For Photographers

The field of microstock photography is a relatively new one. It helps open up the world of stock photography to both photographers and designers by making it much easier for designers to afford the imagery they need.

What does that mean to you, the photographer? Traditional stock photography agents generally require a large portfolio before they will even consider you. This is not the case for most microstock agencies. Obviously, traditional agents pay more per image used, but the odds are the image will only sell every now and then due to the cost to the designer.

Microstock, on the other hand, pays very little per sale, often less than a dollar. However, it's not uncommon for an image to sell many times in a single day.

Below, I'll outline what I feel are the three best microstock sites out there today. There are many more, and I certainly utilize them. Choose the ones you feel are the best match for you.

	Pay: .25 per sale normal sale, $20 extended license Accepts: Photos, Illustrations, Video Forums: Yes. ShutterStock forums are very active. Editorial:Yes. One of the few sites that accept editorial images. Exclusive: No. There is no option to go exclusive at ShutterStock. Notes: Must first submit an initial batch of 10 images. Of these 10, seven must be accepted. If not, you must wait 30 days before you can try again. Payment for images can vary. A general sale earns you 25 cents. However, you can earn $20 for a sale with extended licensing, variable amounts generally around $3 from sales at affiliate sites and an additional 5 cents for sales to people who have purchased an image and want a CD backup copy.
	Pay: Depends on size of image downloaded. Ranges from small (.20) to XXL ($4) Accepts: Photos, Illustrations, Videos Forums: Yes and extremely active Editorial: No. All images with recognizable faces must include a model release. Exclusive: Yes. Going exclusive with iStock raises your payment from a 20% commission to a 40% commission. Notes: Seems to have a pretty liberal acceptance standard. That can be good and bad. Good, because you're likely to get many images accepted. Bad, since due to that, many poor images may get accepted leading to designers looking elsewhere. Site navigation can be a bit confusing since the screen is so cluttered, but once you figure it out, it's not so bad. Also, this is one of the oldest microstocks, so it has a large userbase.
	Pay: Depends on size and use: Small images for web (.50), Larger images for print can go at least to $3 (the highest I've seen.) Payment can go even higher with extended license sales. Accepts: Photos and Illustrations Forums: Yes, but not nearly as active as the other two. Editorial: Dreamstime now accepts editorial images! Exclusive: No. Notes: One of the few sites that lets people comment on your photos. A nice feature I'd like to see implemented elsewhere. It also has an easy to navigate layout. Seems to be another site with a pretty liberal acceptance standard.