Recent Stock Photography Articles

Stock Photography Is a Scam

There is a lot of bad advice online on how to make money as a photographer. Truth be told, I followed much of it and made a big fat zero. This is not because such advice is wrong, but rather because it is out of touch with what the market is in 2024. In this article, I will shed light on one of the worst ways to make money with your work.

Is Stock Photography Worth the Effort in 2023?

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.

Is Stock Photography Worth It in 2023?

One of the biggest questions for many is how to make money from photography. There are many ways of doing it, such as photographing weddings, pets, portraits, or even products, but there are also ways to make money, such as stock photography. In this article, I discuss my experiences of using stock photography websites.

Where Are the Best Places to Sell Your Photos in 2023?

Selling your images online can be a hassle, as companies are constantly changing their pricing and payout structures, making it difficult to know where to devote your time and efforts. This excellent video breakdown takes a look at a large number of stock services, how their pay structures and demand have evolved, and where the best place to devote your time and energy is in 2023.

Is This the End of the Stock Photographer?

The demand for images is higher than ever, and yet, the security of many photo jobs is in more peril than ever. One of the hardest-hit genres of the last few decades has been stock photography. Is AI going to kill the genre entirely?

5 Mistakes Beginning Stock Photographers Make

Stock photography is often viewed as a form of "passive income" for photographers that have a low barrier of entry. But just because that's the case doesn't mean it's easy. A seasoned stock photographer shares some of the mistakes she made when starting.

How Two Photographers Sold $47,000 of Stock Photos

While very few photographers make a full-time living shooting stock photography, it can be a decent way to supplement your main work and provide some additional financial security by diversifying your income streams. This excellent video goes in depth to show you how two photographers sold $47,000 of their photos on stock services.

Where Is the Best Place to Sell Your Photos in 2021?

While most of us are not full-time stock photographers, the idea of selling some of our work online to earn some passive income on the side is quite appealing. That being said, there are literally dozens of places to sell your work, so which is the right choice? This great video takes you through a photographer's earnings on many different sites throughout 2021 so far and discusses his experience.

Can You Make Passive Income Selling Your Existing Photographs Online?

Passive income, the Holy Grail of personal finances. Who wouldn’t want to make money from all those old photos without having to lift a finger? With that in mind, I’m going to share with you my own experiences as a casual photographer selling my existing back catalog of digital photos online. It’s been an interesting experience to say the least and I even made a little money.

Photo Manipulator's Guide To Adobe Stock

In this video tutorial, watch as Dean Samed gives you the low down on all things stock image related. The video is from the perspective of a photo manipulator.

How Are Stock Photographers Doing in Late 2020?

Without a doubt, 2020 has been brutal on a lot of photographers across all genres, and as the year comes to a close, many of us are still looking for ways to diversify our income streams and increase our financial stability in 2021. This helpful video features a photographer discussing some of his side earnings in stock photography in November of this year and what a variety of stock photo sites are currently paying.

Magnum Continued to Sell Photographs of Vulnerable Children, Including Sexually Explicit Images

Three months after announcing an inquiry into its archive, it emerged that Magnum Photos was still selling sexually explicit images of what appear to be children through third-party websites. An image of a half-naked child playing with their genitals was also available for purchase. Further images described as “juvenile prostitutes” were still for sale on the Magnum website itself until they were removed on Friday.

Adobe Stock Launches Library of 70,000 Free Assets

Free stock assets are becoming more common, with stock behind large paywalls and one-time fees falling out of favor. Adobe have now launched a library that plays into the budget friendly option.

New Getty Images and iStock Cash Grants Worth $20,000 for Emerging Artists

With the onset of the pandemic and slowdown in production, income from stock photography has become an increasingly important source of revenue for many photographers. Getty Images and iStock have recently announced a new program to provide grants to emerging photographers interested in entering the stock photography market.

Is It Ethical to Use Stock Footage in Political Ads?

There's a new political ad out from the Trump campaign that is slickly produced, with a large number of seemingly average people artfully showing their distaste for Joe Biden's vision of America should he become president. Or is that actually the case? In what's an epic takedown of the ad, a former Obama spokesperson digs up every clip used in the video to show that not a moment of it is real, raising the question of whether such uses of stock footage have a place in ads that can easily sway the electorate.

