Microstock photography is much easier to begin with compared to traditional stock photography and is very rewarding for several reasons.

Here’s the 3 main reasons you should get started in microstock photography:

1. Easy to get started
2. Fun and rewarding
3. Almost instant feedback

Just watch the video and let me know what you think. Good or bad comments to the video, please make a comment below.

Why Getting Started in Microstock Photography is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

• Shutterstock Top 50 Ever
• Shutterstock Top fifty This Week
• BigStockPhoto Most Downloaded
• Dreamstime Popular Pictures
• Fotolia Best Sales From Beginning of Time
• Fotolia Number one Sales Last Thirty Days

On top of that it’s wise to examine the top searches to see what’s sought after.

Shutterstock Top hundred Image Searches

Here’s links to the video lessons i mentioned about.

Photography: Getting started with Stock Photography – Part 1
Photography: Getting started in Stock Photography – Part 2: demonstration

So always keep studying hot selling markets and pictures carefully. Then you decide on your market and first later you start snapping photos for this market. Don’t conduct the big mistake to first snap photos and after that try to look for a market, imagine if you find out there are no markets for your pictures.

Images That Sell is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

Interesting and valuable right?

In this video i’ll follow up and show you real world examples how you can find competition and demand for microstock or traditional stock photography. A super easy and somewhat sneaky way to find what kind of niches and images that sell.

If you haven’t already done so, please watch How To Sell Pictures Online – Episode 1 before watching this video.

Note: If you get a number of niches with the same or similar scoring you may pick the niche that has the most downloads (or searches if this information is available).

I personally use a slightly modified formula compared to one used in the video. The formula i personally use is included in a premium product I sell so I can’t give this formula to you or my customers would be  very upset. Hope you understand…

What do you think about the video? Please comment below.

How To Sell Pictures Online – Episode 2 is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

I’ve created a video tutorial how to you can do this. Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about the video by posting a comment below. Thanks!

How To Sell Pictures Online – Episode 1 is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

Listen carefully.

The pillars to successful image submissions rest on what I call “Explosive C4 for successful image submissions”.

And they are:

• C1 – Check for technical issues
• C2 – Compile commercially useful images
• C3 – Conform to the law
• C4 – Create a checklist

Ok, so let’s scrutinize the components one-by-one because this is critical if you submit images to stock agencies.

C1 – Check for technical issues

The first C in “explosive C4 for successful image submissions” is to Check for technical issues.

Blurry images, badly exposed images and images with color casts are all the “kiss of death” if you submit them to a stock agency. You simply won’t get your submission approved and consequently not sell any pictures either.

Just to be clear. I don’t suggest you need a 24 mega pixel camera with long and extremely expensive lenses to succeed in microstock photography. The technical problems I refer to is technical issues related to poor camera handling and poor image editing.

Here’s a list of common mistakes beginners do that often lead to rejected image submissions:

• Not holding camera still causing blurry images
• Setting in-camera sharpening to “on”
• Using the wrong file size or file format
• Noticeable retouching

This is obviously not a complete list but it gives you a good understanding of technical issues you must check for before you make your image submission.

C2 – Compile commercially useful images

The second C in “explosive C4 for successful image submissions” is to Compile commercially useful images.

The stock agencies don’t care about how beautiful or artistic your images are. Bluntly speaking, all they care about is if they can make money selling your images. Nothing else matters. Sorry if I destroyed some idealistic dreams but it’s a fact so you better get over it if you had some doubts. But really, this is good for you because if they sell your photos you get money on the bank.

A great litmus test is to ask yourself, would a magazine be interested to publish this image? If you can find similar images in magazines you know you’re on the right track.

Another somewhat sneaky trick is to spy on the stock agencies using readily available information at their web pages. Hint: you can use #downloads and #images in the search result to determine supply and demand.

C3 – Conform to the law

The third C in “explosive C4 for successful image submissions” is to Conform to the law.

You obviously want to stay out of trouble with the law so knowing what you can and can’t do is critical so you can stay out of trouble with the law but also to preserve your own interests.

Pay special attention if you intend to sell your images for commercial use like for instance advertising or product images on a commercial product. Commercial images require you for instance to have signed model releases for all recognizable individuals in the image. Images for editorial use are much less sensitive and don’t require a model release in most cases.

The problem with Royalty Free licensing is that you never know what the buyer intend to use the image for. It could be both editorial and commercial use so you should always get a signed model release when you sell images with Royalty Free license.

C4 – Create a checklist

The fourth C in “explosive C4 for successful image submissions” is to create a checklist.

There are many steps between taking the image and finally getting it approved by the stock agency and you also have many images to submit to be able to scale your business.

If you do some of the steps in the wrong order you at a minimum waste time or in worst case get your submission rejected because you “forgot” something important. Not only does it waste your time but kills your motivation and good mood too.

