Author Topic: Do you actually enjoy producing Microstock style images? (Read 24917 times)

marcopolo · « **on:** June 06, 2008, 19:18 »

This question is for those who are successful at selling classical commercial microstock imagery. Do you guys enjoy shooting the classic microstock image-teams of business people in board rooms, happy people on laptops, people shaking hands, doing various things, or various objects on white backgrounds? Is this what really appeals to you? Or is it more you do it because you are good at it and it brings in good money so you don't have to do things you like even less, such as working for "the man"?
What kind of images would you produce if you were given full artistic freedom?, i.e. make similar money no matter what kind of image you produced? Would you do more editorial, nature, landscape, travel, cultural, artistic, black and white? Or do you like commercial lifestyle imagery that you would still produce that regardless of what sells best? What really appeals to you deep down?
Do you think to be successful at producing this kind of stock your heart has to really be in it? That you cannot be in your studio shooting the commercial imagery while secretly wishing you were out shooting some scenic golden hour landscape or black and white artistic nude or whatever?

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2008, 19:22 »

I like what I do. I also like it much more than what I was doing.

Karimala · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2008, 19:33 »

I don't shoot classic business concepts, because it would make me crazy. Instead I shoot what I love and is readily available...food, disabled people, travel scenics, and editorial.

Bring your camera tomorrow, Mark. We can shoot Starbucks pastries on their patio.

Mmmmmm.

fotoKmyst · « **Reply #3 on:** June 06, 2008, 19:40 »

i wouldn't say it's an enjoyable or non-enjoyable situation.
it's more of accepting the rules of the territory.
if you hate to shoot wedding, would you still shoot it for money?
i know many of my associates would, even though i wouldn't.
but i wouldn't mind shooting for microstock.
it takes less of your time , so it's not like you have to don a tuxedo and put up with the bride's father in law standing in your way trying to upstage you as a "photographer"

still, microstock is not artistic in many way. it's more like prefab house vs real architecture, or as an articulate purist tells me, "stock photography is like porn, it sells with a lots of potential but little true feelings".

sharply_done · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2008, 20:11 »

Geez, you sound bitter, marcopolo.

But it doesn't have to be that way.
Shoot what you like and how you like to make it.
Create imagery that matters to you.
Produce work that you can look (back) upon and feel proud of.
Trust that you will be successful if you are passionate enough.

Be the best you can be at making your kind of stuff and you will be rewarded in far more ways than money can ever matter. Go for it.

sharply_done · « **Reply #5 on:** June 06, 2008, 20:15 »

Quote from: fotoKmyst on June 06, 2008, 19:40

...
still, microstock is not artistic in many way. it's more like prefab house vs real architecture, or as an articulate purist tells me, "stock photography is like porn, it sells with a lots of potential but little true feelings".

I could not disagree more.

You are missing the boat if you believe this, fotoKmyst.
Big time.

Konstantin Sutyagin · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2008, 20:52 »

I like what I do too.

epantha · « **Reply #7 on:** June 06, 2008, 21:09 »

This is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things I've ever done.

I shot a lot of photos before I ever got paid for any of them and would continue to take pictures if I never received another penny – because I love it. I work in a variety of categories and basically shoot what I'm interested in at the time.

cdwheatley · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2008, 21:34 »

The nice thing about microstock is you pretty much have freedom to do whatever you want. No clients, No boss, very few rules. If you want to try and do what other successful people are doing, feel free. If you want to be artistic you can do that as well. If you want to shoot only what you love then have at it. The choice is yours, try to have a good time because life is short and at the end of the day there are only memories. I feel fortunate to be doing stock.

dullegg · « **Reply #9 on:** June 06, 2008, 21:57 »

Quote from: sharply_done on June 06, 2008, 20:15

Quote from: fotoKmyst on June 06, 2008, 19:40
...
still, microstock is not artistic in many way. it's more like prefab house vs real architecture, or as an articulate purist tells me, "stock photography is like porn, it sells with a lots of potential but little true feelings".
I could not disagree more.

You are missing the boat if you believe this, fotoKmyst.
Big time.

I am sort of ambivalent so I will agree with both of you sharplydone and fotoKmyst.
On one hand, I think stock photography, at least micro is STERILE and contrived; on the other hand, for those images with some spontaneity and creative ideas (if they do get past the reviewer) I think they make it interesting and the site looks less like a hospital floor (ie. sterile).
The only question is whether those "creative snapshots" sell .

graficallyminded · « **Reply #10 on:** June 06, 2008, 22:21 »

I really like it - seeing that someone can find a use in something that I created gives me personal satisfaction.

