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Author Topic: Can I really earn a full time income from microstock?  (Read 63680 times)

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« Reply #50 on: March 13, 2010, 13:44 »
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I am with Racephoto in this discussion.

Minimum (legal) wage in Brazil is about US$250.  What doesnt mean people can really make a living out of it, especially one with photography skills and equipment.  And photo equipment is very expensive here - about 80-100% more expensive than in the USA.  So it is not someone who is ok with the minimum wage that will become a photographer.


PaulieWalnuts

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« Reply #51 on: March 13, 2010, 14:54 »
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In my country, $300 a month is full time salary for many people, so, it's very achievable. But if you live in western Europe or America.....

But if you live in America..... $300 is a monthly car payment.

« Reply #52 on: March 13, 2010, 14:56 »
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In my country, $300 a month is full time salary for many people, so, it's very achievable. But if you live in western Europe or America.....

But if you live in America..... $300 is a monthly car payment.

Yes, exactly.

« Reply #53 on: March 13, 2010, 15:18 »
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In my country, $300 a month is full time salary for many people, so, it's very achievable. But if you live in western Europe or America.....

But if you live in America..... $300 is a monthly car payment.

Hey, how did you know my car payment is $300 per month!?
Have you been spying on me again??  ;D

« Reply #54 on: March 13, 2010, 15:24 »
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I live in Croatia...

I need min 1500 $ per month to live, for normal middle class... But solo...
Double it if  you have a family...

Living things  are more expensive, much more than in EU or USA...

« Reply #55 on: March 13, 2010, 16:03 »
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I live in Croatia...

I need min 1500 $ per month to live, for normal middle class... But solo...
Double it if  you have a family...

Living things  are more expensive, much more than in EU or USA...

Well, of course for middle class living you need more than $300 a month, but huge percent of people is not even middle class. Food and clothes are more expensive than in USA. So, people don't buy clothes so often, and they are used to save as much as they can. Almost no one is spending money on things that are not necessary. (Hanging all night in clubs and restaurants every weekend and paying music bands in clubs and restaurants to hear your song counts as necessary tho ;-D).

« Reply #56 on: March 13, 2010, 16:18 »
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I havent read the whole thread.

Not many jobs keep paying you after you quit.  Thats a positive thing about this.

« Reply #57 on: March 13, 2010, 18:14 »
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I'm anticipating retiring from my teaching job in about 10 years. Currently I have no assets apart from a modest amount of super. When I retire I'll have some government pension (and a bit more super), but istock will be my only other income then. I'm hoping it will at least pay the rent.

« Reply #58 on: March 13, 2010, 18:29 »
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In my country, $300 a month is full time salary for many people, so, it's very achievable. But if you live in western Europe or America.....

But if you live in America..... $300 is a monthly car payment.


Or monthly payment for car insurance (my friend is paying $530 a month for his car Toyota Camry)

Kone

« Reply #59 on: March 13, 2010, 18:43 »
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Of course that many people live below of standards...

I just want to tell what income can be enough for normal living in my region...

Dook

« Reply #60 on: March 14, 2010, 11:33 »
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In my country, $300 a month is full time salary for many people, so, it's very achievable. But if you live in western Europe or America.....

But if you live in America..... $300 is a monthly car payment.
People with $300 salary don't have a car. They don't have photo equipment neither. So, as Madelaide  said - they don't become photographers. And to get back to the topic - people from third world countries, or however you call the ones with $300 or less salary, are not your competition.

PaulieWalnuts

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« Reply #61 on: March 14, 2010, 13:53 »
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In my country, $300 a month is full time salary for many people, so, it's very achievable. But if you live in western Europe or America.....
But if you live in America..... $300 is a monthly car payment.
People with $300 salary don't have a car. They don't have photo equipment neither. So, as Madelaide  said - they don't become photographers. And to get back to the topic - people from third world countries, or however you call the ones with $300 or less salary, are not your competition.

Oh pardon me. I thought the topic was "Can I really earn a full time income from microstock?". I didn't know this excluded people under certain income levels.  ::)

ShadySue

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« Reply #62 on: March 14, 2010, 15:09 »
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People with $300 salary don't have a car. They don't have photo equipment neither. So, as Madelaide  said - they don't become photographers.

You need a car to be a photographer? I must have missed that chapter in all these photo books and magazines I thought I'd read.
 H*ck, there goes my 'planning for the future' in one fell swoop. (Step one: get early retirement; Step two: sell the car ... )  :'(
« Last Edit: March 14, 2010, 15:10 by ShadySue »

Dook

« Reply #63 on: March 14, 2010, 15:33 »
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The car part has nothing to do with the photo equipment thing. You take part of my post and make fun of me. But if that makes you happy, go on!

« Reply #64 on: March 14, 2010, 16:21 »
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No Dook, no one is trying to make a fun of you. I am just saying that as a photographer, who already has photo equipment, you can make living out of microstock in a country where people can survive whole month on $300. This has nothing with competition. It's simply a fact.

PaulieWalnuts

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« Reply #65 on: March 14, 2010, 16:22 »
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The car part has nothing to do with the photo equipment thing. You take part of my post and make fun of me. But if that makes you happy, go on!

