Holiday Planning

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Except if you were like me an incredibly busy with the real job and did not upload holiday images. December is off to a slow start so far. After I learned what happens in November and December last year, I started off the New Year with a resolution to add holiday imagery throughout the year. Well, that is before I knew that I would be working 60+ hours and canceling two vacations. As a result, it looks like a holiday sump for me this year.

I will say this. I've been watching Fotolia's Best Sales area. There are some artists out there who have created some beautiful imagery. My stocking hat is of to them.

How to get Those Blurry Backgrounds

For those of you with SLR cameras, you have the ability to change the zone where objects are sharp. You do this with your cameras aperture. The aperture is the device inside your lens that determines the amount of light that comes into your camera. There is a side effect, focus.

Let’s first talk about the pin hole camera. When I was a sophomore in high school, I took a photography class. My teacher, Mr. Miller, had us take a coffee can and punch a pin size hole in it. Then, in the dark room, we put some photographic paper on the opposite site of the can and sealed it up. We went out into the field and selected our subject. We pulled back the tape covering the pin hole and counted to 30. We then covered it up and develop the paper. The result was a focused image. Both foreground and background were in focus. How did this happen without a lens?

The pin hole works on a little bit of physics. You see, the wider the aperture, the more light can hide your film at different spots from the same point. This is why your exposure is blurry without a lens. With a pin hole camera, you have a very small open for light to enter. That means the light coming in from your subject can not hit different parts of the film. It produces a focused image.

You may have picked up that we had to keep the aperture open for 30 seconds. Only having a pin hole to look through, there will not be a lot of light to expose the film (or sensor). With reduced light come longer exposures. You can compensate with using extra lighting or a tripod.

How does this benefit us? Let’s say you find an interesting subject, but it has a very busy background. By opening up your aperture, you will focus on the subject, but blur out the busy background. You can also place people in the background to create an interesting feel behind your subject. Conversely, by closing your aperture, you bring a larger area into focus. For example, if you are photographing a skier but also want the mountains several miles behind your subject to be in focus, a small aperture will help produce this image.

To use this technique effectively, practice, practice, practice.

November Earnings

The sales were there, but the form of payment as not kind. I saw a lot of subscription purchases this month. I would say nearly 50% were subscription sales. This may point out that Microstock is becoming more accepted and that more agencies are using the more cost effective model for them. For us, that means lower profits. StockXpert had a new sales high of 27 images. Mostley subscription sales from partners. Also, Extended License's did not come my way. Talk about a tough month.

I did manage to upload some images this month. I finished uploading my images from Key West and discovered one that seams to have potential as a profit maker. Here is the breakdown.

	October results	Change from last month
This month	$101.21	-$20.51
Total Downloads	124	+ 14
Lifetime Total	$1519.93
Number of months contributing	20
Average $/month	$76	$1.03

Tax Season

I know, it is still November. No better time to start thinking about how you are going to claim this extra income on your taxes. I would like our more experienced microstockers to share with the new ones what to do. Uncle Sam’s pockets are looking awfully empty these days and I’m sure you do not want to be the one he chooses to fill them.

In February, I talked with my tax advisor at H&R Block. At the time, I had not yet received a payment from any microstock site, although I had sales. She told me it would be easier to report only the money that I have received, not the money still sitting at the agency. She advised me to keep careful records of all funds that get transferred to my account and to report them the following year. This will be the first year that I get to (or have to depending on your point of view) report microstock earnings. Remember, tax was not taken out so you will pay more to your old gray breaded uncle from this stash of cash.

The most important thing to remember is not to be a fool. Report your full earnings and pay your taxes. Ask Richard Hatch from Survivor what happens when you try to fool Uncle Sam.

Does anybody have any advice to share?

Where Do You Spend The Money?

Here is a good one. With all that cash that comes in, where do you put it? We live in a consumer society. We have junk mail and spam. We have sales people and sales calls. Do you have a rewards card with us? I doubt a few years ago that many of us knew that we would have a little extra income coming in on the side. What do you do with it? In these uncertain times, you may want to think about your options.

- Do you re-invest it in better equipment?
- Do you leave in for a rainy day?
- Do you put it towards an investment like an IRA or your kids college?