Me personally - I'm a full time graphic designer by trade. I just lost my job due to company downsizing and a bad economy about three weeks ago. Stock gives me full creative freedom, which I love. Sure - you don't have TOTAL freedom...but the types of stuff I like to design or shoot don't really fall out of the boundaries of what is acceptable. I'm hoping I can stay doing this instead of going back into a corporate deskjob.

marcopolo · « **Reply #11 on:** June 06, 2008, 23:09 »

Quote

Geez, you sound bitter, marcopolo.

I didn't know I sounded bitter, having second thoughts maybe. What prompted me to post this is that there is a thread in the Photoshelter forum. Photoshelter tries to have a different style than microstock, and there were a bunch of photographers in the thread saying they would never shoot the standard microstock fare, that they would have to sell their soul, or that it just isn't in them to make mass produced photos of business people. I was curious to see if the people who really were shooting this kind of material also felt that way about what they were doing.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2008, 08:17 »

Quote from: sharply_done on June 06, 2008, 20:11

.........Shoot what you like and how you like to make it.
Create imagery that matters to you.
Produce work that you can look (back) upon and feel proud of.
Trust that you will be successful if you are passionate enough.

Be the best you can be at making your kind of stuff and you will be rewarded in far more ways than money can ever matter. Go for it.

Amen. I couldn't agree more, SD!! Well put!

=tom

grp_photo · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2008, 08:45 »

I always will love to take and create pictures!

The hassle i have particularly with microstock is the amount of time spending with sorting, keywording ,uploading etc. and the treatment the agencies offer to their contributors.

I'm happy i have several other photographic income strings fulltime microstock would make me very unhappy!

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #14 on:** June 07, 2008, 08:56 »

Quote from: epantha on June 06, 2008, 21:09

.
..........I shot a lot of photos before I ever got paid for any of them and would continue to take pictures if I never received another penny – because I love it. .....................

I turn 60 in a couple months. I've been shooting a 35mm since I was 13 years old. I never sold a pic until less than 2 years ago and only then because my wife asked me if she could post some of my stuff on a microstock site. I had no clue what the heck that was and I wasn't all that interested. When the stuff started to sell, I looked at it. Wife said, you make more money shooting people on phones, ladies posing 54 different ways on the same chair and the like. I thought about that, I did actually spend several hours shooting isolateds of anything in a little white box ....once.
I hated it. This was work. I didn't want to screw around with models, models idiosyncrasies, model releases and the like... so I never shot people for sale in the microstock world. I just continue to shoot what I want. If someone else likes it and wants to buy it, that's okay with me.
If no one else likes it and no one wants to buy it ..... that's okay with me too.

I was soon asked direct from a publisher about my work and after a couple meetings in Starbucks and several cups of coffee later, I now free lance for hire and have had entire articles written around series of pix I've taken... having fun. This lead to being noticed elsewhere by others and now............. my wife and I turn down work. We pick and choose what we want to do. I make far, far more bucks doing this than I ever will on microstocks. I will never forget that I actually felt embarrassed when handed my first check for pix that were published in a magazine article. That I should be given this much money for having fun out on a trail in the woods hiking with my wife 'n taking pictures. (I don't feel that way anymore, now I just say 'thanks').

The up side. We just went away for our anniversary. Of course we shot pictures. I will no doubt sell some of those pictures. And the entire trip will become a write off as a business trip. The lodging, the travel, the food, the phone calls... the works. I have a great accountant.

The point: I shoot what I want which is primarily landscape & nature, and I get paid to do it and I am still doing what I enjoyed doing when I shot my first 35mm picture 47 years ago.

On the other hand, my wife and daughter are now shooting 'traditional microstock' pix. They like it, more power to them, I think the will be good at it too.

As for me..... I look forward to next weekend when I will hike up a mountain trail, be the only human within ear and eyeshot.. and sit on my fat backside until the magic hour when I'll snap off several dozen pictures...... for my own personal enjoyment.

Then, .....I'll sell some.

=tom

lisafx · « **Reply #15 on:** June 07, 2008, 09:05 »

I love shooting stock. I enjoy it much more than anything I have ever done for a living before and more than most things I did for fun!

Even when I am exhausted and miserable doing it I still love it - if that makes sense...

litifeta · « **Reply #16 on:** June 07, 2008, 16:49 »

I don't shoot people because I do not have any studio gear for that. Hopefully I will eventually so I can do time for print to get models.

Most my stuff is of products, or my hands etc.

It certainly has increased my skills as a photographer. And the benefit for me is I have gradually bought better gear from the income which currently just pays for my habit.

madelaide · « **Reply #17 on:** June 07, 2008, 18:30 »

Quote from: litifeta on June 07, 2008, 16:49

It certainly has increased my skills as a photographer.

