Stock Photography Company Pros & Cons

Hi guys! I practice landscape photography in Ireland (also with a few photos from Spain). I'm strongly considering stock photography but I'm unsure which company to chose. I've heard good things about Alamy but with Brexit and taxes etc, am not sure about companies that have their HQ in the UK. Do ephotozine provide stock photography services? Alamy (to my knowledge) pays the photogpraher 40%, some other major players 20% so I'm unsure what to do here.

Hi guys!
I practice landscape photography in Ireland (also with a few photos from Spain). I'm strongly considering stock photography but I'm unsure which company to chose. I've heard good things about Alamy but with Brexit and taxes etc, am not sure about companies that have their HQ in the UK. Do ephotozine provide stock photography services?

Alamy (to my knowledge) pays the photogpraher 40%, some other major players 20% so I'm unsure what to do here.

How big is your library, have you made any sales to publications or had much commissioned work already?

How big is your library, have you made any sales to publications or had much commissioned work already?

I’ve about 35 images on Instagram. I haven’t sold any to publications or done paid commissioned work. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bts2I9pHCW4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I’ve about 35 images on Instagram. I haven’t sold any to publications or done paid commissioned work. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bts2I9pHCW4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

For the moment, I’m really thinking of photos for website and social media use rather than printing (though I’d consider that too!). I have both iPhone & DSLR photos.

For the moment, I’m really thinking of photos for website and social media use rather than printing (though I’d consider that too!). I have both iPhone & DSLR photos.

It used to be reckoned that you would [i]average[/i] £1 a year for each image uploaded. That is probably optimistic these days. If you are aiming to make decent money you need to have [u]thousands[/u] of images uploaded.

It used to be reckoned that you would average £1 a year for each image uploaded. That is probably optimistic these days.

If you are aiming to make decent money you need to have thousands of images uploaded.

[quote]It used to be reckoned that you would [i]average[/i] £1 a year for each image uploaded. That is probably optimistic these days. If you are aiming to make decent money you need to have [u]thousands[/u] of images uploaded. [/quote] Totally agree. The stock image market is not what it was years ago, the market is awash with hobby toggers giving away free images. Try Alamy, but you do need to upload loads of images to make any money at all.

Quote:It used to be reckoned that you would average £1 a year for each image uploaded. That is probably optimistic these days.

If you are aiming to make decent money you need to have thousands of images uploaded.


Totally agree. The stock image market is not what it was years ago, the market is awash with hobby toggers giving away free images. Try Alamy, but you do need to upload loads of images to make any money at all.

Ok. Thanks guys.

Ok. Thanks guys.

[quote]It used to be reckoned that you would average £1 a year for each image uploaded. That is probably optimistic these days. If you are aiming to make decent money you need to have thousands of images uploaded.[/quote] It's as you say, Carabosse and the £1 per image is definitely optimistic. I have 5,000 images there, purely on the basis that they might as well be there as in my own library but they bring in about £300 per year and dropping. I'm not complaining because it is bunce and I make no effort to supply work they might want, purely what I have been doing anyway. But I increasingly don't see the point in doing all the keywording etc. entailed when they have so many millions of images that it is really just a lottery. And Alamy are the best of them! The whole market is dying, though. My main library is now with Getty and prices have dropped there too. A studio set that I did with The Who in the late 70s - it was the last set of them all together before Keith Moon died - has been selling for the last 40 years at £150 - £250 a pop. Used recently in (as far as I recall) [i]The Times[/i] it fetched £45! Looking on the brighter side, YouTube is a very lively marketplace and there is good money to be earned from video.

Quote:It used to be reckoned that you would average £1 a year for each image uploaded. That is probably optimistic these days.
If you are aiming to make decent money you need to have thousands of images uploaded.

It's as you say, Carabosse and the £1 per image is definitely optimistic. I have 5,000 images there, purely on the basis that they might as well be there as in my own library but they bring in about £300 per year and dropping. I'm not complaining because it is bunce and I make no effort to supply work they might want, purely what I have been doing anyway. But I increasingly don't see the point in doing all the keywording etc. entailed when they have so many millions of images that it is really just a lottery. And Alamy are the best of them!

The whole market is dying, though. My main library is now with Getty and prices have dropped there too. A studio set that I did with The Who in the late 70s - it was the last set of them all together before Keith Moon died - has been selling for the last 40 years at £150 - £250 a pop. Used recently in (as far as I recall) The Times it fetched £45!

Looking on the brighter side, YouTube is a very lively marketplace and there is good money to be earned from video.

I can try the video too!

I can try the video too!

[quote]But I increasingly don't see the point in doing all the keywording etc. entailed[/quote] It is a pain and I am no longer prepared to put in a lot of effort for the near-neglible reward.

Quote:But I increasingly don't see the point in doing all the keywording etc. entailed


It is a pain and I am no longer prepared to put in a lot of effort for the near-neglible reward.

What about slideshow videos? Are mobile phone videos suitable?

What about slideshow videos? Are mobile phone videos suitable?

Is there anything to be made from landscape photos then?

Is there anything to be made from landscape photos then?

[quote]What about slideshow videos? Are mobile phone videos suitable?[/quote] The form and technical quality which entertainment, information or teaching videos take really doesn't matter. It is anything that will interest a viewer. If you are an expert on ancient weaponry or bird watching, almost anything, interested people will watch regardless. You need to post regularly and look at your output not from your own point of view but from that of a potential audience. I'd say a slide show would be a hard sell, though. Technically, if you are interested in your subject you would be unlikely to want it represented by output from a mobile phone, good as they are now. Simple pride in your work will make you want to improve and a 'proper' camera, being dedicated to the task will be much easier to use, following focus and so on. It's the same as stills, really. Anyone can take a picture or make a video. It's the ideas that are difficult and sort the successful from the less so. You'd need to be p*** - poor to make less money for the same effort than with stock, though :D

Quote:What about slideshow videos? Are mobile phone videos suitable?

The form and technical quality which entertainment, information or teaching videos take really doesn't matter. It is anything that will interest a viewer. If you are an expert on ancient weaponry or bird watching, almost anything, interested people will watch regardless. You need to post regularly and look at your output not from your own point of view but from that of a potential audience. I'd say a slide show would be a hard sell, though.

Technically, if you are interested in your subject you would be unlikely to want it represented by output from a mobile phone, good as they are now. Simple pride in your work will make you want to improve and a 'proper' camera, being dedicated to the task will be much easier to use, following focus and so on.

It's the same as stills, really. Anyone can take a picture or make a video. It's the ideas that are difficult and sort the successful from the less so. You'd need to be p*** - poor to make less money for the same effort than with stock, though

Build up your own website to sell images, participate in exhibitions, competitions, be active member of those sites on the web, where are your probable clients present...publish your website as many ways as possible...

Build up your own website to sell images, participate in exhibitions, competitions, be active member of those sites on the web, where are your probable clients present...publish your website as many ways as possible...

Ok! Thanks guys!

Ok! Thanks guys!