MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: jen on November 16, 2010, 12:11
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So, I'm having a terrible November. I'm feeling very demotivated because I've been work-work-working and I've only made 1/7th of what I did in October.
My question is, how do you keep motivated in an inconsistent and unpredictable business? Stock photography is still new to me, and I know I have to keep pushing and develop a huge and wicked awesome portfolio before I can make steady money. I'm interested in hearing stories about how you made it over the hurdle (working hard, hoping it would be worth it eventually).
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I mostly only shoot things that interest me. I'm still trying to build up numbers, but I'm not getting uptight about them. As long as you shoot what's interesting to you,the rest will follow.
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So, I'm having a terrible November. I'm feeling very demotivated because I've been work-work-working and I've only made 1/7th of what I did in October.
My question is, how do you keep motivated in an inconsistent and unpredictable business? Stock photography is still new to me, and I know I have to keep pushing and develop a huge and wicked awesome portfolio before I can make steady money. I'm interested in hearing stories about how you made it over the hurdle (working hard, hoping it would be worth it eventually).
Good question, Jen, especially about consistency. I had posted something similar on DT. I finally reached 500 images there. There are days that I have five downloads followed by days and days and days of nothing. I was hoping that 500 was the magic number. It's not. :(
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Yeah, I try to stop thinking about the money, turn my brain off and work on things that I enjoy. It's good to think about the business side too, but I "TRY" not to get too obsessed with it.
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Very good question, Jen. My answer is - I don't! Having a really hard time getting motivated right now.
I think Blufish and Cthoman have the right idea about putting the business aspect aside and shooting what you enjoy. This year I have been focusing too much on sales and not enough on pleasure.
I had expected to be able to relax after I got my portfolio to a certain level, but with 6k pictures, the competition is fiercer than ever. I feel compelled to keep producing.
In the new year I might try shooting some editorial RM. That would be a good change of pace and hopefully get my creative juices flowing again :)
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The only photo you won't sell for sure is the one you don't do or upload. That said, I'm not seeing any big downfall in my sales.
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So, I'm having a terrible November. I'm feeling very demotivated because I've been work-work-working and I've only made 1/7th of what I did in October.
My question is, how do you keep motivated in an inconsistent and unpredictable business? Stock photography is still new to me, and I know I have to keep pushing and develop a huge and wicked awesome portfolio before I can make steady money. I'm interested in hearing stories about how you made it over the hurdle (working hard, hoping it would be worth it eventually).
If you've been working a lot lately, don't despair: pictures take a few months to really start to sell on most sites (except Shutterstock where sales are almost immediate), so results will possibly come later.
That said, November is not as good as expected for me as well.
What keeps me motivated is travelling. I am shooting a lot less for microstock while at home, but I take a short break now and then and shoot a lot of pictures. Glasgow and Berlin (again) lately.
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Sales are certainly a huge motivator. So far November has been doing very well (1st half was on track to be a BME but we'll have to see).
OTOH I have been totally demotivated by the crap at IS and decided that I'd just do what I wanted to with the time I've had - and I didn't shoot any Christmas stuff this year at all. For therapy I've been processing images from this summer - I was planning to work on those but not in the fall. I've uploaded everything I've processed and some of it has even sold amongst all the Christmas/snow images (from prior years).
I still don't really know what I'm going to do next year, but for the moment I'm just going to ignore saleability and process and upload things that I really love - and play lots of music (loud) while I do (I have a home office, so I have no co-workers to tick off by my music choices)!
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Motive through Photography.. not through Stock / Microstock. Learn more about Photography. Go step outside your comfort zone for fun.
I go walking around with my 18 - 55 lens and see what I end up with.. with no plans on selling them. I take those pics and learn some type of creative editing. All for the sake of just doing. If you spend all your time thinking about the next stock shot... then do like a regular job and take your weekends off.
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I haven't uploaded anything new for a couple of months now. All of the things going on at all of the sites really put me off. But then I enrolled in college again. I am taking a Photography I class. We're shooting with a black and white film camera, developing the film ourselves and printing ourselves. I have to say that I have reaffirmed my love for photography (not microstock) in addition to learning a lot of things. The things I have learned about the relationship between f-stops and exposures has been priceless. Is it making me money? No, quite the contrary. The supplies are costing way more than what were told to expect at the beginning of the year. But I almost don't care.
