Money From Photos?

Okay I'm going to do a bit of a rant here...Shutterstock and places like that (such as iStockphoto) are what is known as microstock photo agencies. People are sadly under the delusion that they will make tons of money by uploading photos to any of these places....all usually work under Royalty Free photo licensing. So what does that mean? A client who wishes to use a photo can download it for about a buck...and because it's Royalty Free licensing that means that client can use and reuse that image to their hearts content WITHOUT further compensation to the photographer....what does the photographer get out of it...let's put it this way if a photographer can make $25 a YEAR from these places that's a good deal..payment for each download of a photo is about 25 cents to the photographer. Also, one has to also consider the fact, that microstock agencies are saturated with photo images....say you have a great shot of a Canada Goose...do a search for Canada Goose at these places and you'll open up to hundreds if not near thousands of Canada Goose photos....so the chances that your photo will be picked is slim I have a particular rant about microstock as I (who considers myself a pro photographer) along with other pros HATE these microstock agencies. When in my heyday of being a successfully published photographer I could get as much as $100 average for ONE photo for one-time usage for publication...the closest to one-time usage for a published photo is known as Rights Managed...one of the FEW stock agencies that still uses this principle is Photographer's Direct which is the place I upload photos to...but I haven't had a nibble yet and I've been submitting my photos for about a year....It's VERY competitive out there..What I'm trying to do is my own on-line photo business to sell my work directly to clients...I have my own photo website to show off my work and includes a section that shows previously published work. The type of photography that isn't selling big time is what is called "stock" or generic photos..the pretty sunset, bird photos, flowers...like I said the market is saturated with them...now agencies prefer more avant garde type or off beat photos I'm not trying to discourage you...IF you can find that you do earn a few bucks here and there fine...but here I am a pro photographer and I'm frustrated as hell thanks to these agencies. I'm even writing an e-book about how to market photos...LOL

Thanks for starting this discussion. I love taking pictures and if I could make a little bit of money doing it that would be great!!! Off to read the rest of the discussion.

I joined Shutterstock but haven't had any time to actually submit anything. I have a lovely pic of my dog but they don't want reduced ones and I have no idea where the original is. Otherwise I'm sure it would make a lot of money!