Microstock vs Gallery Sales

[jferrari]

Sigh, but who the hell is this Anderson fellow?

Justin, Andy Anderson is a famous drummer. He played with The Cure. I looked it up on Google.

[Gulag]

Sigh, but who the hell is this Anderson fellow?

it seems you need to better your Google skill. let me spell it out for you: http://www.andyandersonstock.com/home.php

[Justinr]

But why should I look it upon Google? If a fellow mentions somebody who may well not be widely known is not not wise to provide a little explanation rather than expect others to go scurrying off to look him up, sorry, but I find that an unattractive attitude and, as proven here, can only lead to confusion.

So just who is this Andy Anderson chap and just what has he said that demands our attention?

[Justinr]

Justin, Andy Anderson is a famous drummer. He played with The Cure. I looked it up on Google.

And there are at least ten pages of Andy Anderson's on Linkedin!

[luxborealis]

To be successful, it all comes down to four things:
1. Do you have a unique style or vision that sells?
2. Are you willing to shoot what the market demands?
3. Can you afford to put up the money ahead of time to hire models and props and have them on location when the lighting is ideal? (BTW this is where the real money in stock comes - not from pretty nature scenes)
4. Are you willing to do this day-in and day-out, foregoing much of the rest of your daily existence (for the first 5 years or so) to succeed?

If you can honestly answer yes to these questions, then go for it. In many respects, you really need to be a business person first and a photographer second.

But, remember, you are not seeing the thousands who start out in gallery sales and stock photography. You are only seeing the decidedly few who have made it - less because of great photographs (not that they aren't great photographers, but there are hundreds of them), but more because of their dogged determination and ability to be ahead of the curve with respect to style and content.

[Gulag]

But why should I look it upon Google? If a fellow mentions somebody who may well not be widely known is not not wise to provide a little explanation rather than expect others to go scurrying off to look him up, sorry, but I find that an unattractive attitude and, as proven here, can only lead to confusion.

So just who is this Andy Anderson chap and just what has he said that demands our attention?

Why did you come here asking opinions from strangers in the first place on the Internet? Does anyone here on this site pull in six-figure USD income from stock photography alone as Anderson,  a well-known American commercial shooter, has done year after year? You stated you would exchange your landscape images for money in the market, didn't you? But you don't even know what sells. Anderson does tons of landscape stock. Who is in any better position to guide you?  Your response shows an extremely closed mind. I aint wasting my energy any further here.

[Justinr]

To be successful, it all comes down to four things:
1. Do you have a unique style or vision that sells?
2. Are you willing to shoot what the market demands?
3. Can you afford to put up the money ahead of time to hire models and props and have them on location when the lighting is ideal? (BTW this is where the real money in stock comes - not from pretty nature scenes)
4. Are you willing to do this day-in and day-out, foregoing much of the rest of your daily existence (for the first 5 years or so) to succeed?

If you can honestly answer yes to these questions, then go for it. In many respects, you really need to be a business person first and a photographer second.

But, remember, you are not seeing the thousands who start out in gallery sales and stock photography. You are only seeing the decidedly few who have made it - less because of great photographs (not that they aren't great photographers, but there are hundreds of them), but more because of their dogged determination and ability to be ahead of the curve with respect to style and content.

No 5. Do you have the sort of photos that the publications you deal with use?
No 6. Do you take photo's when on assignment and then have the companies concerned expect you to give all the surplus stuff away for free?

Numbers five and six are where I'm coming from and even if I don't sell a single image to the companies I've covered for an article I've made the point that I'm not going to spend my days preparing images for release with no reward  (other than those already submitted for use in the publication).

[Justinr]

Why did you come here asking opinions from strangers in the first place on the Internet? Does anyone here on this site pull in six-figure USD income from stock photography alone as Anderson,  a well-known American commercial shooter, has done year after year? You stated you would exchange your landscape images for money in the market, didn't you? But you don't even know what sells. Anderson does tons of landscape stock. Who is in any better position to guide you?  Your response shows an extremely closed mind. I aint wasting my energy any further here.

Because I'm not from America.

Because I'm not selling landscapes.

Because I said in the blog that I linked to that I am not expecting to get rich, photography is now something I supply along with articles, it's not the main income stream, that's just a pipe dream as much for me as it is the millions of other hopefuls out there.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Why did you come here asking opinions from strangers in the first place on the Internet? Does anyone here on this site pull in six-figure USD income from stock photography alone as Anderson,  a well-known American commercial shooter, has done year after year? You stated you would exchange your landscape images for money in the market, didn't you? But you don't even know what sells. Anderson does tons of landscape stock. Who is in any better position to guide you?  Your response shows an extremely closed mind. I aint wasting my energy any further here.

Dear Mr. Gulag (quite a puzzling choice of handle, btw),

You must have mistaken the OP with Justin. But more importantly, who the hell is "Andy Anderson"? And why should I, or anyone else, use Google to figure out what you meant? Had you stated outright what you said above about him, that would make anyone's life easier.