It's a fresh, new way to look at things and that has motivated me to go back to my digital camera and apply the principles I've learned and hopefully take some better shots.
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Let’s be honest. You're either doing microstock for enjoyment or profit.
To anyone now yelling, “No, I do this because it’s personally rewarding”… Really? You find joy hunched over the computer for hours... retouching, keywording and uploading photos that you fear won’t sell? You would rather do that than spend time with loved ones or on a favorite pastime? Let's not kid ourselves. We all have dollar signs in your eyes, or we wouldn't be so obsessed with microstock.
Don’t get me wrong. You can learn to enjoy putting profit first. Aim to find subjects that buyers actually want and put your creativity to work in adding a fresh spin on those topics. You’ll find this is rewarding both financially and creatively.
On the flipside, you will not succeed financially if you place top priority on what you enjoy creating and assume that people will eventually find your works of art and buy them on their artistic merits. Not going to happen, unless some marketable concepts slipped in by accident.
Don’t trust anyone who suggests that following your heart will lead you to a pot of gold. Check out their stats to see if it’s working for them, then come back to reality and focus on creating marketable images in a manner you find creatively fulfilling.
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Right ^ . What motivates me is knowing that competitors around the globe are trying to get motivated.
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Without sugar coating anything, if you're new in this industry you're going to have to work very very hard ( a lot harder than when some of us started) and then after a while you'll reach a certain level where you'll still not be able to relax and will probably have to work even harder to maintain that level.
If you're struggling to find the motivation at this early stage I suggest you give up. Oh and don't worry about the huge, wicked, awesome portfolio - mundane, highly desirable, useable portfolio is what you want, this ain't art.
Told you I wouldn't sugar coat it ;)
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Let’s be honest. You're either doing microstock for enjoyment or profit.
I'm doing microstock for profit. But my final aim is enjoyment. Enjoyment of free time and life style that only a weird business like this allows, compared to many other traditional jobs.
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Let’s be honest. You're either doing microstock for enjoyment or profit.
I don't see it as an either or. I see it as both. One without the other, for me, wouldn't work.
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Motivation? What's that?
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I don't see it as an either or. I see it as both. One without the other, for me, wouldn't work.
I agree. I took a break from microstock for several months and realized I missed it. If it was all business, my portfolio would be filled with a much different type of image. I'd probably make a lot more, but be completely miserable. A good balance is tricky, but rewarding.
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I find that long delays in inspections will discourage me as much as periods with no sales (which usually happens every weekend anyways). I frequently doubt myself, and slow down the rate of processing and uploading files, telling myself, "Let's just wait a bit to see if these are going to fly, eh?"
But it's not the agency's fault, it's a matter of personal confidence and determination.
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My motivation: bills that keep appearing in my mailbox.
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I think many people didn't get my point. I'll put it a different way...
There's three different images you can create and submit:
1. Those that you enjoy producing
2. Those you have reason to believe will sell
3. Those you believe will sell, and you just happen to enjoy producing
If you want a portfolio that generates good sales, aim to spend your time producing the third type. But since those types of shots are the toughest to figure out, backfill with the second type. Avoid the first type unless you're truly in this just for fun and don't care if you get a single sale.
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I think many people didn't get my point. I'll put it a different way...
There's three different images you can create and submit:
1. Those that you enjoy producing
2. Those you have reason to believe will sell
3. Those you believe will sell, and you just happen to enjoy producing
If you want a portfolio that generates good sales, aim to spend your time producing the third type. But since those types of shots are the toughest to figure out, backfill with the second type. Avoid the first type unless you're truly in this just for fun and don't care if you get a single sale.
Thanks for making your point clearer. Now I totally agree with you. :)
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I think many people didn't get my point. I'll put it a different way...
There's three different images you can create and submit:
1. Those that you enjoy producing
2. Those you have reason to believe will sell
3. Those you believe will sell, and you just happen to enjoy producing
If you want a portfolio that generates good sales, aim to spend your time producing the third type. But since those types of shots are the toughest to figure out, backfill with the second type. Avoid the first type unless you're truly in this just for fun and don't care if you get a single sale.
