You can blame Brazilnut for this, he started it?

What I'm asking is not for something like "make more money" or "Delete everything from Shutterstock". I'm wonder what efforts, plans, ideas in the form of self set goals anyone else has for the future and starting in 2022?

1) One I saw and it's from a couple of people, is "Ride My Bike" and take photos locally. (it's a twofer) I find that I drive everywhere, and I see things and I tell myself, "some day I'll come back and shoot that", but I don't. Also I think the slower pace and vision, means I'll see things that I overlooked. I'm going to hang this on the bulletin board to remind myself. It's a bit out of season to be saying, start today. Cloudy this morning. A few snow showers developing during the afternoon. High 21F/-6C. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%. But if my goal is not a destination and instead an event, which is shooting photos at a slower pace, that's one I think I need to pursue.

2) Macro and focus stacking. I already have most of the tools but just never sat down and worked at getting things organized and done right.

3) Get the industrial strobe light working and make some time exposures. This may be fun and nothing useful or possibly an area that's not well covered. Not sure of any specific demand, but again, except for the space needed, I have the tools and some rather unique equipment available. (I used to sell printing press strobes, I have the one last, very beat up, high speed demo unit around here somewhere)

4) Go back to the races. Last two years have been pretty limited. First with Covid and then with three of the main tracks, losing events. One of them shut down. Media permission is more and more limited because of perceived liability. Each year less and less photographers are allowed access.

5) Have fun and enjoy shooting photos, which I love to do and did, before I ever heard of Microstock.

I think that's a pretty big list, plus continuing to do other things that I do, for stock images, that I won't be giving up.

Anyone else making notes and collecting plans for the new year?

Definitely working on leveling up my photography and video game this year

1. Learn the magical art of colour grading and shooting in log profiles

2. Figure out ways to get great drone videos. Learn the skills around both flying and composing amazing stuff using it

3. Shoot more often. Often the day job tends to sap all intent to shoot anything requiring an effort. Hopefully overcome that this year

I have been photographing insects and sometimes other subjects for years. My old photos are not suitable for Stock. No equipment bought for Stock. So everything is profit. Only since the end of 2019 at Shutterstock (now also at Adobe and Alamy). I see it as a cheap hobby and as a nice addition to my pension that has not increased for years.

resolutions
1) The same as last year: Cycling through the area (dunes, meadows, city of Alkmaar). See if I find new topics. That will be difficult.
2) When on holiday, pay extra attention to topics suitable for Stock (unfortunately the holiday has been canceled for a known reason in the last two years)
3) When visiting the area, just like last year, also shoot for Stock. And fingers crossed for better summer weather than in the previous rainy summer.
4) Besides photographing insects with the macro lens, use that lens more often for plants/flowers, because I have noticed that they sell better (not very well) than I thought.
5) Sell more than last year, without losing the fun.

...
Sell off all the gear but keep one camera, ...  I'm hoping eBay works and this is all new to me but I'm going through boxes of everything today and photographing it and will post it for sale.
...

in addition, there's a seldom used section here to sell gear - and save the 15% eBay fees. also, you might be able to sell some gear on amazon

one nice feature on ebay is you can look for completed sales to help with pricing. but ignore ebay's pricing suggestions as they don't always compare similar items. and forgo any of the extras they say will increase sales (2nd category, bold title, 'gallery plus')

Quote from: Level6 on January 01, 2022, 12:05

...

Go all out on two things.....learning day, swing and options trading (stocks) and finding a real job but if trading takes off then that becomes the real job, others have done it with just $500 left to their name so it's possible but it's a long hard learning curve. The big money is in options trading but it's serious educated gambling, I saw a twitter post last week, a high school student turned $700 into $8000 in two weeks.... unless stock trading works out and I'm making $3000/week like some of these other day traders ...

