Microstock Photography Sites

Hi guys, here are some of the sites that I submit to and some reviews..
Shutterstock - Instant downloads; highest volume sold
iStockphoto - Average volume; strict quality standard, high commission
Dreamstime - I am just starting here so no comments yet...
Stockxpert - Average volume; okay commission
123RF - Low volume; okay commission
Fotolia - Low volume; high commission
Yaymicro - New site so not much sales yet, but they are going to do heavy marketing in Sept '08; pays in EURO!

68% of my income is from Shutterstock, 19% from Stockxpert, 10% form iStockphoto, 3% from 123RF and Fotolia

I suggest you try Shutterstock first, this will surely make you more interested in Photography because of the high downloads!

Also, please note that while some fare well in Shutterstock, others fare better in other sites, so you should upload in all sites as much as possible to maximize your potential.

Earnings at Shutterstock

After 27 days and 46 Vectors in Shutterstock, I have made $125. In the first few weeks, I average around 20 DLs per day on weekdays and 10 DLs per day on weekends. Now, I average 50 DLs per day on weekdays and 20 DLs per day on weekends. If this continues, I could make around $200+ by the end of June! Check out my portfolio here.

Guys, it's really simple! If you don't know how to draw, that's not going to be a problem because you can just combine circles and squares and you can sell! One of my best selling vectors is this. I made it in a few minutes. Nothing complicated!You just have to be patient and learn how to use Vector editing softwares such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Freehand, Inkscape, or Xaraxtreme. Inkscape is free which is a good way of trying it out first!

Join Shutterstock now for instant downloads! And I mean instant! The very first day my illustrations were approved, I got around 10 DLs, but it doubled the following week instantly! Just add more vectors and you will earn more!

Stock Photography

I recently found a new "job" that gives you passive income. It doesn't involve writing. It just involves taking pictures and slightly editing it in Photoshop or making illustrations using any Illustration software such as Adobe Illustrator, Freehand, or CorelDraw.

I am talking about Stock Photography sites. What is stock photography? According to Wikipedia, consists of existing photographs that can be licensed for specific uses. In short, you will be taking these photographs and selling it to those who need it. If you take good stock pictures, you can get downloads even after a year of uploading that photo. It's always nice to get money from something you did a long time ago. By the way, you don't need fancy digital cameras for this. Basic Canon or Sony digital cameras with at least 5 Mega Pixel will do.

I tried photography when I found out about Stock sites but I am not really sure I get the technical aspects of it. Which is why I chose to make illustrations instead. Vector illustrations are drawn computer images representing different things, they are usually used for prints and web purposes. Cartoony like representations of people are good examples of Vector illustrations. There are also technical details in Vector illustrations but it is something that you can learn.

I have never used any computer drawing software before like Photoshop or Illustrator. I think the most complicated I have used is Paint! Anyway, I bought a copy of Illustrator and started reading up on it and now I can create illustrations! I can't really draw so I have to look at a lot of references (mostly in the stock sites) and get ideas from them.

Right now, I don't have a portfolio yet but I am doing them now. Try out Shutterstock first because they are more lenient on the Vector screening process. You need to have 10 vector illustrations or photographs as an application before you officially become part of the team. You should first look at their site to see what they require and what images/illustrations sell well. They pay you $0.25 per downloaded picture/illustration. It doesn't sound much but it would be worth it if the downloads are coming in. In Shutterstock, the customers have subscription. For example, if a customer subscribes for 1 year worth of subscription, that means, they will download 25 photos per day for 365 days in a year. Of course, they wouldn't like to waste their 25 downloads per day so they download a lot even if they don't need it yet. They store it for future use. So as long as you upload photos/illustrations, you can get downloads.