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ancroft
Joined: 22 Feb 2010
Posts: 3
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miker

Joined: 10 Jul 2006
Posts: 426
Location: Minnesota USA
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:08 am
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Very interesting article. |
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semmickphoto

Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 6510
Location: Stuck between a shutter and a hard place
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:11 am
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Brilliant. Just brilliant. All of it. I hope the micros read that interview and take to heart.
Personally I also feel better about my portfolio now. I am happy if I can make a few bucks by selling my photos. I will never make 100USD a day and dont need to, and according to Yuri its not weird that I wont.
Thanks for posting, good read. |
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ruxpriencdiam

Joined: 07 May 2009
Posts: 26270
Location: Third Stone from the Sun
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:22 am
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And now you see what it takes to achieve what he has.
Good read. |
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baz777

Joined: 03 Dec 2008
Posts: 3441
Location: No idea, I'm old!
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:28 am
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Bugger, he's just beating me... |
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evaners

Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 6594
Location: NO! We aren't there yet!
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:44 pm
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| baz777 wrote: | | Bugger, he's just beating me... |
And dammit! he's almost caught up to me! |
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kellyplz

Joined: 09 Mar 2009
Posts: 17518
Location: Manitoulin Island, Canada.
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:02 pm
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Lol, you two! |
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rinder99

Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 39226
Location: Contact www.rinderart.com/Books and Workshops www.rindersmithphotography.com Youtube/rinder
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:59 am
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Heres a funny note of interest. When I open My e-mail I always get this popup of singles In LA. guess who's picture they use? Yuri Arcurs. LOL |
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helix7

Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1790
Location: New Jersey
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:11 pm
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I don't gt the attraction to Yuir's business. Sure it's huge, he's a true innovator, and his path from photo hobbyist to microstock rockstar in such a short time is impressive. But I wouldn't want that business. His overhead is massive. He's lucky if he takes a paycheck from his own business. He pays 100 staffers, studio costs, equipment costs, and the stuff he uses isn't cheap at all.
I'd rather have a low-key business, no staff, and just enjoy the ride from here on out. If I were him, I'd shut it all down and be content to just ride the wave of residual earnings for years to come. He could probably pocket a million a year for the next decade at least even if he put in minimal effort and just casually added new work to his portfolio.
I guess Yuri prefers to build an empire, and he's certainly one of the very few people who could pull it off. But I think he's crazy. :) |
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semmickphoto

Joined: 12 Feb 2012
Posts: 6510
Location: Stuck between a shutter and a hard place
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:21 pm
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He is going towards 8 figure revenue, if the costs are 75% he still takes over 2.5 million home each year. Sure he made 1.4 million a year on stock photos, but he was sick of the low commissions. |
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hhltdave5

Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 24083
Location: Our Stock, Food & Portrait photography books at www.rindersmithphotography.com
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:26 pm
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| helix7 wrote: | I don't gt the attraction to Yuir's business. Sure it's huge, he's a true innovator, and his path from photo hobbyist to microstock rockstar in such a short time is impressive. But I wouldn't want that business. His overhead is massive. He's lucky if he takes a paycheck from his own business. He pays 100 staffers, studio costs, equipment costs, and the stuff he uses isn't cheap at all.
I'd rather have a low-key business, no staff, and just enjoy the ride from here on out. If I were him, I'd shut it all down and be content to just ride the wave of residual earnings for years to come. He could probably pocket a million a year for the next decade at least even if he put in minimal effort and just casually added new work to his portfolio.
I guess Yuri prefers to build an empire, and he's certainly one of the very few people who could pull it off. But I think he's crazy. :) |
I don't think his equipment costs are that much. He has sponsors that supply much of his equipment. Hasselblad sponsors him as does Profoto which supplies the lighting he uses. On his web site it says that one sponsor alone has come up with $300,000.00 worth of equipment.
His business is growing rapidly and he is even branching out into selling his own line of photographic equipment. I don't know his financials but he seems like a pretty intelligent guy who sees that his businesses continue to grow. |
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rinder99

Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 39226
Location: Contact www.rinderart.com/Books and Workshops www.rindersmithphotography.com Youtube/rinder
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:47 pm
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I think he's absolutely brilliant.He saw what was needed and did it.
"Crazy" Like a Fox! |
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mnsanthoshkumar
Joined: 25 Oct 2010
Posts: 463
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:48 pm
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| helix7 wrote: | I don't gt the attraction to Yuir's business. Sure it's huge, he's a true innovator, and his path from photo hobbyist to microstock rockstar in such a short time is impressive. But I wouldn't want that business. His overhead is massive. He's lucky if he takes a paycheck from his own business. He pays 100 staffers, studio costs, equipment costs, and the stuff he uses isn't cheap at all.
I'd rather have a low-key business, no staff, and just enjoy the ride from here on out. If I were him, I'd shut it all down and be content to just ride the wave of residual earnings for years to come. He could probably pocket a million a year for the next decade at least even if he put in minimal effort and just casually added new work to his portfolio.
I guess Yuri prefers to build an empire, and he's certainly one of the very few people who could pull it off. But I think he's crazy. :) |
Hey Mike, thats what I think too..!! The beauty of microstock is creating whatever we want and at our designed pace, etc. The best part is the freedom this offers.. Thats what attracted me to this and as soon as I saw this 1.5 years ago, I threw my job away and started this full time from 0.
I would never convert this to a business involving other people (as staff) as that would kill the freedom and lifestyle this offers right now. I would rather up my skill level and create better images than do anything else.
Even though I am starting to get some offline business requests in this field now, I am declining them as that would take me back to the traditional "Job" world and kill my "free spirit", I feel..
But alas! all people are different... |
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camdoc3

Joined: 30 Jun 2006
Posts: 1547
Location: trinidadimages.com
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:57 pm
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THANKS ancroft...........I needed that. |
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peteklinger

Joined: 01 Aug 2007
Posts: 1030
Location: Great Place By a Great Lake
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:03 pm
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| semmickphoto wrote: | | He is going towards 8 figure revenue, if the costs are 75% he still takes over 2.5 million home each year. Sure he made 1.4 million a year on stock photos, but he was sick of the low commissions. |
IF?
He didn't pay himself for the first four years. Yes I admire him for his creativity and building an empire, also understanding the market and making a big bash of it, Nice work and very smart planning and growth.
For all we know his personal profit per year is nothing at all. Think about it, flying around the world, meals, hotels, expense! Paying employees, expense. Equipment. Models, mak-up, clothes, editing, keywording, uploading. He could make nothing is real income and be living it up.
Don't assume 25%, maybe more like 5% with the overhead. Did you know a large grocery makes 2% profit? Think about that, after expenses, 2% is all they get.
Here's where he'll be the big winner. Sell the agency and all image assets, or close the production portion (which seems more of an addiction than business) and start collecting on his brilliant investment. All Profit! |
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