Be VERY careful!

the stories of overnight riches, even if true, are similar to other get-rich -quick schemes - when do you hear from the vast majority who fail?  When you place a day trade, you're betting that the random price movements of a particular stock will trend in the direction that you want. Realistically, to make it, you may need $50-100K to be able to survive a series of losses

How much money you start with: If you start trading with $2,000 your income potential (in dollars) is far less than someone who starts with $20,000.
How much time you put into your trading education: To create consistent day trading income�where you have a solid trading plan and are able to implement it�will likely take a year or more if you dedicate yourself to it full-time. If you only practice part-time, it may take a number of years to develop real consistency and attain the type of returns discussed below.
https://vantagepointtrading.com/how-much-money-can-i-make-as-a-day-trader/

and from the usually overly optimistic Motley Fool:
Day trading is not worth it for the vast majority of day traders. Anecdotally, it's been widely estimated that 95% of day traders ultimately lose money, and it's been empirically demonstrated that about the same percentage of unprofitable day traders continues despite losing money.  If you're thinking about day trading for the first time, it's important to know that day trading profits are hard to come by. You can make money day trading, but you'd be in very limited company.
https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/stocks/day-trading/

TANSTAAFL abides

Thanks for that and yes it's not easy, options trading is even harder. I do see many traders posting their losses as well and often it's many thousands in a matter of minutes, yesterday a bathroom break cost one options trader $35,000.

Hard part is knowing beforehand which stocks are gonna run, we can all be on Finviz https://finviz.com/screener.ashx?v=111&s=ta_topgainers  but the money is not in chasing but being there before it runs and not all run.

Last year around this time I guess there was the biggest momentum trade of all when AMC and GME ran, $2 stocks went to $72 and $480 but that's so rare and probably won't happen again.

Option is where the big money is but I'm not even close at this point, watching these high school and college students bank though and they're doing it on their phones in class!, https://twitter.com/PBInvesting  https://twitter.com/Mini_Tradez  https://twitter.com/STXRBOY999

Anything pays more than stock video right now though, have to try.

Quote from: Level6 on January 01, 2022, 12:05

...

Go all out on two things.....learning day, swing and options trading (stocks) and finding a real job but if trading takes off then that becomes the real job, others have done it with just $500 left to their name so it's possible but it's a long hard learning curve. The big money is in options trading but it's serious educated gambling, I saw a twitter post last week, a high school student turned $700 into $8000 in two weeks.... unless stock trading works out and I'm making $3000/week like some of these other day traders ...

Be VERY careful!

the stories of overnight riches, even if true, are similar to other get-rich -quick schemes - when do you hear from the vast majority who fail?  When you place a day trade, you're betting that the random price movements of a particular stock will trend in the direction that you want. Realistically, to make it, you may need $50-100K to be able to survive a series of losses

How much money you start with: If you start trading with $2,000 your income potential (in dollars) is far less than someone who starts with $20,000.
How much time you put into your trading education: To create consistent day trading income�where you have a solid trading plan and are able to implement it�will likely take a year or more if you dedicate yourself to it full-time. If you only practice part-time, it may take a number of years to develop real consistency and attain the type of returns discussed below.
https://vantagepointtrading.com/how-much-money-can-i-make-as-a-day-trader/

and from the usually overly optimistic Motley Fool:
Day trading is not worth it for the vast majority of day traders. Anecdotally, it's been widely estimated that 95% of day traders ultimately lose money, and it's been empirically demonstrated that about the same percentage of unprofitable day traders continues despite losing money.  If you're thinking about day trading for the first time, it's important to know that day trading profits are hard to come by. You can make money day trading, but you'd be in very limited company.
https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/stocks/day-trading/

TANSTAAFL abides

The more I think about it and as hard as learning the charts are I have to try, this industry is going from bad to worse, look at the Alamy 7 cents thread, it's one thing after another. All my editorial video ended up with a "trusted Global partner" in China known as Bytedance, same company that owns TikTok.

So there's that plus the recession, worst recession since the depression, COVID is getting much worse and fast, not as lethal with omicron but most are since in bed for 7 days and the economy will shut down again due to massive numbers of people to sick to come in to work. https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/01/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html

But I wonder what effect this will all have on the stock markets both stock video/photo and the stock exchange, how long can this economy continue like this?

I officially retired on 1st Sept. 2021, which means the Belgian government will be paying me a pension every month.  So I will do fewer client photo sessions and the spare time will be used to :
1) do stock shoots again, but only the fun ones
2) do super fun projects, like rent a castle for a day and shoot historical costumes (if I can afford it)
3) sell the props and stuff that's piling up in my studio, but only after "milking the cow" (= photographing it for stock)
4) go back to my portfolio and create templates and overlays to sell to other photographers
5) if travelling is still not safe :  do more day-trips in Flanders to get the vacation-feeling
6) spend more time in the garden on sunny days!


