Yanik's Photo School » MicroStock Photography

MicroStock Photography Part 3 – My Workflow from A to Z (Part 2)

Yanik — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:03:38 +0000

It’s time for part 2 of my microstock workflow. If you missed part 1 that covered steps 1 through 7, you can read it here.

Part 1 focused more on my workflow before the actual photo shoot and the photo shoot itself. In part 2, I’ll focus mainly on what I do after the shoot is done. This will cover steps 8 through 17. Without further ado, let’s get right to it.

Step 8: Backup, backup, backup. Did I say Backup? As soon as you fill up a card, back it up right away while you continue shooting. If you have a big memory card and can put a full day’s shoot on it, I suggest you do a mid-shoot backup. I back everything up on my Epson P-3000. Then, when the shoot is over and I’m sipping my victory drink (usually some Bailey’s), I backup my P-3000 on my laptop.

Step 9: Model Release. This might sound basic enough, but I have left a shoot before and forgot to ask the models to sign the model release! Doh! I shot in Connecticut and I live 9 hours away! It was a pain doing this after the fact with a model that didn’t have a computer or access to a fax. My trick to avoid this now… have them out and ask them to fill them out BEFORE you start shooting.

Step 10: Thank you. Be grateful. Thank your models and pay them right away (if you’re paying them). If you’re doing TFP or TFCD, give them a time line of when they’ll receive the images. This can be difficult to determine but if I do a full day shoot and have over 500 image to post process, I give myself 2 months. But in the mean time you can send them a small selection of low res stuff by email as you get them done. They’ll thank you for it.

Step 11: Archiving. Or filing. What I do here is transfer my files to my computer using Adobe Lightroom 2. Since Lightroom 2 is a powerful database, I can easily tag my images and store them on many drives. Finding them is then very easy.

Step 12: Image selection. Using the various tagging options in Lightroom 2 such as flags, stars and colors, I select my images accordingly before post processing. I start by selecting the crap less stock-worthy ones and delete from my hard drive. This is very important because if you don’t do this, you’ll clog up your hard disk for nothing. Then I flag my top shots. Once the top shots are selected, I go through the rest and select “secondary” shots that I might process and upload later on if I have a down period.

Step 13: Post Processing. I use the powerful, non destructive post processing features in Lightroom 2 to retouch my images. You can see some of my Lightroom 2 video tutorials to get you going. If you don’t have it yet, CLICK HERE to download your free 30 trial straight from the Adobe Website. Some images will need extra post processing work that can only be done in Photoshop CS3 like using layers and certain filters.

Step 14: Keywording. OK, upto step 13 I was having fun. Now comes the tedious task of keywording. Luckily in Lightroom, I can add keywords, titles and descripions on multiple images at once. Just this Lightroom function saves me many hours per week compared to the copy/paste I used to do in Photoshop.

Finding the right keywords is so important so if I lack inspiration, I’ll go on the stock sites and search similar images then look at their keywords to complete my list. Do this! It’s a great learning experience.

Step 15: Exporting. I just export my images in maximum quality jpgs in my Upload folder. I don’t resize images for subscription sites like ShutterStock. I don’t have the time for that.

Step 16: Uploading. I currently upload to the top 7 income generating microstock sites (and soon to be 8 with the recent invitation to join PurestockX). At one point I was uploading to 12 sites but I cut 5 of them out and it was the best business decision I made for stock. I now have more time to concentrate on the sites that actually make me money. Here are the sites I upload to in order of income generation:

IstockPhoto
Fotolia
Shutterstock
Dreamstime
StockXpert
123 Royality Free
BigStock

You can find a brief description of the top 4 here.

To upload my photos, I use ProstockMaster. It’s quick and easy. It has many features but I only use it for uploading to many agencies at once. There’s also another software that came out after ProstockMaster called Cushy Stock. It’s getting great reviews from peers so this could also be another great option for you. Using software made for the microstocker is a must to save you some time.

Step 17: Finalizing. Once the images are uploaded, I then go to each site and finalize the images by adding model releases, categories, etc…

So there you have it! My complete workflow from A to Z. I hope this small window into my professional life can help you out in your microstock journey.

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MicroStock Photography Part 3 – My Workflow from A to Z (Part 1)

Yanik — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:48:44 +0000

It’s been a while since I wrote about Microstock Photography. In part 1, I gave you an insight on what it was all about and in part 2 we looked at the major payers in the industry. And here I go with a long title to introduce part 3: MicroStock Photography Part 3 – My Workflow from A to Z (Part 1). Ok, so that everybody understands, you are now reading part 1 of part 3. That means that we’ll be having a part 2 of part 3 next week. Glad I cleared that up!