Getty Images Has Removed Photos of Sexually Exploited Children, but It Must Do More

A girl, perhaps barely in her teens, stands alone in a dimly lit room, her hair obscuring her face. She’s naked from the waist up, the front of her torso is visible, and she wears little more than socks from the waist down. The caption labels her a child prostitute and lists her hometown. Until this week, this photo was available to purchase from Getty Images.

Why Magnum Took Its Archive Offline and Why Its Statement Falls Short: We Need Answers

In the early hours of Friday morning U.K. time, Magnum took its entire archive offline. Later that day, it released a statement explaining that it was reviewing its practices following revelations about some of its photographs. Difficult questions still need to be answered and the sequence of events shows how, despite Magnum’s crisis management, they’re not going away.

Magnum Photos Is Selling Images of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse on Its Website

The archive of Magnum Photos features numerous photographs of child sex workers, many of whom were photographed without their knowledge. Several of these photographs are sexually explicit, featuring nudity and encounters with clients. These images may constitute acts of child sexual abuse.

My Stock Photo Made 97 Cents, and I’m OK With That

The payouts for stock photography have become something of a joke to many photographers, but is there a better way to look at things? I’ve changed how I’ve approached stock photography, and in doing so, came away with a refreshed view of photography as a whole.

What Is Wrong With Shutterstock?

Shutterstock sent an email to its contributors recently and informed them about their new earning structure. As you might guess, it was shocking and disappointing for the vast majority of contributors.

How Much Money Can Stock Photographers Expect to Make Right Now?

The coronavirus pandemic has left a lot of photographers very unsure of how their finances will change over the next few months. One genre that still has at least some demand, however, is stock photography. This great video takes an honest look at what you can expect to earn from stock photography right now.

UK Magazine Blames Stock Photo Site for Stolen Photo Used on Cover

Prominent photographer Nadav Kander recently found his portrait of David Lynch on the cover of UK magazine The Big Issue. The problem is he never provided the portrait that was used and the image looks to be a photograph of his photograph which was purchased on stock photo site Alamy.

Should Fstoppers Use Free Stock Photography?

I've been meaning to make this video/post for a long time but I kept putting it off because it's probably the most polarizing subject in the photography world. Is microstock, and now free stock photography, ruining the industry? Is Fstoppers promoting this?

How One Photographer Made $35,000 in Stock Photo Sales

Stock photography is not for everyone, but it really can be a financially viable option for some of those photos you have just sitting on a hard drive at home. Realistically, unless you are already making thousands upon thousands of dollars from the images you've been creating, stock photography might just be the thing for you.

Can You Make Money From Stock Photography?

Many photographers dream of making money by shooting stock or perhaps generating a passive income as a result of photos that you would have shot anyway. But how realistic is it to make money from uploading your images to stock libraries? A photographer with three years of experience gives a very honest verdict.

Make More Money with Adobe Stock and Textures

If you're relatively new to the world of stock photography and trying to figure out the best way to make money, then I might just have the answer for you. With creativity, you can produce work that fills a need and earns income. In this article, I aim to provide some methods that will help give you an edge.

How to Shoot Photos People Want to Buy

It's a safe bet to say a majority of photographers would love to get paid for their photos. Well, what photos would people want to buy?

The Basics of How to Shoot Video to Make More Money

As photographers, it is often incredibly simple to just stay in your safe lane and stick to photos. I know people that have been photographing for years and never once touched the video function on their DSLR. They are intimidated by it. But adding video to your marketable skills is far simpler than you may think, and with today’s rapidly changing landscape, it’s an incredible tool to add to your repertoire.

Looking for Supplemental Income from Stock Photography? Be Sure to Get Releases.

One of the first things I learned early on after becoming a full-time photographer is the importance of establishing a diversity of revenue streams. I’m not a traditional commercial photographer whose brand is predominantly focused in one area, or specialty, such as booking client gigs (weddings, maternity, etc), shooting products photography for companies, or catering to the swath of people who need headshots.

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.