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Author Topic: What is needed to make $3K from 500-800 images?  (Read 23731 times)

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« Reply #25 on: March 27, 2014, 11:57 »
0
The month that I make $3K just from Shutter I will officially retire from my day job!  8)

where do you live now?state?I can support my own life with 2k in here..but only me..no family kids wife ...etc


« Reply #26 on: March 27, 2014, 12:09 »
+1
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.

The guys who earn much with few photos do not upload photos that need to be deleted.  I can think of a few with that type of port, however I would never expose them to the copiers who would love to plagiarize.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 12:12 by gbalex »

Ron

« Reply #27 on: March 27, 2014, 12:18 »
+1

Photos or vectors? Are we talking about 500-800 photos only?
Knowing the sources, I assume photos only.

Uncle Pete

« Reply #28 on: March 27, 2014, 13:12 »
+2
So true, so true. Some people just troll the forums for concepts and best sellers so they can copy and steal. Why, some read and write on the SS forums and then steal from their "friends" best sellers, over and over.

And JPSDK. Or people who only upload the one or two best shots from each shoot. But that's not good for bragging rights like some want. "I have #### images on agency X." (pound chest and hope people are impressed) Don't mention that 100 are the same tomato cut, sliced and diced and re-arranged in 100 different ways.  ::)

Let me restate my opinion. It's not how many photos you have, it's the quality and content of those photos. That's the answer. IMHO



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.

The guys who earn much with few photos do not upload photos that need to be deleted.  I can think of a few with that type of port, however I would never expose them to the copiers who would love to plagiarize.


Really Hobostocker?

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.

$100 won't get you a cot in a flop house, a cup of coffee for breakfast and cover the expenses until Noon. LOL

Traveling always costs about four times more than staying at home. Although some people who pack light, backpack, take a bike or stay at hostels, do make it places for much less than even a cheap budget minded person like myself.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 13:17 by Uncle Pete »

« Reply #29 on: March 27, 2014, 13:28 »
+2
So true, so true. Some people just troll the forums for concepts and best sellers so they can copy and steal. Why, some read and write on the SS forums and then steal from their "friends" best sellers, over and over.

And JPSDK. Or people who only upload the one or two best shots from each shoot. But that's not good for bragging rights like some want. "I have #### images on agency X." (pound chest and hope people are impressed) Don't mention that 100 are the same tomato cut, sliced and diced and re-arranged in 100 different ways.  ::)

Let me restate my opinion. It's not how many photos you have, it's the quality and content of those photos. That's the answer. IMHO



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.

The guys who earn much with few photos do not upload photos that need to be deleted.  I can think of a few with that type of port, however I would never expose them to the copiers who would love to plagiarize.


Really Hobostocker?

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.

$100 won't get you a cot in a flop house, a cup of coffee for breakfast and cover the expenses until Noon. LOL

Traveling always costs about four times more than staying at home. Although some people who pack light, backpack, take a bike or stay at hostels, do make it places for much less than even a cheap budget minded person like myself.

Most of the sites do not support that type of activity.  They take action if they find contributors culling HCV ports for best selling images and replicating them. Most people do not complain but they should, because 9 times out of ten the sites will pull the offending images.

Threads that start with show your or who makes are a dead give away.  Look at the port of the thread starters a few months later and quite often you will find copies of best selling images from many ports.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 13:30 by gbalex »

« Reply #30 on: March 27, 2014, 13:43 »
+2
Traveling always costs about four times more than staying at home. Although some people who pack light, backpack, take a bike or stay at hostels, do make it places for much less than even a cheap budget minded person like myself.

I travel with 7Kg of cabin luggage which is the Asian limit or 10Kg on European flights. I have a really good lightweight cabin bag. I stay in Airbnb - normally studio apartments, tower blocks, suburbs etc .. but if I was on a tight budget I would be quite happy to rent a room in a house or even on someone's sofa. I will eat street food if in Asia or at hawker markets - or at very inexpensive non tourist restaurants and markets if in Europe. Tourist restaurants are all rubbish anyhow - the best places if you can find them are never expensive. I am also very happy to eat noodles and veg or rice every day.

We get the bus from the airport (I hate talking to taxi drivers most of the time anyhow and buses are a great way to find out about a place). I would not dream of spending $100 a day anywhere - nothing like that. Unless renting a car. And if I was short of cash would be quite happy to rent out my home whilst away.

ETA: none of this is really about saving money. It's about the fact that spending more does not in my experience enhance the experience of a place.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 13:46 by bunhill »

ruxpriencdiam

    This user is banned.
  • Location. Third stone from the sun
« Reply #31 on: March 27, 2014, 14:06 »
+2
So true, so true. Some people just troll the forums for concepts and best sellers so they can copy and steal. Why, some read and write on the SS forums and then steal from their "friends" best sellers, over and over.

