Not uploading the complete series all at once.

I only upload a few files from a new production, then wait and see how it takes up and sells.

If it sells well, I will very gradually add more content and also might post process some files with a different look (strong vignette, neutral colors, vibrant colors�) to get more visual options from the same series.

I save a lot of time by only uploading the few best files and have more time for shooting (and prompting)

Invested in a drone. Letting the machine do the legwork for me!

What do you think your return on investiment on the drone is? $/ hour spent with it? (not so much the learning to fly, but actual set up, flight, processing time). You got some good stuff - but I don't know if the return is there anymore.

I have played a bit with a little drone, but haven't really tried much stock stuff - mostly because I am lazy and also they are not allowed at a lot of the most scenic places I'd like to use for stock (national parks / wilderness). It also doesn't help that I live very close to a small airport so there are some restrictions within walking distance.

Probably the best return for me is keeping my eyes and mind open for "plop and shoot" opportunities - especially things that aren't all that common but might be sellers as well as backgrounds - stuff I can just shoot, minimally process and keyword and upload. Sure, most are very poor sellers, but they don't take much work compared to my other minimal sellers, and a few sell ok over time. - so take your camera with you and keep an open mind to photo ops. - you can't make a living doing that, but I am dubious about making a living these days without more work than it would take to make a living doing lots of other things.

That is actually a good result, considering you are still in the learning stage. About how to use the drone, but also what the customers like to buy from you.

I am sure that in time your returns will go up a lot.

In marketing there are recommended ways to do well in a saturated market. Here are some of them (summarised from a blog article I recently wrote for those in ecommerce sites/direct selling, but they still may be applied to stock photography in some instances):

1. Niche Down. The more you can niche down, the better. A good niche is obviously one where your competition has not entered or over-supplied to, and there is still a gap between the buyers� needs and the products available for sale.

2. Innovation. Innovation solves buyers' problems. One of the most important things you can do, especially as the market becomes more and more saturated, is to become more creative. Your product needs to be more innovative than your competition.

3. Trends. Trends used to come from places like fashion houses, but now its more social media driven. Some trends are short-lived, and some stay around for much longer. The secret is to find trends that are innovative but have a classic feature, that people will want for a longer period of time.

4. Identify buyers' pain points. "Sell the problem you solve, not the product you have." Find out what your customers need, what they are complaining about, and what motivates them most to spend money to buy a product. And then produce what your competitors are producing but better.


There are other ways like, market placement, effective pricing, and innovative marketing, but they apply more for selling direct.

- Book cover: $1000

What is a book cover? How did you know it was a Book cover? This photo or video from a drone was bought from you, and where?

I would agree with the drone option, the majority of my sales are aerial views. I would say that you dont want a cheap drone, I have a mavic pro and even that the images are very soft at the corners and can range from very noisey to noisey, with keeping ISO at 100, also tend to only use F5.6 or F5.0.......DXO raw convertor does a good job at removing the noise.....I only use it for still images.

Is this thread about photos or videos? As I understand it, you take photos from the drone.

Quote from: stoker2014 on April 27, 2023, 05:20

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 26, 2023, 11:52

- Book cover: $1000

What is a book cover? How did you know it was a Book cover? This photo or video from a drone was bought from you, and where?

Was for this cover taken from my drone, licensed via Arcangel.

Do you only shoot photos with a drone? Are you filming a video?
This site is Arcangel, do you upload only exclusive photos?

Quote from: stoker2014 on April 27, 2023, 06:28

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 27, 2023, 06:11

Quote from: stoker2014 on April 27, 2023, 05:20

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 26, 2023, 11:52

- Book cover: $1000

What is a book cover? How did you know it was a Book cover? This photo or video from a drone was bought from you, and where?

Was for this cover taken from my drone, licensed via Arcangel.

Do you only shoot photos with a drone? Are you filming a video?
This site is Arcangel, do you upload only exclusive photos?

I also shoot footage that goes everywhere.

AC are Rights-Managed exclusive.

How did you pass the Arcangel exam? It was easy? Did you link to your stock portfolio?

^^
I was accepted back in 2016 but didn't upload much until around 2021. Back then it was different (submitted a batch of 40 images, similar to Stocksy), nowadays need to include a link to a portfolio.

I published an interview with Nash Mascaro, Sales Director for my blog and he gives a lot of tips on getting accepted -> sales. He insists that successful applicants possess already a style and upload images that include "quality, saleability, and relevance"

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2023/04/23/interview-with-ignacio-mascaro-sales-director-at-arcangel-images/

Stop working on Microstock and doing something else...

Brasilnut, I see there is another similar site - trevillion. Where is the best income?

I admit, that is a pretty cool drone shot. Did they ask for a property release for that?

Quote from: stoker2014 on April 27, 2023, 05:20

Quote from: Brasilnut on April 26, 2023, 11:52

- Book cover: $1000

What is a book cover? How did you know it was a Book cover? This photo or video from a drone was bought from you, and where?

Was for this cover taken from my drone, licensed via Arcangel.