Has anyone sold their photos to stock photography companies?

[McShred]

I was just wondering if anyone had any insight into selling their photos to companies?

[GPR1]

Stock photo agencies want lots of images from each photographer. They don't want to deal with someone who can only provide a few, or even a few hundred. If you have a good library of high-quality images, and continue to create more, stock photography may be for you. You could check the Photographer's Market book at your bookstore/library. It has lots of information about stock agencies, and individual listings with agency preferences.

Good luck.

Greg

[robertwgross]

A friend of mine contacted a stock agency. They told him to send in 30-40 excellent 35mm slides, and then they would talk. So, he picked the slides and sent them. After two weeks, he contacted them again. They said that the slides were good, but for them to really see quality, they would need to see 200-300 good ones, and they cannot be slide duplicates. They had to be slide originals. So, he picked the slides and sent them.

The agency agreed that they were good enough, so they told him to send in 300 or more of comparable quality every year. Then they stated terms which sounded pretty standard to me, and an agreement was signed. This friend of mine has quite a little investment in sending stuff to the agency, and has gotten almost zero out of it. Maybe it just takes time.

That particular agency did not deal with digital files. However, some of that is changing now. Other agencies only deal with digital. Some go both ways.

---Bob Gross---

[theoldmoose]

Sounds like the music industry. "Sign here, kid, and we'll get back with you." In the meantime, you get the bill for all the production, distribution, and marketing costs, taken out before you see any revenues (if the company bothers to state them truthfully).

What a racket. No wonder photographers are starting to sell directly on the net, like a number of music artists.

Digital (and high-speed almost-free bandwidth) changes everything. Industries that don't change with the times may be able to protect their highly-tiered middle-man gravy train for a while, but it will ultimately fall.

Just don't be under the stack when it crashes...

[fwhitesides]

Speaking of stock photos, does anyone remember the guy that was posting about a new stock site that split the commission 50% with the photographer that uploaded the pic? He posted something about it here in mid december, but I'll be damned if I can find it with a forum search. Any help would be great.

[robertwgross]

The trick about the 50% commission is this:

You might have a deal with your agency that you get 50% of the "take." However, that first agency might deal with a second agency, and it is the second agency that is dealing with the end customer/publication. Suppose the publication pays $300 for an image. The second agency will pay $150 to your agency, and then your agency pays you only $75. Part of the trouble is that you never know who is really involved, or how many pieces of the pie there are, and you are at the mercy of your agency.

---Bob Gross---

[G2Jim]

Speaking of stock photos, does anyone remember the guy that was posting about a new stock site that split the commission 50% with the photographer that uploaded the pic? He posted something about it here in mid december, but I'll be damned if I can find it with a forum search. Any help would be great.

I'm not sure if this is the one you were thinking of, but it's along the same lines: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18644 (posted in the Galleries forum)

[fwhitesides]

I'm not sure if this is the one you were thinking of, but it's along the same lines: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18644 (posted in the Galleries forum)
That's the one! Thanks.

[Yance]

You can't make a living on stock photography, it is basically just used for a steady source of additional income for freelancers. Its a good way to build something out of typical assignments and the slow time between assignments. But you really have to keep a pulse on the markets and see what is selling and anticipate what will sell.

[IndyJeff]

It is my understanding that stock photography is a numbers game. If you have 50 images in stock, chances are you may sell one in a year. Now if you have 500 you might sell 5- 10 but, if you have 3000 and add at least 10-25 of fresh new images a week you may sell 5 a month.
I wish I could remember the name of the book I read that dealt with stock agency issues, it was pretty good. One thing I did get out of it was the money you could make off stock photography thru an agency wasn't going to make you rich but it would be nice for deposits to a retirement account. One thing the book said too was if you can't submit at least 300-500 images in the first 30 days most agencies didn't want to bother with you. If the agency isn't promoting you don't expect too many sales.
Another thing the book said was to try and specialize in a certain catagory and target certain end users as a stock agency yourself.

I am giving takeapic a try. If I have any sales I will post it and let you guys know. If anyone else sells anything thru there let us know too.

[Pekka]

Make sure you read all the fine print on their contract. Usually they require that you give away your rights to use those photos in anything else or sell them elsewhere - think hard if that is really what you want to do.

[IndyJeff]

Make sure you read all the fine print on their contract. Usually they require that you give away your rights to use those photos in anything else or sell them elsewhere - think hard if that is really what you want to do.

Pekka where did you see that? The info I got from reading everything before I joined was that the copyright remained with the photographer.

Do the photographers keep the copyright?

Yes. The buyers may use your images for purposes stated in the buyers license agreement. The copyright however stays with the original photographer. Takeapic is only an intermediair between buyer and photographer.

[Pekka]

Make sure you read all the fine print on their contract. Usually they require that you give away your rights to use those photos in anything else or sell them elsewhere - think hard if that is really what you want to do.

Pekka where did you see that? The info I got from reading everything before I joined was that the copyright remained with the photographer.

Do the photographers keep the copyright?

Yes. The buyers may use your images for purposes stated in the buyers license agreement. The copyright however stays with the original photographer. Takeapic is only an intermediair between buyer and photographer.

Well that is ok with them, then. I was talking generally.
Also: what happens when you or they terminate your contract - do they destroy all our photos there or keep selling them?

[IndyJeff]

Do I have the right to remove any photograph at any time?

Yes. You have totall controll over your images.





Just from reading what they have posted about copyrights and their rules on them I don't think they would take a chance on continuing to sell your images. As I understood it the guys who started this are in the advertising business so they have a better knowledge of copyright laws than the average Joe. The costs of a copyright lawsuit in a case like that, of an image that had been removed by the photographer from their inventory, would be some heavy judgements as a blatant disregard of the copyright owners wishes would be very clear to any judge.
The images I have posted on there may sell, they may not but I haven't put anything on there that I think may have GREAT potential. I am looking at a couple of other stock companies that pay better for the great potential photos. Stock companies are just coming around to the digital formats, some still refuse digital files alone.
Most of my money is made in auto racing and stocking those photos is just out of the question. Lets put it this way, to license my first stock sale of the racing pics would cost me a minimum of $5000 and it couldn't be used in any form of advertising.