Stock Photography

Stock photography offers photographers a way to generate ongoing revenue from images they've already made — but building a stock library that actually earns takes strategy and an understanding of what buyers are looking for. This section covers the stock photography business from multiple angles: which agencies to work with, how to shoot and keyword for discoverability, licensing models, and realistic expectations about income.

Creating Your Own Stock Photography Niche

Using your personal interests and hobbies can be a great way to create a stock photography niche that is both creatively and financially rewarding. 

Five Tips to Become a Faster Video Editor

As any filmmaker knows, time is money. Falling behind on a project doesn’t just put a dent in your schedule, it can also put a dent in your income. That's why it’s so important that you have some time-saving strategies up your sleeve to ensure that if some unforeseen delay occurs, you have the ability to steer your project back on course. 

How to Be a Resourceful Filmmaker and Get B-Roll That Can Sell

One surprise people new to videography are in for is just how much footage you need for today's standard of ordinary video. As a result, getting B-roll and clips for transitions is crucial. Here's how to be more resourceful when you're out with your camera. 

In Defense of Infringing Influencers: Instagram and Copyright

Every so often we'll hear about certain influencers and photographers stealing photos or using stock images to develop and build their Instagram accounts. On the surface, this seems horrifically bad I mean really really bad (insert Trump gif) but if we take a minute to really consider things, is it? 

 

Diversify Your Portfolio and Earn Money Along the Way

With the advent of social media and the unattainability of life expectations brought with it, we, photographers, are on the very forefront of having the opportunity to make a difference in re-shaping the visual world. We are the ones with the tools to push for diversity whenever we put our work out there to be sold and used worldwide! 

Emilia Clarke: Stock Photography Model

Emilia Clarke of "Game of Thrones" fame is certainly not lacking in career opportunities, but is it possible that she's found her dream job as a stock business photography model? Check out this hilarious video from Vanity Fair to see Clarke recreate tried and trued stock imagery poses. 

Shoot What You Love and Sales Will Follow

Stock photography websites can be a great way to get your photos out there and gain some passive income. Choosing what to shoot or submit can be simplified by sticking with what you enjoy and letting your passion shine through your work. 

The Fro Knows Paris

Recently Jared Polin, better known as “The Fro” visited The City of Lights to add to his portfolio more time-lapse and slow-motion work. Polin takes his viewers along as he journeys through Paris, offering tips along the way.

You're Leaving Money on the Table

Stock photography is an industry that enables many photographers to make a good living. Though some photographers focus their entire career around creating stock imagery, almost every photographer has the ability to supplement their income with images they've already taken.  

Easily Capture Everyday Items to Sell as Stock Photography

Have you ever considered the potential of the objects that sit in front of you every day? With the high demand for photos in social media and online marketing, your images of even the most simple items have value. Here’s how to capitalize on this and produce an easy portfolio of stock images to sell. 

Why You Should Never Upload Your Images to Unsplash

If you've ever considered uploading your work to Unsplash, you should probably watch these two videos, or at the very least, familiarize yourself with the points raised by legendary commercial and editorial photographer, Zack Arias. If nothing else, Arias wants photographers to understand the risk of facing a lawsuit as a result of uploading their images to the site. 

How to Rework Old Photos for Adobe Stock

Do you have old photographs just hanging around on your hard drive, taking up space? If you do, then perhaps you should consider uploading them to Adobe Stock. You never really know what sort of image someone out there is looking for - they might just want to use that shot that you currently have buried away in the archives.

Want to Make Stock Video Footage That Sells? Read These Nine Tips First

If you have a camera, a love for video, and a couple of hours to spare each week, then a sneaky little side gig in stock video creation might just be the perfect thing for you. 

Not only can stock video footage earn you some seriously easy cash, it can also lead to new a career in video production (wink wink anyone looking to bail on their boring day job).

Building a Stock Catalog of Lifestyle Images Through Assignment Work and Adobe Stock

Building a stock photography portfolio and generating passive income can be one of the easiest ways a photographer can make money. However, creating a sizable portfolio that generates a worthwhile income month after month doesn't just happen overnight. Chances are you have already been shooting images suitable for stock without realizing it.

Creative and Authentic Is the New Trend for 2018 Stock Photography

Stock photography companies are tallying their data from the last few years to predict what imagery trends will flourish in 2018, what they've predicted is fantastic news for us all. A mixture of creativity and authenticity are expected to dominate the new year's biggest image trends.

How I Use Adobe Stock as a Professional Photographer and Art Director

Let's chat about stock photography. I've used stock sites for nearly a decade while working as a designer and commercial photographer with great success. Most of the options I used in the past left a lot to be desired, which is why last year, I switched over to Adobe Stock.