And JPSDK. Or people who only upload the one or two best shots from each shoot. But that's not good for bragging rights like some want. "I have #### images on agency X." (pound chest and hope people are impressed) Don't mention that 100 are the same tomato cut, sliced and diced and re-arranged in 100 different ways.  ::)

Let me restate my opinion. It's not how many photos you have, it's the quality and content of those photos. That's the answer. IMHO



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.

The guys who earn much with few photos do not upload photos that need to be deleted.  I can think of a few with that type of port, however I would never expose them to the copiers who would love to plagiarize.


Really Hobostocker?

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.

$100 won't get you a cot in a flop house, a cup of coffee for breakfast and cover the expenses until Noon. LOL

Traveling always costs about four times more than staying at home. Although some people who pack light, backpack, take a bike or stay at hostels, do make it places for much less than even a cheap budget minded person like myself.

Most of the sites do not support that type of activity.  They take action if they find contributors culling HCV ports for best selling images and replicating them. Most people do not complain but they should, because 9 times out of ten the sites will pull the offending images.

Threads that start with show your or who makes are a dead give away.  Look at the port of the thread starters a few months later and quite often you will find copies of best selling images from many ports.
+1

« Reply #32 on: March 27, 2014, 14:14 »
+1
Traveling always costs about four times more than staying at home.

Well, that depends totally on where you live and/or where you travel.

« Reply #33 on: March 27, 2014, 14:19 »
+2
Here is the port you're looking for!

http://www.istockphoto.com/search/portfolio/5767540/?facets=%7B%2225%22%3A%226%22%7D#138a8f8


Nah, I don't think that portfolio would be enough for $6K per month (it has double the images than in the original post). I don't think it's even close.


mlwinphoto

« Reply #34 on: March 27, 2014, 15:05 »
+1
The only thing I can say for sure is that it isn't what I'm shooting; or at least not the way I'm shooting it......

« Reply #35 on: March 27, 2014, 15:09 »
+3
,
« Last Edit: May 11, 2014, 22:20 by tickstock »

« Reply #36 on: March 27, 2014, 15:12 »
+6
my best selling pic from our Antarctica trip was a shot I took from the roof of our 1st night hotel in Buenos aires -- traffic jam at rush hour;  so much for preplanned shot lists!

Harvepino

« Reply #37 on: March 27, 2014, 16:26 »
+2
1) Make 10k brilliant images so that you earn some $5k a month
2) Get to 38p level
3) Delete all but 500-800 best sellers
4) You have a good chance to still earn $3k with 300-800

I guess I would avoid following points 3-4 though :P

« Reply #38 on: March 27, 2014, 16:50 »
0
my best selling pic from our Antarctica trip was a shot I took from the roof of our 1st night hotel in Buenos aires -- traffic jam at rush hour;  so much for preplanned shot lists!

Isn't that always the way!

EmberMike

« Reply #39 on: March 27, 2014, 17:17 »
+2

Photos or vectors? Are we talking about 500-800 photos only?
Knowing the sources, I assume photos only.

Photos only would be really tough. I bet there are a few vector people doing that much with that size portfolio, though.

shudderstok

« Reply #40 on: March 27, 2014, 20:08 »
+6
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.

why don't you go out and create instead of simply copy or as you call it 'replicate'. i shoot travel full time and simply shooting what everyone else shoots 'cause it sells' is lame. but then again, maybe that is your level, just copy copy copy and pray to make a bit of money. you remind me of the guy who once sent me a PM on IS and asked me where i took a shot from cause he noticed it sold a lot and he wanted to go and take the shot from the same angle??? what??? oh well, water seeks it's own level.

Goofy

« Reply #41 on: March 27, 2014, 20:52 »
0
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.

why don't you go out and create instead of simply copy or as you call it 'replicate'. i shoot travel full time and simply shooting what everyone else shoots 'cause it sells' is lame. but then again, maybe that is your level, just copy copy copy and pray to make a bit of money. you remind me of the guy who once sent me a PM on IS and asked me where i took a shot from cause he noticed it sold a lot and he wanted to go and take the shot from the same angle??? what??? oh well, water seeks it's own level.

Well, were did you take that shot from?  ;D



lisafx

« Reply #42 on: March 27, 2014, 23:24 »
+2
Is it even possible to make that much from 500-800 photos on SS?  At all? 

I know vector artists do better with less, but that's still a stretch for so few files.  More power to them if they can manage it though. 
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 23:27 by lisafx »

« Reply #43 on: March 28, 2014, 00:42 »
+1
The month that I make $3K just from Shutter I will officially retire from my day job!  8)

where do you live now?state?I can support my own life with 2k in here..but only me..no family kids wife ...etc

how life is different in different parts of the world. in my neck of wood 2k per month could support at least 2 full families with multiple children each. In Germany, for instance, they have average salaries that are 6 times what they are in my country.

