Author Topic: Thoughts on Travel Location photos (Read 9864 times)

tubed · « **on:** February 17, 2011, 21:25 »

So I have a bunch of images that I took on a trip to Europe, that I have been meening to get to, but I'm wondering about where to place them.. Traditionally I would send all my travel stuff to Alamy, and the trendy commercial stuff for micros as the sales weren't there and it wasn't a mature enough market for that stuff.. My question is, do people here still feel that still applies or are travel photos doing better with micros.. Take in mind these are location photos not people. I have a few images w/ Getty and a Some with Age as well.. But I don't see them as being markets for this stuff (or even wanting them for that matter)..

Elenathewise · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2011, 21:53 »

From my experience, the kind of travel shots that sell well on microstock have to me very straightforward. They have to look like a classic postcard, and usually people look for very recognizable angles and locations. Something even a little bit more artsy doesn't sell.

I have a lot of travel shots from different locations and here are a couple of my best-sellers (on micros):
http://www.elenaphoto.com/locations_canada_g72-toronto_skyline_p9207.html
http://www.elenaphoto.com/locations_france_g73-pont_du_gard_in_southern_france_p7294.html

As you can see both are "classic postcard", very traditional shots. I have more interesting shots but they don't sell on microstock nearly as well. So if you have something more unusual I'd place them on Macros, at least if you have a sale there you'll make some money, but on microstock you'll just earn peanuts.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2011, 22:35 »

Quote from: Elenathewise on February 17, 2011, 21:53

From my experience, the kind of travel shots that sell well on microstock have to me very straightforward. They have to look like a classic postcard, and usually people look for very recognizable angles and locations.

You make a good point, I have a lot of postcard shots which sell well, on ss especially. To be frank, shots that I made very little effort in. Sometimes I feel that I should just submit these kind of shots as they get accepted and sell well.

tubed · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2011, 22:40 »

Quote from: Elenathewise on February 17, 2011, 21:53

From my experience, the kind of travel shots that sell well on microstock have to me very straightforward. They have to look like a classic postcard, and usually people look for very recognizable angles and locations. Something even a little bit more artsy doesn't sell.

I have a lot of travel shots from different locations and here are a couple of my best-sellers (on micros):
http://www.elenaphoto.com/locations_canada_g72-toronto_skyline_p9207.html
http://www.elenaphoto.com/locations_france_g73-pont_du_gard_in_southern_france_p7294.html

As you can see both are "classic postcard", very traditional shots. I have more interesting shots but they don't sell on microstock nearly as well. So if you have something more unusual I'd place them on Macros, at least if you have a sale there you'll make some money, but on microstock you'll just earn peanuts.

Nice shots! Thanks for sharing.. I think I remember you saying somewhere you submit to Getty.. Do you prefer Getty or Alamy for shots of Travel Stuff? Any Experience with Age (I don't think they really do much travel though if memory serves me correctly)..

Elenathewise · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2011, 22:57 »

I've had several sales of travel shots with Alamy, a few over $200 (I don't think these shots would ever earn me that much money on microstock). Some of them sell as "novel use" for a buck or 49 cents, but then a big sale makes up for it.
I didn't try submitting any of the travel to Getty, I have some people and food there, and not impressed with sales. No experience with Age.

tubed · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2011, 23:08 »

I have had some great sales at Alamy, some actually surprising.. But yes I too have had those lame Novel Use sales.. Age I have only sold People stuff.. My Getty stuff is People very emotional and personal images, but I have not considered travel there yet, but I have had some good sales there.. I will maybe stick with Alamy and test a couple with getty.. Thanks for your insights..

Phil · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2011, 23:48 »

From what I've seen, things like cityscapes / highly recognisable landmarks do alright (though often now seems flooded), but more specific shots there isn't enough demand ie. I have a shot of 'thunderbolts grave' basically unless you live in at best, northern nsw australia, you probably dont know who thunderbolt is

. In about 4-5 years I've had 2 sales on Alamy as RF, roughly $250 and $150, to me thats about as good as I could expect, if it was on the micros I dont think I would have had many more sales (or been rejected for lack of commercial potential).

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2011, 01:22 »

Quote from: Phil on February 17, 2011, 23:48

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Yeah but on Zoonar, you get 60% of your commission, if you send directly to the sites themselves, you get 100%.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2011, 01:57 »

Quote from: Phil on February 17, 2011, 23:48

From what I've seen, things like cityscapes / highly recognisable landmarks do alright (though often now seems flooded), but more specific shots there isn't enough demand ie. I have a shot of 'thunderbolts grave' basically unless you live in at best, northern nsw australia, you probably dont know who thunderbolt is . In about 4-5 years I've had 2 sales on Alamy as RF, roughly $250 and $150, to me thats about as good as I could expect, if it was on the micros I dont think I would have had many more sales (or been rejected for lack of commercial potential).

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Sorry to go off topic. Good thread and informative but who the heck?