Don't forget about the ones that you think are garbage, but buyers love. Or the ones that sell well despite breaking all the "great selling" stock image guidelines. For every rule I make about what makes a great selling image there seems to be at least several exceptions. I've given up on my ultimate stock selling bible and just make images, release them into the wild and let microstock Darwinism take care of the rest.
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My motivation: bills that keep appearing in my mailbox.
Yeah, what's up with that, they keep sending them, every month!!
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My motivation: bills that keep appearing in my mailbox.
Yeah, what's up with that, they keep sending them, every month!!
You should move!
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Without sugar coating anything, if you're new in this industry you're going to have to work very very hard ( a lot harder than when some of us started) and then after a while you'll reach a certain level where you'll still not be able to relax and will probably have to work even harder to maintain that level.
If you're struggling to find the motivation at this early stage I suggest you give up. Oh and don't worry about the huge, wicked, awesome portfolio - mundane, highly desirable, useable portfolio is what you want, this ain't art.
Told you I wouldn't sugar coat it ;)
Perhaps "motivation" was a poor choice of words. I am extremely motivated, I've been working on my portfolio like crazy , and I'm generally enjoying this entire process. But it's an interesting business, and I've always been an "instant gratification" type of person. I'm never expecting to be able to sit around and eat bon bons while my account balance fills up, but it's interesting to see how other people have pushed themselves through the waiting period between tons of work ---> worthwhile reward, when you're just starting out.
PS I would describe "highly desirable and usable" as "wicked awesome" as far as microstock is concerned. :)
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Right ^ . What motivates me is knowing that competitors around the globe are trying to get motivated.
This is what motivates me :P
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How about this for motivation...
Start a spreadsheet. In one row put your current portfolio size, the average daily earnings (just a rough estimate -- not your best day or your worst day, but somewhere in between), and a cell that divides earnings by portfolio size. This is the row representing TODAY.
On the next line, add two images to the portfolio size, multiply it by the earnings/port size number and see how much those two images add to your daily take. This is the row that represents TOMORROW.
Now add a row for a week from now, then a month, then 3 months, then 6 months, then a year, 2 years, 3 years, etc. Hopefully you see the growth that is possible by just keeping the nose to the grindstone and adding new images to your portfolio everyday. It's a great exercise, particularly when it feels like your daily work isn't moving the needle.
Of course, as time goes by you'll need to go in and adjust your daily average number to keep the sheet realistic. And many will tell you that we don't know what the future will bring for microstock. Could be a bigger market, could crash and burn, or the agencies could cut our commissions down to 1 cent/download. All you can do in predicting the future is use the facts you know.
You could go further and use that projection as a trend line on a chart of your real numbers. This is the type of spreadsheet I keep, and it's a great help in keeping me focused on my goals.
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I agree. I took a break from microstock for several months and realized I missed it. If it was all business, my portfolio would be filled with a much different type of image. I'd probably make a lot more, but be completely miserable. A good balance is tricky, but rewarding.
I did the same thing, and when I came back to stock I realized that I needed to branch out if I was ever going to continue doing this for any extended amount of time. I've found lately to be fairly happy doing a mix of old stuff that I know sells well and is sort of my "bread and butter" style of work, alongside some drastically new stuff. The images I'm working on right now are nothing like anything else in my portfolio. I even did some character illustration recently, something I've never done before.
The balance between "bread and butter" work and the more commercially in-demand stuff has been working well for me lately. I think everyone will burn out eventually if they don't try new things and keep challenging themselves. I read somewhere recently that even Yuri is trying to reinvent himself as an artist. Even when you're the best, you can still get tired and burnt out on doing the same stuff over and over again.
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Start a spreadsheet. In one row put your current portfolio size...
The problem with the spreadsheet and projected earnings is that for most people this is a business of diminishing returns. I wish I could say that with 300 images I earn $X.XX, so with 600 images I will earn double that amount, but it just doesn't work that way. If I could double my portfolio in one day, and do it with current, relevant, commercially in-demand images, then sure maybe I could accurately predict that my earnings would double. The problem is that over time, images become dated, fall out of favor with buyers, and just generally depreciate in value. While we're working hard to increase the size of our portfolios, old images are becoming less and less profitable. And on a long enough timeline, no one can out-pace the diminishing earnings of the older images.