Looks like I'm going to be busier than before my retirement!

Welcome to the club (pensioners). Sounds all right.
Bruges is my favorite city in Belgium. I mainly know the other cities because I drive on to France, Spain.
We want to go to Ghent or Antwerp for a few more days. Just wait and see.

Welcome to the club (pensioners). Sounds all right.
Bruges is my favorite city in Belgium. I mainly know the other cities because I drive on to France, Spain.
We want to go to Ghent or Antwerp for a few more days. Just wait and see.

If you go to Ghent, spend the night there, because Ghent is FABULOUS at night - they even won a Unesco prize with their evening lighting of the historical buildings ...  (but don't forget to bring your tripod!)

To upload 2000 new images.

Much more travel, a drone and a Nikon Z9...hope that I'm not asking for too much

Pete's #1...definitely me too. I rarely go back to visit by bike or on foot when I should.

Anyka and Thijs in same pension boat in NL. Fortunate to have retained a client from the past and working for them 6 weeks/year doubles my pension. Must get more organized in 22 and look carefully at the sort of stock that the non-micros want to see and whether I can get in there. Think I might go back to trying some high quality food shots of anything that's 'IN' before it's really 'IN' and done to death by everyone else!.
Like Anyka I too have cupboards full of props (much food related) and later this year I will be moving house and downsizing...so some stuff will have to go.

I've been revisiting my old travel photos (all 35mm slides) of which I have tens of thousands. Many are rubbish, some are OK and I think I would love to travel again but with a digital camera. Unfortunately (for me) there are just so many excellent travel photographers out there now and the competition is overwhelming. Anyway, travel photography frequently demands physical fitness and at 70+ mine isn't what it was so I think I'll just have to dream instead of doing.

...

But I wonder what effect this will all have on the stock markets both stock video/photo and the stock exchange, how long can this economy continue like this?

the stock market will do just fine w its usual ups & downs - most of the trillion (unpaid for) tax cut giveaway went to the 1% and few industries did anything helpful - most used the money to buy back their own stock, notin vest in workers, infrastructure or even research

Level 6 be careful with trading the stock market/options/futures. If you think that microstock CEO's are greedy and grabbing, wait until the Wall Street Boyz hit you. I did stocks and options for a few years in the late 90's and early noughties. Made 20K in a couple of days just after 911 for a couple of hundred bucks in put options and had a few other successes in trading stocks at the time but the thing about the financial world is...they want it back and they'll usually get it and more!

Eventually I couldn't stand the stress.....losing a fortune by taking a toilet break can easily happen! The thing that really got me out was the way the big options traders could move the goalposts if the value of options went against them.

At around 2000 there was some 'guru'/fraudster who was telling the wealthy that the easiest way to make a lot quickly was to sell a very in-the-money 4-year index put option....index at 700...sell 4-year put 800 and get �10K +4 years time value (�2K). The prediction was that the index would go to 800 maybe even in a matter of months so you could buy back your put option for much less than you sold it for. Easy money! Except it didn't work out that way after 2001.
I took the opposite side of that trade and bought those 4-year mucho-in-the-money 800  puts when it was still a bull market. But when the index dived after 2001, those puts which I had and which I also used to cover some smaller short-dated puts I had written (for the premium) were no longer deemed to be covering so I couldn't do that any more. And the long dated in the money puts I had were not going up in value as the market declined because the time value of 4 years meant that in that time the market could go back up again and so my long-dated puts were now worth less than in the money puts at the next following expiration.

In the meantime the dealers who sold me those puts were trying to get me to sell them off. Because I could no longer use them to collect premium on other short-dated options I wanted to write, they also became pretty useless as a way of producing regular income. At some point I sold them for almost no profit whilst the market dive should have made them worth a lot more....but if the optionsboyz decide that they don't want to lose money then you have to. Had I had the mental courage plus enough valium and held out until expiration in 2004, I would have indeed made around 4X what I paid...but I didn't. At the urging of my wife I stopped all stock market activities in 2003, having given back around �80K. The big guys (with their nano-second executions and servers next to hubs) just love the small 'investors'/speculators and are really practiced at taking your money. The small guy is truly easy prey....so beware!