Share with us ole wise financial wizards and give us some good ideas. Personally, I’m investing for know. Once I hit a certain level, its vacation time.

Profit or Play?

Do you shoot for profit, or just to play around? I’ve been browsing around my own portfolio and looking at the “best sales” listed on various web sites. I’ve known for quite a while that my skills are not at the same level as many. I also know that my favorite subject, landscapes, are not profit makers in the microstock arena. I’m still in this game though for first play and then profit.

Don’t get me wrong. I love it when I get an extended license sale or an entire series of images were purchased. I obviously like doing microstock. I have a weekly blog to prove it. I also know that I could reinvest my earnings so I could create “studio” images. I do it because I love photography and I love sharing my work. Let’s face it. I’m not going to have an exhibit at a gallery anytime soon, so I’ll just enjoy seeing how many people look at my images. What’s wrong with enjoying your work, and making a little cash on the side?

Favorite Places

We all have them. We all have that special place that we take our cameras to too get away from it all. That place where we can immerse ourselves into our hobby and enjoy what we love. Where is yours? Mine is Yellowstone National Park. Where else do you get snow covered peaks, vast treeless plains, north wood forest, deep canyons, boiling mud and an abundance of wildlife? I love waking up in crisp morning air and taking advantage of the magic hour with all the steam, fog, and wildlife. I have yet to visit in the winter, but it is on the short list of places to go to. If for any reason you should want to leave Yellowstone, take a drive south. You will find yourself confronted by the Grand Tetons. Not a bad place either, but that is for an article for another time.

Where is your favorite place? Share it with us.

October Earnings Report

Finally, profit season is upon us. A key indicator for me of when the summer slow down has ended is on Fotolia. I've been whatching my statistics on how many times my images have been viewed. Earlier this summer, the views went from nearly 3,000 a month to 1,200. That number is now well above 2,000. The profits are also up. I am curious that Snapvillage was making more and more sales as the summer months went by, but went completely dead on me this month.

	October results	Change from last month
This month	$121.72	$27.97
Total Downloads	124	17
Lifetime Total	$1424.64
Number of months contributing	19
Average $/month	$74.97	-$1.64

I also want to welcome our new readers from:
Podova, Italy
New Hyde Park, NY (USA)

Winter Picts Opportunity

Well, Winter is coming early.

For those of us who like the quiet peace of the gentle falling snow, this last week has provided some with an early opportunity to take those Winter pictures. Here is a link to the Weather Channels snow forecast map. Central Indiana got the rain and wind. We did have a trace of snow. Here are a few tips for the winter photo season.

- Keep your batteries warm. They will last longer.
- Keep your tank full. You do not want to get stranded.
- Do not be afraid of inclement weather. Some of the best shots I've seen have been taking in conditions that 99.9% of us stay inside for. Be sensible though. You do not want to shoot an avalanche from your buried car.
- Know the temperature extremes of your equipment. Keep them inside your jacket when not in use if the temperature is to cold.
- Pack a thermos of hot chocolate. Add any other warming fluids as needed ;)

Have fun out there!

Key West Trip Report

Sometimes being in the military has its upside. This last spring I was sent to our facility in "Key West for two weeks. I usually select a region that has a more mountainous terrain. The highest point on Key West is only 14 feet above sea level at Ernest Hemingway’s house. But it was still the tropics and it was free, besides having to go to work every day. I used to go to Key West every summer with my Fraternity Brothers to help Irish Kevin celebrate the anniversary of his bar’s opening and to pay Jimmy Buffett’s Margaretville a visit. I went to Key West with aspirations of getting some incredible images on Duval Street. We’ll, that did not quite happen. There is a rule on all Microsotck websites that say you cannot have someone’s corporate logo in any of your images. Nearly every square foot of Duval Street had a business name on it. Well, I did find some other areas of interest. Let’s start at the Key West Warf.

There were marketing signs everywhere, but not to the extent of what was on Duval Street. I had to focus on details and not landscapes. As I walked around, I found a few pieces of inspiration.

I also visited several times in the evening, but lighting was just not working for me to post anything. So what to do when the shooting is not turning out as well as you had hoped? I highly recommend the Oyster Rockefeller at the Half Shell Raw Bar.

