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10/15/2006 05:58:17 PM · #1 |
//submit.shutterstock.com/forum/abt13453.html
Check out this guy's post and then look at his portfolio...
This guy is making a freakin' killing.
Just a small motivational post (and because I cannot for the life of me keep my excitement to myself!!!)
My latest addition to my photography kit, thanx to microstock sales and earnings: Mahindra Scorpio 2.6 TDi GLX SUV.
Message edited by author 2006-10-15 18:01:36.
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10/15/2006 07:41:07 PM · #2 |
Here is a Pop Photo article. Another success story.
25 Cent Fortunes |
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10/15/2006 07:49:21 PM · #3 |
I already saw that post. He's got stuff on a whole lot of sites and he's got a huge portfolio. I don't think I've got the imagination to compete.
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10/15/2006 07:54:04 PM · #4 |
That's pretty interesting. I secretly always knew there was money in the microstock industry...I mean big money. I just tried to tell everyone that there wasn't so my piece of the pie would be larger. As it turns out, I lack the motivation necessary to earn my piece of that pie.
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10/15/2006 07:56:19 PM · #5 |
I think I would do much better if I had models.
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10/15/2006 08:50:41 PM · #6 |
| But you know what? I'll bet he had to work AT LEAST as hard to make that kind of money at microstock if not more than at a more exclusive (not Alamy) macro site, and the results would seem less fulfilling IMHO. Its just that getting into a microstock site is much quicker and easier. |
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10/15/2006 09:06:15 PM · #7 |
| Yeah ok - The cost of the car works for a few months of the year - What about the rest of the year?? A few people may well make enought to replace a real job but I doubt the vast majority do. |
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10/15/2006 09:37:05 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by robs:
Yeah ok - The cost of the car works for a few months of the year - What about the rest of the year?? A few people may well make enought to replace a real job but I doubt the vast majority do. |
FWIW, with my small portfolio, I make enough money in microstock where I can now afford to turn down gigs I don't wanna do. And the amounts I am making are growing exponentially with every batch I upload.
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10/15/2006 09:37:36 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by faidoi:
I think I would do much better if I had models. |
Two of my best selling shots at the moment are self-portraits... :-)
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10/15/2006 10:07:42 PM · #10 |
Jon Oringer, president and founder of Shutterstock, estimates that the âsweet spotâ for his siteâs shooters is $500 to $1,000 per month, though some make as much as $4,000 monthly.
So come on, only $4,000 a month for their best photographer at Shutterstock. Some parts of the world you are very wealthy, the more modern countries this is ok but not really a great living. Now the advantage is if the income continues forever without having to constantly upgrade and add new photos. There are hundreds of professional wedding photogs and other professional photos making much more that $48,000 per year. BUT for a hobby, not bad. |
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10/15/2006 10:09:40 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
Jon Oringer, president and founder of Shutterstock, estimates that the âsweet spotâ for his siteâs shooters is $500 to $1,000 per month, though some make as much as $4,000 monthly.
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My income is < $1000 a month so that beats my current job.
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10/15/2006 10:19:01 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
There are hundreds of professional wedding photogs and other professional photos making much more that $48,000 per year. BUT for a hobby, not bad. |
Yes, you can make a lot more money with weddings/portraits, but the disadvantage is when you aren't shooting, you aren't making money. If you are careful not to date your photos in stock you can feasibly make the same income for a long while, whether you work or not.
I'm seriously debating on a trip to Equador for a few months because:
1) The cost of living is low enough I can afford to live off residual income w/o working
2) I could potentially gorw my stock portfolio immensely thus increasing my residual income
3) It'd be a hell of a good time :-)
My portrait/wedding stuff is usually iffy at best, but the microstock is doing good and growing.
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10/16/2006 04:25:55 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
Jon Oringer, president and founder of Shutterstock, estimates that the âsweet spotâ for his siteâs shooters is $500 to $1,000 per month, though some make as much as $4,000 monthly.
So come on, only $4,000 a month for their best photographer at Shutterstock. Some parts of the world you are very wealthy, the more modern countries this is ok but not really a great living. Now the advantage is if the income continues forever without having to constantly upgrade and add new photos. There are hundreds of professional wedding photogs and other professional photos making much more that $48,000 per year. BUT for a hobby, not bad. |
Bear in mind that (unless you're mad enough to be exclusive) Shutterstock are not the only game in town; spread your portfolio across the top micro players and you can probably triple your income quite easily.
Even with the dollar in it's current weak state, I'd still be pretty happy with $142k annually :-) |
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10/16/2006 11:54:54 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
So come on, only $4,000 a month for their best photographer at Shutterstock. Some parts of the world you are very wealthy, the more modern countries this is ok but not really a great living. |
Not a great living? $4,000 a month no matter what you do, whether you take more photos or not, whether you're in your house tracking your sales or on vacation across the world is insane. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't consider $48,000 a year for doing nothing not that great of a living.