Uhhh. I was originally responding to Whitechild when you decided to step in and make yourself the topic-police. If you don't like my response to you, oh well. Your initial response to me wasn't exactly friendly.

The car part is comparing the differences in costs between different parts of the world. Here, how's this for you? But if you live in America..... $300 is a camera.

Someone in a country who can live on $300 per month salary absolutely is competition because they have the most to gain from this. If they can pick up a $200 used DSLR and double/triple/etc their monthly salary over their day job I bet they're more motivated than someone who's in a higher cost of living area who's living on $3,000 per month at their day job and treats this as a spare change hobby.

Additionaly, for someone who is in a lower cost of living area it may take them less time to earn a living from this than someone is the US who needs to make $50,000 per year just to break even.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2010, 16:29 by PaulieWalnuts »

Dook

« Reply #66 on: March 14, 2010, 16:42 »
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I was responding to ShadySue, not you guys. No big deal, no one is hurt :).


ShadySue

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« Reply #67 on: March 14, 2010, 16:48 »
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I'd imagine that if some entrepreneur wanted to equip and train an image factory in a developing country, in the same way as many companies already outsource their customer relations, they could become serious players in microstock, subject only to them having access to multi-ethnic models.

« Reply #68 on: March 14, 2010, 18:25 »
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I would say: the topic is wrong or the constributions. The author asked if "he" can make a living out of microstock.

« Reply #69 on: March 14, 2010, 19:04 »
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I've just checked our local e-Bay for used DSLRs.

Canon XTi/400D with kit lens: US$700-900
Canon 20D with kit lens: US$900

Yes, I believe people in Brazil can make a living solely out of microstock, but the initial investment is high (equipment and training), and people who can afford that possibly will not be happy with US$300/mo only.  If they can mix that with other work, such as wedding photography, he will possibly reach another level, so that microstock can become his "stable" earning source.  But with US$300/mo, he will not be able to buy a decent apartment/house, nor give his family a decent lifestyle (school, medical plan, etc).  If he is single living with his family and does not need to help in the family budget, then US$300/mo is not bad.

ShadySue

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« Reply #70 on: March 14, 2010, 19:06 »
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I would say: the topic is wrong or the constributions. The author asked if "he" can make a living out of microstock.
Which author? The OP in this thread was opening discussion about a linked article asking if "you" (in general) can now make a living out of microstock. The discussion has taken up various aspects leading from that article. With a bit of 'thread drift'.

RacePhoto

« Reply #71 on: March 15, 2010, 14:26 »
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I would say: the topic is wrong or the constributions. The author asked if "he" can make a living out of microstock.

No? Oh wait he's doing very well, thank you, so maybe yes.  ;D

« Reply #72 on: March 15, 2010, 19:37 »
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so, let me ask: can I make a living from selling used cars, can I make a living out of selling insurances, can I make a living out of selling everything...maybe the question should be...can i make me a living?

As allways there's one answer, you can...if you want, if you try and if you agree to learn, fight, struggle, stand up and target. Selling insurances is easier for one who have talent on this. But some haven't the choise.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2010, 19:43 by palaver »

PaulieWalnuts

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« Reply #73 on: March 15, 2010, 22:08 »
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so, let me ask: can I make a living from selling used cars, can I make a living out of selling insurances, can I make a living out of selling everything...maybe the question should be...can i make me a living?

As allways there's one answer, you can...if you want, if you try and if you agree to learn, fight, struggle, stand up and target. Selling insurances is easier for one who have talent on this. But some haven't the choise.
I don't think the comparison is relevant. It's common knowledge that selling cars and insurance have the potential to earn full time income. Microstock's earning potential is unclear. A very small percentage of total contributors live from it.

The OP is saying it's possible but not easy. And I'd agree. For most people even if they learned, fought, struggled, stood up and targeted, they probably wouldn't earn a full time income from microstock. To be successful in this takes a very specific combination of skills that most people don't possess all of.

« Reply #74 on: March 16, 2010, 05:21 »
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I'd like to add a few thoughts from a relative newbie, Ive been doing this since march last year so pretty much 12 months, I do both vectors and photography, the latter has been a huge huge learning curve. I live in London where the cost of living is high and I earn a good wage as a freelance designer and lecturer. I actually started stock after some of my students started asking about iStock and how to contribute and thought I'd have a go myself. What I'd say is that after a year I earn a third of my income from stock which isnt bad and above what I'd expected. In terms of earning a living I think that it is definitely possible even for a newbie living in London but its a few years work, however the biggest drawback for me is iStock, with there low upload limits and there very strict policy on vectors (it seems they want very detailed work largely, though photo acceptance i've found relatively easy) it would take a very long time to build a substantial saleable portfolio. Most of iStocks consistently big seller categories are simply not accepted, maps and globes and silhouettes would be a good example but there are many more, I should think for those who got in there earlier with the simpler stuff its a walk in the park! I think for those that have already established a larger portfolio on iStock things should be somewhat easier in terms of income as I know the RPI is great. Would love to hear from any iStockers who feel otherwise...

I appreciate my view is only based on a years work and I wasn't around when it appears some of you were earning much more, but I dont see things as negatively as many here and would actively encourage good photographers and illustrators to have a go, at the moment I spend about 8 hours a week on this as i have a young family and my normal work...

Jo


 

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