Level 6 be careful with trading the stock market/options/futures. If you think that microstock CEO's are greedy and grabbing, wait until the Wall Street Boyz hit you. I did stocks and options for a few years in the late 90's and early noughties. Made 20K in a couple of days just after 911 for a couple of hundred bucks in put options and had a few other successes in trading stocks at the time but the thing about the financial world is...they want it back and they'll usually get it and more!

Eventually I couldn't stand the stress.....losing a fortune by taking a toilet break can easily happen! The thing that really got me out was the way the big options traders could move the goalposts if the value of options went against them.

At around 2000 there was some 'guru'/fraudster who was telling the wealthy that the easiest way to make a lot quickly was to sell a very in-the-money 4-year index put option....index at 700...sell 4-year put 800 and get �10K +4 years time value (�2K). The prediction was that the index would go to 800 maybe even in a matter of months so you could buy back your put option for much less than you sold it for. Easy money! Except it didn't work out that way after 2001.
I took the opposite side of that trade and bought those 4-year mucho-in-the-money 800  puts when it was still a bull market. But when the index dived after 2001, those puts which I had and which I also used to cover some smaller short-dated puts I had written (for the premium) were no longer deemed to be covering so I couldn't do that any more. And the long dated in the money puts I had were not going up in value as the market declined because the time value of 4 years meant that in that time the market could go back up again and so my long-dated puts were now worth less than in the money puts at the next following expiration.

In the meantime the dealers who sold me those puts were trying to get me to sell them off. Because I could no longer use them to collect premium on other short-dated options I wanted to write, they also became pretty useless as a way of producing regular income. At some point I sold them for almost no profit whilst the market dive should have made them worth a lot more....but if the optionsboyz decide that they don't want to lose money then you have to. Had I had the mental courage plus enough valium and held out until expiration in 2004, I would have indeed made around 4X what I paid...but I didn't. At the urging of my wife I stopped all stock market activities in 2003, having given back around �80K. The big guys (with their nano-second executions and servers next to hubs) just love the small 'investors'/speculators and are really practiced at taking your money. The small guy is truly easy prey....so beware!

Thanks for that, the advice is appreciated, I guess the only good thing and different is now in the US there is Robinhood and Webull and in Canada we have a couple of similar apps but they aren't nearly as good but at least you're not waiting on a broker or having to deal with their "advice" which is skewed in favor of the big guys or their own commissions but also more risky for new gamblers. I'm in Canada so no Robinhood or Webull for me.

So much to learn and so far I've only been doing some day and swing trades, I've won and lost some but nothing too special yet either way.  Last week I was tagging stock video files every day getting all caught up and barely looking at the markets but a few people lost big time on $spy, one was during a bathroom break and the other a nap.

You're right about the stress, can't take eyes off the screens, you don't want to either, I wish I had more screens though, only have two but then again many of the high school and college students who are banking are doing it on their phones and in class but I think some of them are just so good it's like second nature for them and they probably developed an interest and started learning around age 12 or 13.

I guess the only thing more stressful would be trading crypto as it trades 24/7 and you can lose it all in seconds like this. Do a YouTube search for Squid game rug pull, literally everything lost in seconds.

I would prefer to stay in stock video is I could make a living at it and maybe swing trade on the side but I went from $150,000/year to living off credit cards in 2021 so this is my only chance now and I'm only able to play with very little so I need to do what you did with those post 911 puts, put down $200 and make that $20k in a couple of days and then go from there. I stayed in stock video way too long, should have bailed in May....that was my fault, this time the market didn't bounce back.

You mentioned the guru/fraudster, so many of those on Twitter pumping stocks or adding to the hype once a stock does run and they all have a "paid" discord or YouTube channel and my first reaction is if they're making so much money trading then why do a paid discord or bother with YouTube?.

it's almost like those people who used to pump stock footage and photography with their "quality stock" as a great way to make money?, why do all the YouTube videos then and not be out filming stock and selling it if there's so much money in it?.