Some of you wrote to me asking for my workflow; how I went about my microstock routine. So guess what! I’ll give you my complete workflow from the very beginning to the very end. I’ll bee picking my brains to make sure you get all the details. You don’t need to be a stock photographer to read this. Most of this workflow applies to all the shooting I do. In part 1, I’ll go from Step 1 to Step 7. Next week, in part 2, I’ll cover steps 8 through 17

Step 1: Choosing my subject. The first thing I do is decide on what I want to shoot. Maybe I saw a cool concept in a magazine or something is moving in the news or I just feel like shooting a particular theme.

Step 2: Research. Ok, so now I know what I want to shoot. The next thing I do is research. I usually go to Shutterstock and Istock Photo (because of exclusive content) and type in keywords related to my theme. I already have a folder on my desktop called “Stock Ideas” and in the folder I have many theme-related sub folders. I go through the agencies’ images and download comps of concepts and ideas that I like. Depending on the theme, it could be from 20 to 100ish images. Those images are ideas or concepts that I find inspiring and that I would like to shoot using my style. I don’t want to reproduce the same image but instead use it as a starting point for my creativity. I then go to GettyImages and do the same thing. Why Getty? Because the image there, for the most part, are shot differently and can give me fresh ideas.

Step 3: Making a shot list. When going on a shoot, you need to be prepared. Just like a movie director needs a story board, I need a shot list. The shot list does 3 things. 1) You don’t forget all the great ideas. 2) You shoot more efficiently with less pauses. 3) You look more professional (if you’re shooting with people ). I usually have roughly 35 thumbnails per page grouped in similar scenarios. If I couldn’t fin images fitting certain concepts or angles, I’ll sketch them on. Stick men can do wonders!

Step 4: Finding a location. Depending on what/who you’re shooting you may already know where you’ll be shooting. It could ven be in your basement! But if you need to find a location, let’s say a boardroom with big windows, you’ll have to start scouting. If you’re lucky, you’ll know someone who has access to one that you can use after business hours. If you’re not so lucky, the challenge begins.

What I found worked the best was to look at the outside architecture of the buildings in your area. If you find one that’s promising, go into the lobby and note own the company names and the floor they’re on (the high the better the light is usually). Find their numbers in the yellow pages or Google and give them a call. Ask to speak to someone responsible for human resources (I found them to be the most personable ). Once you get someone who can make decisions, tell them your story. Make sure you offer them something in return. It could be staff photos or even an RF license to use the images you’ll take there. Use you imagination!

Step 5: Props. Do you need props for your shoot? Clothes, phones, laptops, pads of paper, a polka dot bikini? If you have models (see step 6), ask them if they have appropriate clothing and some props relevant to the shoot. It’s free! After shooting stock since 2004 so I have a major huge closet full of props. From an aquarium to dishes of all kinds, from yoga mats (I don’t do yoga) to a bag full of cell phones and a laptop I can throw in the pool if need be. If you’re serious about stock, you’ll end up with tons of crap important props for shoots.

Step 6: Getting models. If your theme involves people, I strongly advise to use real ones. You’ll probably start like everbody else and harrass politely ask your family and friends to play the models. And this will work for a while until they get sick of you politely decline. Use this time as good practice to work with people. This is the toughest part. Getting your vision out into words that poeple will understand.

Ok, so now you need models. Where do you get them once you’ve asked every single aunt and nephew around? You can try a few places. First, look on Facebook if there are local photography/models groups in you area. Then you can go to Model Mayhem. This is a great site for finding models without busting the bank. Usually, it’s a give-ive situation. They need a portfolio, you need models. Usually, you can get the models for free in exchange for a CD or a few prints of the images shot. This is called TFP (time for prints) or TFCD (time for CD).

Step 7: The actual shoot. OK, you’ve got your shot list, your location, your props and your models. Congratulations! It’s time to shoot!

1) Make sure you ask the models to show up 30 minutes before you actually want them there! Trust me on this one!
2) Give them enough time for make-up and dressing up.
3) Try to be as efficient as possible and shoot shoot shoot.
4) Don’t forget to rotated your models so that they get breaks.
5) I always get healthy snacks and lots of water, especially if it’s a full day shoot. My philosophy is: treat your models well and they’ll want to shoot with you again.
6) Give the photographer a break! You need to recharge as well to keep your head in the game.

This ends part one of my microstock workflow. Stay tuned for part 2 next week!

