MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: Unamas on April 27, 2022, 18:10
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I have found stock photography less interesting in recent months. My uploads have diminished perhaps 15-20 images this month. I'm still taking photos, but just store them on hard drive. How about you?
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I stopped submitting when SS changed the terms in 2020. Leaves lots of time for other interests - you should try it.
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I found that happened to me when SS screwed us. I still submit stock, but I haven't done 100% stock stuff in a while and the numbers are way down.
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I stopped picking up the camera in Jan. 2021 these days I look for real work.
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"Share your work and start earning. Join the SS's global community of contributors and earn pennies doing what you love."
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I started to take and upload a lot of photos during lockdown. What else to do, when everything is closed. It's time to move on.
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A few times over the years I’ve felt totally demoralized and thought there was no point going on with this business. I think IStock's “money won't make you happy” and snatching our work to give away for free. Dollarphotoclub fiasco I think was another one. SS’s recent nonsense definitely also makes the list.
When IStock went off the rails (as far as contributor treatment) they were my number one as far as priorities/ income, so it felt like a devastating blow. Now I barely give them a second thought, and they get none of my new work.
Had the same feeling with SS, now they are slipping down my list in the same way and also get nothing new from me.
Still here and 2021 was my BYE so there you go.
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I have found that istock and shutterstock is less interesting for me.
Stock photography is a hobby for me. I have a day job and never had enough time or motivation to upload hundreds of images a month.
So its normal that i upload some months more images, some month less.
I will retire in about 5 years. Probably i will put more effort in stock photography then. Just to keep a meaningful day routine.
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I have found that istock and shutterstock is less interesting for me.
Stock photography is a hobby for me. I have a day job and never had enough time or motivation to upload hundreds of images a month.
So its normal that i upload some months more images, some month less.
I will retire in about 5 years. Probably i will put more effort in stock photography then. Just to keep a meaningful day routine.
That was my position some 8 years ago, when I retired the day job - stock had never paid me a living wage, but it's been a useful income stream over the years and still is.
And although, as you say, it's become less interesting, I still enjoy it enough to carry on.
Of course things could be different in 5 years - but hopefully your portfolio will continue to provide some passive income, you don't have to keep working at it.
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To me it's a challenge. All the whining about 10 cent sales is a waste of time.
Complaining about rejections is a waste of time.
In short, complaining is a waste of time.
The challenge for me is to overcome.
Marines are taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles.
I think that's a good attitude.
I don't care to read about the whines. All forums are full of them.
I want to read about success stories not bs
My income kept going up after the dime hair cut. Then I hit a plateau.
I stopped uploading because I hit a block.
Now I'm back to taking pictures and uploading. It's fun!
I enjoy the challenge.
Here's the thing for me, Stock Performer tells me I'm in the top 80% on downloads.
But I'm only in the top 30% on income and now I'm in the top 60% on uploads.
The problem is obvious. I need to create more images people want to pay for.
So that's what I'm working on now. Yes, upload, upload, upload. Dimes add up.
On Shutterstock I don't upload on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Like everyone else I'm
tired of the goofy judges that reject everything. So I don't bother with that.
On comparing agencies. Yes, Adobe, Dreamstime, 123RF and so on pay more for pictures but
in the final analysis Shutterstock pays more at the end of the month because they sell a hell of a lot more.
Wirestock started out good but now has gone off the rails.
Adobe pays me more for the thousand or so images I have with them.
Yeah, even Dreamstime gives me greater earnings than Wirestock.
Anyway, that's how it works for me. How other people work is their business..
I'm not on forums much anymore because it's a waste of time reading all the whining.
I do a lot of research and try to keep my eye on the ball.
What I don't know is what pictures bring in the big bucks. I've not discovered
that secret yet. So that's the challenge for me.
People are free to cut off their noses to spite their face but Shutterstock rules.
If you can get on with Stocksy because they pay well and work with photographers.
Good luck and upload, upload, upload.
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While SS is a top earner. From where I sit, they seem to be slipping relative to AS and iS.
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I need to create more images people want to pay for.
I know what people want, but still too lazy now :) I mean I'm still taking those photos, but lazy to upload. May be one cold winter day ...
On Shutterstock I don't upload on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Me too :)
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To me it's a challenge. All the whining about 10 cent sales is a waste of time.
Complaining about rejections is a waste of time.
In short, complaining is a waste of time.
The challenge for me is to overcome.
Marines are taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles.
I think that's a good attitude.
I don't care to read about the whines. All forums are full of them.
I want to read about success stories not bs
My income kept going up after the dime hair cut. Then I hit a plateau.
I stopped uploading because I hit a block.
Now I'm back to taking pictures and uploading. It's fun!
I enjoy the challenge.
Here's the thing for me, Stock Performer tells me I'm in the top 80% on downloads.
But I'm only in the top 30% on income and now I'm in the top 60% on uploads.
The problem is obvious. I need to create more images people want to pay for.
So that's what I'm working on now. Yes, upload, upload, upload. Dimes add up.
On Shutterstock I don't upload on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Like everyone else I'm
tired of the goofy judges that reject everything. So I don't bother with that.
