Honest question, because I am intrigued.

What does it take to make $3K per month from 500-800 images on Shutterstock?

I can only dream of ever being so good, and to achieve such thing.

I would love to see a port like that. It has to be like an Angel peeing in your eyes.

travel images selling like hotcakes ? ? ?

only the few ones with the typical "postcard" look sell decently and it's not gonna come cheap to produce, a realistic budget is AT LEAST 100$/day in western countries and good luck with expensive cities in scandinavia or UK or Australia & NZ.

I'm going to Santorini for 3 days this summer. You guys think it could earn me some cash to have it thouroghly photocovered? It's one of most photographically covered place on the earth, is there a possibility at all for those images to generate any kind of profit?

 I'm planning in photographing all three days as beaches are hideous there. I can't stand swimming anywhere where I can't see bottom and where bottom isn't crystal clear sand.

she is exclusive

I'm going to Santorini for 3 days this summer. You guys think it could earn me some cash to have it thouroghly photocovered? It's one of most photographically covered place on the earth, is there a possibility at all for those images to generate any kind of profit?

 I'm planning in photographing all three days as beaches are hideous there. I can't stand swimming anywhere where I can't see bottom and where bottom isn't crystal clear sand.

As you say, it's beautiful (apparently, I haven't been), but it's been covered millions of times. As you're going anyway, 'profit' isn't an issue, but how much you can now compete with what's already out there, I can't imagine. Even if you could find 'different' images, would they be what the market wants?

Anyway, enjoy your trip in what appears to be one of the most beautiful towns on earth.

In 2011, I did an experiment and visited a city I'd never visited before to see if I could recoup my costs through stock. Between iS and Alamy RM, I've more than recouped the costs, including flights (short-haul), accommodation, transport within the city and food.
But I noticed that iS are currently requesting images from Amsterdam, a city I loved but haven't been to in many years. In 2011, I'd have been right on the next available cheap flight over there, but now, "ah well, it would have been nice".

As you say, it's beautiful (apparently, I haven't been), but it's been covered millions of times. As you're going anyway, 'profit' isn't an issue, but how much you can now compete with what's already out there, I can't imagine. Even if you could find 'different' images, would they be what the market wants?

Anyway, enjoy your trip in what appears to be one of the most beautiful towns on earth.

thanks!

Technically I plan to replicate every possible angle of what is already available from places publicly access-able (I'm not staying in a fancy hotel on the caldera but on the resort on the other side of the island and thus wouldn't be able to pass beyond "most" *read as locked or guarded* gated walls on the caldera to peek for a minute to get a shot). If I get other angles or views or treatments which I doubt there are many left really, fine, if not, I don't plan to get a headache thinking what to do. I aim for making technically correctl replicatiopns of what already sells in as many shots as I humanely can achieve in that time (only 3 days and 3 sunsets). Already studying village maps and preparing shotlists extensively. Would love to decorate my wall afterwards with images that I adore that I took myself. If it pays for a part of vacation or a whole of it, I'd be ecstatic. I have no idea how big percentage of those images sell regularly. For instance, a single shot of a traditional part of Skiathos netted me about 150 eur over last 4 years. It is my bestseller on Shutterstock, and, alas, only one so far. 2 extended licenses helped. I don't know if a huge flock of Thera pictures can give me at least several of such strong sellers. Don't know whether to risk another 150 eur cost of going to Mykonos for an afternoon. My budget is stretched and that little trip would be entirely planned upon future mykonos photo sellability. sorry to hijack thread and take your time, thanks.

Technically I plan to replicate every possible angle of what is already available from places publicly access-able ... I aim for making technically correctl replicatiopns of what already sells

Rent a boat if you don't like the beaches - or find somewhere you can dive off the rocks and read. Find a good fish restaurant where the locals eat and the mother makes the bread every morning. Isn't that what summer in the Greek islands is all about ? (+ spinach + feta pastries and ice cold bottles of Mythos beer obviously

Why go somewhere lovely and waste the time replicating photos which already exist ?

Well Ron, the answer to your question is burried in your own port and stares you right in the face.
Which 90% of your pictures would you delete if you had to?
Really had to.
??

The guys who earn a lot on a few photos are the guys who deleted.

Well Ron, the answer to your question is burried in your own port and stares you right in the face.
Which 90% of your pictures would you delete if you had to?
Really had to.
??

The guys who earn a lot on a few photos are the guys who deleted.

So they had 10.000 images and kept only their top 500?

Just divide $3000 by the number of downloads you get and ask Shutterstock to raise your average royalty to that.

365 days a year divided by 12 months in a year equals 30.416666 days per month average so then we now take $3000 and divide that by 30.416666 and we get $98.630139 per day so if someone is at the top tier of .38 cents then they are selling 259.55299 images per day.

If that is from a port of 500 image that is half their port each day is selling.

Now I know I didn't calculate OD, SOD, EL, footage etc but there is no way to know that, all you can do is a rough estimate but still that is dam good right there.

The month that I make $3K just from Shutter I will officially retire from my day job! 

maybe 2 yrs ago , some exclusive vector guy in IS can easily make it with less 300 files and $4-5 k  per month i guess but now its getting hard

More like 'Impossible'