« Reply #44 on: March 28, 2014, 01:02 »
-1

why don't you go out and create instead of simply copy or as you call it 'replicate'. i shoot travel full time and simply shooting what everyone else shoots 'cause it sells' is lame. but then again, maybe that is your level, just copy copy copy and pray to make a bit of money. you remind me of the guy who once sent me a PM on IS and asked me where i took a shot from cause he noticed it sold a lot and he wanted to go and take the shot from the same angle??? what??? oh well, water seeks it's own level.

I say replicate and you insist on copy. I will replicate the vista, not the picture. I will make gazillion different framings on gazillion different focal length from each point. Not copy particular framing.  They will be my own, but they will be made from 30 or so most famous & most commercial standing places on the caldera. There is a limited and exhausted number points for standing on the maybe 2km total walkway with view upon the caldera in Fira, Imerovigli, Firostefani and Oia on a most photographed place in the world where more than million tourists with cameras come every year. One could only improve in better technique, color or be lucky to have better light, but those shots are covered before, you seen them or not. I plan to collect info about where to go to shoot. What, I should skip photographing Santorini and send it to stock just because heaps of contributors did it before?? Well, truth is that place is overexploited, but I don't plan to miss my piece of it, just plan to make a lot photos. I shouldn't shoot blue domed church? Or a boat on a roof? Or Oia windmill? Or multiple belled church tops? Sure, maybe ten guys on stock sites have original photos but they did it in 2004 and they are copying what they saw on postcards and books from guys who did in 1984 on film, and those original posters ain't any of you here I bet. Thousands of others followed and stock sites love it to advertise they have gazillion photos available and some of newer photos are better than old ones.


Hobostocker

    This user is banned.
« Reply #45 on: March 28, 2014, 03:21 »
+1
I would not dream of spending $100 a day anywhere

oh really ?

try Paris or London, the cheapest dorm room in a guesthouse will cost you at the very least 30$/night with no breakfast included.

a mcdonalds meal or any other fast food chain selling junk food will be 7-10$/meal.

so, just to scrap the bottom of the barrel you need 50-60 bucks per day considering you don't smoke and don't drink and don't use any transportation.

and i could mention other cities like Dubai, Doha, Auckland, Sydney, NewYork, Tokyo, Singapore, HongKong ..

as for Asia : yes there are countries where you can live fairly well for 15-20$/day all inclusive, see Vietnam or Philippines or Cambodia and India and some parts of Indonesia but these are the exception to the rule.

6 months in India can be super cheap but how much indian photos are actually selling on stock agencies ?

couchsurfing ? good luck leaving your 10K$ gear bag in somebody's home unattended and being totally dependent on strangers giving you a sofa and a shower, yes it's doable but it's risky and if my production costs are so high that my only option is couchsurfing and eating at mcdonalds sorry but maybe it's time to find a better job !


Hobostocker

    This user is banned.
« Reply #46 on: March 28, 2014, 03:28 »
+2
$100 won't get you a cot in a flop house, a cup of coffee for breakfast and cover the expenses until Noon. LOL

Traveling always costs about four times more than staying at home. Although some people who pack light, backpack, take a bike or stay at hostels, do make it places for much less than even a cheap budget minded person like myself.

it all depends on the country, some country can be as cheap as 20$/day for a single room with toilet + meals, while in Tokyo with 60$ you can barely sleep in a cubicle and eat instant noodles at 7-11.

so, talking about ROI, places like Thailand are a very good tradeoff while most of the western capitals are totally overpriced with scandinavia topping the list for the most outrageous living costs.

being cheap is just one of the many factors involved, you must always consider the security issues, unless you travel with just a Sony NEX or a Fuji X1 you will carry a bag full of gear and a laptop and a few USB hard drives for storage, just imagine getting it all STOLEN in a lurid 5$/night dorm room !! and yeah it happens all the time in such places.


« Reply #47 on: March 28, 2014, 03:40 »
+2
Is it even possible to make that much from 500-800 photos on SS?  At all? 

I know vector artists do better with less, but that's still a stretch for so few files.  More power to them if they can manage it though.

Obviously not possible, but there always are virtual babies who believe any bs. Maybe several years ago...

« Reply #48 on: March 28, 2014, 03:43 »
0
The month that I make $3K just from Shutter I will officially retire from my day job!  8)

where do you live now?state?I can support my own life with 2k in here..but only me..no family kids wife ...etc

how life is different in different parts of the world. in my neck of wood 2k per month could support at least 2 full families with multiple children each. In Germany, for instance, they have average salaries that are 6 times what they are in my country.

What country is that?

« Reply #49 on: March 28, 2014, 03:48 »
+10
Why are people so amazed? Living under a rock? There are places where people literally work for a few handfuls of rice/day. They usually make some of the clothes you wear.


 

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