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MicroStock Photography Part 2 – the Top 4 Agencies

Yanik — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:30:06 +0000

In part 1, I interviewed Microstock Phenomenon and shed the light on what microstock photography is all about. If you missed it, you can read it HERE.

Now lets look at the top four microstock agencies out there and what they can offer you as a photographer. I’ll limit this to photographers since that’s my field of expertise. But you can also contribute illustrations, videos and sound to certain agencies.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of each agency, here’s a bird’s eye view of the top 5 agencies in terms of traffic. Looking at the Alexa graph below, we can clearly see that IstockPhoto.com is the leader for traffic. The next 3, Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Fotolia are in a tight race with Fotolia taking a slight advantage in the last few months. And StockXpert still at the bottom.

The reason I’m showing you this graph is to give you a general idea of each site’s popularity. It doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily make more money at IstockPhoto than at Shutterstock.

OK, let’s get the ball rolling here.

IstockPhoto.com: Istock was the first microstock site. It was purchased by macrostock agency GettyImages for $50 million so it has lots of marketing power. It’s a big community of buyers and contributors. Istock has the reputation of being the hardest microstock agency to get into so make sure you do your homework before applying. It’s also one of the top income generators so it’s worth getting into. Sales are pretty consistent without major fluctuations a part from the standard seasonal lows at all agencies (July, August, December).

How to make extra money

Exclusivity: As a contributor, once you reach 300 downloads and have a 50% acceptance rate, you’ll have the option of becoming an exclusive photographer. What does that mean? First, you get a raise. Depending on your number of downloads, you can go between 25% to 40% commission. Non exclusives make 20%. Your weekly upload limit increases… a lot! And other goodies as well. Check out the exclusivity page for all the details.

Referrals: All top 5 agencies have a referral program. How it works is pretty simple, you’ll get a referral URL that you can paste anywhere to promote the agency or your portfolio. At Istock, each successful referral will get you $10.

Ranking

As your sales increase your canister color changes (see image). That really doesn’t mean much for non exclusive contributors a part from a little ego boost but exclusives can’t wait to get to the next level to have increased commissions. Canisters range from “base” to “black diamond”. Your images also get a flame ranking with different colors at 100, 500, 1000 downloads. There are speculations that this could play a role in search parameters but that hasn’t been proven.

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ShutterStock.com: Shutterstock is a unique agency in that it’s the only agency only offering subscription (subs) sales from their clients. You cannot purchase individual images, you must purchase a “package”. Most micros now have subs on top of their per photo sales to compete with the ShutterStock model. We’ll see if Shutterstock will eventually add a per photo sale model. It used to be easy to get into Shutterstock as a contributor but the standards in the last few years have dramatically increased. Once in, you’ll see sales right away. New images are favored by their search algorithm. The trick for more consistent sales is to upload often. Some say you’re better off uploading smaller batches more often than uploading bigger batches less often.

How to make extra money

Referrals: Shutterstock has, by far, the best referral program around. By referring other contributors, you’ll make $0.03 per image sold by your “recruits” for as long as the images are there and they sell! Roughly 10%-12% of my Shutterstock income comes from referrals. You can also refer buyers and you’ll earn up to $50. You can also earn 10% on each video sale by referring videographers.

Sales Ranking: Basically, the more you make, the higher your commission is. You can check out the full earning tables here. You’ll start at $0.25/download all the way up to $0.38/download.

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Fotolia.com: I love Fotolia’s design and ease of use as a contributor. One thing that I don’t like is the protective watermark on the images. It can easily be removed due to its size and location on the thumbnail images. The application process isn’t has strict as Istock or Shutterstock but you still need some quality files to get accepted.

How to make extra money

Referrals: Again you can make a few extra dollars by referring potential sellers and buyers. You’ll get 15% of the net profit (after paying the contributor) from buyers and 10% from photographer sales. Like Shutterstock, this doesn’t have a time limit as well. It a fair referral program. You can get the full details of the referral program here.

Color Ranking: The ranking works more like Istock. Your color changes as you downloads increase. You start off white and you work your way up to diamond. What’s great is that you don’t need to be an exclusive photographer or have exclusive material to take advantage of the price boost. But you do have to wait a while before you make it to the first price increase which is emerald (10000 downloads). Most photographers will never reach it. To give you an idea, I’m currently ranked 40 on Fotolia (out of over 50 000 contributors) and I’ll be hitting emerald this month. This means currently, less than 40 contributors have gotten a price increase.

