Commercial Photography

[mbarrick]

I made the decision a while back to get a little more commercial about my photography and develop some additional income streams. My "photo booth" work and paid shoots are great, but they are piecework. Stock photography is appealing because it is a way I can develop some passive income. I got my first acceptance letter from a stock house today:

Dear Michael (Atratus),

Welcome to iStockphoto.com, the designer's dirty little secret. Congratulations, the iStockphoto administrators have determined that your files are commercially and technically ready for iStockphoto.com. Please begin uploading at your convenience... [some yadda, yadda removed]...

Comments from the iStockphoto Administrator:

2008-P5180426.jpg: Approved
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2006-P7152186.jpg: Approved
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2008-P9063422.jpg: Approved
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Thank you for your time and effort.

Best Regards,
iStockphoto.com

Comments

[mediavictim.livejournal.com]

The problem with stock photo/video/music companies is that the end up wanting WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY to much for a photo licence. Often the cost of a clip or music licence is more than I am getting paid for the whole shoot.

Hard to justify a $400 music licence for a 30 second intro flash video for a company website when the whole production is only worth $300.
finding nice stock out there is not hard - its just priced out of the market for small or medium design studios to afford.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Still photography is more reasonably priced. I've been using iStock as an independent designer to buy material for clients since 2005 for use in print and web work. Have you ever considered you might be under-charging? Or how about including a contingency for stock?

And regardless, I'm not a lot less concerned with who can't afford stock as I am about producing for those that are buying it.

[contrasoma.livejournal.com]

My company uses istock all the time, and I've been grabbing stuff from them like crazy for a site I've been working on for the past few months. Good on ya!

[valerian.livejournal.com]

**SWEEET**!!!

I knew they would approve ya. Just glad they didn't take too long to do it. :)

[nicosian.livejournal.com]

Awesome. You do good work, so I hope it goes smashingly for you.

[annamaryse.livejournal.com]

istockphoto is the greatest... when we need stock shots at work, we never go anywhere else now... :)

[ladyvermath.livejournal.com]

Congrads! That is fantastic news! Though I was relatively certain that they wouldn't reject your application. *cheers* Yay you!