Stock Photography Employee Shares Inside Scoop: How to Be Successful

[@TheEclecticPhotog]

I knew the small batches uploaded regularly thing, but I would never have thought of separating black and white and color images into different batches spaced a little while apart. Thanks for the tip!

[@oldgrumpyjim5003]

Thanks Rachel & Victoria very interesting content indeed. When I entered into stock photography I never had any real expectation of earning and used the experience as a learning tool. I had the images from over the years on a hard drive and gradually in small batches aimed them at the main sites Shutterstock adobe etc and the income has been small and the learning curve steep. I have always used Nikon full frame but with the earnings from stock I recently obtained a Fuji X-T2 and 18-135mm for my street and editorial stuff. Im now retired and plan to travel with my wife as we are both in our 60's (late) and photography and small footage will be added to my stock work as time goes on. I have done some small commission stuff over here in Scotland and hope to do more but who knows where that will take us. Stock suits me as it is a passive and small income and pays for gear.Great content!

[@RachelLerch]

Hi Jim! Fantastic! Glad you are enjoying the whole process. So good!

[@kirk0831]

Thanks for making this video, I learned a lot!

[@W6RIPRadioAdventures]

That girl is a Machine!!!! WOW!!!

[@victoriaschaal6253]

thank you

[@rezaulkarim3918]

I wish working

[@SteveStanger]

Wow! This was awesome!

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Steve!!

[@jeff6660]

Great presentation...Thanks much.

[@RecordLifeMedia]

I thought you had given up on the stock market part of your videos, glad to see that you are still doing topics on it. Thank you.

[@RachelLerch]

Glad you liked it! I know many still have lots of questions and it’s useful to them. 👍

[@jimcooke5590]

thanks for showing that interview Rachel, amazing information given to help us on our journey (I've a lot to learn), enjoy your trip and see you next time

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Jim!! 😊

[@LeoCastroFot]

Prove what I've always said: 1. Stock photography will not end and are not even in crisis. It is just constantly adapting, healthy adapting (like any other market); 2. There's plenty of room for everyone there (I mean photographers), and; 3. The image you sell is one that only you and half a dozen other people can make in terms of quality, exclusivity and quantity, each one on your own beach! Trust me, that's all you need to know to be happy! Thank you, Rachel!

[@oneeyedphotographer]

An ad agency needs an image to help tell a story. Doesn't have to be of the highest standard, technically good is probably enough.

[@WestCoastUSA546]

I wouldn't call it a healthy adaptation, but good for you if you see it that way

[@mspates5982]

Thank you Rachel for all the wonderful information that was shared! She seems to be very smart in what she does! I don't sell my work as stock but it's some information to keep in mind! Thank you very much I hope you have a wonderful trip and you will be missed!

[@RachelLerch]

Aw thanks so much! Yes Victoria has some great insight doesn’t she?

[@jimfrederich8852]

Very informative! Thank you ladies!

[@gAIno-music]

Thanks for this video; found it really informative, direct and to the point without any mucking around. Just good interesting info. Nice.

[@fsphotographic7683]

Love this video, even after a year from the upload. The best info on stock photography that I have gotten. Thanks

[@RachelLerch]

Glad it was helpful!

[@K-L-Y]

Chanced upon this gem, 😍 and am so blown away by her presentation there, so many a-ha moments, and simply love the matter-of-fact attitude towards issues and problem solving. I've some speculations and this video certainly cement some of them! Definitely a boom in helping one understand the landscape better! Thank you Rachel, and to Victoria as well, for sharing this valuable content with us! Incredibly motivating!

[@takeuchiyuu1549]

Well done Victoria! Good points and looking great there!

[@jimhamilton8775]

Thanks for this video Rachel. Very informative. Good luck next week.

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Jim!! Can’t wait!

[@grenadecafe206]

Thank you! Really got a fire going in me to start moving forward.. I appreciate all the information.. sincerely.

[@johnrodgers2018]

Spot on video , it's exactly what I have found in this industry. Thanks for uploading

[@RachelLerch]

Hi John! Thanks! Victoria has some great insight! 👍

[@aviatorman8]

Very helpful info and perspective from Victoria. She shed light on important aspects and of the business. The smaller batches concept makes sense. Thank you for the tips and info, Victoria. And thank you Rachel! You’ll be close to Seattle in OR. Come give WA a visit while you’re here!

[@victoriaschaal2933]

My pleasure

[@RachelLerch]

I would love to visit!! Unfortunately I will be flying in for the Sony event and leaving right after. I’m going to have to book a more relaxed trip soon! Thank you for the invite though!!