"The small town of Uralla in northern New South Wales has built a thriving tourist industry on its links with a notorious 19th century bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt, who was buried in the local cemetery after being shot dead by police." Bushranger? Please speak English...

(outlaw?)

I know of Thunderbolt as a British Leyland race car and also as a WW II airplane. So what's the Aussie version? Seems like there are just to many of these for me to keep up?

But you did give me an idea for a new series, which is better than famous dead people on postage stamps. Famous gravestones and tombs. (local) Might be worth a sale or two a year?

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2011, 03:15 »

Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 01:22

Quote from: Phil on February 17, 2011, 23:48

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Yeah but on Zoonar, you get 60% of your commission, if you send directly to the sites themselves, you get 100%.

Sorry, I missed this part. "Zoonar can take their cut,"

RacePhoto · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2011, 03:25 »

Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 03:15

Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 01:22
Quote from: Phil on February 17, 2011, 23:48

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Yeah but on Zoonar, you get 60% of your commission, if you send directly to the sites themselves, you get 100%.

Sorry, I missed this part. "Zoonar can take their cut,"

Me too, interesting concept, distribution and publication for a small fee, instead of being ignore and unknown for 100% of nothing.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2011, 04:02 »

Quote from: RacePhoto on February 18, 2011, 03:25

Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 03:15
Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 01:22
Quote from: Phil on February 17, 2011, 23:48

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Yeah but on Zoonar, you get 60% of your commission, if you send directly to the sites themselves, you get 100%.

Sorry, I missed this part. "Zoonar can take their cut,"

Me too, interesting concept, distribution and publication for a small fee, instead of being ignore and unknown for 100% of nothing.

Yeah so basically we use 2 middle men instead of one. 'Age' I think give 50% commission and Zoonar takes 40% of that. Quite a large fee I think. I know that is still better than what we get with microstock, but we don't have a choice there. Here we do.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2011, 04:05 »

Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 04:02

Quote from: RacePhoto on February 18, 2011, 03:25
Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 03:15
Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 01:22
Quote from: Phil on February 17, 2011, 23:48

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Yeah but on Zoonar, you get 60% of your commission, if you send directly to the sites themselves, you get 100%.

Sorry, I missed this part. "Zoonar can take their cut,"

Me too, interesting concept, distribution and publication for a small fee, instead of being ignore and unknown for 100% of nothing.

Yeah so basically we use 2 middle men instead of one. 'Age' I think give 50% commission and Zoonar takes 40% of that. Quite a large fee I think. I know that is still better than what we get with microstock, but we don't have a choice there. Here we do.

Missed that part, let me rethink... I'd have to see if the 50 and 40 was off the initial 50 or the full amount. Don't ask me to do complicated math at 3AM.

But it does make me want to travel?

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2011, 04:26 »

Quote from: RacePhoto on February 18, 2011, 04:05

Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 04:02
Quote from: RacePhoto on February 18, 2011, 03:25
Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 03:15
Quote from: Komar on February 18, 2011, 01:22
Quote from: Phil on February 17, 2011, 23:48

I have a pile of travel shots that I really wonder what to do with. I am now thinking that I will enable all zoonar partners (except alamy as I already submit there) and upload them to zoonar as premium rf and rm. Zoonar can take their cut, I get 1 pretty easy upload and hit half a dozen macro agencies.

Yeah but on Zoonar, you get 60% of your commission, if you send directly to the sites themselves, you get 100%.

Sorry, I missed this part. "Zoonar can take their cut,"

Me too, interesting concept, distribution and publication for a small fee, instead of being ignore and unknown for 100% of nothing.

Yeah so basically we use 2 middle men instead of one. 'Age' I think give 50% commission and Zoonar takes 40% of that. Quite a large fee I think. I know that is still better than what we get with microstock, but we don't have a choice there. Here we do.

Missed that part, let me rethink... I'd have to see if the 50 and 40 was off the initial 50 or the full amount. Don't ask me to do complicated math at 3AM.

But it does make me want to travel?

Lol, it's just gone 5pm here, so I'm still fresh. I pledged to myself once not to get into online discussions at 3am, but I still do it.

They take 40% of our 50% commission, not the full amount. I joined up for Fotofinder, because when I joined Zoonar only took 30%, but I just had a look now and Fotofinder is also 40%. I'm not sure if it's still 30% for me as that's what I signed up for. I doubt it though.

Phil · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2011, 05:12 »

yes it was captain thunderbolt / fred ward that I meant

and yes the 40% cut and lack of time is why I said thinking about it

Its fast upload to 5-6 libraries that I very possibly wouldn't get into, I'd still get more than the micros and there seems a very low rejection rate, still trying to decide

camiart · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2011, 11:55 »

I've got some photos from well known places in Europe and sale is very low...

newbielink:http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61888663/stock-photo-florence-cathedral-santa-maria-del-fiore.html [nonactive]
newbielink:http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61888480/stock-photo-rome-colosseum-with-flowers.html [nonactive]
newbielink:http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61888639/stock-photo-piza-tower.html [nonactive]
newbielink:http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-54036013/stock-photo-gondolas-on-the-canal-in-venezia.html [nonactive]

tubed · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2011, 13:02 »

Quote from: camiart on February 19, 2011, 11:55

I've got some photos from well known places in Europe and sale is very low...

