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.