Newsletter February 2010

1. Microstock Boom

I don't know about anyone else but I am seeing a real high with regards to not only my sales, but the value of those sales across the microstock websites. I haven’t had time to upload the 3,000 images I have waiting to be sorted but many of my images are still selling continuously and for much higher prices.

Judging by the forums, a few photographers are having the same experience and it seems microstock is only getting bigger, even video clip sales are fairly consistent with my pathetic 200 clips.

Whereas image sales used to earn around 0.50c per download, I am now seeing more “on demand” sales as opposed to subscription sales which are paying out up to $8 a go…that is a massive pay increase and that is regardless of the fact that those sites now have close to 10 million images on them!

As far as I am concerned there is still a massive opportunity for anyone wanting to break into selling stock images. The sooner you get in, the sooner your images become more valuable…

2. Photography Courses

We try to hold a few courses throughout the year and have 3 coming up in February and March. The DSLR course on the 20th February is now full but if anyone would like to attend this course later in the year, please get in touch with your interest.

We have a 1 day wedding photography course on the 20th March (NOW ENDED) and have just 2 places left so if you are interested in attending you can get more details here:

Wedding Photography Course

We also have just 2 places left for our 2 day stock photography course on the 6th/7th March (NOW ENDED) so please get in touch if you wish to attend. I am already seeing great progress from some of our former students with one in particular steaming ahead and getting regular sales already.

Stock Photography Course

All courses have accommodation available if needed.

3. New Books

If you cannot make any of our courses but with to either take up stock photography or start your own photography business, you may be interested in two new books that we have just released.

How to Sell Stock Photography

This downloadable eBook covers absolutely everything you need to know about shooting stock photography including sample images and their sales value as well as rejected images with the reasons why they were rejected.

More info here: How to Sell Stock Photos

The Business of Photography

Is 2010 the year you finally decided to get started with your own photography business?

Whether you wish to go full or part time, this eBook takes you through all the stages of getting set up right through to running your business successfully. You can start with a simple kit comprising of just a DSLR and lens and work your business up slowly but surely, or you can jump right in with a fully kitted out studio.

We cover all angles possibly related to this business and offer a ton of advice on where to get financing, where to get work, how much to charge, how to get referrals, how and where to advertise…

…too much to write here so for more information go to The Business of Photography.

4. StockXpert ceases operations

In all the advice I have ever given on stock photography, I have only recommended a few agencies as it was inevitable that many would fall by the wayside as the industry settled…and they have.

The main agencies I recommended and still recommend are still going strong but one I actually liked has recently ceased operations. Not because it had failed but because it has been taken over by the Getty Images group.

All images hosted at StockXpert (that they feel are suitable), will be transferred to Getty’s new subscription site ThinkStockPhotos. If you had any images hosted at StockXpert, you should have received an email with instructions on what to do. If not, go to www.stockxpert.com (link dead, site dead) to check it out.

If you were a purchaser and had credits at StockXpert, they will be transferred to iStock for their full value but again, you need to go to your account to double check you have this enabled.

I see this as a positive in the industry as Getty and Alamy have now joined the subscription and microstock model. Like I said wayyyy back in the beginning to all the traditional stock shooters and “naysayers”, you can’t stop progression and this was always going to happen.

5. Haiti and The Press

When this awful tragedy happened, I like most people was transfixed to the news much like I was when 9/11 happened or the Tsunami in 2004. Not from morbid curiosity but more from utter disbelief.

As time went on, I started thinking about the amount of journalists, photographers and cameramen that were making their way to the disaster. Would they be taking up needed runway space as they arrived on this small island? Would they be using up valuable resources that are so precious during these times and where would they stay?

I have read comments from people saying that there is simply too much coverage of these events and that the news teams are simply cashing in on other people’s heartache whilst getting in the way.

Then there are the stories of news teams actually stepping up to the mark and getting their hands dirty as they try to help and from what I see, some teams make their way to these situations on military vehicles and aircraft and sleep where they can. They even take their own food and water.

It is a difficult one to judge as without the extensive coverage we see, we wouldn’t feel so inclined to put our hands in our pockets to help out but are there too many news teams there?

What would you do if you were there to cover the story? Would you feel more inclined to help rather than photograph what is going on around you?

This is one reason that I have never really entered the world of press or paparazzi photography (despite getting the occasional call from Mr Paparazzi)…I don’t think I would do a very good job!

Please give your thoughts and comments at the end of this newsletter on this or any other subject this month.

Here are a couple of related stories:

6. Original Daguerreotype For Sale

On a lighter note, this incredible camera from 1839 is going up for auction on May 29th and I can’t wait to see what it fetches, it is the first commercially produced camera in the world!

Lately I have been getting the urge to buy a few of the old SLR’s and medium format cameras I could never afford as a child and have a play…I feel all retro!

So if you want to buy this camera for me, you had best head over to Austria in May and have around €500-700,000 Euros at the ready, I would be ever so grateful!

7. Aputure Gigatube

When I first heard of this handy little gadget I thought “hmmm, I could make use of that” either in the studio, at weddings, doing macro work, video work and so on. So I have managed to get hold of a review copy which is currently winging its way to me as I write this.

I will be doing a full review of this add-on screen in the next couple of weeks so look out for that! More at Aputure.

8. Focus on Imaging

If you are in the UK, don’t forget that the Focus on Imaging exhibition is on from the 7th-10th March and it is Europe’s biggest annual imaging show. I will hopefully be attending on the 8th and 9th so I may well see you there.

9. Photographers Directory

Lastly, we have again opened up the photographers directory at All Thing Photography so if you wish to be included, please click here for more info (now discontinued…sorry).

10. Like to Shoot RAW Images from Your Mobile Phone?

OmniVision have recently announced a new 1/4 inch, 5 megapixel CMOS sensor with the ability to shoot RAW that will fit inside a mobile phone. 

Well, that is it for now. I must be off to prepare for our upcoming courses so I wish you all the best with your photographic endeavours and hope that the summer comes quickly for you…Spring is in the air (unless you are in a different hemisphere)!

Don’t forget to add your comments below!

All the best,

Nick, ATP