However, to give you the benefit of the doubt, I did bing the name (yes, there are other search engines out there, mine is by default set to Bing). Guess what? No entry on the first page of results seemed to have anything to do with photography. Only when I typed "Andy Anderson Photography" did his stock page appear. And guess what? Nothing on that page (the same one you later linked to) indicates how "well known" he is, nor how much he is making from stock. I have decades of experience in photography, the last one here in the States, and I have never heard of him.

So, in conclusion, Sir, a little bit more humility and helpful behavior, and little bit less patronizing and, frankly, jirk-ish one would go a long way in our forums.

[Gulag]

Dear Mr. Gulag (quite a puzzling choice of handle, btw),

You must have mistaken the OP with Justin. But more importantly, who the hell is "Andy Anderson"? And why should I, or anyone else, use Google to figure out what you meant? Had you stated outright what you said above about him, that would make anyone's life easier.

However, to give you the benefit of the doubt, I did bing the name (yes, there are other search engines out there, mine is by default set to Bing). Guess what? No entry on the first page of results seemed to have anything to do with photography. Only when I typed "Andy Anderson Photography" did his stock page appear. And guess what? Nothing on that page (the same one you later linked to) indicates how "well known" he is, nor how much he is making from stock. I have decades of experience in photography, the last one here in the States, and I have never heard of him.

So, in conclusion, Sir, a little bit more humility and helpful behavior, and little bit less patronizing and, frankly, jirk-ish one would go a long way in our forums.

Just need to refine your search then.

[Justinr]

Just need to refine your search then.

Another passes over the head.

[Jim Coda]

I've been on a couple of microstock sites for years, but my photography has never sold well.

I mostly want to talk about landscapes and cityscapes in this thread, because I'm more interested in that genre as a photographer.

As I shoot landscapes, should I submit them to microstock sites? Or should I just print them and pursue wall space in galleries?

In particular, should I worry about microstock sales of an image cannibalizing gallery sales? Or should I simply treat them as separate markets entirely and not worry about it?

Should I segregate my work and post the B grade landscapes on microstock sites, while placing the A grade work in galleries? Or should I put the A grade work up for sale wherever it is accepted?

Am I asking the right questions?

People have various opinions about all of this.  However, I think most people will agree that if you are going to shoot landscapes you should mainly shoot whatever is near the gallery you choose.  If the gallery is near the Golden Gate Bridge then shoot the Golden Gate Bridge and every interesting thing near it.  As for microstock, my advice would be to set up your own website and sell from there.  SEO is critical to get on the first few pages of google, but when you do you separate your images from the millions on the microstock sites.  Keep prices consistent between the gallery(s) and your website.  The B Grade landscapes should never see the light of day unless you don't mind people judging you by your B Grade images.  

 
  

[Gulag]

if you plug "andy anderson interview" into google, you get --->>> http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/02/06/andy-anderson-interview/

plug in "andy anderson stock", you get ---->>> http://www.andyandersonstock.com/home.php

[Jim Coda]

if you plug "andy anderson interview" into google, you get --->>> http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/02/06/andy-anderson-interview/

plug in "andy anderson stock", you get ---->>> http://www.andyandersonstock.com/home.php

I have a suggestion.  The OP asked 7 questions.  Why don't we try to answer them?

[melchiorpavone]

For about the last 40 years, more photographers have gone "pro" than the market can support. As equipment has gotten easier to use, and more women have joined the hordes of "pros", the harder and harder it has become to make it as a "pro". Being a gifted photographer is in itself almost irrelevant as regards success as a pro.


Try dentistry.

[Jim Pascoe]

if you plug "andy anderson interview" into google, you get --->>> http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/02/06/andy-anderson-interview/

plug in "andy anderson stock", you get ---->>> http://www.andyandersonstock.com/home.php

I don't shoot stock but I just clicked on the link above to andyandersonstock and the first thing that struck me is of a highly polished business selling pictures that have a very high quality and distinctive style.  I've no idea how much this guy earns from his photography but I think it would not be an easy act to follow.  You cannot look at the top person in an industry and think "Oh - if I do that I will be just as successful" - otherwise every musician would be as rich as Paul McCartney and every painter as sought after as Van Gough.
From what I can see the world is awash with very good landscape photographers so it seems like the last subject to try and make a living from.  Try shooting three year old kids - their parents pay good money - if you can keep up with the little devils....!

Jim

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... You cannot look at the top person in an industry and think "Oh - if I do that I will be just as successful" - otherwise every musician would be as rich as Paul McCartney and every painter as sought after as Van Gough...

And every writer as rich as J.K. Rowling, rolling in billions. It is more likely you would indeed be as successful as Van Gough. You know, they say he did not sell a single painting in his life (or maybe one, accounts differ)

[Jim Pascoe]

And every writer as rich as J.K. Rowling, rolling in billions. It is more likely you would indeed be as successful as Van Gough. You know, they say he did not sell a single painting in his life (or maybe one, accounts differ)

Yes - I would rather earn a crust now than be rich when I'm long gone!

[Gulag]

Yes - I would rather earn a crust now than be rich when I'm long gone!

If making $$$ is your purpose, you should look elsewhere instead.

[trevarthan]

If making $$$ is your purpose, you should look elsewhere instead.

Why?