Forums: Photography:

I got a flickr mail the other day from someone trying to drum up photos for a stock photo site. I'm not sure whether it is an automated letter or genuine interest (I sent a reply asking for more details), but it did get me thinking as to whether or not it would be worth the hassle for a perpetual amateur to sell photo rights to stock sites. My gut tells me that if the site is reputable enough then why not? It could be inconvienient in that I would likely lose some degree of usage rights to some of my own images but, past that, I'm not seeing a big downside.

That said, has anyone ever sold any photo rights to stock photo collections or sites and, if so, was it a good experience?

Alternatively, which stock photosites to you designer type people prefer to use when pulling images from?

funny you should bring this up... i've been thinking about this lately too
be interested in what people have to say about it...

I have a small handful on iStockPhoto that I've never worked very hard. I make $5-$10 a year.

I don't know much about selling to those sites, but we (our small design agency) use fotolia and istockphoto almost exclusively.

If you do end up selling to them, post your username here and I'll look at yours first.

I'll look into those, thanks! And FYI, the guy who contacted me (who has yet to get back to me after I asked for clarification) was from stockphotopro.com.

FWIW, I mostly used iStockPhoto for stock art (when I can't find what I need for free on StockXchng)

I used to sell through Alamy - they pay much better than iStock (indeed more than most agencies I've seen), and their standards are also higher.

Worth looking at. I have nothing but praise for their artist relations team, and their prompt payment.

As an at least part time photographer, Pennystock sites raise my hackles a bit... (for a variety of reasons I don't want to go into here) but I avoid them when I can.

I totally understand. Same reason I don't submit vector/ illustration art to stock sites - it's stock sites that make it harder for guys like me to make business, so I have to work as an in-house graphic designer in the garment industry instead of being able to make a living as a full-time illustrator.

Yeah, it's a tough argument when someone asks why licensing your photographs is so much more than the $5 iStock is asking.

Sometimes my argument and business case makes sense, but increasingly for small business - it doesn't. So I'm totally adjusting my business model. Which is a pain.

adjusting it how?
Could be worse -at least photographers are taken more seriously (& paid better) than illustrators in publishing. My most recent contract, a magazine, won't even fucking answer my calls, messages, or emails and their account is past due for work done in fucking August.

I'm thinking of moving from a license based fee to one where that is rolled into creative fees. Avoids even making them aware of the issue.

This works for new commissions anyway.

People wanting to license existing work still have problems. So mostly I've stopped targeting small companies for stock sales. Only listing images for larger organizations. If the smaller ones want to pay my fees, great, but I'm not going to bend over backwards and spend marketing dollars just to have to fight for fair pay every time.

We'll see how that works out.