Selling Stock Photography as a Wedding Photographer

Finding ways to earn passive income as a photographer is invaluable. In this field of work, our businesses often require a large amount of direct hands-on time. Selling stock photography, especially when you have the ability to simply upload images you have already taken in a minimal out of time, can add a great deal of value.

Shutterstock Unveils New Composition Aware Search Feature

Shutterstock has been working on machine learning-based technology for different features, such as reverse image search and visually similar image search, and last week they unveiled a new feature that will allow users to search images based on their compositions and layouts.  

​Why the Next Era of Stock Photos Looks So #Instagood

Stock photography has always been something of an enigma. Used by brands, marketers, advertisers, and the media, it’s managed to withstand the test of time and the radical shift in how media is consumed and sold. Stock photography has, until recent years, served up functional, generic images that could be used in diverse ways by a core customer base. That’s no longer what creators want.

Photographer of 'Distracted Boyfriend' Meme Explains Process

One of this year's more popular memes has been the "distracted boyfriend" meme in which a girlfriend looks at her boyfriend in disbelief as he turns around and eyes another girl right next to her. Perhaps the most clever and fitting adaptation (for us) yet has been the above image from the D850 Facebook page.

How to Take Stock Photos That Sell

I’ve been making money from stock photography for about 10 years now. I very rarely set up a shoot, or go on a trip thinking “I can’t wait to take stock images and make money from this,” but I've managed to recoup some money I've spent on trips over the years.

When Shooting Stock Photography Finally Pays Off

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by a friend in Puerto Rico with an incredible story. She was walking through a gas station and noticed my face on a box. Without knowing, I had become the face of a brand.  

How to Impress Image Buyers in Stock Photography

Stock photography has been a main or side income for many photographers throughout the years. Contrary to general belief, stock photography is not dead, but rather stronger than ever due to the rise of the digital media. Rapid movement in social media urges companies to create new content on daily or even hourly basis, and the need of new imagery is unavoidable.

Have Your Photos Rated by AI

You can have your images judged by AI. Just don't blame me if you don't score as high as you thought you would. These developments are supposed to help people decide what images work best for the message you are trying to convey, so it's good to know it's there and to try it out.

Profiting Multiple Ways with Adobe Stock Images

I am always on the hunt for new stock images to incorporate into my photography and find that stock enhances my photography business in several ways. Stock provides me with the ability to incorporate different locations and textures into my images that I am not able to easily shoot.

Fstoppers Interviews Shutterstock Creative Director Terrence Morash About Industry Trends

If you're a photographer or videographer, keeping abreast of creative trends is pivotal to best positioning yourself to continually evolve and turn profits. Fstoppers spoke with Shutterstock Creative Director Terrence Morash about how creative trends are analyzed and predicted and how photographers and videographers can use that information to their advantage.  

Making Money With Your Drone Photography Through Adobe Stock

Ever since I got my drone, I basically keep it in my car at all times in case I happen upon some cool spot while driving. It turns out that all these random excursions have become something very useful to me: profitable stock photography.  

Why Are Photographers Giving Away Their Work On Free Stock Photo Websites?

In this high-tech, fast-paced world, we all "snap pics." I'm going to go ahead and venture a guess that the majority of us tend to do so from our phones, since we now have these amazing portable devices that can provide a decent exposure for us. What has come out of these great technological advances is a larger-than-ever movement of aspiring photographers...

Assets On Demand: Introducing Requests From Motion Array

Motion Array has been hard at work adding new features recently. For example, they recently came out with a video portfolio site builder. With this feature, any paid subscriber can create a custom site to show their video work, complete with text, images, and contact information (all editable).

Adobe Announces New Stock Contributor Program

Today, Adobe has announced the public beta of the Adobe Stock Contributor Site. Meant to integrate deeply with its Creative Cloud platform, the new service allows photographers, videographers, and illustrators to directly upload and sell their work with a high degree of efficiency and automation. 

Splash From 500px Lets You Search Images by Color

Up until now, most stock image sites let you search by keywords, categories, date range, location, or other similar refinements. For most image buyers this has ben sufficient, however 500px has a new way to search called "Splash."  

Let It Go: Why One Photographer is Giving Away His Images for Free

Sam Zeller is giving it all away. It began with releasing 184 photos for creative commons use on stock photo site Unsplash. From there the Swiss photographer and FujiFilm ambassador has decided to unload an entire archive of his images taken across Europe for free use to anyone with the aptitude to find them.

Artist Recreates a Rembrandt Painting With Only Stock Photos

Ankur Patar is a photographer and digital artist based in Brisbane with a very neat and unique talent. He's able to create remarkable replicas of famous works of art using nothing but stock photos and Photoshop. Check out this amazing video of him recreating a Rembrandt work.