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The Business of Microstock Photography

What are the opportunities in today's stock photo market? Our panel of experts fills you in.

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1. Highlights (2:00)

Table of Contents

  1. Highlights (2:00) 2:00 FREE!
  2. Microstock Gets Big (8:38) 8:38
    Jack Hollingsworth begins by explaining that microstock is growing and developing; 2009 is the year things changed for good. The landscape is changing for creators and resellers, and the industry is growing up. He points to microstockdiaries.com and microstockgroup.com as the two key sites in the space.
  3. Advice and Perspective (14:40) 14:40
    Ellen Boughn started the first photo agency on the West Coast; she's seen lots of changes in the industry. She explains the directions in which microstock might go, makes some predictions and gives advice to photographers.
  4. Free is the New F-Word (10:17) 10:17
    Garth Johnson talks about "the F-word," which, in microstock, is "free." What are the new economics of stock photography? Fotolia and others are giving away millions of high-quality free photos right now. Supply isn't a problem, but how do we monetize it?
  5. Making Macro Money in Microstock (10:23) 10:23
    Andres Rodriguez is one of the most successful photographers in microstock; he sells about 1600 images a day. He answers the question: can I make money in microstock? Creativity makes a huge difference, and social media can help.
  6. Questions and Answers, Part 1 (15:23) 15:23
    The panel answers questions from the audience: What are the economics of a microstock company? How do the mechanisms of search affect microstock? What about copying? The crowd dictates what's popular. Can you use the same image for macro and micro?
  7. Questions and Answers, Part 2 (16:31) 16:31
    More questions for the experts: Where does video fit in? Is the demand as great as they say? What are the barriers to entry and to success?

Video Details

Today, more stock photos are created, sold, and used than ever before. While this makes it near-impossible for photographers and agencies to continue profiting from high-priced stock, microstock is thriving. During this panel discussion, microstock agencies, successful microstockers and traditional stock photographers will discuss current trends and opportunities in the microstock market. This panel is moderated by Jack Hollingsworth, Creative Director, jackhollingsworth.com, LLC, and features Ellen Boughn, Stock Photo Consultant, ellenboughn.com; Garth Johnson, Executive Vice President, North America, Fotolia, LLC; and Andres Rodriguez, Photographer, Andresr Photography.

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