If you can't live comfortably off that amount of money, then you're doing something wrong...you're living a life that is beyond your means because that is definately enough to live on. Not to mention, once you start making money like that, you could literally go shooting one day per week, add to your collection, and be done. At that point, it wouldn't matter how quickly or slowly you add to your collection, just that you add something of value that keeps things growing.
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10/16/2006 12:05:06 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
Jon Oringer, president and founder of Shutterstock, estimates that the âsweet spotâ for his siteâs shooters is $500 to $1,000 per month, though some make as much as $4,000 monthly.
So come on, only $4,000 a month for their best photographer at Shutterstock. Some parts of the world you are very wealthy, the more modern countries this is ok but not really a great living. Now the advantage is if the income continues forever without having to constantly upgrade and add new photos. There are hundreds of professional wedding photogs and other professional photos making much more that $48,000 per year. BUT for a hobby, not bad. |
this is so much more than most people make. for you it may not be enough but for the masses this is a huge improvement on what they make. in the town i live in you can get a 1 bedroom appt in te nice part of town for about $350 per month you can buy a 2 bedroom house in a good area for 40,000 or less. gas is less than $2.00 per gallon. $48,000 is a very nice income here. now when i lived in tampa that same appt was $800 that same house was $100,000+ so there is is much less of a good living. |
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10/16/2006 12:26:39 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by Elvis_L:
Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
Jon Oringer, president and founder of Shutterstock, estimates that the âsweet spotâ for his siteâs shooters is $500 to $1,000 per month, though some make as much as $4,000 monthly.
So come on, only $4,000 a month for their best photographer at Shutterstock. Some parts of the world you are very wealthy, the more modern countries this is ok but not really a great living. Now the advantage is if the income continues forever without having to constantly upgrade and add new photos. There are hundreds of professional wedding photogs and other professional photos making much more that $48,000 per year. BUT for a hobby, not bad. |
this is so much more than most people make. for you it may not be enough but for the masses this is a huge improvement on what they make. in the town i live in you can get a 1 bedroom appt in te nice part of town for about $350 per month you can buy a 2 bedroom house in a good area for 40,000 or less. gas is less than $2.00 per gallon. $48,000 is a very nice income here. now when i lived in tampa that same appt was $800 that same house was $100,000+ so there is is much less of a good living. |
Actually if you live 'properly', meaning without debt, you can easily live on 50k. My wife and I are about 24 months away from eliminating most of our debt (we're down to our college loans and a house loan- which will take a little more than 24 months). We figured out that once things are paid for we could pretty easily live on about 30k per year (about $500 per week) and still tuck away nearly 5k. That number changes should we have a child, but still possible to live on 50k. The first time I heard that number was one of my former employers- he mentioned that he didn't have to draw an income from the buisness any more because he had set up a number of CD's and Money Markets that were paying him about 60k per year. He said the previous year he had rolled nearly 20k back into those investments. He had also take 10 weeks in Europe and gone to the Olympics (Japan if I remember correctly).
I've gotten into Micro-stock lightly right now. So far only 3 sales, but I also only have about 40 images up- a few of which I know will sell, but won't sell that often. I don't think micro-stock will replace my job in the next 6 months or a year for that matter, but I am hoping that it will give me something to build my nest egg with.
One of the local pros that talked me into going micro makes between 20 and 25k per year on micro. He's turning towards it full time now- he's doubled his portfolio in the last month from about 1500 images to over three thousand.
I also just picked up a $500 side sale. A local guy recognized my name from one of my shots and wanted a 20x24 print for his office. I know that won't happen often.
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10/16/2006 12:28:03 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by ddpNikon:
If you can't live comfortably off that amount of money, then you're doing something wrong...you're living a life that is beyond your means because that is definately enough to live on. |
Thats a very ignorant comment. For example I know more than a few people who have to legally pay over $1000 a month in child support. In many places of the country a small 1 br appt costs 2k a month, then you have utilities, transportation, insurance and possibly health insurance. With my last employer insuring my family was costing me $500 a month alone.
Also, just because someone spends more than 42k a year doesnt mean they are living beyond their means it means they are living beyond YOUR means. Various parts of the world and country have different costs of living, its unfair for you to impose your personal position on everyone else.
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10/16/2006 12:29:40 PM · #18 |
I've made $.30 in microstock so far, which I can't get until the total reaches $100. But I'm not exactly prolific and the one that accepted me isn't exactly a high traffic site yet. Maybe I'll get lucky and make a sale off an exclusive photo, but I'm not holding my breath.
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10/16/2006 12:33:52 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by Kaveran:
Originally posted by ddpNikon:
If you can't live comfortably off that amount of money, then you're doing something wrong...you're living a life that is beyond your means because that is definately enough to live on. |
Thats a very ignorant comment. |
Ignorant? I'll be the first to admit when I say something that is ignorant, but that statement is definately anything but.
Like I said...if you can't live comfortably off 50 grand a year, then you're doing something wrong. If you're paying a thousand a month in child support, then obviously you did something wrong. If you're living in an apartment that is 2 grand a month, then you're living a life that is beyond your means.