On comparing agencies. Yes, Adobe, Dreamstime, 123RF and so on pay more for pictures but
in the final analysis Shutterstock pays more at the end of the month because they sell a hell of a lot more.
Wirestock started out good but now has gone off the rails.
Adobe pays me more for the thousand or so images I have with them.
Yeah, even Dreamstime gives me greater earnings than Wirestock.
Anyway, that's how it works for me. How other people work is their business..
I'm not on forums much anymore because it's a waste of time reading all the whining.
I do a lot of research and try to keep my eye on the ball.
What I don't know is what pictures bring in the big bucks. I've not discovered
that secret yet. So that's the challenge for me.
People are free to cut off their noses to spite their face but Shutterstock rules.
If you can get on with Stocksy because they pay well and work with photographers.
Good luck and upload, upload, upload.
No I won't upload, upload, upload to SS because I don't like to be paid dimes, dimes, dimes when my time, effort, equipment, models and ... worth tens of thousands of dollars, dollars, dollars.
And no it's not fun anymore because if you continue to upload, upload, upload soon the dimes will become nickels and soon after nickels will become pennies.
Speaking about what is a waste of time - shooting, processing, keywording, and uploading thousands of LCV images is the biggest waste of time.
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To me it's a challenge. All the whining about 10 cent sales is a waste of time.
Complaining about rejections is a waste of time.
In short, complaining is a waste of time.
The challenge for me is to overcome.
Marines are taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles.
I think that's a good attitude.
I don't care to read about the whines. All forums are full of them.
I want to read about success stories not bs
My income kept going up after the dime hair cut. Then I hit a plateau.
I stopped uploading because I hit a block.
Now I'm back to taking pictures and uploading. It's fun!
I enjoy the challenge.
Here's the thing for me, Stock Performer tells me I'm in the top 80% on downloads.
But I'm only in the top 30% on income and now I'm in the top 60% on uploads.
The problem is obvious. I need to create more images people want to pay for.
So that's what I'm working on now. Yes, upload, upload, upload. Dimes add up.
On Shutterstock I don't upload on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Like everyone else I'm
tired of the goofy judges that reject everything. So I don't bother with that.
On comparing agencies. Yes, Adobe, Dreamstime, 123RF and so on pay more for pictures but
in the final analysis Shutterstock pays more at the end of the month because they sell a hell of a lot more.
Wirestock started out good but now has gone off the rails.
Adobe pays me more for the thousand or so images I have with them.
Yeah, even Dreamstime gives me greater earnings than Wirestock.
Anyway, that's how it works for me. How other people work is their business..
I'm not on forums much anymore because it's a waste of time reading all the whining.
I do a lot of research and try to keep my eye on the ball.
What I don't know is what pictures bring in the big bucks. I've not discovered
that secret yet. So that's the challenge for me.
People are free to cut off their noses to spite their face but Shutterstock rules.
If you can get on with Stocksy because they pay well and work with photographers.
Good luck and upload, upload, upload.
Wow, at a 30% return on market you'll soon be able to pay stockperformer and have some money left over.
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Some feel complaining is a waste of time. Others feel uploading for 10 cents is a waste of time. It's up to each person to decide.
What annoys me personally are contributors who contradict themselves over and over again.
I am a friend of objective truth and hate fake truths. In this respect, I prefer to ignore certain statements.
There is nothing wrong with recommending certain "concepts". Some contributors do quite well with this. Some want to make us believe that they are doing quite well with it and write somewhere else that it is not the case in reality. I love facts. I don't like it when the untruth is told.
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To me it's a challenge. All the whining about 10 cent sales is a waste of time.
Complaining about rejections is a waste of time.
In short, complaining is a waste of time.
The challenge for me is to overcome.
Marines are taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles.
I think that's a good attitude.
I don't care to read about the whines. All forums are full of them.
I want to read about success stories not bs
My income kept going up after the dime hair cut. Then I hit a plateau.
I stopped uploading because I hit a block.
Now I'm back to taking pictures and uploading. It's fun!
I enjoy the challenge.
Here's the thing for me, Stock Performer tells me I'm in the top 80% on downloads.
But I'm only in the top 30% on income and now I'm in the top 60% on uploads.
The problem is obvious. I need to create more images people want to pay for.
So that's what I'm working on now. Yes, upload, upload, upload. Dimes add up.
On Shutterstock I don't upload on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Like everyone else I'm
tired of the goofy judges that reject everything. So I don't bother with that.
On comparing agencies. Yes, Adobe, Dreamstime, 123RF and so on pay more for pictures but
in the final analysis Shutterstock pays more at the end of the month because they sell a hell of a lot more.
Wirestock started out good but now has gone off the rails.
Adobe pays me more for the thousand or so images I have with them.
Yeah, even Dreamstime gives me greater earnings than Wirestock.
Anyway, that's how it works for me. How other people work is their business..
I'm not on forums much anymore because it's a waste of time reading all the whining.
I do a lot of research and try to keep my eye on the ball.
What I don't know is what pictures bring in the big bucks. I've not discovered
that secret yet. So that's the challenge for me.
People are free to cut off their noses to spite their face but Shutterstock rules.
