After three years of stock photography here is the truth that I’ve learned about making money, earnings amounts, best agencies, the real investment, images that sell, acceptances and rejections and my biggest objection to everything. No holding back, here are the pros and cons and my conclusions about whether or not it’s worth it.
Table of Contents for this Video:
Investment – 00:48
Acceptances/Rejections – 02:16
Agencies – 04:03
Money – 06:21
My Biggest Objection – 09:16
Ideas & Tips – 13:07
Is it Worth It? – 15:35
Instagram & Upcoming Workshop! – 16:42
Don’t forget to see your Instagram videos images at the end of this video… they are fantastic!! amazing! I love featuring your work. Tag your photos on Instagram #heyrachellerch. I’ll be showing images every Sunday.
Coming up hopefully in June, a new workshop – two days in Niagara Falls! More to come!
This week’s Instagram Images (Congratulations on an incredible job!):
Jarle Løv-Kjeldås:
Daniela:
James Carro Snr:
Anna Ojala Photography:
Gilbert Hammond:
Sue Berry:
Nurzubesuch:
William Henry Harris:
Rommel De Castro:
Jaycohen13:
My Stock & Landscape Photography Gear:
Lowepro Protactic 450 AW:
Sony a99ii:
Sony Zeiss 16-35 f2.8 SSM ZA:
Sony Zeiss 24-70 f2.8 SSM ZA:
Sony 70-300 f4.5-5.6 SSM G:
Minolta 55mm Macro:
NiSi V5 Pro square filter system:
NiSi 100x150mm 3 stop GND filter:
NiSi 100×100 7 stop ND filter:
NiSi Circular UV Filter:
NiSi Circular Polarizing Filter (included in filter kit)
Lowepro S&F Filter Pouch 100:
Manfrotto 190go! tripod:
Lenspen Hurricane Blower
Lenspen – lens cleaner with dust removal brush
Video Gear:
Canon M50 – vlogging camera:
Zhiyun Crane v2 – gimbal:
Pergear gimbal tripod:
Rode VideoMicro with wind muff:
Camera and Video gear links are Amazon Affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any link, I receive a small percentage.
Music:
Indie A Go Go 1 by David Björk
Indie A Go Go 2 by David Björk
Indie A Go Go 4 by David Björk
#stockphotography #photography
Rachel Lerch I have had my own web page for the last five year now with 4000 pictures over this time sold one picture sometimes over 50-000-000 views a week and cover everything from fishing to farming-oil-gas-livestock i get a lot of i like that picture but i don't want to pay and i use my own name https://www.ericwatt.co.uk/ this a link to my page enjoy .
Just found you!! Subbing!!
Wonderful! I have have a lot to learn. Thank you for sharing!
Also, to all the people that had featured photos in this video … Absolutely fantastic!! Beautiful … and the first one was breath taking!!
♥️🎞
I'm using Unsplash as a "portfolio" and I was contacted from agencies which paid around 250$ for each single image.
I guess I would need one year to get the same income selling stock images
If you’re not breaking even including equipment, gas etc., you’re not making money, but losing money.
Thank you for your total honesty, yes I agree with you completely, photographers are being completely ripped of, love taking photos, and mine are not snaps as they say, I always think the image through. 0.33cents for an image that a company can use to make them heaps of money, is a total insult to the photographer.
Careful of usage right on stock sites. Make sure you arent giving your work away.
I am a student and already have a 1000 good to high quality pictures on my harddrive. Wouldn't be a bad choice to do it right?
Great video Rachel 🙂 the other thing is that stock agencies are always finding new and exciting ways to reduce royalties and generally screw the contributors.
A certain agency you mentioned is now selling 4K video and the contributors get $1.5!!! While their CEO is a multi millionaire!
As of right now I have 946 approved images on Shutterstock and I've made $0.75 and I have 1392 approved images on Adobe Stock and I've made $6.53
Man what a grand waste of time! You could make more working at Starbucks.
Thanks for taking the time to offer your honest insight Rachel. You are a great communicator and your kindness shines. I wish you the best in your endeavors and may you continue to impact people with your guidance and genuine spirit.
Can you upload the same images to each of the agencies?
One of the best videos about stock photography!
Let's just re-phrase "robbed". Trade as a moral aspect is trading value for value. The agent has a right to charge anything they want for the images they have. You have the right to ask anything you want for your images. If you are not getting the amount you want for your images, no one has a right to force you to sell them. You have a right not to sell them.