Same for me. The kind of image I produce for microstock was new to me, and I've learnt a lot about photographing objects, isolations, etc. Things I never had to think about when shooting landscape, nature and architecture, which are my "normal" photography subjects.

Regards,
Adelaide

fotoKmyst · « **Reply #18 on:** June 07, 2008, 21:20 »

Quote from: sharply_done on June 06, 2008, 20:15

Quote from: fotoKmyst on June 06, 2008, 19:40
...
still, microstock is not artistic in many way. it's more like prefab house vs real architecture, or as an articulate purist tells me, "stock photography is like porn, it sells with a lots of potential but little true feelings".
I could not disagree more.

You are missing the boat if you believe this, fotoKmyst.
Big time.

well, this is my point for you to ponder.
if as any of you say that stock photography is NOT like prefab houses are to architecture...
how do you account for as one of the regulars mentioning "i upload 100 images a week" on a regular basis.
that would make 1200 "masterpieces" a year.

if you're a musician or a painter, you will be a millionaire if you can truly mass produced 1200 masterpieces a year.
my goodness, even Ansel Adams or Karsh, Bruce Springstein or the Beatles, Rembrandt or Picasso,...
would be jealous of you all.
i don't even think Ansel Adams produced 1200 masterpieces in his lifetime, never mind 1200 pieces a year.

as i said before: stock photography is like porn to reallife bedroom sex.

fotoKmyst · « **Reply #19 on:** June 07, 2008, 21:54 »

sorry, correction... he said "50,sometimes 100 a WEEK"... (not a month)
..
that equals 5200 "masterpieces " per annum , 2600 "masterpieces" per annum on the low side.

now, that's one heck of a genius of photography .
if you can do that, i take my hat off to you...
and will adore you alongside richard avedon, cecil beaton, w.eugene smith, henri cartier bresson,etc...

litifeta · « **Reply #20 on:** June 08, 2008, 17:41 »

Microstock for me is:

at the end of this month having enough cash from a few months of sales to buy an Alien Bee ringflash and battery pack.

Then I can produce better images. As a result I can then start to load to Alamy. I can then make some better margins.

vphoto · « **Reply #21 on:** June 08, 2008, 17:52 »

Quote from: lisafx on June 07, 2008, 09:05

I love shooting stock. I enjoy it much more than anything I have ever done for a living before and more than most things I did for fun!

Even when I am exhausted and miserable doing it I still love it - if that makes sense...

I had the same feeling about shooting stock. But no more. What I know is that photography will remain my best hobby, pastime to which I can always turn to.

Hoodie Ninja · « **Reply #22 on:** June 09, 2008, 14:01 »

Quote from: a.k.a.-tom on June 07, 2008, 08:56

The point: I shoot what I want which is primarily landscape & nature, and I get paid to do it and I am still doing what I enjoyed doing when I shot my first 35mm picture 47 years ago.

I'm a lot like you in the sense that I shoot what I like and upload it. If people buy it, great. If not, oh well. I am not really into photographing people. But I love hiking and nature.

nativelight · « **Reply #23 on:** June 09, 2008, 14:25 »

Quote from: paulacobleigh on June 09, 2008, 14:01

Quote from: a.k.a.-tom on June 07, 2008, 08:56

The point: I shoot what I want which is primarily landscape & nature, and I get paid to do it and I am still doing what I enjoyed doing when I shot my first 35mm picture 47 years ago.

I'm a lot like you in the sense that I shoot what I like and upload it. If people buy it, great. If not, oh well. I am not really into photographing people. But I love hiking and nature.

I agree with both of you! If either of you are ever out this way, give me a shout and we'll strap on a backpack and head out on a trail.

louoates · « **Reply #24 on:** June 09, 2008, 14:37 »

If you've heard of Pavlov's dog salivating at the sound of a bell because it's been trained to link the sound with food--that's what shooting stock is like to me.

I like to get some recognition for my work and my gallery sales and Microstock payments satisfy that need for me.

Pavlov called the training method with the dogs "intermittent rewards" because he knew that by rewarding the dog with food with every ring of the bell wasn't as effective as ringing the bell only some of the time. So when I get a sale, or not, I can't wait to upload some more.

Arf.

MikLav · « **Reply #25 on:** June 09, 2008, 15:10 »

I shoot what I like, and I am not photographing what I don't like.

lisafx · « **Reply #26 on:** June 09, 2008, 15:51 »

Quote from: vphoto on June 08, 2008, 17:52

Quote from: lisafx on June 07, 2008, 09:05
I love shooting stock. I enjoy it much more than anything I have ever done for a living before and more than most things I did for fun!