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I'm going on my 38th year making a living as a photographer. Sometimes it's hard to manage cash flow, sometimes clients get you crazy, but one thing I can say is that i have enjoyed every day of it. I love what i do. There is always something to shoot. Each day you are alive is a gift, and you should make the most of it. As for microstock, there is no way to tell what will sell, but as long as you, the artist, are happy with your work, nothing else matters. Go shoot! :)
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Start a spreadsheet. In one row put your current portfolio size...
The problem with the spreadsheet and projected earnings is that for most people this is a business of diminishing returns. I wish I could say that with 300 images I earn $X.XX, so with 600 images I will earn double that amount, but it just doesn't work that way. If I could double my portfolio in one day, and do it with current, relevant, commercially in-demand images, then sure maybe I could accurately predict that my earnings would double. The problem is that over time, images become dated, fall out of favor with buyers, and just generally depreciate in value. While we're working hard to increase the size of our portfolios, old images are becoming less and less profitable. And on a long enough timeline, no one can out-pace the diminishing earnings of the older images.
I guess it's something that will work for some and not others. I've been able to keep at roughly the same growth rate for multiple years now, so I'm riding right along my projected goal line. Not sure what the secret is, aside from meeting my daily quota, keeping an eye to the market to look for new marketable topics, and running my operation like a business. I think diiminishing returns happens if your images are not unique, either in comparison to growing competition or your own new images. You have to stay fresh, not duplicating content and cannibalizing your own work, and stay three steps ahead of copycats by constantly seeing new topics that they haven't spotted yet.
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Yes but somehow Im sure most of us with more then three years in this Micro game new the day would come when it really wasnt worthwhile anymore. Everything doesnt just come down to earnings, does it. Its all become a gigantic hassle, sites that doesnt work, search-engines that might as well be for the dead, part-time reviewers who cant tell the differance between color and b/w, takeovers just to bleed them dry and then leave them for dead.
Revenue wise I cant complain, every agency is pretty much bringing in the same dosh but seriously, the only two out of the major ones, who are maintaining some sort of profesionalism is FT and SS.
Im leaning more and more to spend my time with my RM and RF outlets, saves days on end in front of computers, saves having to go through lots of just irritating junk.
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Without sugar coating anything, if you're new in this industry you're going to have to work very very hard ( a lot harder than when some of us started) and then after a while you'll reach a certain level where you'll still not be able to relax and will probably have to work even harder to maintain that level.
If you're struggling to find the motivation at this early stage I suggest you give up. Oh and don't worry about the huge, wicked, awesome portfolio - mundane, highly desirable, useable portfolio is what you want, this ain't art.
Told you I wouldn't sugar coat it ;)
Perhaps "motivation" was a poor choice of words. I am extremely motivated, I've been working on my portfolio like crazy , and I'm generally enjoying this entire process. But it's an interesting business, and I've always been an "instant gratification" type of person. I'm never expecting to be able to sit around and eat bon bons while my account balance fills up, but it's interesting to see how other people have pushed themselves through the waiting period between tons of work ---> worthwhile reward, when you're just starting out.
PS I would describe "highly desirable and usable" as "wicked awesome" as far as microstock is concerned. :)
Then I think you've answered your own question - you're working hard and enjoying it, what more motivation could you want, apart from money of course!
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Well Richard, never mind the money, how about D4X, HD6, 6DM6, theres plenty of motivation.
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M9 for me, but it's more lust than motivation!
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Another motivation is get a new toy. Ijust got a 105mm 1:1 lens. Soooooooo. Much fun!
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Without sugar coating anything, if you're new in this industry you're going to have to work very very hard ( a lot harder than when some of us started) and then after a while you'll reach a certain level where you'll still not be able to relax and will probably have to work even harder to maintain that level.
LOL! Exactly right!