I also spent some time at sea. Many years ago, a friend of mine and I pretended that we were married, sat through the time share show and tell, and then claimed our free sunset booze cruise tickets. Hey, we were college kids. Anyway, I found them to be great ways of getting the most incredible sunset pictures imaginable. This was my first time in Key West with a digital camera. Nothing beats the image I took many years ago of two water spouts with a point and shot camera, but the images were fun to get anyhow. Take along your camera case or a zip lock bag. Salt water is very bad for your digital camera. Keep it covered while not in use. Also, wipe it down with a damp cloth after returning to shore and clean your lenses. Don't forget to explore the side streets for the hidden treasures of Key West.

Where do you sneak in Photos?

One of my favorite things to do is to travel. Of course my camera is always with me. My wife has called my camera “The other woman.” Over the past two years I’ve had the opportunity to work for the Center for Naval Leadership as my reserve duty. Every two months I would travel to different reserve centers throughout the Midwest and facilitate our leadership classes. During these trips I’ve often had some spare time to do a little photography.
Late last fall, on my way to Columbus Ohio, I had a chance to stop at the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park. It was a beautiful morning at the base of the foothills of the Appellations. The site contains large burial mounds of an ancient culture. Not exactly a very photogenic site, but relaxing to hike around.

In Cleveland I had the chance to visit Cuyahoga National Park twice. One time in winter and one time in the early fall. Although not the wilderness that many associate with a national park, it was a nice oasis from the grind of the interstate just outside its borders.

This past spring, I had a chance to go to Key West. Now, I use to go there with my fraternity brothers every summer for Irish Kevin’s anniversary party. This time though it was for my military duty. My wife flew down for a long weekend and I even took some photos that have sold.

Unfortunately, my units mission has changed and the monthly travel has ended. None the less, thanks to the Navy, in the last two years I’ve seen Virginia Beach, Coronado Island, Key West, and many cities in the mid west that I would not otherwise of seen. This year I was hoping to go to Maine so I could spend the weekend at Acadia National Park. I guess Acadia will have to wait. Take your camera on these little business trips. You never know what you might find.

Please comment back and share with us how you squeeze in a shot or two.

Get Ready for Winter

I know, I know. The peak season for fall is not quite past yet. None the less, this is not the time to take a vacation from Microstock. Winter is a time for adventure and outdoor fun. Children sliding down a hill in an inner tube, a skier catching some air high in the mountains. Even a young girl on ice skates for the first time can land you some cash. Do some key word searches and see what types of images are successful.

For those of you in high snow fall areas, you have a great advantage. Head out after those huge snow storms Minnesota and see what unique landscapes Mother Nature has created for your lens. Colorado, I’m jealous. Wyoming, your wildlife viewing opportunities are unsurpassed in my book.

Don’t skip out on the opportunity to get a few new Christmas images out there. I sold my first Christmas image of the season in July. Santa’s elves don’t take summer vacations. The department stores start putting out Christmas displays in August. That means that the graphic art work was already done. As we get closer to November, watch the most popular images for different stock photo sites. You will see a gradual shift to Christmas imagery. Get yours out there to take advantage of the holiday season. Last year I had a very limited Christmas portfolio. As result, I had a drop in sales for November and December with a very strong surge in sales in January of non holiday images.

Results for September 2008

There is still a little bit of the summer slow down, but sales are picking up.

I was getting worried there for a while. It was not until the last week of September that sales started to go to pre summer levels. I'm getting curious if microstock will see a boost from the economy. As consumers have less to spend. Advertisers will need to spend more to get their products off the shelf. With tight budgets, they need inexpensive images. Also, with high gas prices, hopefully that means more web sales and a need for web images. If things go our way, this will drive more advertisers to the microstock world.

Here is how the month of September went:

	August results:	Change from last month
This month:	$93.75	+ $7.93
Total Downloads:	107	+ 11
Lifetime Total:	$1222.64
Number of months contributing:	18
Average: $/month	$76.62	+ $1.07

I started off with two extended license sales on Fotolia. I was a bit upset with myself over these images. They were ones with decent sales, but I had my extended license price set to only $10. I set a lot of my images low while I feel out there potential. Obviously, I need to pay more attention and adjust prices accordingly.