If the agent cannot remunerate you an amount that you are willing to make a trade, then you don't trade – no one gets hurt. Trade is voluntary.
If the agencies continue to offer such low amounts, it's because the business model is working for them; else they'd go out of business. If photographers continue to upload "for peanuts", this model will continue. Although I suspect that the standard (quality) will decline quite fast – in which case a free market may or may not see an opportunity for a quality led market. If there is one.
Supply and demand.
stock photos have definitely become oversaturated but what about stock video? have you/anyone found success in uploading videos instead of photos? I feel like there is becoming more of a demand for high quality or 4k video right now… do the downloads pay more as well? helpful video though!
This is a fabulous helpful video Rachel, great content and you come over really well, I am sure you will save a lot of people a tonne of work for nothing
Yup, we're being robbed. For most of us it's a choice between being robbed at 25 cents or making nothing. Welcome to the 21st Century. It sucks.
Great info, great video, I have a hard time paying X amount a month say $30.00 a month to upload photos and only make like 30 cents if I'm reading it right. I don't blame you for not doing stock photography anymore
I hate to be negative, but before giving advice, seek it. You may be a wonderful photographer and have loads to offer, but I think you need help with how to create a Youtube video. It is an art in itself.
Thanks for the information. I mostly earn on EyeEm. By the way, I really like the musical background of this video.
Lovely video, you're genuine, engaging and enjoyable to watch . . . nice job. I'd like to learn more about the specific feedback that you received when images were rejected. You may have covered that with your comments regarding simple, clean concept images. Thanks for doin' what you do.
I think your'e talking about RF (royalty free) images, so you'll be on the lowest tier of payments, – stock photography as a business is dead I agree – but you'll make more money placing your images as RM with a good agency, the agencies you mentioned are the worst when it comes to revenue,
You are very cute
My number 1 stock agency is Getty. The payout far exceeds Shutterstock, Adobe, Dreamstime, who pays pennies on the dollar compared to Getty.
Why are you not uploading to Alamy? Did you consider Pond5.com? Did you considered selling direct from a website? Did you considered selling your photos in mugs and T-shirts?
I conducted an experiment with Shutterstock. Uploaded 20 images as a one-off to see what happened. Sure enough, $4 sales in 10 days, which when you gross it up to Rachel's 2000 images would be absolutely fantastic.
However, 9 months on, they haven't sold at all, which underlines Rachel's conclusion that in order to remain live in search, you have to upload regularly.
In my very humble opinion, there are much easier ways to earn $4.
Hi Rachel, I have just purchased my first real camera. Nikon P900 mostly to photograph the moon. As, I will be touring thru the US from Australia in November 2019. Taking the train from LA to SF then onto Denver, I hope to get some awesome photos. Then heading out to Memphis then back to Las Vegas. I plan to spend some time in the desert areas and hopefully get some landscape photos. I have been taking photos for a zillion years, but never with a telephoto lens. As, I have just subed to your channel, I hope to get some great tips. Cheers
A very well explained info regarding stock photography. Thank you. I would just try little bit of this but I am disappointed to see the amount of commission. I give away more than that amount to pan handlers every day.. So disappointing.
Delightful personality. Clear and interesting. Hate the music.
Sounds like I should create a website and fill it with my own stock photos. 🙂
Unfortunately the stock photo biz has become a race to the bottom. Yes, you can learn lots, but at a significant cost of your time while believing you can earn "real" money. Stock video is currently fighting to maintain integrity in regards to price.
Hi Rachel, I just came across this video. Great job at confirming what I've always felt since the 90s. I'm much older than you but can tell you that photo fees back in the day was between $2000 and $3000 per day. Now photographers are a dime a dozen and so undervalued that it almost doesn't pay being a photographer. Rates have come down dramatically but expenses have gone up dramatically. ROI for stock doesn't pay anymore. Great job and keep up the good work.
Very balanced presentation. Right reasons to try stock agencies and right reason to let it go.
Great video, you are a really nice person to watch and I've learned a lot listening to you.
How true a good biog
Thanks lovely lady for share your experience with the stock photography.
Completely agree with you that stock photography (microstock model ) really undervalues the photographer (better to look to other ways to "make money out of photography or create a reputation.
Thanks
Nice photos