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.