Quality of Micro stock Photos

[swapnali]

I was surfing through the microsoft photosites.
The quality of many of the photos is amazingly good. If some of those photos are sold by general stock agencies, they would get much more money than on microsites(IMO). Then why photographers sell it there? And if users keep getting good quality photos at say 1 or 2 $ why would they buy high priced photos?

Sorry if this question is already asked here...

[Jim G]

I was surfing through the microsoft photosites.
The quality of many of the photos is amazingly good. If some of those photos are sold by general stock agencies, they would get much more money than on microsites(IMO). Then why photographers sell it there? And if users keep getting good quality photos at say 1 or 2 $ why would they buy high priced photos?

Sorry if this question is already asked here...

This sums up part of the problem of what microstock is doing to devaluing the photographic industry in general. :p

[photoguy6405]

I'm going to play a bit of Devil's Advocate here.

This sums up part of the problem of what microstock is doing to devaluing the photographic industry in general. :p

I agree with this, but...

...isn't that whole point behind the free market concept? Competition of the fittest, beat out the other guy, and all that stuff?

I participate on some financial forums also, and whenever someone complains about being at the mercy of the big corporate giants, it never fails that people will come along and say something like, "Well, if you don't like it, start your own bank and drive them out of business."... which, of course, is an unreasonable suggestion since starting a bank is way beyond most people's financial wherewithal and they know it.

When it comes to stock photography, we have a scenario where a good photog with a decent camera and some decent software actually can compete with the "big guys", and the free market is speaking accordingly.

It's easy to say one shouldn't undervalue their work, but what is the real value if there will always be somebody willing to undercut you?

/Devil's Advocate off

Personally, I cannot bring myself to do microstock either, and am sticking with Alamy.