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61888663/stock-photo-florence-cathedral-santa-maria-del-fiore.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61888480/stock-photo-rome-colosseum-with-flowers.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61888639/stock-photo-piza-tower.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-54036013/stock-photo-gondolas-on-the-canal-in-venezia.html

While these are nice images, I think they are not framed correctly (like Elena said) for micros. These are unique shots in that they are framed in a more creative or unique manner. I think the point that Elena was making and I think that from looking at other travel images, is that what sells well in a micro environment is the well known shot that is a stereotypical angle and framing or "postcard" style.. Thanks for sharing those images, I think they look very nice..

I think I am planning on taking these images to the macro market and see who wants what and the rest I don't know.. Maybe something will pop up for them later.. I don't think I will waste my time keywording for micros for a couple of sales.. At least the big agencies will edit and keyword the images that they pick for me (except Alamy)..

Susan S. · « **Reply #17 on:** February 19, 2011, 16:37 »

Bog standard picture postcard views are what sells. My second biggest earner is a picture postcard view of the Twelve Apostles. It's taken from the same viewing platform that everyone else takes their views, ans yet I've had four large extended licenses for it (it has been used on both a calendar and a postcard) and for some reason was picked as a Vetta and still sells regularly at large sizes- I've found it on a photography magazine front cover and inside another photo mag as a half page. Weird.

jeffbanke · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2011, 05:03 »

My best selling travel images on the micros are these
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1292701741,3/stock-photo-golden-gate-bridge-from-bakers-beach-area-in-san-francisco-at-sunset-67442656.jpg [nofollow]
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1197614345,2/stock-photo-castel-st-angelo-ponte-st-angelo-and-the-vatican-square-from-the-top-of-the-basilica-of-saint-7788490.jpg [nofollow]
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1165762737,1/stock-photo-kusadasi-island-bird-island-off-the-coast-of-turkey-2301561.jpg [nofollow]
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1217919098,6/stock-photo-inverness-castle-inverness-scotland-15760057.jpg [nofollow]
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1280100738,4/stock-photo-iconic-mormon-barn-in-the-teton-national-park-wyoming-57817843.jpg [nofollow]

tubed · « **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2011, 21:07 »

Quote from: jeffbanke on February 20, 2011, 05:03

My best selling travel images on the micros are these
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1292701741,3/stock-photo-golden-gate-bridge-from-bakers-beach-area-in-san-francisco-at-sunset-67442656.jpg
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1197614345,2/stock-photo-castel-st-angelo-ponte-st-angelo-and-the-vatican-square-from-the-top-of-the-basilica-of-saint-7788490.jpg
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1165762737,1/stock-photo-kusadasi-island-bird-island-off-the-coast-of-turkey-2301561.jpg
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1217919098,6/stock-photo-inverness-castle-inverness-scotland-15760057.jpg
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/57044/57044,1280100738,4/stock-photo-iconic-mormon-barn-in-the-teton-national-park-wyoming-57817843.jpg

Great Shots.. I can see why they sell..

steheap · « **Reply #20 on:** February 22, 2011, 09:53 »

Interesting set of posts! I've always focused on travel related images (although I have only been selling for stock for 3 years or so). I do it because I like traveling and I was lucky enough to go to some interesting places in my last job. My goal is to get my income from photography higher than it is now, and then set the cost of going off on holidays against my income for tax purposes - get the tax man to pay for my vacations!

My best sellers are the standard tourist shots that are taken from the same overlooks that everyone visits - and sometimes I get Enhanced Downloads as well:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=34635571 - Yosemite Valley

I recently showed my best sellers on the main stock sites in an article I wrote about getting started in microstock on my blog. This one was the best seller on iStock:
http://www.backyardimage.com/Americas/Washington/9534652_yLUKg#640914925_36Cyb

The ones that I find keep the cash rolling in are the ones that are more off the beaten track - this one from Abu Dhabi is a really good seller on Shutterstock:

http://www.backyardimage.com/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/9523675_Nm4CD#640027459_UPQ8U

And this one from Estonia was only uploaded in November and is starting to get traction on a number of sites:
http://www.backyardimage.com/Europe/Estonia/14702003_eKeYU#1099943899_DhUNG

Steve
http://www.backyardsilver.com

tubed · « **Reply #21 on:** February 22, 2011, 19:29 »

It's interesting to see the possitivity towards travel shots.. I am glad to see people are able to get some play from them.. I'm not sure my shots are general or famous enough, as they are more geared towards the corner artists and the back alley pubs and the details of things etc. They are maybe a bit too artsy for micro I imagine.. I tend to stay away from the famous places and go to the local color, I'm not into crwds and lines and whatnot.. I am seeing some great images from people here though..

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Author Topic: Thoughts on Travel Location photos (Read 9864 times)

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