If you can get on with Stocksy because they pay well and work with photographers.
Good luck and upload, upload, upload.
Each life has limited amount of time. Being stubborn and choosing to invest yours in something that has become so non rewarding in a world full of other possibilities ìs a complete waste of time.
Good luck with that.
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On Shutterstock I don't upload on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Me too :)
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Did I miss that experiences? So Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the days we should not upload to SS to avoid to many rejections?
And how is the rejection rate on the other days? Why is it different? Are there really still people review our images on Monday to Thursday?
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To me it's a challenge. All the whining about 10 cent sales is a waste of time.
Complaining about rejections is a waste of time.
In short, complaining is a waste of time.
The challenge for me is to overcome.
Marines are taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles.
I think that's a good attitude.
I don't care to read about the whines. All forums are full of them.
I want to read about success stories not bs
My income kept going up after the dime hair cut. Then I hit a plateau.
I stopped uploading because I hit a block.
Now I'm back to taking pictures and uploading. It's fun!
I enjoy the challenge.
Here's the thing for me, Stock Performer tells me I'm in the top 80% on downloads.
But I'm only in the top 30% on income and now I'm in the top 60% on uploads.
The problem is obvious. I need to create more images people want to pay for.
So that's what I'm working on now. Yes, upload, upload, upload. Dimes add up.
On Shutterstock I don't upload on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Like everyone else I'm
tired of the goofy judges that reject everything. So I don't bother with that.
On comparing agencies. Yes, Adobe, Dreamstime, 123RF and so on pay more for pictures but
in the final analysis Shutterstock pays more at the end of the month because they sell a hell of a lot more.
Wirestock started out good but now has gone off the rails.
Adobe pays me more for the thousand or so images I have with them.
Yeah, even Dreamstime gives me greater earnings than Wirestock.
Anyway, that's how it works for me. How other people work is their business..
I'm not on forums much anymore because it's a waste of time reading all the whining.
I do a lot of research and try to keep my eye on the ball.
What I don't know is what pictures bring in the big bucks. I've not discovered
that secret yet. So that's the challenge for me.
People are free to cut off their noses to spite their face but Shutterstock rules.
If you can get on with Stocksy because they pay well and work with photographers.
Good luck and upload, upload, upload.
No I won't upload, upload, upload to SS because I don't like to be paid dimes, dimes, dimes when my time, effort, equipment, models and ... worth tens of thousands of dollars, dollars, dollars.
And no it's not fun anymore because if you continue to upload, upload, upload soon the dimes will become nickels and soon after nickels will become pennies.
Speaking about what is a waste of time - shooting, processing, keywording, and uploading thousands of LCV images is the biggest waste of time.
Not taking sides, but in defense of Upload, maybe a change of strategy, less expensive gear, no payed models just friends and family and other "real" people, more CGI (Blender is free) less photography, etc.
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Not taking sides, but in defense of Upload, maybe a change of strategy, less expensive gear, no payed models just friends and family and other "real" people, more CGI (Blender is free) less photography, etc.
Agree. The upload-upload-upload strategy - which I follow - only works with cheap-cheap-cheap. Give 'em what they deserve: they cut royalties, we cut production costs. No wonder they'll have more and more of the same photos.
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I am much less interested. Not just the lower earnings but also just bored with it right now.
I have started to spend more time with my art photography. More fun. I may still do stock for extra change but my heart and energy are happier.
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Yep, in the same boat.
Closed my SS account.
I only keep Dreamstime because I am Romanian and that is my "first love" in microstock.
As soon as I can cash out on Deposit Photos, will close that one too, and go exclusive with DT
However, at this time, imho, if you want to make serious money in photography, microstock is not the way.
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No I won't upload, upload, upload to SS because I don't like to be paid dimes, dimes, dimes when my time, effort, equipment, models and ... worth tens of thousands of dollars, dollars, dollars.
And no it's not fun anymore because if you continue to upload, upload, upload soon the dimes will become nickels and soon after nickels will become pennies.
Speaking about what is a waste of time - shooting, processing, keywording, and uploading thousands of LCV images is the biggest waste of time.
I take a different notion regarding Shutterstock.
They are still my main money maker.
What I upload and how much I upload does not matter to SS. They could not care less.
My port has just a microscopic impact on their numbers. So I can do as I please.
I don't mind keywording and titles. It's just part of the game. Some sites offer to do these for
you but at a steep price. I pass and do my work myself.
You have to do as you see best, just like everyone else and myself included.
Good luck
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Each life has limited amount of time. Being stubborn and choosing to invest yours in something that has become so non rewarding in a world full of other possibilities ìs a complete waste of time.
Good luck with that.
Non rewarding for you perhaps. Not for me.
I enjoy the picture taking, editing, keywording and so on.
It's all a challenge for me.
If you no longer enjoy the game, why are you still on stock photography forums?
Forums are the one activity I no longer enjoy, so I do very little of it.
There is way too much negativity on all of these stock forums, so I find it more comfortable not to
read much of their content.
I no longer give out advice because too many people use that as an excuse to take potshots at me.
There is no money in it for me, so I find little reason to be on these forums.