Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - Are you making a living from stock photography? $$

steve moltzen · Joined: 13 Jun 2012 Posts: 2

Hi,

I have a day job but I am a keen photographer and would like to find a way to a make a living doing what I love.

Having just discovered Shutterstock and this forum, I would like to know if most of the contributors see this as a way of making some money on the side to supplement the regular income or are people making a living purely from stock photography?

I would love to know what an average monthly income people are making from their stock images?

Any advice appreciated,

Thanks,
Steve

rinder99 · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:36 pm

The answer depends on a lot of factors. How good,How many,Commercial Value, processing skills and so much more. I make a living doing Photography, Not stock Photography.A whole other world.And that requires more business,promotion skills than anything.If I were to get into this business nowdays the one thing you have to have is fresh Ideas, Not just more of the same, It's a VERY crowded field now But if you have a very commercial Mind and very good tech skills and invested in good equipment with the strongest work ethic possible then give it a go.Also what someone needs to "Live on" is quite different for everyone.The vast majority here probably just make a payout every month.Some do very well But........... there work is spectacular.

If your a relative newbie to General Photography, It's gonna be a rough road.And most here aren't gonna tell you what they make. No ones business.

ktgraphics · Joined: 16 Jan 2008 Posts: 819 Location: Ont, Canada

Well if you like to make a decent living with what you love, you can do a combination of stock and freelancing. But in the beginning you won't make much since you have to earn a good reputation. Then jobs will pour in and with that the money.

imagevillage · Joined: 09 May 2009 Posts: 484

I spend about 30 hours a week on photography/stock. This is a part-time job for me which allows me to take care of my family responsibilies and still bring in money. After three years of consistently submitting images, I am able to count on a certain amount of money from Shutterstock every month.
Consistency and thick skin are important in this business. Rejections could be difficult to take. Keep on going.
Knowledge of light, composition and photoshop are important.
Knowledge of the market is super important. Just because an image is flawless, does not mean it will sell. Commercial value (demand for this particular image) is what will bring you money. It is the hardest concept to learn, at least for me.
To make the story short... yes, it is possible to make money, yes some people do it. Don't expect big money from the start - you will have to work toward your goals and learn a lot on your way.

mscates176 · Joined: 10 Feb 2011 Posts: 77

Ive been doing this for about 18 months and there is a big learning curve both in terms of technical abilities and in hitting demand. Im still learning and prob always will be

royster · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 276 Location: England/Greece

I earn very little every month but that's my own fault as I still have not many images here.I hope to rectify that this year.
My biggest buzz is not the money but the fact that when I sell a picture someone thinks that one of my images is actually better than the millions of images here and better than the top pros on this site.
I go to sleep with a smile on my face and a promise to shoot more.
Must not forget the big thanks to everyone here that gives their time and expertise free to anyone that needs it

J5M · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 270

jeffbanke · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:58 pm

Steve you are not going to get people to give you their personal information for various reasons, but unless you have 10,000 awesome images and 6 employees to set up scenarios for you, process images for you, and can get them accepted in short order it is highly unlikely that you will be able to make a living.

rinder99 · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:34 pm

steve moltzen · Joined: 13 Jun 2012 Posts: 2

rinder99 · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 5:58 pm

Well steve if "Getting 10 shots together" Is Hard for you, then your in for a rude awakening when you need to submit 10/20 High commercial Unique Images per week every week for any shot at all making any money against 20 million others and counting..I only have 4500, I need 10,000 to make this cost effective for Money and time spent.