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I can't keep looking at the stats. I learned a long time ago that obsessing over the stats is just too much for me. I'm too A.D.D. for that sort of thing. Don't get me wrong, seeing my sales jump and the dollars are a great motivation, but when I'm feeling a bit down and wondering why I haven't gotten a download in the last 4 hours (or day, or whatever) I change my thinking to what can I do to improve. In other words, right now I am concentrating on working with new a different lighting techniques. At first I really just needed to learn lighting- period. Now I'm pretty good at the basics and am exploring sculpting and creating light effects. Nothing dramatic, but it is stuff I want to learn to improve my craft.
Learning - always learning, that's what really motivates me - and the money ain't too bad either. :)
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My question is, how do you keep motivated in an inconsistent and unpredictable business?
My answer is simple - shoot more and keep improving yourself!
To support the idea, this is an anecdotal story I've heard about the Great Depression (don't know if that's a true one): one French emigrant was producing wine in the US during the Great Depression, and he succeeded and his business has grown. When he was asked later how he managed to do so well during such hard times he responded that he came from France not knowing much English. So he didn't read the newspapers and didn't listen to the radio, and he didn't know much about the Great Depression. He just kept working.
Whether it's a true story or not, there are real true success stories. Basically, those companies who not only survived but did well and grew during the Great Depression are those who continued to act as though there were nothing wrong and that the public had money to spend.
More details can be found here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124145607475383935.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124145607475383935.html)
and here: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=178334 (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=178334)
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Miklav, is right in a way, dont listen or hear anything, just keep on working. Only, I can understand the anxiety and especially in the Micro business. The entire Micro, seems to be run by investment-bankers, computer nerds and fast-buck operators and well, you know? aint all that easy to relax then is it?
Imagine being exclusive and with thousands of uploads, nowhere else to go? BOY! then I would feel worried, if not crazy. Must be extremley worrying to be totally dependant on this, nowdays.
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I try different things. I'm obsessed with timelapses at the moment. They aren't selling but I will carry on until I find something that does. I am also doing more video clips, as I have been getting sales with Pond5 and that makes up for some of the drop I have experienced in my microstock sales this year. Next year I will find something else.
I was motivated by my earnings for a few years but with StockXpert closing and istock making it unsustainable for me, I have given up doing the more popular microstock images that I didn't enjoy. Now I'm going to earn less money but I will have fun and hopefully one day stumble upon something that sells well. Alamy is looking more and more appealing, I used to be thinking how a photo would sell on the micros but lately I have switched to thinking about alamy buyers.
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I was motivated by my earnings for a few years but with StockXpert closing and istock making it unsustainable for me, I have given up doing the more popular microstock images that I didn't enjoy. Now I'm going to earn less money but I will have fun and hopefully one day stumble upon something that sells well. Alamy is looking more and more appealing, I used to be thinking how a photo would sell on the micros but lately I have switched to thinking about alamy buyers.
Every year (normally more than once) me and the family hire a cottage somewhere in your neck of the woods, whilst on holiday I make a point of not doing any work related photography except maybe one or two which I later put on Alamy, every year one of those images sells which pays for the holiday. If I lived where you do I'd be shooting the area like mad, admittedly there's thousands upon thousands already on the site, but normally they're not that great, I've seen your work and you'd wipe the floor with most of the guys who shoot stuff there.
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Thanks Richard, I have sold a few of Cornwall and have lots more to upload. Your encouragement will keep me motivated :)
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I am taking a Photography I class. We're shooting with a black and white film camera, developing the film ourselves and printing ourselves. I have to say that I have reaffirmed my love for photography (not microstock) in addition to learning a lot of things.
It's nice to go back to the basics every now and then. I did it in college and loved it. I did the balck and white with the developing. I never did the color which is a totally different developing process from what I understand. There is no way better to display an impact than with black and white photography. I'm glad you've been doing what you love.
As to the motivation part....well it's hard to be but I love what I do and have been concentrating on other avenues of stock. I love taking pictures and I love those people shots so I'll continue to do it rather it's for microstock or just for myself.
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My motivation: bills that keep appearing in my mailbox.
Yeah, what's up with that, they keep sending them, every month!!
You should move!
Moving is an option ;D
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My motivation: bills that keep appearing in my mailbox.
Just tell them that you don't have any money but you'll gladly give them exposure by placing their company name somewhere.