It used to be that if you were good at it and could invest the time, you could make a decent living from stock photography, but in recent years, the industry has evolved in what has very much been a race to the bottom in many ways, and it is a far less reliable income source than it used to be. Is it still worth the time and effort in 2023? This great video essay features an experienced commercial photographer discussing his experience with stock work in the past year.
Coming to you from Scott Choucino of Tin House Studio, this excellent video essay discusses his recent experiences trying to establish decent passive income from stock photography. It used to be that a talented stock photographer who dedicated time to producing a large library of images could be rewarded with significant passive income as those shots continued to sell over the years, but over time, the rise of microstock, free image sites, and now, AI-generated work, have all continued to eat away at was once a relatively secure genre, and it is now questionable if it is worth getting into. As Choucino details, it can be ok under very specific circumstances, but for the most part, you should think carefully. Check out the video above for the full rundown.
80-90% of my income comes from editorial stock and I couldn't be happier.