Microstock photography is...

Microstock photography is about creating relevant, qualitative and sellable images.

It is about giving the person, with a hard drive full of images, the freedom to release them to the world.

It is about having the opportunity to see your images appear in high profile publications and advertising etcetera etc.

It is about being financially rewarded for those images.

It is about a lot of things.


It is for the person who always dreamed of being a photographer, but didn't feel glamourous enough to be one.

It is for the person who needs either a little extra money or, some more extra money or, a lot of extra money.

It is for the person artistically challenged who nonetheless can take a good, technically sound photograph.

It is for a lot of people.


Microstock allows those in need of images for illustrative purposes to obtain them LEGALLY and INEXPENSIVELY.

Microstock allows you to sell your images to those people.

You won't get paid much for each image.

Each image usually sell a lot of times.

Not getting paid much ~ multiplied by ~ a lot of times = more money than you had before.


Gordon Ramsay will (probably) charge you £30 for burger and chips in his restaurant.

McKingburger chain, will charge you a couple of quid for burger and chips.

McKingburger chain charge less, lots of times, and has more money than Gordon Ramsay, (that'll be Chef Ramsay to those on the other side of the pond).

A difference in quality and style, but both feed you - they both serve the same purpose.


Selling your images with microstock agencies won't make you as rich as McKingburger chain or Gordon Ramsay.

You might think that your images are worth more than the microstock rates you get individually each time they sell, but the point is: McKingburger sell their grub relatively cheap, but sell it LOTS OF TIMES.

With microstock you sell your images LOTS OF TIMES at a low price (your images 'base cost' rises, the more it sells, depending on the stock agency).

This is what brings in the money.


With microstock - Once you have prepared, keyworded and uploaded your images, you can sit back and let them earn money for you.

With microstock - Lots of people make extra spending money for goodies by treating microstock as a hobby.

With microstock - Those who work hard at it earn a living.

With microstock - A select few with real skill and talent go on to earn lots of money and respect, not only in the microstock industry, but the photo and design industry in general.



Realistically, treating microstock as a hobby, with ONE agency your yearly income will be in the hundreds.

Realistically those who really make the effort with ONE agency have yearly income in the thousands.

Realistically most people spread their portfolio across at least FIVE agencies - multiply that income by FIVE. This doesn't mean five times as much work for you, it only means your computer is uploading your portfolio to five different sites while you do other things. Many people typically spread the same portfolio over about ten agencies.

Realistically the select few with real skill and talent earn FIVE FIGURES annually either by being exclusive to one agency (a higher cut of the profits) or being spread across a number of agencies. Some of the known names in the microstock industry are rumoured to earn SIX FIGURE SUMS.

Realistically, like life, you'll get from microstock what you put into it.


Almost all microstock agencies pay you by Paypal.

The more thoughtful ones will ALSO allow Moneybookers to pay you.

If, after a year at microstock you have earned very little, you need to think about trying harder, though in all seriousness, if you haven't earned anything after about a year, and have tried hard, it means you are really bad at photography and need to take up drumming.

You won't know if you are a capable enough microstock photographer 'till you have tried.

It is free to try if you already have the means of producing and transmitting online a digital image.

Most people are pleasantly surprised at their photographic work being accepted and sold.

This gives people confidence and the proverbial warm fuzzy feeling - sometimes this is nicer than money.


Here are links to some microstock sites to get you started.

Fotolia
Dreamstime
Bigstockphoto
Mostphotos
Featurepics
Yaymicro



I think I forgot to mention that almost all microstock sites don't only accept photographs, but any type of image, so designers and artists also get a look in.