Tips on how to sell your images

[jypsee]

...gallery to incorporate the slideshow feature and when I view yours and mine on my big digital display I see a "flicker" as each photo loads in Firefox; no such anomaly exists on my teeny tiny laptop screen. It's not present in IE, with either display.
I modified your (Sheila's) words on the fly late last night ... used your "user description" for the jumping off point.
http://www.pbase.com/jypsee

I currently use a redirect for a gallery set up here for the prints I sell (mainly use it for a portfolio) and will probably redo that gallery to reflect my stonelakephotography.com web presence. Pbase is SO much easier than maintaining a web site!!

I have changed the slide show images to medium size (rather than original). Perhaps those who have Firefox can take a peak and let me know if this works!

Cheers
Sheila

[rtg20]

there's something to be said for having your own website, I don't like the layout pbase uses.

here's my website, all the image names, captions etc. are in a database and I wrote all the software myself. It was quite a lot of work but adding photos is easy - just copy them over to the server, go to an add page (which generates the thumbnails, etc.) and then decide what categories you want them in.

http://www.orang-utan.com/gallery/

Richard

[sheila]

there's something to be said for having your own website, I don't like the layout pbase uses.

here's my website, all the image names, captions etc. are in a database and I wrote all the software myself. It was quite a lot of work but adding photos is easy - just copy them over to the server, go to an add page (which generates the thumbnails, etc.) and then decide what categories you want them in.

http://www.orang-utan.com/gallery/

Richard

I have my own website, too, Richard, but it does not have 1% of the hits that PBase does. I went into your gallery - the animal gallery and the only image which downloaded was the gull. Several minutes later, still nothing happened (and I am on broadband). Back to the drawing board
Cheers
Sheila

[dejan]

Here is a link to an article written by a lawyer/photographer which makes an interesting read. This relates to Australian law as it stands and is possibly relevant to UK law. http://www.4020.net/unposed/photorights.shtml

Thanks for this. Clears many questions I often wondered about. Personally I agree with this statement in the article:

"Legislation aside, use a little common sense. Whenever you take a photo of someone, ask yourself is it the kind of thing you wouldn't mind others taking of you. The bloke picking his nose; the other scratching his crotch; the overweight Bogan screeching at her kids… Ask yourself: do you really need to humiliate people to make a point?"

That also relates to some discussion about candid photography on this forum last month.

[rtg20]

Thanks for (trying to) take a look! It's working fine for me and no one else has reported problems. Maybe give it another go?

I like your pbase pics, but I don't think the pbase website does them justice!

I have my own website, too, Richard, but it does not have 1% of the hits that PBase does. I went into your gallery - the animal gallery and the only image which downloaded was the gull. Several minutes later, still nothing happened (and I am on broadband). Back to the drawing board
Cheers
Sheila

[icholakov]

This is my gallery with about 1/3rd of the photos I've sold via microstock:

http://www.pbase.com/icholakov/sold_photos

What i find to be agreat feature is that Google can index my photos via pbase and I receive requests and many hits. The actual photos I sell via the stock agency. Before selling them I usually have to remove identifying marks such as logos, brand names,etc. It hasn't made me rich yet but it's fun to see which photos generate interest and which don't. These are my two best sellers:




in the form of their 4 mpx otiginals

[sheila]

Microstock agencies make the money, not the photographer. I cannot understand why photographers sell their work for so little - in some cases for 25 cents a pop.

I had better stop here before I get really angry

Cheers
Sheila

[rtg20]

At the risk of making you angry, Sheila...25 cents/pic is better than nothing (which is what I'm getting at the moment!)...?

I could easily build a keyword search into my site. Do you think that would be better than selling the pics at microstock...?

icholakov, feel free not to answer this - but how much money have you made...?

[sheila]

Thanks for (trying to) take a look! It's working fine for me and no one else has reported problems. Maybe give it another go?

I like your pbase pics, but I don't think the pbase website does them justice!

I have my own website, too, Richard, but it does not have 1% of the hits that PBase does. I went into your gallery - the animal gallery and the only image which downloaded was the gull. Several minutes later, still nothing happened (and I am on broadband). Back to the drawing board
Cheers
Sheila

I tried again, Richard but the small thumbnails to the left don't open at all regardless how long I wait and the large image to the right is too large and I have to scroll across to see the complete image. Don't assume that everyone has widescreen monitors If potential buyers have to do the same, they will soon lose interest I assure you!