I do follow Zack Morris and a couple of the Atlas trading gang on Twitter more out of amusement but the ones I pay attention to are the ones that don't brag about massive gains or pose with rented Lambos.

I guess what got a lot of people into trading was the epic momentum run that AMC/GME had a year ago, once in a lifetime life changing money for many. I just hope I make it because stock media is done as a way to make a living and now as I type this is looks like more restrictions and unemployment are coming to my province, the premier is in a cabinet meeting right now and I know what means.

Quote from: DavidK on January 02, 2022, 16:51

Quote from: OM on January 02, 2022, 16:30

Level 6 be careful with trading the stock market/options/futures. If you think that microstock CEO's are greedy and grabbing, wait until the Wall Street Boyz hit you. I did stocks and options for a few years in the late 90's and early noughties. Made 20K in a couple of days just after 911 for a couple of hundred bucks in put options and had a few other successes in trading stocks at the time but the thing about the financial world is...they want it back and they'll usually get it and more!

Eventually I couldn't stand the stress.....losing a fortune by taking a toilet break can easily happen! The thing that really got me out was the way the big options traders could move the goalposts if the value of options went against them.

At around 2000 there was some 'guru'/fraudster who was telling the wealthy that the easiest way to make a lot quickly was to sell a very in-the-money 4-year index put option....index at 700...sell 4-year put 800 and get �10K +4 years time value (�2K). The prediction was that the index would go to 800 maybe even in a matter of months so you could buy back your put option for much less than you sold it for. Easy money! Except it didn't work out that way after 2001.
I took the opposite side of that trade and bought those 4-year mucho-in-the-money 800  puts when it was still a bull market. But when the index dived after 2001, those puts which I had and which I also used to cover some smaller short-dated puts I had written (for the premium) were no longer deemed to be covering so I couldn't do that any more. And the long dated in the money puts I had were not going up in value as the market declined because the time value of 4 years meant that in that time the market could go back up again and so my long-dated puts were now worth less than in the money puts at the next following expiration.

In the meantime the dealers who sold me those puts were trying to get me to sell them off. Because I could no longer use them to collect premium on other short-dated options I wanted to write, they also became pretty useless as a way of producing regular income. At some point I sold them for almost no profit whilst the market dive should have made them worth a lot more....but if the optionsboyz decide that they don't want to lose money then you have to. Had I had the mental courage plus enough valium and held out until expiration in 2004, I would have indeed made around 4X what I paid...but I didn't. At the urging of my wife I stopped all stock market activities in 2003, having given back around �80K. The big guys (with their nano-second executions and servers next to hubs) just love the small 'investors'/speculators and are really practiced at taking your money. The small guy is truly easy prey....so beware!

Lol, even the terminology sounds similar to what one might hear walking by the craps table on a busy casino night.

Yes, as it's so often said on Reddit on Wallstreet bets, "Sir, this is a casino"

And you know why they have 0 and 00 on the casino roulette wheels! I'm sure they'd love to have 000 (maybe they do?).
 
My theory about currencies and the need for the Euro...in the beginning you had the dollar and the yen for major currency speculators but with only 2 major currencies exchange commissions were limited....make a third one (Euro) and you've got your 000 on the roulette wheel!LOL.

Quote from: OM on January 03, 2022, 07:10

And you know why they have 0 and 00 on the casino roulette wheels! I'm sure they'd love to have 000 (maybe they do?).
 
My theory about currencies and the need for the Euro...in the beginning you had the dollar and the yen for major currency speculators but with only 2 major currencies exchange commissions were limited....make a third one (Euro) and you've got your 000 on the roulette wheel!LOL.

Any investing has risks, I'll leave that one there. Any gambling has a house edge, there's no way to beat that.

So for your question, I happened to be a casino history buff of some sorts. I collect casino "stuff". Which much like Microstock is a hobby although some have made that into a business? The ones who make money, got in early and are in the business of selling, whether it's guides, supplies or old collections that they have had for 30 years. Advice makes money?