Even when I am exhausted and miserable doing it I still love it - if that makes sense...

I had the same feeling about shooting stock. But no more. What I know is that photography will remain my best hobby, pastime to which I can always turn to.

What changed to make you not love it as much anymore?

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #27 on:** June 09, 2008, 15:52 »

Quote from: nativelight on June 09, 2008, 14:25

Quote from: paulacobleigh on June 09, 2008, 14:01
Quote from: a.k.a.-tom on June 07, 2008, 08:56

The point: I shoot what I want which is primarily landscape & nature, and I get paid to do it and I am still doing what I enjoyed doing when I shot my first 35mm picture 47 years ago.

I'm a lot like you in the sense that I shoot what I like and upload it. If people buy it, great. If not, oh well. I am not really into photographing people. But I love hiking and nature.

I agree with both of you! If either of you are ever out this way, give me a shout and we'll strap on a backpack and head out on a trail.

Watch out!!! You might just hear a knock on the door!!! LOL....
BTW, Where is 'out this way', Nativelight?

=tom

madelaide · « **Reply #28 on:** June 09, 2008, 19:09 »

The thing I dislike is that sometimes I think too much on stock and less on photography.

I mean, now even when I am on vacation, taking photos the way I always did, not intending to sell them, I end up thinking about an extra shot that might be more stock-worthy (like folding chairs in front of a tent in the campground).

Regards,
Adelaide

Cooper · « **Reply #29 on:** June 09, 2008, 19:44 »

I shoot what I like and then if there's anything that's "stockworthy", I upload it. This is why I'm with a couple of different agencies that have quite different portfolios when it comes to "style".

It also might explain why my portfolios are reasonably small. I don't go out to shoot purely for stock. I've tried that a few times and it didn't really click with me. Felt like I was forcing something.

Joyce · « **Reply #30 on:** June 10, 2008, 04:43 »

Same here, Cooper. It just turned photography into a chore more than anything (editing/keywording is still a chore though). In my portfolio you will find mostly wildlife and landscape photography. It doesn't make as much as the typical business person set, but I enjoy it more. You'll still find some random kinda-boring photos that I took specifically for stock, but those I took while out and about with the aim of taking photos I did like.

PenelopeB · « **Reply #31 on:** June 10, 2008, 18:52 »

Looking through the lens and clicking is capturing a specific moment that is gone. Each one, whether it is perfect or not (or stock or not), will some day be looked upon by eyes that can never see that second again. Its a chronological history of our generation.

I wonder, at the rate we are capturing "everything"... will we ever capture it all?

Is it possible?

Yes, I love it.

Nemo1024 · « **Reply #32 on:** June 14, 2008, 12:18 »

I have just discovered this place. Great forums!

I shoot what I like, then see if it might have stock potential. I tried at one point to shoot specifically stock-oriented images, but quickly felt that it started to kill the joy of photography.

bpmcwill · « **Reply #33 on:** June 14, 2008, 14:57 »

I have to agree with AKA tom and nemo1024--I find that shooting items in a "little white box" boring. I don't think I have the patience for that type of shooting. I do like shooting for micros, however. Shoot what catches my eye. If they get accepted and sell, great. Some of my ' after thought grab shots' sell better than my studio images.

Quote from: PenelopeB on June 10, 2008, 18:52

I wonder, at the rate we are capturing "everything"... will we ever capture it all?

Every moment brings something new.

graficallyminded · « **Reply #34 on:** September 10, 2008, 11:29 »

Its always something new, and always a new creative challenge. Of course I love it, otherwise I'd be doing something else!

nativelight · « **Reply #35 on:** September 10, 2008, 11:46 »

Quote from: a.k.a.-tom on June 09, 2008, 15:52

Quote from: nativelight on June 09, 2008, 14:25
Quote from: paulacobleigh on June 09, 2008, 14:01
Quote from: a.k.a.-tom on June 07, 2008, 08:56

The point: I shoot what I want which is primarily landscape & nature, and I get paid to do it and I am still doing what I enjoyed doing when I shot my first 35mm picture 47 years ago.

I'm a lot like you in the sense that I shoot what I like and upload it. If people buy it, great. If not, oh well. I am not really into photographing people. But I love hiking and nature.

I agree with both of you! If either of you are ever out this way, give me a shout and we'll strap on a backpack and head out on a trail.

Watch out!!! You might just hear a knock on the door!!! LOL....
BTW, Where is 'out this way', Nativelight? =tom

Sorry, Tom. I didn't see your question until someone revived this thread today. "Out this way" is the Rocky Mountains of Colorado - Colorado Springs to be more specific. Pikes Peak is my "backyard."

jeffclow · « **Reply #36 on:** September 10, 2008, 12:13 »

Some great dialogue here.....and count me as part of the group that enjoys shooting stock.

