return-per-image-rpi-from-my-microstock-portfolio-3-year-trends/)

I am not sure if the overall picture is encouraging or discouraging.
IS is obviously going downhill (it would be worse without pictures+),
SS is going up, but still cannot catch IS. And, it's summer now.
Perhaps, it's time to shoot something for fun ...
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: adijr on June 12, 2011, 19:27
Awesome post!
Thanks for including a link in your article to your hourly rate stuff, In the end this is v important! cool to see it rise like that, congratulations.
Out of curiosity, why do you think IS RPI is slowly falling?

I have a v small port, but in case anyone cares about some of my stats: http://depo.fotozygous.com/stock/micro.htm (http://depo.fotozygous.com/stock/micro.htm)
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: PixelsAway on June 14, 2011, 07:27
Quote from: adijr on June 12, 2011, 19:27
Out of curiosity, why do you think IS RPI is slowly falling?

RPI is affected by

1 - number of sales (downloads) going down
     many threads on IS situations in this forum
         
2 - change in commission
     10% cut for 2011

3 - acceptance rate and upload limit
     more rejections during last year or so
     My RPI is based on a total number of pictures in my portfolio, not pictures accepted by IS.
     This factor really affects my RPI for DT ("too similar" rejections).
     I have a similar size portfolio with FT, but they don't reject my bestsellers like DT.
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: PixelsAway on January 12, 2012, 13:57
6 months later ...
I just posted an updated graph of RPI for my microstock portfolio covering 2009-2011 period:
http://microstock.pixelsaway.com/microstock-portfolio-return-per-image-rpi-2009-2011-trends/ (http://microstock.pixelsaway.com/microstock-portfolio-return-per-image-rpi-2009-2011-trends/)

Nothing very surprising: IS is going downhill and SS up.
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: luissantos84 on January 12, 2012, 14:13
Quote from: PixelsAway on January 12, 2012, 13:57
Nothing very surprising: IS is going downhill and SS up.

it shows also that "other agencies" play a "big" part too, making that time worth I guess (they represent 18% in my earnings beside the top5 agencies)

very nice blog post again, you have been doing a great job since day 1, congrats ON your success!
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: gostwyck on January 12, 2012, 16:10
Quote from: adijr on June 12, 2011, 19:27
Out of curiosity, why do you think IS RPI is slowly falling?

Microstock is maturing and therefore it is likely that the age of ever-rising prices has now ended. Supply is probably out-stripping demand so I'd assume that RPI has peaked and will now slowly fall for most of us. We just have to hope that prices don't actually fall too.
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: RacePhoto on January 12, 2012, 22:50
Quote from: PixelsAway on January 12, 2012, 13:57
6 months later ...
I just posted an updated graph of RPI for my microstock portfolio covering 2009-2011 period:
[url]http://microstock.pixelsaway.com/microstock-portfolio-return-per-image-rpi-2009-2011-trends/[/url] ([url]http://microstock.pixelsaway.com/microstock-portfolio-return-per-image-rpi-2009-2011-trends/[/url])

Nothing very surprising: IS is going downhill and SS up.


Interesting graph and tracking data. I'm missing something so if you can answer I'd appreciate it, if you wish not, that's fine.

How many files on IS compared to SS? Or are they close?

Did I read that right, the RPI is under $1 per image, and that's for the total period of time 3.5 years or per year? Or?
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: qwerty on January 13, 2012, 05:33
I'd say its per month
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: RacePhoto on January 13, 2012, 08:51
Quote from: qwerty on January 13, 2012, 05:33
I'd say its per month

Wow I'm in the wrong business. I should be shooting outdoor photos. "I have around 3400 pictures in my stock portfolio" so lets see, that's $2720 a month. and he's got them on four agencies... $10,880 a year? I need a canoe.  ;D
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: PixelsAway on January 13, 2012, 09:52
my graph shows monthly RPI

unfortunately, outdoor pictures contribute just a very tiny fraction to my total sales, so no new canoe from microstock sales for me  :(
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: RacePhoto on January 13, 2012, 09:57
Quote from: PixelsAway on January 13, 2012, 09:52
my graph shows monthly RPI

unfortunately, outdoor pictures contribute just a very tiny fraction to my total sales, so no new canoe from microstock sales for me  :(

Kayak?  ::)

Nice going, it does prove that quality pays more than "How many pictures does it take to make $x a month?"

My answer has always been pictures of what?

Your blog has always been entertaining reading since you started it, and the only one I know of (there might be others?) That has real numbers now hand waving, claims and percentages. Nice Work!

Oh and fudge my RPI is going down on Alamy again. I just uploaded a couple hundred new images...  :D
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: mtilghma on January 13, 2012, 15:39
I assume that the thin lines are actual data points, and the bold lines are some sort of moving average?  Here's to hoping the moving average line is the best indicator, because the thin one shows a very different picture!
Title: Re: RPI (return per image) - 3+ year trends
Post by: mtilghma on January 13, 2012, 15:42
just read more carefully, and i see that yes, that is what it was.  so yea, hopefully the average line is showing the trend, not the monthly line.

then i noticed the dip was due to january.  then i noticed most other january's had a dip too.  then i noticed they werent NEAR as bad.  looks as if the extremes are getting more pronounced.  kinda like climate change!  WHERE IS AL GORE WHEN WE NEED HIM!?