I've been a Stock contributor since 2019, publishing on two different stock sites. In this post I'll tell you how much can you make with a small portfolio (under 130 pictures), and the pros and cons of the different sites. Make sure to read until the end to get the latest update from 2024!
If you're like me, you're always looking for new ways to cash in on your creativity. What is better than making money on a creative hobby, right? And if you're a small business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, you know that diversifying your income is key to sustainability and success.
Are you interested in getting started in stock photography, but feel discouraged by the professional photographers with huge portfolios of thousands of images?
I totally understand. When I started out I checked out several Youtubers and even bought an expensive online course (which honestly wasn't that great), from a guy with a massive portfolio, drone shots of exotic locations and in action-pictures of people climbing Mount Everest. He wasn't exactly someone I could identify with, and he sold pictures I knew I wasn't able to shoot myself.
I wondered if it would still be possible for me to make money from stock photos. And it was! Not a huge amount, we're talking around 50 dollars a year. But once the photos are published, it's completely passive. I've seen some contributors claim that you need to update regularly due to the stock sites algorithm, but this is not my experience at all. I uploaded one single picture in all of 2023 due to a long hiatus from photography, but I still sell pictures from my portfolio weekly.
Learn from a hobby photographer with a small portfolio
I hope I'm a relatable person you can learn from! I'm a hobby photographer with a small stock portfolio of just 127 images, with several pictures that sell regularly. By learning from a hobby photographer with a small portfolio, you can see that it's possible to make money on stock photography, even if you don't have a huge portfolio of images. Plus, selling stock photos can be a great way to generate passive income. So if you're interested in getting started in stock photography, read on to learn from my experience.
What is a stock photo and how does it work
A stock photo is a photograph that is licensed for commercial use. These photos are typically used by businesses to add visual interest to their websites, advertisements, and marketing materials. As a stock photo contributor you upload your own images to a stock photography website for people to purchase for their own use. How cool would it to be a credited photographer in a magazine somewhere around the world? Or to see your picture on product packaging or in an ad online?
Don't get me wrong, when someone buys your stock photo, they don't have to credit the photographer, but it happens! Either way, it's not for fame or fortune you should start selling stock images. It's more about generating some passive income from your existing portfolio, or to grow as a hobby photographer while making a few bucks while you're at it.
My best tips for generating income as a stock photographer
Any hobby photographer can tell you that one of the most difficult things to do is make a consistent profit off of your work. It's not impossible, but it does take a bit of skill and foresight. Here are a few tips to help you become a successful stock contributor:
1. Look out for trends
What kind of images are selling well right now? Is there a particular subject that is in demand? Keeping up with industry trends will help you stay ahead of the game and maximize your earnings.
But an even better idea is to watch out for social media trends and what's happening in the news. Remember when teenagers eating tide pods was all over the media? This is a typical "trend" that newspapers want to write about, and they'll go to stock sites first to illustrate their articles. Sure, there was probably some pictures of tide pods already when it happened, but my bet is that there weren't many, as it is a pretty boring everyday object. This is an example of a trend you could quickly whip up a picture and upload to Shutterstock or another stock site.
2. Do keyword research
When people are searching for images, they often use specific keywords. If your images are tagged with the right keywords, they are more likely to show up in search results and be purchased. Try to find keywords where the competition is low.
3. Niches are always a good thing
Maybe you have an uncommon hobby, or know someone who does? My best selling picture isn't my prettiest, it's a picture of a DIY pencil case made from old jeans! But since the competition is low on the keyword "diy pencil case" or "jeans pencil case", it sells regularly, even years after I uploaded it.
My preferred stock sites: Shutterstock and Wirestock
There are a lot of stock sites out there. I'm only uploading to Shutterstock and Wirestock, but the latter uploads to plenty of other stock sites for me (including Adobe stock).
Shutterstock, one of the leading stock photo sites, says that its customers are looking for "authentic images that show real people in real situations." In other words, they're looking for images that look natural and unstaged. (But my portfolio actually doesn't contain pictures of any people at all!) Wirestock, another popular stock site, echoes this sentiment, saying that users are looking for "high-quality photos with good lighting and composition."
So if you're planning to sell your photos on stock sites, make sure to focus on capturing natural scenes and everyday moments. With a little effort, you should be able to start selling your photos in no time!
Pros and cons
I currently have 127 pictures on Shutterstock, and 75 on Wirestock. The biggest difference is that on Shutterstock you get a personal account with your portfolio, while Wirestock uploads yours and other photographers pictures under the name "Wirestock" to multiple stocksites (you can choose which ones and how many you want to submit your pictures to). There's a few pros and cons to this.
Shutterstock allows contributors to change or add keywords to pictures in their portfolio later, which is great if there's a new trend or topic related to a picture you already have in your portfolio. If this keyword doesn't get many hits on Shutterstock, you can get your older pictures on the first page of listings of this keyword, and thus make them relevant again.
I find that my pictures don't sell as often on Wirestocks platforms as on Shutterstock, but their commissions are higher. This is because many stock sites has a commissions ladder. You need to sell a certain amount of pictures to get to the next level, which gives you higher commissions. Since Wirestocks account on stock sites like Shutterstock and Adobe have thousands of pictures, they will naturally reach higher commissions before you will on your own.
Both sites takes commissions from your sales. How much you get from each picture depends on what type of license the buyer needs and what type of subscription they have. Shutterstocks usual commission used to be 0.25 dollars as the minimum rate, now it's 0.10. Yup, you read that right. 0.10 dollars. But even if you are only in stage one of the commissions ladder, you can still make more for a picture depending on the purchasers license needs and subscription type. The most I've ever made from a sale was 18 dollars.
2024: Wirestock's update
In 2023, Wirestock decided to become a subscription service. The monthly membership costs $12.99, and if you buy the yearly one it's $7.79. Even though Wirestock has offered existing members 50% off, I will not pay for a membership. With my small portfolio it's just not worth it, it might leave me with just a few dollars a year in revenue, if any. The last six months I've made from $1 - $6 dollars a month from my 75 images (but please note that there is only a handful of those that actually bring in the money)
They let existing members keep their portfolio, but for you as a new stock contributor, I don't think it's worth it to go for the yearly subscription (unless you have thousands of pictures and really want to take a chance on this as a potential income source), but rather buy the membership for one month or two and try to upload as much as you can in that time.
Will other stock sites follow?
I don't believe other stock sites will do the same anytime soon. Wirestock is different as it offers a service, as it uploads your pictures to many sites for you.
Disclaimer:
*If you join Wirestock or Shutterstock through my links, I get a small commision of Shutterstock or Wirestocks commission when you make a sale - not yours! In other words, you'll get your whole cake piece, but the stock agencies will share a tiny piece of their portion with me.
I'm not directly affiliated with these sites, all contributors get their own personal referral links, so you'll get them too!