Most of us started in photography because we enjoyed capturing something permanently that is so fleeting - a moose on the ridge, a butterfly on a flower, the sun on the distant lake. Then many of us found out that others enjoyed seeing our work and we got the wonderful validation that strangers might actually pay some money for a shot or two......and we were hooked.

When I travel, I do shoot for stock - but I also shoot landscapes and sunsets and macro that I know will never make it in the stock world. I think if all I did was shoot "stock" 100% of the time, I would consider photography less fun, and more of a job.

But since the only person who controls what I point the lens towards is me, I think that a combination of stock shooting and pleasure shooting is the best of both worlds - and making enough money via stock to take another trip or buy another lens is a wonderful outcome.

dnavarrojr · « **Reply #37 on:** September 10, 2008, 13:40 »

There are those who do Microstock as "work". They shoot what sells and hope to get it past the reviewers. What's important to them is the check they get each month.

Then there are those that just always have a camera with them. In this age of Digital, they can shoot as much as they want, knowing they can simply delete what they don't like. When they get home, they submit it to MS sites and if they get a check that month, it's "extra" income to be used to get new equipment or take the family out to do something special.

There is a pretty good mix of the two camps here on the forum (including some who are really in the first camp although they *believe* they are in the second camp).

Personally, I think the commercial category of MicroStock is pretty much saturated. There's not a whole lot left that is truly new or unique. Indeed, more and more, you are seeing sites reject submissions for not being unique enough if their eyes.

(One remedy is for someone to start offering commercial flights to the Moon and other planets.)

My brother decided to give up on his normal nature stuff (landscapes, animals, flora, etc..) and do some editorial stuff (following the political candidates around at the moment) and he's selling 10 times what his other stuff sells for lately.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #38 on:** September 10, 2008, 15:19 »

Quote from: nativelight on September 10, 2008, 11:46

Sorry, Tom. I didn't see your question until someone revived this thread today. "Out this way" is the Rocky Mountains of Colorado - Colorado Springs to be more specific. Pikes Peak is my "backyard."

Ah... now you're talkin'!! I totally enjoyed Colorado last time I passed through in 05. On the way out we were on the California Zypher, what a ride in the Rockies (the sierra nevada was sweet as well). We passed back thru via SUV and it was just non-stop beauty!! My whole family are outdoors freaks...our vacations and any time off, we are in a state or national park, or picking our way thru the wilds.
..... of course me shooting pix all the way!!

=tom

Peter · « **Reply #39 on:** September 10, 2008, 15:42 »

No! I do it only for the money. I like to shoot industrial art, old abandoned factories, big old rusty machines, and stuff like that. That does not sell well on microstock.

MicrostockExp · « **Reply #40 on:** September 10, 2008, 15:59 »

I shot what I really like but always try to get stock pics, I like experimenting as well...

sharply_done · « **Reply #41 on:** September 10, 2008, 18:09 »

Quote from: dnavarrojr on September 10, 2008, 13:40

...
My brother decided to give up on his normal nature stuff (landscapes, animals, flora, etc..) and do some editorial stuff (following the political candidates around at the moment) and he's selling 10 times what his other stuff sells for lately.

Wow, topical images sell better than pretty pictures of nothing in particular ... who'd have thunk it? (wink)

cathyslife · « **Reply #42 on:** September 10, 2008, 18:39 »

like what I do. I also like it much more than what I was doing.

@Sean...what did you do before stock?

I like shooting stock and I find it to be a great creative outlet. Sometimes my day-to-day work (graphic design) gets monotonous (more graphic production than design), and dreaming up something that somebody might buy, for me, is fun. I do think the post processing and keywording is a chore.

Overall I wish I were independently wealthy and could take stock photos, and travel and take nature shots all the time. To me that would be a dream come true.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #43 on:** September 10, 2008, 19:38 »

I was doing 3d work for a large defense contractor (think flight simulator content). Military work ain't my thing.

epantha · « **Reply #44 on:** September 10, 2008, 19:57 »

Quote

I like shooting stock and I find it to be a great creative outlet. Sometimes my day-to-day work (graphic design) gets monotonous (more graphic production than design), and dreaming up something that somebody might buy, for me, is fun. I do think the post processing and keywording is a chore.

Overall I wish I were independently wealthy and could take stock photos, and travel and take nature shots all the time. To me that would be a dream come true.

