Author Topic: Time For A Veteran To Walk Away (Read 9658 times)

jjneff · « **on:** August 17, 2021, 17:34 »

Hello,

I have learned lot over the past 10 years! I have shot in hospitals with my drone, out of a hot air ballon, at a fire station and the list goes on and on. My income has not been climbing even as I have produced a lot over the past year and so now I am moving on to other pastures. I have been very blessed to have done stock video as a living for the past 10 years and I have zero regrets!! It has been fun and amazing but I can not sustain my family just doing stock anymore! I have a degree in radiology from Kettering so I am going to focus on medical needs outside of the medical field. I will be selling health books that have impacted my life and I believe people will need in order to stay healthy in the future! I will still dabble in stock here and there but am shifting my focus now to health and wellness. Thanks to all here for the encouragement and discouragement :-) the forum can be a wild place. I have spent the most amazing 10 years with my family doing stock!!! Good luck to those who are in it full-time still and a final and happy farewell to all of you! Crafted Shutter aka jjneff

wds · « **Reply #1 on:** August 17, 2021, 17:48 »

Best of luck to you!!!!!!!

Orchidpoet · « **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2021, 18:10 »

JJneff, sorry it doesn't work out and wish you the best.

Are you still exclusive with P5 with your existing clips?

My exclusive clips rarely sell in P5. Wonder if you had better luck.

marthamarks · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2021, 18:11 »

So sorry to hear this, but I wish you well going forward.

The only way I'm in this is as a hobbyist. No way could I even hope to earn a living shooting stock.

jjneff · « **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2021, 18:21 »

Don't be sorry it is one of the best adventures I have ever been on!!!! Truly amazing I did it full-time for 10 years! It is now a side hobby which is just fine :-) Loved every second of this journey and it gives me the ability to move on and try new things. People told me when I stated that I could never make a living at it :-) Well I did. I am sure some will say I can never make it on my next adventure and they could not be more wrong:-)

jjneff · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2021, 18:32 »

P5 exclusive sales have been ok for me nothing earth shattering but decent. Combined my Exlcusive and Non-exclusive account I made $1,600.00 on Pond5 on my payout this month.

ShadySue · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2021, 18:34 »

Best wishes for your future endeavours!

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2021, 19:28 »

Very best wishes for the next stage of your career.

marthamarks · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2021, 20:02 »

Quote from: jjneff on August 17, 2021, 18:32

Combined my Exlcusive and Non-exclusive account I made $1,600.00 on Pond5 on my payout this month.

Hey, I would accept that!

For Real · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2021, 21:42 »

Quote from: marthamarks on August 17, 2021, 20:02

Quote from: jjneff on August 17, 2021, 18:32
Combined my Exlcusive and Non-exclusive account I made $1,600.00 on Pond5 on my payout this month.

Hey, I would accept that!

I would accept $1.60 at this point

everest · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2021, 01:39 »

Good luck to you. I think you do the right move.

Right now , unless you live in a very cheap world stock video or photography is one of the worst rewarding jobs you can do. Sure you have a lot of freedom but economically it is a disaster.
I would say that even as a hobby it is also a loosing proposition as the aesthetics of "stock images" are mostly 99% very poor and you enter a rat wheel where you produce more and more mediocre or bad content chasing a few dimes.

Wish you all the success with the new adventure. It surely will work out fantastic.

jjneff · « **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2021, 06:58 »

Thanks Everest! I still have a soft spot for medical in me but in this atmosphere of Covid I do not want to go back into the hospital! I have used the books I am selling for myself for years and it hit me why not sell something I have a passion for and help others at the same time :-) Topics cover diabetes, blood pressure, natural remedies, edible plants and the like. I will just use stock as a fun side gig and take my video expertise into my new area. Life is short and that is why I started stock video in the first place! Now moving on to a new exciting world!

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #12 on:** August 18, 2021, 07:33 »

Good luck. Will happen for all full timers who aren't massive factories in the end. A shame, but fun whilst it lasted. Greed and billionaires ruin everything.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2021, 09:12 »

You certainly made a good run at it. Best of luck!

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #14 on:** August 19, 2021, 08:04 »

Best of health and fortune to you!

fotoroad · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2021, 09:35 »

Good luck to you I will miss your Crafted shutter

gemmy12 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2021, 11:51 »

Thanks for contributing, sharing your views and educating others through forum, YouTube and other platforms.
Good luck.

cascoly · « **Reply #17 on:** August 19, 2021, 19:04 »

Quote from: everest on August 18, 2021, 01:39

...
I would say that even as a hobby it is also a loosing proposition as the aesthetics of "stock images" are mostly 99% very poor a....

glad you feel like that! less competition & happy i finally made it to the 1%!!

my 'hobbyist' earning continue to pay for mt travel jones (once covid eases)

cobalt · « **Reply #18 on:** August 20, 2021, 03:17 »

Best of luck with all your future projects! Thank you so much for sharing information and being such a balanced voice in this community.

Hope you check back with us from time to time and let us know how you are doing.

odesigns · « **Reply #19 on:** August 20, 2021, 06:15 »

Anyone know how BlackBox is fairing through these times? If they're doing bad too, it's a good indication how sales are doing overall since they have over 2 million clips.

For artists who decided to put the bulk of faith into BlackBox, how's that working out? As for me, I'm still chugging along as an individual.

jjneff · « **Reply #20 on:** August 20, 2021, 11:30 »

Thanks all! Will stop by now and then as I will still submit some content but not as much as I use too. I still earn thousands each month from stock but the downward trend is upon us and my family needs come first.

Shooter · « **Reply #21 on:** September 26, 2021, 17:58 »

i am right behind you. i moved to shooting homes for realtors, portrait, and other commercial projects. i have doubled my income (compared to stock) annually with 12K images online and 12 years of shooting. i still upload some but the passion is gone.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #22 on:** September 27, 2021, 07:37 »

Quote from: Shooter on September 26, 2021, 17:58

I still upload some but the passion is gone.

Nailed it!

Quote from: jjneff on August 20, 2021, 11:30

Thanks all! Will stop by now and then as I will still submit some content but not as much as I use too. I still earn thousands each month from stock but the downward trend is upon us and my family needs come first.

Don't forget to come visit.

Downward trend is putting it mildly and understated. I hate to think what this former business, will be like in five more years?

kenwood · « **Reply #23 on:** October 02, 2021, 18:12 »

Maybe you can write a book about your adventure on selling stock videos full time some day. I m sure a lot of people would be interested to read about it.

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Author Topic: Time For A Veteran To Walk Away (Read 9658 times)

jjneff

wds

Orchidpoet

marthamarks

jjneff

jjneff

ShadySue

Jo Ann Snover

marthamarks

For Real

everest

jjneff

fotoVoyager

Sean Locke Photography

PaulieWalnuts

fotoroad

gemmy12

cascoly

cobalt

odesigns

jjneff

Shooter

Uncle Pete

kenwood

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