On a final note, I would like to welcome our new readers from:

• Brisbane, Australia
• Vicente Lopez, Argentina
• Manchester, United Kingdom
• Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA)

This site is updated every Monday and I hope all of you come back regularly.

Power of the Polarizer

A polarizer is a lens attachment that you can utilize to remove glare. The end result is more vibrant color. You can use it to make the sky a darker blue, bring clouds out from the haze, remove glare off the road and leaves, and also to help you see through the surface of water. It is simple to use and can produce excellent results.

Circular polarizer’s are best for auto focus cameras. Liner polarizer’s may interfere with camera focus. Simply attach it to the end of your lens. Look at your subject and rotate the polarizer until the glare is gone or the image appears darker. You will need to constantly adjust the angle of the polarizer as you change subjects. This is because the sunlight is coming in at different angles and the lens needs to be adjusted for optimal filtering.

A prime example of how a polarizer helps you is when I was visiting the USS Arizona. After over 65 years, the ship is still bleeding oil into Pearl Harbor and causing a nasty glare. Without the polarizer, I saw a lot of reflection on the surface. With it, I saw the ship. In nature, you can use it to remove glare from vegetation and bring out vibrate colors.

To see the difference before you invest in a circular polarizer, you can use polarized sunglasses. Hold your glasses away from your face so you can rotate them at least 90 degrees. Rotate them until the subject appears darker. That is a correct setting. Now, rotate the glasses 90 degrees. What you are looking at is what you would be shooting without a polarizer. The difference in color is amazing.

Seattle Trip Report

I decided to add some reports on the locations that I visit and upload images from. For those of you who read my previous post on how to sell so-so images, you know that I had a business trip to Seattle, WA this February. I’m happy to say that I’ve been able to sale a few of those images.
Let’s start off with the Cascade Mountains. Now, even though Seattle was somewhat pleasant thanks to its proximity to the ocean, drive inland and up into the mountains changes things quite a bit.


I flew in very early in the morning and headed straight for Snoqualmie pass. It was also conveniently a ski resort. They had a lot of snow, which I enjoyed skiing on thoroughly. Now here in Indianapolis, we do get snow. Not enough to make very interesting winter time photos. But in the Cascades, they get plenty. Check them out:






Even the drive up gave you plenty of photo opportunities. This was the only day during the week that I was there that I was able to drive into the mountains. Heavy snow storms closed all east-west passes in the state. Not to worry, I did go downtown and snapped some images from the Space Needle. For me though, the most rewarding time was on Whidbey Island. With roads to Mount Ranier and North Cascades National Parks closed, I decided to take a drive to Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve,. Even in February, it was beautiful. For those of you who enjoy the locals that you meet while practicing your hobby, I found out from the receptionist at the local museum in Coupeville that Whidbey Island is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. In other words, they get 300 days of sun shine a year. That was exactly what I needed after being in Seattle all week.


Whidbey Island is very scenic. There are several ferry options to get you and your car there. There are some spectacular rural and shoreline scenes to take in. From soaring cliffs to lighthouses. From fields to beaches. It was just an absolutely relaxing time.







A few tips for shooting in this area. First off, avoid Seattle and the surrounding cities during rush hour. You will only find yourself frustrated in traffic. Take enough ziplock bags for your equipment. Seattle is a wet environment. We had rain almost every day and snow once. If you venture into the mountains during this time of the year, keep an eye on the weather. Washington State Law requires you to have tire chains when driving in the mountains. They also close the passes during snow storms because of avalanches. Keep your camera inside your jacket with the lens caps on while outside. This helps keep your camera warm and functioning correctly. Enjoy yourself!

How to use PicNiche.

PicNiche is a neat tool that allows you to determine the supply and demand for your images. Here is how it works. You give it a few key words that describe your image. PicNiche searches various MicroStock sites and determines:

1) How many images contain those keywords.
2) How many views have been recorded for those images.
3) How many downloads have been recorded for those files.

You can utilize this data to determine if you are creating imagery for a saturated or low demand market. You can also use it before you shoot to test your ideas out to see if there is a demand for them.

They also give you a rating to tell you the likelihood of your image getting downloaded. The higher the image rating is, the better your chances of making a sale. It also gives you a list of keywords to potentially use. I say potentially, because not all of these keywords will work for you. Make sure you evaluate each of them so you do not commit keyword spamming and get a high rejection rate. Below the keywords are some suggested queries and their resulting rating. Clicking on these suggestions will yield their set of key words.

