MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: texture-city on April 17, 2012, 18:50
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Hi all,
What are your opinions on offering free stock photography? does it degrades ones self as a photographer, or the community efforts as a whole?
I started my site texture-city.com (http://texture-city.com) to offer my stock textures for free at full resolution, after having less than desirable results at the big micro-stock agencies. I do have ads on the site, although they don't make much.
So is it better to only offer photos for pay?
How much to solo stock sites typically charge for usage or size?
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Now you've pimped the site in two threads on the same subject.
I can't see how giving something away is going to make more income than charging for it, but obviously you've done a lot of market research into this and found that the numbers say it would make sense for you.
Personally, I can't imagine what paid ads I'd click on while trying to nab free textures, but obviously I'm not your target market.
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If you can't get your files accepted at the micro agencies (or you can get them accepted but they don't sell), I don't think you'll be doing any harm to those of us who sell images by giving yours away. There are already many sites that do that - give away photos - and by and large the people who use those sites aren't customers for stock images anyway. For those who are, the differences between the free and the paid are sufficient that they pay.
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maybe because it was not that kinda perfect for them.
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Well, being a forum mostly filled with people who sell stock images for money, I think that's going to be the majority opinion. I can see giving away the odd photo for promotional purposes, but not giving them all away. Have you considered setting up a site to sell for a modest fee?
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Setting up your own site in order to give something away seems like a lot of work for no pay.
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Answering to your question: yes, it degrades oneself as a photographer. It brings you back to the amateur field.
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Hi all,
What are your opinions on offering free stock photography? does it degrades ones self as a photographer, or the community efforts as a whole?
I started my site texture-city.com ([url]http://texture-city.com[/url]) to offer my stock textures for free at full resolution, after having less than desirable results at the big micro-stock agencies. I do have ads on the site, although they don't make much.
So is it better to only offer photos for pay?
How much to solo stock sites typically charge for usage or size?
well the difference is that you get 0% out of 100%
most of the rest of people here get 16% to 50% out of 100%
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I would think you'd figure out a way to at least OFFER something for a price on a free site beyond the click-throughs.
1. Photoshop tutoring for a fee
2. Image editing -- customizing/optimizing the free image for a fee
3. CD with all your images for a fee
4. Other of your talents
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Well I am in the charity business! I even give pics free of charge to my best competitors, the very thought of charging for pics have never even entered my head.
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This could be a future iStock pricing model...
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free is foolish.... a waste of time and creative energy.... aim higher
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Well I am in the charity business! I even give pics free of charge to my best competitors, the very thought of charging for pics have never even entered my head.
LOL! ;D