I still prefer the look of PBase and also its huge exposure. Just Google my name anywhere in the world and up pops my site on either the first or second page of the Google search. Also Google "aborigine, aboriginal, Australia" and again up I pop. I am not bignoting myself - its just a fact of life. PBase has good exposure. Conversely, I can Google my name again and not one time does my own personal site show up in the search.

Cheers
Sheila

[clickaway]

I'm with Sheila about stock agencies. They not only rip you off, but by doing so they are pulling the price down for others too. They are just taking advantage in the huge upsurge caused by the digital revolution, where so many people are ignorant of a photograph's true worth.

Another points is that they do not allow logos to be shown for copyright reasons. I have been taking airliner photographs for 36 years, and so I see the cloning out of airline logos somewhat 'criminal' from a reality and aesthetic point of view. I am very proud that I have made the odd sale through a specialist photo site, especially when they are sold to an enthusiastic indivdual or a corporation such as Singapore Airlines for public display.

What kind of kicks can you get for selling an image for 25 cents?

Ray

[christophertravels]

I have tried to find my own images on a google image search, and no luck. I can find everyone else's photos. What am I doing wrong?

My photos have a title as required. What else do I need to have my photos searchable?

Thanks

[rtg20]

I tried again, Richard but the small thumbnails to the left don't open at all regardless how long I wait and the large image to the right is too large and I have to scroll across to see the complete image. Don't assume that everyone has widescreen monitors If potential buyers have to do the same, they will soon lose interest I assure you!

Thanks for trying again. Did you see the reduce and enlarge buttons...? Maybe I'll put the size option on the very front page as right now you have to view it first as too big and then reduce it. I'm going to add site search facility to my software this weekend.

Don't get what you mean by "thumbnails...don't open"?

I still prefer the look of PBase and also its huge exposure. Just Google my name anywhere in the world and up pops my site on either the first or second page of the Google search. Also Google "aborigine, aboriginal, Australia" and again up I pop. I am not bignoting myself - its just a fact of life. PBase has good exposure. Conversely, I can Google my name again and not one time does my own personal site show up in the search.

Exposure is key - loads of people have heard of pbase. I found you not through Google but pbase! But pbase don't work search engine magic and it's not necessary if you want to come top of the list. If you fiddle with your site a bit then it should come top of the list if you type your name into Google.

Richard

[homerhomer]

Thank you Sheila for the unsolicited and helpfull advice, much appreciated.
Now, is anyone using smug-smug, from what I read in their pricing info, they seem to take care of alot of headaches that maybe associated with selling(printing, shipping, website etc), and give alot of room for flexibility.
Pbase

[charleswilliam3]

I'm with Sheila about stock agencies. They not only rip you off, but by doing so they are pulling the price down for others too. They are just taking advantage in the huge upsurge caused by the digital revolution, where so many people are ignorant of a photograph's true worth.

So what is a photograph's "true" worth? The days of silver halide are done, man. The digital revolution is has run its course, its old news, don't be a dinosaur. It is due time that photographers stop tauting some imaginary worth to their images. The only worth to a photo is in how much someone is willing to pay for it; its called free-market economics (stupid! ;p). If you take spectacular photos (and they have to be REAL amazing now that the market is saturated with digital images), then you will get a good price for your work. The real problem is that the consumer (photo buyers and photo lookers) are not discerning. So stop crying, get out there and start shooting better!

And just for the record: Microstocks take the same percentage fee for photo sales as traditional stock. No microstock agency is getting more then 60% on my photos; they just sell more (for less) than the traditionals. Believe me, as soon as I can move up into a higher per sale range (and still get the sales) I will. But for now, as I grow as a commercial photographer, I will take what I can get. Like a previous poster said; 25 cents is more than nothing.

[avsphotos]

I think this is a great post for anyone like me who is just trying to see what is out there and how to even take the first step...great job... I think this may be converted into a PBase WIKI with all the knowledge the people have over here....Thanks!
-Vibhav