The roulette wheel, a wonderful and amazing math genius product. Originally had one 0 which for people who don't follow and I'm not going to go into loads of probability and math details, is GREEN. You can bet even or odd, red or black, high or low and all kinds of "50-50 bets", 6 numbers, 12, 3, 18... but the green Zero is none of those and is the House Edge. That's 2.70%

American roulette has 0 and 00 (green of course) which makes the house edge 5.26% - no matter what you bet, either wheel, except one worse bet, every possible bet on the roulette table is the same odds. There's no combination that makes the odds different from 5.26% it's math it's science it's irrefutable. So any book that claims to beat the wheel, is a fraud.

Continuing: Yes there have been roulette wheels with an Eagle, which in effect is the triple zero. Any wheel with three green slots, gives the house an even larger edge. 7.69%



Notice, red and black alternate. Even and odd are not alternating, high or low are varied. The numbers are not in any pattern or order. The game was designed to be as random as possible. The version of this game as we know it, was designed by Blaise Pascal a mathematician in the 17th century. Lets here it for longevity and probability. The only modern change I can find is, table limits. The one flaw in the original is, with unlimited funds, someone could just double their bet, indefinitely until they win and therefore break even, at the very worst.

With a table limit, minimum bet and maximum bet limit, you eventually go broke on a losing streak where you can't double up anymore. If the table unit is $1 and you have a limit of $500, you can lose ten bets in a row and you're out. For anyone who's ever played or watched, a streak of 14 in a row, of Red or Black, as an example, is not unheard of and not uncommon.

Someone has said resolutions. I'm not making resolutions, which generally just don't work out and are hard to keep. I'm saying plans, which are open ended an not a commitment to myself or anyone else, as a promise to do something. Unlike a resolution, something might or might not happen.

#6 waste less time on the Microstock Group 

#7 coming from others ideas, take many more photos and actually edit and upload them, instead of just taking them.

#8 always have a camera with me and in my world a phone isn't a camera it's a phone. 

#9 Find my pocket photo idea notebook and start writing down things, again, instead of trying to remember what I thought of, and obviously have forgotten.

Hobby?, I think this was/is a business.  Maybe becoming a hobby now, was a $3500/month minimum business for me.

Item #9, Writing things down, same here, man the stress of this business has an effect on short term memory, something I've really noticed lately.

Having just told Alamy to close my account, I'm now done with microstock, and with so-called "sales" that net me 4 cents. My goal for 2022 is to forget about these crooks, try to do some good photos that people like, and sell a print now and then via POD.

Quote from: stockastic on January 06, 2022, 19:53

Having just told Alamy to close my account, I'm now done with microstock, and with so-called "sales" that net me 4 cents. My goal for 2022 is to forget about these crooks, try to do some good photos that people like, and sell a print now and then via POD.

Sickening feeling but today i photograph all the gear that might be of some value to sell and list it, keeping one lower end camera and that's it.  It's over.  Job search and a big of day trading is now my full time job.  I will leave the content up in case a sale happens but it's over as business.

This is heartbreaking, wishing you all the very best for these new avenues. Hope you still find joy in photography

I had big goals last year, namely to find a job in my current public service vocation in Sydney and to move back to my home city after near 14 years, which I finally achieved this past November. Went on a bit of a blitz with getting new content and uploading now back in Sydney (after a pause for several months). The new year has arrived and while I aim to continue capturing and uploading content, I'm feeling a bit deflated tbh, especially with 2022 starting so slow.. Hoping to see my ports pick up again as this will re-energize my efforts but at this time I don't have a strong sense of any particular focussed goals for 2022.

Upgrade my PC so I can run Black Magic software and speed up my workflow.
Indoor lighting techniques build in more atmosphere into my photos.
Work with more color and create better backdrops.
Cut back on the half-assed attempts and make an effort.


My brother and sis-in-law bought me a ticket for a photography workshop for Christmas - very kind of them :-) Looking forward to it.

Moan - sales have just dried up past week - is this normal for the time of year?

Nov-Dec are two of the strongest months, Jan one of the weakest so that drop can be concerning (talking about volume of sales, of course now with the SS reset income drop is even worse)

Here's my list. None of it is related to microstock which I'm no longer spending time on.

• More photo shoot trips than last year
• Experiment with selling photos as products like phone cases, etc
• Continue evaluating more places to sell photos
• Sell all non essential photography equipment
• Automate sales fulfillment as much as possible