Use this tool to increase your sales and to research potential business opportunities. A few minutes on this web site can save you hours of work creating low demand stock and keep you focused on the money makers.

Take a So-So Picture and Make It Sellable

I will be the first to admit that I am not the best photographer. My camera has a tendency to focus on the softer side. The Reject Nazi’s hit me on that fact way too often. I also do not have a studio to shoot pictures of fruit on a solid white background. So, what do you do when you have a so-so image? You can always do a little post processing work.

On a business trip to Seattle, I took a little trip up the Space Needle to try and get a good view of the city. It was February, cold, and raining hard. Not exactly the weather I was hoping for.

This is the original image.

It was accepted at a few sites. I then noticed that more popular images were in a bluish hue. So, I changed it to Black and White so I can make it shades of blue. I liked the black and white image so well, I uploaded it as well. Both images were accepted.

I uploaded them in different batches to avoid getting some love from the Series Nazi’s. Take a look at the results.

Try a little post processing and see what happens.

Results for August 2008

Can you say “Summer Slowdown???” It hit hard this month. The first three weeks of the month were particularly painful. I did notice a slight pickup once the kids went back to school. Even Graphic Artists need to take their summer vacation. With the onset of September comes brighter days for the Microstock industry.

	August results:	Change from last month
This month:	$85.82	- $75.88
Total Downloads:	96	- 40
Lifetime Total:	$1209.06
Number of months contributing:	17
Average: $/month	$75.55	+ $.64

Was it just me? Here is an easy way to check. For those of you with Fotolia accounts, you may have noticed that your overall rank and your seven day rank is updated every day. If your seven day rank is lower than your overall rank, then you are moving up. If not, you are moving down. During this slow period, even after several days of no sales my seven day rank continued to be lower. That told me that the industry as a hole was running slow this month and not to worry, I was holding my own. Hang in there Microstockers. Better months are ahead.

To be Exclusive or not?

That is the question. Every site offers some type of incentive to reward you if you only publish your content with them and them only. These include higher commissions, higher sale price, and I’m willing to bet better placement in a search (but don’t quote me on that). Is it right for you? Well, let’s look at my experience.

I first started off on Fotolia. Let’s say that I stayed with them as an exclusive photographer. I’m estimating that my earners from the past 15 months would have been approximately $360. That includes as estimate of the higher commissions that I would have received if I was exclusive. I gave up exclusive status with a single site in my third month of micro stocking. My current earnings as of the end of July were $1,124. That is an estimated $766 more. Even the most successful Microstock artists are not exclusive. Check out Yuri Arcurs or IOFOTO. You will find them on all the major sites.

Now, as you expand your portfolio into different genres, you may notice that certain genres sell on one site, and not on another. That may be a sign to consider going exclusive with that genre on that good selling site. You cannot have exclusive images on multiple sites. You will need to remove those images from other sites before declaring them as exclusive. Exclusive images can be profitable for you. Even I have a few exclusives on each site. In general, go none exclusive and spread the love to as many sites as you wish.

New Site with 70% commission

Normally I do not just through a post on this site, but here may be an opportunity to get in early with a relativily new site. Check out Zymmetrical.com. They are advertising a 70% commision rate. I'm working on my uploads even as I write this.

They are positioning themselves as a site that pays contributers mroe without charging more to the customer.

How to Organize Your Files

Ever heard that phrase,”never put all your eggs in one basket?” Microstock is no different. I recommend creating folders of around 20 images. You only upload these folders once you get 20 images in them. You can do more or less. I’ve tried out 50 images before. The problem with that is that I wanted to get my “good” images out on the market so I filled the rest of the folder with “filler” images. Because of that, I took a huge hit in my acceptance ratio and as a result, I’m seeing lower sales on those sites. I’ve returned to the 20 image folder method. Also, with 50 images, uploading, key wording, and assigning categories took way to long

Once I have 20 images, I select all of them and rename them. Each folder has a name Set 10, Set 11, etc. I rename one of the selected images as Set 10 (1).jpg. All the rest automatically rename themselves Set 10 (2).jpg, Set 10 (3).jpg The number in parenthesis is the index number. Now, create a document that is formatted as such:

Index Number
Title
Description
Keywords

As you are adding the information to the images on your Microstock sites, just double click each line. Press Ctrl C to copy the data. Click the corresponding field on the web site and click Ctrl V to paste the information. It makes uploading so much faster.