Everyone that sell photos need a checklist that covers all important activities and helps you do them in the most time saving order.

I personally have a laminated copy of my own checklist within an arms length from my computer.

Nothing and I mean NOTHING can separate me from my checklist and now you can grab it too including more than 30 training videos.

Just go to http://photosubmissionsecrets.com and grab your own copy.

Explosive C4 for successful image submissions is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

Why has microstock photography become so popular?

I think it’s because it enabled the hobby photographer to enter the scene without having a massive portfolio of images and expensive equipment.

Here’s the main advantages with microstock photography seen from a hobby photographer.

Inexpensive equipment

You can use fairly inexpensive entry level camera equipment and still sell your images through microstock agencies.

Easy submission requirements

The submission requirements are fairly easy compared to many traditional stock agencies, especially the high end stock agencies.

Fast results

In traditional stock photography it takes months or even years to see any noticeable results as it can take a long time before your first sale. In microstock photography you can see almost instant result because of the low price and frequent sales.

Fast feedback

Microstock photography also give you a chance to quickly see if the images you submit are sellable because of the cheap price and frequent sales.  You can quickly analyze the result and change the type of images you submit based on the result.

Now to the question, should you sell through microstock agencies or through traditional stock agencies?

My answer is: BOTH!

I don’t see any reasons to limit your market reach by only selling through one or the other. I market my images through both microstock agencies and traditional stock agencies without any issues.

Increase your market reach and submit your images to as many agencies as is practical and your sales will increase.

Popularity of Microstock Photography is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

1. Commercial reasons

Your images might be rejected because there is no commercial use for your images. Why would a stock agency try to sell images no one want’s to buy.

2. Technical reasons

The second reason for rejected photo submissions of technical nature. Images are often rejected because they are poorly focused, badly exposed, have artifacts or other technical reasons.

3. Legal reasons

The third and final reason for rejected image submissions is legal issues. Typical examples of legal issues are no property or model release and trademarks or logos in royalty free images.

So next time you submit your images you should screen out images that have technical, commercial and legal issues.

Good luck with your image submissions.

The Three Reasons For Failed Image Submissions is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

While it depends on the type of images you sell which microstock agency is the best for you, I typically suggest you try out the “Big 4″ agencies for a natural reason, they have the largest number of buyers.

The “Big 4″ in my view is:

1. http://www.istockphoto.com/
2. http://www.shutterstock.com/
3. http://www.dreamstime.com/
4. http://us.fotolia.com/

iStockPhoto can be a bit picky with your submission so don’t panic if they reject your first submission. You can check out PhotoSubmissionSecrets if you need tips how to get your image submissions approved easily. Also remember that they will be extra tough with your first submission.

In addition I also got some good result selling through the following agencies:

• http://www.photospin.com/
• http://yaymicro.com/

I don’t recommend you sign up exclusively for one agency even though they might pay a little higher commission. I recommend you submit to several agencies to maximize your revenue.

Where to sell microstock? is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

1. Technically good photographs

First, do not confuse this with having the most fancy camera you can buy, it’s NOT because you can simply get by with a cheap 6 Mega Pixel DSLR camera.

Taking good photos from a technical perspective is to 95% related to camera handling and photo editing and only 5% related to the camera you use.

Proof: Not many photographers come even close to Ansel Adams photographs despite he used a bulky old film camera compared to the technical marvels used today.

You need to make sure that you photos are correctly focused, use the right file format, is correctly exposed and doesn’t contain nasty color casts etc.

2. Commercially useful photos

The biggest mistake beginner stock photographers do is to first take images and then hope and pray someone will buy the images. BIG, BIG mistake.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful or artistic a photo is if it’s not commercially useful.

You must first find a good niche and then take and sell photos for that niche.

3. Legally correct photos

No one want’s trouble with the law and that is also true for stock agencies, publishers and photographers. You will have a hard time selling stock photos with big logos in them and images with no model release for commercials.

Be sure to know the law not only to stay out of trouble but also to sell much better.

4. Speed and accuracy of execution

Taking, preparing, submitting and getting image submissions approved is repetitive work and must be done in the right order. Messing up the order things are done will not only increase the risk for rejected submissions but will also cost valuable time and time is money as we all know.

To ensure you work effectively you need a checklist that ensure you make everything in the correct and most time effective way. Making sure you don’t forget to fix technical issues, avoid legal problems and only submit commercially useful photographs.

Download a free checklist from this link now.

Successful Stock Photo Submissions is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com

16 pages of pure content.

No email address required, no jumping through hoops…

… just download the report from this link.

I need to know what you think about the report. Drop me a mail or make a comment below.

Over and out.

Start A Big Profit Microstock Photography Business is a post from: PhotoBusinessGuide.com