[@aviatorman8]

Sounds good. Looking forward to your vlogs from the Sony event. Would be nice to hear your perspective on their new products like the A7R Mark 4 and the RX100 Mark 7. Thanks.

[@EgoitzBengoetxea]

Thanks for sharing the information!

[@richardcoomber925]

Probably the most helpful stock photography video yet

[@RachelLerch]

I’m so glad it was helpful!

[@baliyachtservices7505]

Very nice, thanks. Followed.

[@UncompressedWAVmusic]

Incredible video from start to finish. Thank you Rachel for your wealth of knowledge and I really appreciated the powerful tips that Victoria Schaal provided, which are worth their weight in gold. They are the best stock photography field tips I ever heard. WOW!

[@marlontrottmann5026]

Thank you Rachel for this great video with Victoria and her great tips 👍

[@RachelLerch]

You’re so welcome! I’m glad you liked it!

[@GilbertTV]

WOW....thats made me think I should be doing this ..thank you Rachel ....

[@RachelLerch]

😄 You’re welcome. It’s a tough call. I still don’t think I’ll go back.. too low commissions and I no longer have the time, BUT Victoria makes some great points. 👍

[@MexicanMovie]

Wow, added to my favorites !!!!!

[@RachelLerch]

I'm so glad! Thank you!!

[@milld9345]

This was very helpful and I think applies to other areas like digital downloads in general (such as art and illustration) and selling on places like Etsy and Amazon and other marketplaces. Really informative. Thank you!

[@moidutoiphotography8427]

Thank you Rachel & Victoria for such helpful information. Much appreciated.

[@RachelLerch]

You're welcome! Glad you liked it.

[@larryglatt2548]

Thank you, very informative.

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Larry!

[@jdandkylestock3482]

Super valuable information Rachel & Victoria! Would love to see MORE content like this!!! :)

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks so much!!

[@Triple070007]

In my experience, Shutterstock has severe algorithm activity, your sales can go from regular to completely vanishing if you stop uploading for a short period of time. It almost seems to be a penalizing action for not regularly uploading. Adobe stock doesn't have this at all, you can leave your portfolio for months, come back and see sales have accrued. Adobe stock also averages $1.00 US per image sale (standard license). Whereas Shutterstock averages $0.25 per standard image sale.

[@jimmyhinAK]

I have not yet tried to send my work to a stock photography agency so this is good information to me. I am a hobbyist photographer considering this as a side hustle as the young folks say. I know the companies need to make money and have employees but 25 cents or a dollar per image sounds a little depressing to me.

[@RachelLerch]

I’ve also found that Adobe’s average sales are higher.

[@RachelLerch]

The income is robbery as I have mentioned before. If money is a person’s main reason for doing stock, I’d never recommend it, sadly.

[@jimmyhinAK]

Rachel Lerch thanks for your hard work and honesty about this topic. So many KZbin channels I follow make it sound like money raining down from the sky. I know from a personal standpoint I have to be honest with myself knowing my shortcoming is editing.

[@Triple070007]

@@RachelLerch Yes I started just for fun and 'beer money.' The one area where income actually is pretty good, though, is video. $20 for a 3-second or 10-second clip of video that took me a few minutes to shoot is pretty nice.

[@wendynewing8834]

That was brilliant. Thank you both so much for all the valuable information. Wonderful.

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Wendy!! So glad you liked it!

[@RaimundoLucena]

Loved the tips! Thanks!

[@Scouse270]

Thanks Rachel, interesting and useful.

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Dave! Glad you liked it!

[@James_m7]

Thank You!!!

[@AThousandWords]

A great collaboration, very informative.

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Jen!

[@R.G.LovesBooks]

Very informative, thanks

[@RachelLerch]

So glad!! Thanks!

[@NARRASSAFilmes]

Thank you

[@AstheMagpieFlies]

What a fantastic resource! Thank you so much for working with Victoria to create this video.

[@RachelLerch]

So glad you liked it!

[@tano2120]

que hermoso quilombo tenes en la mac !!

[@RachelLerch]

I'm not sure what a quilombo is?

[@anthonyhazlewood5788]

Hi Rachel, although not in the stock photography market I found it interesting... Anyway, have a great time at the Sony event and we look forward to Vlogs on your return... As the Americans say, "Missing you already Rachel"... Take care...xx

[@RachelLerch]

Aw thanks Anthony!!

[@moneymakerisland]

straight gold. do you know any websites that offer stock photography resources like contracts when collabing with people?