You can also add this data to the image file. On a Windows Vista or XP computer, right click the image and select Properties. Click the Details tab. You can now add the data to the Title, Subject, and Keywords fields. Not all MicroStoack sites can read this data, but I’m willing to bet more and more of them will in the future.

Keeping organized also helps when uploading to multiple sites. Now, back to the Eggs in one basket thing. If you upload to multiple sites, you hit more customers. More customers means more money. This method also helps you to keep organized and to upload your content so you do not accidently repeat your work. Also, it helps to protect you from a poorly performing site. I had one site that I spent a considerable amount of time to upload images to only to find it out of business six months later. Protect your investments and be ready to upload to multiple sites.

Illustrations for Stock???

The stock photography market is not just for images you shoot with your camera. More and more graphic artists are getting into the game. Usually, computer generated images do sell. As a matter of fact, my best selling images are computer generated.

There are a variety of packages out there. I personally use Daz software’s Bryce 3D. It is simple and I already know the software from my less busy days. Another one that I’m hoping to learn someday is an open source package called Blender. You can download it for free at http://www.blender.org/. It is much more complex and much more powerful. I have yet to do anything significant enough to consider creating stock imagery with it. From what I’ve seen, it is good stuff.

To see what others are creating, do your normal keyword search but add in illustration or vector and see what comes up. Vector images are unique in that they do not lose resolution when you zoom in and they can be scaled up without pixilation. I have no experience in vector software packages so please feel free to add some comments on this one.

Get Ready for Fall

The days are warm. Swimming holes are busy. The last thing on your mind is fall. Well, fall is already showing its settle approach. From the slightly cooler nights here in Indiana to the fall colors already happening high in the Rocky Mountains.

Fall will soon be upon us. Plan your fall shooting activity early. There are some spots in the country that have incredible shooting opportunities. You need to time it right to get the most out of your experience. Fall hits different parts of the country at different times. The “peak” time may only be for one or two weeks. Adding to the difficulty may be the weather. Fall is not always the best time of the year weather wise. You may want to consider some backup dates. Let’s take a look at a few locations to help you get the most out of your experience.

The Weather Channels web site has a Fall Foliage map to help you out.
(http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/fallfoliage/uscurrentfallfoliage_large.html) Most of the year this map is color coded as the leaves being past peak. This map may not be useful to you at first but look again. Even though they may not have current information, it will show you where you can find areas that have fall colors in the lower 48.

Fall in Indiana

The best place, in my book, to view the fall colors in Indiana is in the Hoosier National Forest. My favorite location is in Brown County. This is also easy to get to because it is only an hour south of Indianapolis. This is Indiana’s hill country. Yes, we have hills. A slim arm of the foothills extends out of Kentucky and come within 30 miles of Indianapolis. If you are coming in from the North, I suggest lodging in Nashville, IN. You will not be disappointed. My wife and I have made day trips here during the peak color season and it is beautiful. Because of the hilly terrain, you can find many out of the way places of interest.

Fall on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is simply beautiful. I drove it a few years ago in the fall and it was well worth it. Three words would describe it. Color, color, and color. Make sure you check the National Park Service web site for any road closures. http://www.nps.gov/blri/

Fall in the Rockies.

The Rocky Mountain region is spectacular. Normally the only color change you see are the Aspens turning yellow. What the Rockies’ lack in fall color, they more than make up in their grandeur. Blue skies, snow covered peaks, and the yellow and green blankets along their base make the Rockies an inspiring location for photography.

Remember to plan early this year. Especially plan early if you are flying. With the reduced flights and nickel-and-dime fee structure, you need to buy tickets early and plan what you are taking carefully.

July Results

Here is my first report on this site about how I’m doing. Thanks to two $50 extended license sales on Dreamstime, I have a record month! This is despite the offset from lower Fotolia sales. This is the first month of Fotolia’s subscription service. They drastically reduced our commissions for clients who purchase a subscription. The return was supposed to be more sales. Well, not quite.

