I was on several sites and dumped them all for istock because they showed the strongest sales, and I enjoyed working with them the most. But what everybody says here about it not really being a lucrative endeavor is very true. To make real money you have to work really hard. I don't have time to put that kind of effort into it, so I slowly grow my portfolio and watch the sales slowly come in. It earns enough for me to buy new lenses and other gear, and it is something I enjoy doing.

But forget about the money for a minute � the one thing stock did for me is improve my shooting overall. Today my photos are better exposed, sharper and better compositions than before I shot for stock. The process taught me to look at my photos with a critical eye, and all of my photos benefit from that, even the family holiday shots. And as a graphic designer I shoot for my clients now with confidence, and make more money on that than I do on stock. But I still upload, and enjoy stock when I have time for it.

So my advice is to pick the agency that is hard to get into, has high standards, and an engaging forum because at the end of the day you will become a much better photographer than choosing the easy road. And if you love photography, that will be a better reward than the few dollars you will make.

My recommendation is istock, but there are other good ones too. Every body has a favorite and a bias. Just like Nikon or Canon, Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul, BMW or Audi. Do some research (as you are doing with this forum) and pick the one that feels right based on what you have learned.

My vote is for Shutterstock.  It's relatively easy to upload and get accepted and the volume of sales is generally higher than some of the other sites.  Having a bunch of small sales vs. one big sale, helps me stay motivated to keep at it.

iStock, but it's harder for newbies now than it was when I started because there's so much compeition. I guess that's the same for all the sites, though.

IStock is just too many hoops to jump through and some of the rejections can leave you totally confused.  So I vote SS even though almost all the sales are 25 cents - with more sales, you get more positive feedback, which is good when you're starting.

i have a post in my blog about what microstock website to start..
http://bobobuha.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/microstock-website-big4-2/

one can stop to read around what website for beginner.. because there is no much argument..

dreamstime first, since no test is required and upload directly even though it is not top sales. Followed by shutterstock, istock, fotolia.. when you have enough time for other website then try the rest.

iStock gives you the highest sales and most satisfaction IMO. Fotolia gives you the quickest feedback and if you start out with alot of images to upload then it will help a newbie to gauge what will be accepted on the other sites and what won't be accepted anywhere. DT is good and my largest portfolio is there but their standards seem to be lower (many of what I would rate as my poorer images, from when I started out, are located here and getting the fewest views/sales). In, summary I've learnt and earnt the least from DT; iStock is the most satisfying site to get a sale; and Fotolia teaches you the most.

This is such a great thread for a newb to read through (which I am).  I couldn't have found a better assortment of opinions on this topic.  What is interesting to me is that there is not a consensus.  What worked 5 years ago might not work today.  What works for Person A may not work for Person B (for many reasons).  Etc.

What readers can learn is that there are advantages and disadvantages to each approach.  They can then use this knowledge to pick what will work best for them.  That's why this thread is so good.  It's all right there for you.  Take the information and make an informed decision that will work for you.

Thanks to all of those that contributed!

Ditto... exactly what Trey said.  Such a great discussion here.  I learned so much from reading this thread and am glad to see the different points of view on where to start (or not start) and the reasonings behind them.  For myself, I I've decided that I'll start somewhere where I have a better chance of getting through - just because I would like to work through the whole process from one end to another.  Do that a few times at a few places, learn the ropes, get some experience, and then get to work on the tougher ones.

Thanks again for all the food for thought!

I would go for Dreamstime. you will learn a lot from here.

Yes I agree. If I were a newbie (although I am still just amateur/hobby photographer) I would definitely go and try Dreamstime. I think it is the best and very friendly place where one can try how things are going in stock business.

Choosing only ONE agency, it would make sense to choose SS or IS since these are the best sellers for most contributors.

But they both require to pass a test. Not actually difficult with some experience in microstock, but possibly a problem for a newbie. So it's better to start with FT or DT and then add SS or IS as soon as possible.

As a neewbie?  hmm, let me think......................... yes I probably go for the Getty RM,  easy as pie.