When I started out with micro back in 2006, I was with IS, SS, DT & FT.

After the first year I saw that the only site that consistently performed for me was IS. It was always 60-80% of my royalties each month and didn't seem dependent upon constant uploads to maintain download levels.

I was silver when I switched to exclusive and my royalties doubled over what they were on all sites combined in the first month.

I like only having to deal with one agent. Two of the agencies I dealt with before I will never again do business with based upon my experiences with them.

While there have been anxious times with best match changes and other things at IS, my royalties have been rising consistently even though I am not the most prolific uploader.

About 5% of my portfolio is in the Vetta Collection and those higher royalties have stabilized my monthly earnings so that there aren't any wild fluctuations from month to month.

I have seen other photographers who specialize in traditional landscape do quite well on the micros, in particular Eric Foltz and AVTG on IStock seem to do quite well for some reason.

Hmmm.... Not sure if you're paying me a compliment or expressing surprise that I have managed to have some success selling landscapes at IS.

Anyway, here's some advice.

1. Diversity. By diversity I mean shoot at as many locations as you can. Start with the National Parks, then State Parks, then landmarks and just keep expanding your portfolio.

2. Diversity. Don't just shoot the "trophy" shots. Look for unique views of well known landmarks.

3. Don't expect to visit a location once while on vacation and get a bestseller. Over the last 15 years, I've been to almost all the national parks multiple times, visited hundreds of state parks, and have crisscrossed the entire U.S. 12 times to get the shots I have in my portfolio.

4. Be honest. Compare your images to your competition. Just because you have a shot of Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley does not guarantee that it will sell when matched up against the 100s of other similar shots from the same location. Is your shot the best shot you've seen from that location? If not, keep going back until you get the shot that you know you'll never be able to beat.

Instead of posting here asking if your shot of Rainier is any good, try posting your shot and what you consider to be the best shot of Rainier on IS and ask people which they would buy.

5. Accurate keywording and good captions.

Good luck.

Housing crisis and rising gas prices both started hitting the news and making an impact right around late Feb/early March.

Quote from: nativelight on August 15, 2008, 09:39

Is it the same if you're selling your images as RM?  I was under the impression I could still sell fine art prints even though I have the same images on Alamy, PSC and MyLoupe as RM.

Yikes, am I wrong?

Is what the same? Calling them 'limited edition'? Or just selling them?

I think you can sell them as and how you want ... you are, after all, the copyright owner.

But if you sell an image as a 'limited edition' fine art print I would imagine buyers would be pretty pissed off if they then saw their treasure illustrating an article in a magazine, or plastered over billboards.

Let me start by saying that about 45% of my income comes from selling prints through art consultants, galleries and at art festivals.

I have an image that is used for all the product packaging for a fine art paper manufacturer. I get a lot of orders for that print from people who saw the image on the packaging. I've also gotten orders from people who saw the same image in an online travel guide.

My best selling print got that way from taking orders from people who found out that I sell prints of the image they saw in a calendar.

David Meunch, Galen Rowell, William Neill and pretty much every modern photographer offer their images through stock agencies. When you go to their galleries, you will see the same images offered as Limited and Open Edition prints.

Had a few so far. All XS or Medium.

M: $1.70
XS: .29

I've been on FT since April and have seen increased views and sales every month. I've also sold more extended licenses through them than on any other site I submit to.

No problems getting paid and I really like the commission increases as you sell.