Pick up and move. There are tons of places to live in a very nice location that aren't 2,000 a month. If you choose to live in a location where an apartment is 2k a month, then that's your own fault, and in that situation, you're right...50k a year isn't enough...but that's by your own choice, not because it's not enough to live comfortably on.
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10/16/2006 12:41:59 PM · #20 |
Here in Lower Alabama... $48k is a decent income. I can tell you from experience that I CAN survive at 7K a year, not that I want to LOL. If I can get to $4000 a month on microstock I will be more than happy to sit on my hiney and go portfolio shooting once a week :-)
Hell, I may even write a book about it and sell it to DPCers or maybe get Joey to help me produce a DVD... hehe...
Anyway, just like any other thing that is worth doing, you only get from microstock what you are willing to invest into it. But, really the possibilities are endless. I can't wait to see the first millionaire microstocker story.
Edit: And I'm making money on stuff I did while playing, such as these two shots for the 30 Day portrait challenge:
 
Message edited by author 2006-10-16 12:47:37.
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10/16/2006 12:51:58 PM · #21 |
If you want to live cheaply, don't move to Durango. Jobs that would normally pay 15-20/hour somewhere else are lucky to pay 9/hour here. My wifes best friend moved to Durango to be with her boyfriend, she gave up a 48k a year job in Denver and now does the exact same job here and will be lucky to make 29k this year. The price we pay for love.
Maybe she should by a camera and get into micro. :)
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10/16/2006 12:53:42 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by ddpNikon:
Originally posted by Kaveran:
Originally posted by ddpNikon:
If you can't live comfortably off that amount of money, then you're doing something wrong...you're living a life that is beyond your means because that is definately enough to live on. |
Thats a very ignorant comment. |
Ignorant? I'll be the first to admit when I say something that is ignorant, but that statement is definately anything but.
Like I said...if you can't live comfortably off 50 grand a year, then you're doing something wrong. If you're paying a thousand a month in child support, then obviously you did something wrong. If you're living in an apartment that is 2 grand a month, then you're living a life that is beyond your means.
Pick up and move. There are tons of places to live in a very nice location that aren't 2,000 a month. If you choose to live in a location where an apartment is 2k a month, then that's your own fault, and in that situation, you're right...50k a year isn't enough...but that's by your own choice, not because it's not enough to live comfortably on. |
haha, so now if your spouse gets up and walks out on you that means you did something wrong? If you live in a city where appts are 2K a month and your living in a dump because thats all you can afford and you want to be in a city so you can see your kids thats wrong? People across the globe are in circumstances due to things beyond their control. My mother passed away a couple years agin leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical bills behind that werent covered by insuranc, guess that my fault eh? I did something wrong?
Ultimately, yes they could leave a city where a dump costs $2k a month but that may mean leaving their kids behind. Its all about choices and for some, "comfort" means paying out the nose for a crappy appt and being able to see their kids on weekend. Perhaps you dont care about that, and thats fine, but you shouldnt impose your ideals upon other people.
For some people $50k a year isnt a problem, for others they want more. Either way, you have 2 choices, make sacrifices to get by on less or find ways to make more but thats not for you to decide or dictate. And that some note, just because someone makes more than $50 doesnt mean they are living beyond their means.
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10/16/2006 01:10:48 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by ddpNikon:
If you're living in an apartment that is 2 grand a month, then you're living a life that is beyond your means.
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while it may be possible to live off of that as i stated earlier it doesn't mean you have to. because someone pays that much in rent doesn't mean they are living beyond thier means it means they are living beyond yours (or yours of 50,000 for this disscusion) just becasuse my bills may be such that 50,000 may not be enough doesn't mean that i have debt or don't have money left over.
my daughter's medical bills are over $10,000 per year does that mean i have done something wrong. she has a few cavitys and because of her condition it has to be done in the hospital which would cost over $11,000 for that so there is $21,000 in one year of my cost. i have a really good job and insurance and still have these costs. so have i done something wrong because my daughter got juvinille diabetees? no but soem things are beyond our control. |
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10/16/2006 01:51:23 PM · #24 |
| I think we better re-focus this discussion onto how much money it's possible to make as a microstock submitter, and quit judging other people over their financial and lifestyle choices. Unless one of the posters here is a minor child, no one here has the fiscal or moral authority to make those decisions for anyone else. |
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10/16/2006 02:46:50 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
I think we better re-focus this discussion onto how much money it's possible to make as a microstock submitter, and quit judging other people over their financial and lifestyle choices. Unless one of the posters here is a minor child, no one here has the fiscal or moral authority to make those decisions for anyone else. |
Well said GeneralE. These forums are home to people all over the globe who have different financial goals and obligations. We all have our own idea of how much $$$ is "worth the effort" and everyone will have to judge stock based on their own needs and goals.
I havent done any stock yet myself but hope to over the winter. While I feel the payoff isnt anywhere near what my time on an hourly basis is worth I am looking at it as more than just income. Im looking at it from a standpoint that I can possibly make some money doing something I enjoy and the image evaluation process will also help (to a certain degree) my skills. |
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