This month: $160.80
Total Downloads: 118
Lifetime Total: $1122.04
Number of months contributing: 15
Average: $74.68/month

July is traditionally a slow month. Without the extended license sales, it would have been where I would expect it based on previous slow month performance. Hopefully the slow period will end in August. I’m hoping for my first $300 month by the end of January.

How Much Can I Make?

There is no easy answer to that question. Here are a few things to consider:

1) Your skills
Do you have the skills to create top quality images? This is not only with the camera, but also in post processing.

2) The Market
Are people searching for the images you are producing?

3) Time
Do you have the time to dedicate to becoming successful? It takes a lot. If you are looking to replace your current income with micro stock, don’t quit your day job for years to come.

4) Creativity
You need to find creative ways of expressing ideas.

5) Linguistic skills
Nobody will find your images if you cannot properly keyword them. Key wording is your advertising. You must give accurate keywords to describe your images. Don’t through in words that have nothing to do with the image. This practice will cause your image to receive the reject stamp.

6) Sales
Most sits reword you with higher sales. They will place your images higher in the search results if you have a high acceptance ratio, and a high purchase ratio. Also, as you get more sales and get incremented to a higher contributor level, you will be rewarded. Some rewards include higher commissions, higher set prices, and more exposure.

There are many factors you can control, and many you cannot. Do the best you can with the ones you can control and adjust your imagery to match the market demands.

The Magic Hour

Click here to purchase

How do you create a postcard image from an otherwise blah subject? Shoot during the magic hour. Actually, there are two magic hours. The magic hours are the hour before sunset and the hour before sunrise. This is when the sun is at the lowest angle possible. High in the mountains, the wide open spaces of the Great Plains or along the shoreline of a decent size body of water will yield the lowest angled light due to fewer obstructions towards the horizon. You will obtain a higher contrast and additional color.

My favorite time is in the morning. I especially like mornings during the warmer months when you have a greater chance of water vapor in the air. Fog can provide a more dramatic effect. It also provides more of a canvas for the suns warm glow to paint.

It is sometimes tough to get up before the sun. Here are a few tips:
· Look for several potential locations the day before.
· If possible, stay close to the locations. This is a real good excuse to go camping.
· Determine how long it will take you to get there.
· Find out the time of sunrise/sunset.
· Use a compass the day before to determine where the sun will be on the horizon.
· Use a tri-pod.
Don’t believe me? Find a blah subject during high noon that will also have very low angle sunlight on it in the morning or evening. Shoot from the same spot at noon and during a magic hour. You will see what I mean.

Forgot Your Macro Lens?

Here is a quick tip on how to get that extreme close up. It is a bit tricky, but can be done. Let’s say you see something very small that would make a great photo. You have a few options. You could pull out that $700 macro lens. Except that $700 price tag has kept this purchase at bay. You could shoot as close as possible, and then crop it. The draw back here is that in the MicroStock world, size does matter. The larger your image, the more money you can potentially make. Cropping will reduce the size of your image. Sure you can scale it up, but you will also get some love from the rejection Nazi’s. Here is another option.










Take a lens, and turn it around. Yep, shoot with the lens pointed backwards. This is a tricky method, but it works. You have to focus with your body position. You will have a very limited focal range. You will also have to shoot at multiple shutter speeds. Here is the technique:

1. Set your camera for multiple exposures
2. Adjust your zoom. You will notice the difference from one extreme to the other.
3. Shoot several images while slowly moving your body back and forth.
4. Look at the image in your LCD. Adjust the shutter speed and redo.

You will end up with many useless photos, but one in the group will most likely be a winner.

Welcome to the MicroStock Blog

Welcome to The MicroStock Blog! This is simply a blog for those of us who enjoy earning a few extra bucks from (or more appropriately, the quest to make some cash) from our pictures and artwork. I’ve been doing Microstock for a little more than a year now. I’ve been shooting digital imagery as a hobby for many years before I stumbled onto the stock photography market. I’m happy to say that by the end of August, I’ll have an entire mortgage payment in the bank. In this blog I’ll be sharing what I do and how I do it. As I come up with new tricks and techniques, I’ll pass them on to all of you. So, let’s charge our batteries and get out there!