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Dreamstime.com: Dreamstime is another great site to earn good income. I personally love the blog feature (that I use often) and also the stats page. The message boards are also quite active. It has lots of resources and monthly contests for contributors with some cool prizes like Ipods. I also like the way they promote your images with 8 small thumbnails under “More image from contributor’s portfolio” when someone views one of your images.

How to make extra money

Referrals: Dreamstime also has a good referral program. It gives you $5 per referral. Then you get 10% of all image sales or credit purchases for 3 years.

Image Levels: Contrary to other sites each image gets ranked as opposed to the photographer. The more an image sells the higher it will cost to buy it. They go from level 1 to 5. A small level 1 image is $1 and a small level 5 image is $5. For complete details click here.

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This was a brief outline of the top microstock agencies. For a detailed list of other agencies, you can check out MicroStockListing.com.

In part 3, I’ll guide you into how to get the right images for your application process so that you pass the first time.

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Microstock Photography Part 1 – What is It?

Yanik — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:56:09 +0000

As some of you might know, my main source of income derives from stock photography sales… more specifically, microstock photography. It accounts for roughly 75% of my photography income. When I meet new people, the conversation usually goes like this…

So Yanik, what do you do?
I’m a professional photographer.
Hey, that’s cool! So what do you do? Weddings or portraits?
Actually, I mostly do commercial and editorial photography but my main source of revenue comes from microstock photography.
Micro what?

Many people are still learning about microstock photography, so I though I would do a series of articles explaining the ins and outs of this new Web phenomenon. In part 1, I’ll give you a breakdown of what it actually is and how it all started. So let’s get started! I think the best way to start this series is to interview my good budy, Microstock Phenomenon (MP for short)…

Hi MP, thanks for taking the time to let readers know what you’re all about.

Hi Yanik, my pleasure!

First off, what is stock photography?

Well Yanik, simply put, stock photography consists of a database of images ready for licensing. The photographer shoots images and submits them to stock agencies. The agencies then market the images to their clients (publishers, advertising agencies, graphic artists…). Clients then purchase the desired images. The agency then gives the photographer a predetermined commission on the sale.

So what you’re saying is that the photographer is free to shoot whatever he wants, whenever he wants?

Yes. Since this is non-commissioned work, the photographer has the freedom to shoot whatever he wants. But if he wants to make a decent income, he might actually shoot themes that have a more commercial appeal. A good stock photographer will always try to think like his clients. See what they need as opposed to what he likes shooting. Sometimes you get the best of both worlds!

Interesting. Now what about microstock? What’s the difference between microstock and traditional stock?

Good question Yanik! There are two main differences. The first one, and the most obvious, is the cost of the licenses. Before my arrival, traditional stock agencies would license royalty free (RF) images from roughly $250. Lately, some traditional or “macro” agencies have lowered their prices to compete with me. But the prices are still a lot higher than what my agencies sell them for. Most of the microstock agencies sell images from $1. The second difference is that microstock, for the moment, only sell RF images. Macro agencies also sell rights managed licenses (RM).

Now back up a second here MP. Can you explain to our readers the difference between RF and RM licensing?

Sure! RF means that once a client has purchased the rights to use the image(s), he’s free to use the image when, where and how he wants, within the agency’s terms of use. Also, RF images are non-exclusive. That means anyone can purchase the rights to use the images at any time. RM images have many restrictions. Those can include, duration, geographical location, quantities and exclusivity. RM images have more value because of these restrictions.

Let me give you an example for both license types. Let’s say I need an image for my local environmental group. I go to Fotolia, find my image, purchase the RF license and bingo! I have the image. Now since this image is non-exclusive other local businesses could purchase the same license. But I don’t really care as long as the image I got works for my business.

Now, let’s say that’s I’m the VP Marketing for a big multi-national company and I need an image for a national marketing campaign. I’ll be purchasing a RM license because I don’t want another company purchasing the same image during my ad campaign. So I’ll purchase the right to use the image for the duration of my campaign (3 months), for all of North America. So this gives me exclusivity for that image throughout North America for 3 months.

Got it! Now MP, how did you come about?

Well Yanik, I started back in May 2000 when IstockPhoto was born. It was the 1st of many to offer RF images at a very low price. It actually gave its images away at first! Then many other agencies joined in the fun like ShutterStock, Dreamstime, Fotolia and StockXpert. They all offer image licensing for just a few dollars. My growth is now exponential! A part from photos and graphics I now found a love for video and sound!

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Thank you MP! It was great chatting with you and I hope that you’ll be able to shed some light in part 2 of my microstock series as I write about the different agencies out there and what they offer for both the clients and contributors.

Here are some of my favorite stock images from my personal portfolio.

[Show as slideshow]

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