[@RachelLerch]

Glad you liked it! No I don’t... wish I could help, sorry!

[@kreznik18tnk]

Excelent video Rachel thank you sooo much

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Jose! You’re welcome 😊

[@maybahag]

Hi! I just came across your videos... is it allowed to upload similar photos in different stock photography sites? Thanks!

[@RachelLerch]

Yes you can! As long as you contribute as "non-exclusive".

[@rogerplested9484]

another excellent video

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Roger!!

[@Krateez]

Excellent!

[@RachelLerch]

Thank you!!

[@monati61]

Hi...love your simple decoration corner 👌🏾

[@RachelLerch]

Hi... thank you very much!

[@SetGozo]

Love you guys.

[@RachelLerch]

Aw thanks!

[@georgekimwana4340]

Like a diamond your sparkles lights the souls of many leaving a mark to anyone that's appreciates your efforts

[@RachelLerch]

Oh wow thanks George! 😄 That’s so poetic. I don’t think I can do that justice!

[@Denys_Kurbatov]

Thank you! very intresting

Very nice video, thanks

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Mario!

[@pault477]

What stock photography website do you use Rachel?

[@RachelLerch]

I still have images at Shutterstock, Bigstock, Adobe and Dreamstime, though I don’t upload any more. I pulled out of Getty images completely.

[@pault477]

Rachel Lerch so you sell your own now?

[@RachelLerch]

Paul T I should Paul... but I’m just so busy with family and making videos that I haven’t really done so!

[@pault477]

Rachel Lerch I hope you find the time someday.

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Paul!

[@omidmost3142]

Awesome

[@MarkKellyPhotographyUK]

Interesting insight 👍

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Mark!

[@PhillipMcCallum]

Thank you very informative Thankyou

[@RachelLerch]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@599miata]

👍👍👍

[@zeeshannaveed2332]

One thing i want to add,no need to fill all the keywords while submitting content,if accepted U can edit and add as many keywords U want but at time of submission adding all the keywords is time consuming.

[@RachelLerch]

Very cool to know

[@clarab5953]

Cheers!

[@RachelLerch]

Cheers Clara!

[@steveloudon7491]

Already knew all of this stuff. The one thing I have never seen is a detailed breakdown of how much PER HOUR stock photographers make. I mean from the time you leave your house, take the pictures, keyword them, edit them and upload them. I would like to know how much she has made from stock photography in the past year.Notice she danced around the question about how many photos do you need to upload to make money. I've seen some tutorials that say you need thousands of images to expect to make money. That is a tremendous time investment. The return is paltry relative to the time. Rachel, I believe you made a good decision to get out. These companies are taking advantage of picture takers. They sell the pictures for many times what they pay the person that actually did the work.

[@RachelLerch]

I can only tell you that my per hour rate was very very low. Haha. Not sure I want to calculate it. Definitely not near minimum wage. I appreciate that not everyone’s experience may be like mine. It’s good to hear from Victoria’s point of view.

[@steveloudon7491]

@@RachelLerch thanks for the response. Love your videos. Keep it up.

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Steve!! Really appreciate that!

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Mike Browne interviewed a stock photographer a few years ago, that would be worth finding. I think the return on your time would be vastly different if it were a byproduct of your regular photography. If you already have the images, the relevant cost to you is (probably a quick edit), uploading and keywording.

[@takeuchiyuu1549]

The answer to the question of how many photos you need to upload to make is not answered for various reasons. Stock photography is a highly competitive and fast paced industry. What may be a relevant amount of number today may no longer be relevant tomorrow. I work in a Stock Image company myself and I can tell that based on my experience, 1k contents used to earn a steady $50 income 4 years ago but it is no longer relevant now. Adding on, putting a mere number to the contents can also be misleading because mere quantity cannot guarantee any payout. Types of contents, demand, tagging and a few others come into factor as well. Victoria’s answer for the questions are pretty much accurate.

[@RodMacPherson]

LOL to the idea that it is all about the camera. I am still selling stuff that was shot with a 6 megapixel DSLR

[@RachelLerch]

That’s cool Rod! Great to hear it’s going well!

[@peterosterman5820]

👌👌😀

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Peter!

[@carolinevandyk3382]

Thank you Rachel. This is very helpful. Looking forward to your next video when you get back!

[@RachelLerch]

Thanks Caroline!!

[@romiemiller2485]

Why do agencies accept photos but not put them out for sale? That seems counterproductive.

[@RachelLerch]

I’ve not had this experience. Have you had agencies do this? Not good!