I am also a graphic/production artist and frequently find my job a bit tiresome after years of the 9-5 grind. When I started uploading to the microstock agencies, started to see the light at the tunnel and hopefully in a couple of years I can gather a variety of gigs to allow me to work from home. Wouldn't that be fun?

sharply_done · « **Reply #45 on:** September 10, 2008, 20:40 »

Quote from: epantha on September 10, 2008, 19:57

... I can gather a variety of gigs to allow me to work from home. Wouldn't that be fun?

Yep, it sure is ... this is the best and most rewarding job I've ever had!

vonkara · « **Reply #46 on:** September 10, 2008, 20:44 »

There's nothing better than working at home. I work less hours at the job. It's like my micros incomes were giving me vacation once a time. For me photoshop is like playing a strategy game on the computer. I'm angry, I resolve problems, I'm sometime lost, but at the end there's a result and it pretty cool sometimes LOL. And that's my part time job!!

RacePhoto · « **Reply #47 on:** September 11, 2008, 00:21 »

Y E S !

Keywording bores me.

I'm not in it for the money, just for the challenges that some shots bring. I decided to take the education is fun route.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #48 on:** September 11, 2008, 06:57 »

I sent you a personal message marcopolo

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #49 on:** September 11, 2008, 07:08 »

Yep, I enjoy all of it. I love it. Well, maybe I don't enjoy keywording but it doesn't bother me either.

I enjoy stumbling upon a good shot just as much as I do assembling one. Isolations don't bother me.

If I could live off of this it would be a whole different quality of life from my 50-70 hour per week corporate technology day job.

Tim Markley · « **Reply #50 on:** September 11, 2008, 08:19 »

I've taken the approach that I will shoot what I like. If it has commerial value great if not the world goes on. I say this as a part-time hobbiest not a full time pro. Micro became an outlet for the load of pics that I took. I am not fazed by rejections for "not stock" I make enough extra to keep me in photo gear so I am happy.

cathyslife · « **Reply #51 on:** September 11, 2008, 17:54 »

I was doing 3d work for a large defense contractor (think flight simulator content). Military work ain't my thing.

Interesting. And yes, military work is boring. Did a little myself many years ago, worked on the training manual for laser guided missile systems for Kuwait at Ford Aeronutronics (owned now by Lockheed Martin).

You do well at photography, I can tell you enjoy it.

shank_ali · « **Reply #52 on:** December 17, 2008, 02:11 »

When i die and my soul is in the sky i shall remember my time on earth with my camera shooting stock for the masses...

Randy McKown · « **Reply #53 on:** January 25, 2009, 02:16 »

When it comes down to it I really dont care what I'm shooting .. I'm just happy that I get to make a living behind a camera.

fotografer · « **Reply #54 on:** January 25, 2009, 03:25 »

Totally agree with what Sharply_done said.
I love taking the photos, the interaction with the models and then the photoshopping afterwards and am extremely proud of the end results, as much as if I'd painted a picture.

Quote from: sharply_done on June 06, 2008, 20:15

Quote from: fotoKmyst on June 06, 2008, 19:40
...
still, microstock is not artistic in many way. it's more like prefab house vs real architecture, or as an articulate purist tells me, "stock photography is like porn, it sells with a lots of potential but little true feelings".
I could not disagree more.

You are missing the boat if you believe this, fotoKmyst.
Big time.

gaja · « **Reply #55 on:** January 25, 2009, 03:57 »

Quote from: madelaide on June 07, 2008, 18:30

Quote from: litifeta on June 07, 2008, 16:49
It certainly has increased my skills as a photographer.

Same for me. The kind of image I produce for microstock was new to me, and I've learnt a lot about photographing objects, isolations, etc. Things I never had to think about when shooting landscape, nature and architecture, which are my "normal" photography subjects.

Regards,
Adelaide

I'm at the beginning of this learning curve, and am into stock because it gives me motivation to learn more about photography. I'm not good enough to earn real money, but I get some good photos of my kids in the process.

Imagecom · « **Reply #56 on:** January 25, 2009, 04:57 »

"But it doesn't have to be that way.
Shoot what you like and how you like to make it.
Create imagery that matters to you.
Produce work that you can look (back) upon and feel proud of.
Trust that you will be successful if you are passionate enough.

Be the best you can be at making your kind of stuff and you will be rewarded in far more ways than money can ever matter. Go for it."
Yes it is the right way to live.

Tom

brm1949 · « **Reply #57 on:** January 25, 2009, 06:22 »

I shoot mainly wildlife and nature but found that some shots do sell as stock. Really enjoy what I do and if it sells, that's great. Never thought I could make money doing what I do, although its not enough to live on, still love it.

takestock · « **Reply #58 on:** January 25, 2009, 07:01 »

Quote from: sharply_done on June 06, 2008, 20:11

Geez, you sound bitter, marcopolo.

