Rasmus Rasmussen dot com

Microstock has become a standard expression in the media industry, but it was iStockphoto that started it all. Including, as you may know, my own journey into photography. In the following, I would like to give you an introduction to becoming a contributor at the website, that has changed my life in too many ways to mention.

In short iStockphoto serves as an agency, providing photographs, illustrations, video and more for royalty free, commercial use. In the case of photos, these are priced depending on the resolution in which they are sold, meaning that tiny versions are less expensive than huge ones. The maximum resolution available being the native resolution of the camera it was shot with. Photographers get a percentage of the sales price, starting at 20% and maxing out at twice that. These royalties increase as more photos are sold, depending on exclusivity.

When a contributing photographer has sold a minimum of 250 photos, and has an overall approval rating (I’ll get to that in a sec) of at least 50%, she can apply for exclusivity. To be an exclusive photographer with iStockphoto gives you certain advantages:

• Higher royalty payouts.
• Faster image approval process.
• Access to iStock events (iStockalypses) all over the world.
• Free businesscards annually (from moo.com) w. promotional code on the back.

The only “but” is, that you can’t sell or give away your photos as royalty free stock anywhere else. You can still do work for hire, such as shoot weddings or the next Coca-Cola ad, and you can still sell your work under a rights managed license. If you do become exclusive and later change your mind, you can quit with 30 days notice.

Application process

Before you get that far, you first have to be approved as a contributing photographer. To achieve this, you are asked to familiarize yourself with the quality standards, as presented in an online manual, and then submit three samples of your work. The idea of these samples is to show that you understand the quality standards, and to show that you can actually use a camera. The best thing to do, is to upload the cleanest, crispest and most striking photos you have, that are all different and that are all stock worthy. They should be color corrected and all that jazz, but not processed to the point where they look unreal. Don’t upload three phonecam shots from last Friday’s night out with the guys, no matter how much fun you were having. Show them what you can do!

Even if you fail the first time on the samples, don’t sweat it. The application inspectors will tell you what you did wrong and how to fix it, and you’ll get another chance. Eventually, you’ll get it right and you can start submitting photos to your very own stock portfolio.

Image Inspections

Each and every submitted photo is inspected by people like me. We have all been recruited from within the contributing member force of the site and undergone further training, to go from knowing the standards to mastering them. Inspections are the same for exclusives and non-exclusives, although they have seperate queues and the exclusive one tends to move faster. If an image does not live up to the required standards, it is rejected. Sometimes with the option to resubmit the image, if the problem is deemed fixable (resubmitted images keep their spot in the queue, so you won’t have as long a wait). Your approval rating is based on, how many of your submissions that are approved versus rejected.

Don’t be suprised, if you have quite a few rejected images at first. For most people, there will be aspects the need a little work, either technically, legally (no logos!) or understanding exactly what makes an image good stock, as opposed to a snapshot or even art. Every rejection comes with a note, explaining why this particular shot didn’t make it, and there is even a method of appeal, if you feel that the inspectors are wrong.

After the first 50 or so submissions, you will have a much better feel for what is what, and most likely have a much higher approval rate than when you first signed up. If you submit regularly, the needed skills and knowledge of will most likely be spot on after about 6 months. By the time you are ready to apply for exclusivity, your approval rating probably won’t be an issue.

Experiences and Expectations

There is much more to iStockphoto than simply uploading and selling photos. There are forums, where you can get more help from fellow contributors, watch designers battle it out in the “Steel Cage” (they use iStock images to do judged composite/design battles, fighting for download credits) or take part in a real life iStockphoto event. There are many more aspects to explore, including opportunities for networking with clients as well as other photograhers.

I have been with iStockphoto since 2000 (even though my profile page says 2002), and I’ve met so many fantastic people, including my wife, through there. I have moved across the world, I have learned new techniques and seen my work in use on everything from book covers in Poland to billboards in Texas, and most importantly, I’ve had a hell of a ride. Has it made me rich? No, and it probably never will. For me, part of the journey has been discovering where my photographic passion lies (portraits, baby!) and by being able to play around, I have found a style of my own and still sold enough to keep me motivated along the way.

You shouldn’t go into microstock photography expecting to do it full time a year from signing up. Most of us use it as a supplement to our main income, and only the most dedicated, specialized contributors can make a living off of microstock alone. Before committing to working as hard as that takes, try it out for a while and see how you like it. Shooting pro-quality stock is not easy, as you will discover when you begin setting up your first shoots using real models, studio sets, lights and all that good stuff (it is however, a lot of fun). Progress at your own pace, experiment and play along the way, and find the niche that is right for you.

It is very realistic to make your photography gear pay for itself through iStockphoto, or pay off the car, even help send your kid to college. If you go beyond that in earnings, congratulations, you’ve got what it takes to become a pro! I hope to see more of your stuff coming through the inspection queue soon.

This post is the final chapter in a series about my experiences with stock photography, tips and pointers, meant to offer a little inspiration to those interested in such things. For a complete and chronological list of articles in this series, check out the Microstock Photographer’s Guide.

Photo credit: Me!

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