[@bioliv1]

This is so useful! I uploaded for Wikimedia for 8 years now, and I feel rewarded when my images illustrate articles at Wikipedia, several hundred articles now in many languages, but it should be nice to earn a little money as well. I LOVE Venice, the most urban place in the whole world. But you should ban cruise ships, they are ugly and bring in too many tourists. On the contrary you have those tourists coming with the VENICE SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS! This train is so beautiful and is a gift for Venice. My dream is to arrive Venice with this train, travelling from London to Venice. Maybe if I can sell a lot of stock images? Can you please make a video with Victoria Schaal about how to photograph Venice? Where to stay for shorter or longer times? How to behave? What are the rules for tourists in Venice? Photography workshops in Venice. Photography guides. The best time of the year for photography. Etc.

[@victoriaschaal2933]

I would be very happy to give you advice on Venice. I am here in Venice now, however as Rachel mentioned I have not been living in Europe for some time. I was in the UK for a long time and in Malaysia for a few years and now I am moving to Central America. Nonetheless, Venice is an amazing city, a complex one, you hate it and love it at the same time hahaha. You should totally come, however, REMEMBER REMEMBER: don't make your pics too fake! Hahaha Cheers

[@bioliv1]

@@victoriaschaal2933 Thanks! My wife brought me to Venice before I got my wide angle lens. I get it in four days. I too get my Nisi V6-filters later this autumn. We only had time to see top 10. Really want to go back a time when it's not so hot and some fever tourists. I love walking in Venice, can walk forever there:-) "At the international Walk21 conference this week in Vancouver, British Columbia, an eminent authority on streets boiled the walkability of cities down to the number of street intersections per square mile. Venice has 1,725 intersections per square mile. “It’s very complex, it’s very messy, and people walk,” said Allan Jacobs, urban design consultant, former San Francisco planning director, and author of Great Streets. Brasilia, near the opposite end of the spectrum, “has 92 intersections, and you don’t walk there,” The Vancouver Sun reported Jacobs as saying. “Irvine, California is the classic automobile city. It has just 15 intersections, the lowest I’ve ever counted.” Other places that are good for pedestrians, Jacobs said, include the Market Street area of San Francisco (300 intersections per square mile), Tokyo (988), Savannah, Georgia (538), Portland, Oregon (341), and Paris (281). The most complex and messy stret patterns provide the most walkable and enjoyable experiences for both visitors and residents, according to Jacobs.” - ‘Messy’ street patterns boost walking" Ps! My wife is Philippine and an old man from Venice was sure her husband was Italian, as my little girls look just like Italian girls:-) Have you been to Tolfa? So much cooperation between Tolfa and Norway now. Exhibitions, courses, conferences etc. Try to make my wife settle there for some time, but for some strange reason she only wants to live in Norway:-/

[@oneeyedphotographer]

@@victoriaschaal2933 You said "small batches," but didn't say what a small batch is. What changes if a group of friends gets together? I'm thinking specifically of student photographers, people who should be grasping at every money-making opportunity. How does that change things?

[@victoriaschaal2933]

@@oneeyedphotographer hi there! Excellent questions. So about the small batches, I didn't provide a precise figure because it depends on how serious and dedicated one is about stock photography. For example if you produce 100 pictures a month, then a small weekly batch could be of 25 images. If you produce only 20 pictures a month, then a regular batch could be of 5 only. If you like me are not as regular with your production of images (during some months I can make hundreds of pictures but during others in which I have a lot of clients and I am busy, I don't have as much time to produce stock) then I would advise at least 2 uploads per month of at least 5 to 10 images. Regarding the second question, yes getting together with other photographers is better to make money. Why? For three reasons. One is the usual algorithm: more photographers means more pictures, meaning more views and thus more chances of sales. The second is that the quantity in the portfolio will get bigger faster. Not only the algorithm will pick up on this but also the agency. Agencies prefer contributors with big and high quality portfolios and tend to show them more. Sometimes they even make deals with massive portfolio owners behind the scenes cause agencies only have to gain from a big and high quality collection of images.

[@oneeyedphotographer]

@@victoriaschaal2933 Thank you Victoria.

[@paulboyle5659]

Its a bit like Photoshop , its useful but people lose a bit of their originality if the rely on it to much.. its like everyone goes to the same store to buy clothing, everyone looks the same.. I would rather just enjoy my photography and go to work as usual .. WHY MAKE SOMEONE ELSE A FORTUNE WHEN YOUR DOING THE WORK. ??

[@msiuhong]

Thank you! Very informative advise

[@RachelLerch]

You're welcome!

[@rookerzzz]

Thank you, very informative