But it doesn't have to be that way.
Shoot what you like and how you like to make it.
Create imagery that matters to you.
Produce work that you can look (back) upon and feel proud of.
Trust that you will be successful if you are passionate enough.

Be the best you can be at making your kind of stuff and you will be rewarded in far more ways than money can ever matter. Go for it.

This is also my motto - Well said!

Dreamframer · « **Reply #59 on:** January 25, 2009, 19:31 »

I enjoy a lot!

goldenangel · « **Reply #60 on:** January 26, 2009, 00:44 »

I enjoy it all, from shooting pictures, to processing!

It's also a great feeling when somebody likes my picture enough to buy it, even if the price is very small. It would all be a dream job if I could live off of it.

helix7 · « **Reply #61 on:** January 26, 2009, 01:59 »

Quote from: marcopolo on June 06, 2008, 19:18

... That you cannot be in your studio shooting the commercial imagery while secretly wishing you were out shooting some scenic golden hour landscape or black and white artistic nude or whatever?

I think you can have it both ways. Maybe just do a mix of things. Stock can be like any other creative job in that respect. You won't always get to create exactly what you want, and sometimes you will have to do things simply because they bring in better money, which allows you to continue doing what you enjoy. In graphic design (my day job), sure I'd love to be doing logo designs all day or animating holiday e-cards in Flash. But I know that the dull newsletters we design for law firms is easy money and we keep our jobs by doing those sort of things, and so they are a necessary part of the job.

At the end of the day, if you can make a living looking through a viewfinder or laying down paths with a pen tool, and that is what you enjoy doing, you're still way ahead of the curve. Most people don't like their jobs at all. Lucky us to be able to make some (or all) of our incomes in this way.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #62 on:** January 26, 2009, 07:44 »

I will post this just because I saw there is 666 posts in "newbies discussion". I don't like this number, so with my post it's not anymore 666 but 667 posts

marcopolo · « **Reply #63 on:** February 12, 2009, 23:00 »

So this post is still going. I think people misunderstood it to mean that I hate doing it or something. If I did hate it I wouldn't be uploading images, I would take out a second job if I wanted to make extra money. I was just curious what motivated people more on here, the $$ or the intrinsic joy of creating and producing commercial stock art. Or like me, maybe they would be photographing landscapes or something if it was purely for enjoyment, but they figure if they can make money at it, there may be other ways to make extra money with but they are not as fun or creative as this. In short, do you do this for the money, the fame, the creativity, or a combination of all of this?

goldenangel · « **Reply #64 on:** February 13, 2009, 00:40 »

I do it for fun, for creativity and for a sense of satisfaction when somebody likes my image enough to buy it. I would like to do it full time but I just don't think it's realistic enough to happen based on the high cost of living where I am. Too bad, but I at least I'm having fun when I can have free time from my "real" job.

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #65 on:** February 13, 2009, 01:09 »

I could never do the business people sitting around a table photo. I'm not that good at staged shots. Although I'm well aware that they sell better than my travel shots. I have tried taking photos of models a few times, I think I was lucky to get good models who knew what they were doing, as I certainly didn't. I'm just sticking to what I know best, capturing people as they are, in their natural environments. I love that.

RT · « **Reply #66 on:** February 13, 2009, 04:58 »

Quote from: Komar on February 13, 2009, 01:09

I'm just sticking to what I know best, capturing people as they are, in their natural environments. I love that.

You've found your 'one thing' (From City Slickers movie) good for you.

elvinstar · « **Reply #67 on:** February 14, 2009, 23:36 »

I love shooting stock.

It is how I got started in photography. I'm a web developer full-time and I came across SXC and started using images from there. My in-laws chipped in with my parents and got me a camera for my birthday one year and I decided to try my hand at giving back.

Watching the downloads climb (even if I was giving photos away for free) was very gratifying. As stated before, it's nice to know that someone was getting some use from photos that I created.

Then I noticed people in the forum talking about how they were getting paid doing this. That was it for me! I've never looked back and now have a studio in my home just for stock. Click here for some recent examples: I love what I do. I don't know if it will ever be my primary source of income, because I love my day job as well. However, as long as I'm able, I'll photograph stock!

rinderart · « **Reply #68 on:** February 24, 2009, 16:30 »

Quote from: cdwheatley on June 06, 2008, 21:34

The nice thing about microstock is you pretty much have freedom to do whatever you want. No clients, No boss, very few rules. If you want to try and do what other successful people are doing, feel free. If you want to be artistic you can do that as well. If you want to shoot only what you love then have at it. The choice is yours, try to have a good time because life is short and at the end of the day there are only memories. I feel fortunate to be doing stock.

YEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

studio10 · « **Reply #69 on:** March 08, 2009, 02:28 »

I do it for all of the reasons. Primarily I shoot stock because I love the creativity and the art of photography. Second, I shoot for the satisfaction of knowing my shots are good enough that people are buying them. Third I do it for the little bit of extra money it makes. I currently make way more money in a month as a designer and by shooting commercially for clients, but as my portfolio grows I can see money from stock being a bigger part of the equation in the future. At least I hope so! I must say that since joining the ranks of stock photographers, the quality of my photos has increased tremendously. Thanks to microstock for that!

Albert Martin · « **Reply #70 on:** September 09, 2009, 15:06 »

More than 120 days old topic... But, I must reply - NO - I don't enjoy producing micro images.

hqimages · « **Reply #71 on:** September 10, 2009, 04:47 »

Quote from: louoates on June 09, 2008, 14:37

If you've heard of Pavlov's dog salivating at the sound of a bell because it's been trained to link the sound with food--that's what shooting stock is like to me.

I like to get some recognition for my work and my gallery sales and Microstock payments satisfy that need for me.

Pavlov called the training method with the dogs "intermittent rewards" because he knew that by rewarding the dog with food with every ring of the bell wasn't as effective as ringing the bell only some of the time. So when I get a sale, or not, I can't wait to upload some more.

Arf.

Moonb007 · « **Reply #72 on:** September 10, 2009, 15:56 »

I don't make a living out of it, but its a great hobby. It gives me an excuse to go out and shoot objects and make a little money from it. I put almost all my cash to buy new toys for my camera.

crazychristina · « **Reply #73 on:** September 10, 2009, 17:11 »

I'm coming to enjoy shooting stock more as I develop more conceptual imagery. Previously I was shooting beautiful 'found scenes' - landscape, found still life - but now I'm creating images with meaning and that is a different game and one that appeals to me.

Carla · « **Reply #74 on:** September 11, 2009, 02:13 »

No.

I don't like stock and I will never like it- there are just two things which make me continue:
I learned a lot more about my camera doing stock.
It pays for my camera gear (advanced hobbyist, still working with a good point-and-shoot) and some nice stuff more.

tdoes · « **Reply #75 on:** September 11, 2009, 07:28 »

Quote from: cclapper on September 10, 2008, 18:39

like what I do. I also like it much more than what I was doing.

@Sean...what did you do before stock?

I like shooting stock and I find it to be a great creative outlet. Sometimes my day-to-day work (graphic design) gets monotonous (more graphic production than design), and dreaming up something that somebody might buy, for me, is fun. I do think the post processing and keywording is a chore.

Overall I wish I were independently wealthy and could take stock photos, and travel and take nature shots all the time. To me that would be a dream come true.

I have the same type of job and I have the same dream! Also agree that the post processing and keywording is a chore!

BikeTourist · « **Reply #76 on:** September 11, 2009, 08:04 »

When you have restrictive parameters — microstock's obsession with film grain and digital artifacts, or their paranoid fear of unreleased images, even for what has been traditional editorial usage — then it does call for some creativity. My background is in editorial, documentary and journalism. That is still what I enjoy.

As many have stated, I will continue to offer up what I do and be happy when my work is useful to others. As long as it lasts, I have a nice income stream to suppliment my retirement.

Dan · « **Reply #77 on:** September 11, 2009, 09:16 »

fotoKmyst you are so WRONG. No need to say more.

cascoly · « **Reply #78 on:** September 11, 2009, 15:48 »

Overall I wish I were independently wealthy and could take stock photos, and travel and take nature shots all the time. To me that would be a dream come true.

you're not alone, but a lot depends on your goals - travel AND wealth are antagonists - one usually defeats the other. for me travel was more important, so i foundincome sources that would let me do more travel -- that meant consulting programming work and shareware and online games in the early internet days. also some traditional stock sales thru getty & corbis; the key was jobs that were extremely flexible but with potential for a decent income to allow time off.

trade off was long range security -- and the niches themselves changed, so it's not a path if yu want to avid risk and uncertainty -- most shareware became irrelevant as more & more features became part of operating systems [anyone remember TSR routines that let you run more than one routine at a time?] online & other computer games were all independly developed at first, but gradually the hollywood model took over .

today microstock can work [for now] as part of a plan -- recognize you're not going to be a major player but instead adapt what's available to meet YOUR goals.

steve

OxfordSquare · « **Reply #79 on:** April 03, 2010, 20:01 »

Quote

Do you actually enjoy producing Microstock style images?

to be honest... I am getting sick of pictures isolated on white

in the future I want to produce more creative pictures with on location backgrounds.

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