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Selling photos online

Started by Timmay, September 16, 2004, 06:28:05 PM

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Timmay

I've just bought me a Canon EOS 300D, and want to get into photography a bit more. I'm looking at the possibility of putting my photos on t'internet somewhere, on one of these sites that sell your work - for a fee, natch.

Does anyone sell their photo work, or indeed any creative work online? Or use these types of sites? Are they any good, and which is the best?

I got contacted the other day by a guy who'd seen my photos on a stock photo site, who said he was setting up a new site where you can sell your work. But I don't want to put my photos somewhere where they're not going to get seen, and therefore bought. So I was looking at a more established site, for plenty of immediate visibility, but they all seem to be Am$rican.

Regular John

Getty Images have a UK branch ((http://creative.gettyimages.com/source/home/homeCreative.aspx?country=gbr)

Pick up a copy of something like Creative Review and look up the stock image companies in the back, plenty in there.

fanny splendid

I just saw this site, and it's basic package is £25 a year with no commission.

Timmay

Just had a look at that site, and although the commission free idea looks nice, they only give you 10 image spaces with that package. I've got a lot more than that at sxc.hu, and I've been contacted at least 8 times to say that someone would like to use my work. I get them to send me links to it, if it's publically accessible - stroke my ego like.

Anyway, the number of people contacting me about using them is a drop in the ocean compared to the number of downloads they've all had. Hence why I'd like to stick some of them, plus more when I get into it, onto a proper site where I can earn some £$£$ from it.

I've wandered a tad; the point of this post was to say 10 images wouldn't be enough, at least eventually anyway.

Although for £25 per year, I might choose my 10 best (and most sellable) shots, and see if I can't make a profit.

Timmay

Found Shutterpoint, and their package seems quite good - $25 for 100MB of storage for a year, although I'm not sure what the commission is yet.

Anyone used them?

terminallyrelaxed

Nope, but this is all jolly interesting, keep us posted won't you? I just never thought it was worth it or that people would buy, but if they are going to publish I guess they have to. Are you going to put dirty great watermarks over the samples to discourage copying? And whats the sxc.hu thing or whatever it is? I seem to remember you having a shot of James Bond's car on there or something? How does that work then?

Timmay

sxc.hu is a free stock photography site - basically a site with all sorts of bits and bobs on it, but high-quality bits and bobs. I suppose it's like Google Image search, but anything you find will be hi-res.

I won't be on there for much longer though - I've just joined Shutterpoint, and will be transferring the most popular photos from sxc.hu onto there. No point in keeping em for free on one site, when it's $20 on another!

But yeah, I wasn't sure whether people would *actually* pay for my odds and ends of photos, but from looking at the other photos on Shutterpoint, mine compare quite favourably. I will indeed let you know how I go though! You'll be able to tell when I turn up to the next meet in a DB9. *cough* *splutter* ;)

untitled_london

Quote from: "Timmay"You'll be able to tell when I turn up to the next meet in a DB9. *cough* *splutter* ;)

DB9's shouldn't cough & splutter, and if yours does you owe it to the rest of us to get it fixed


;)

terminallyrelaxed

This is fab. $20 you say? Thats the sxc.hu one that you are leaving, yes? I have quite a few photos that I might be able to shift but can't really pay at the mo - which one is free again? Sorry I'm a bit confused...

Timmay

sxc.hu is the free stock photo exchange site - free to join, images are free to download. It's all free.

Shutterpoint is $15 per year, for 50MB of storage (there are other rates, with different storage amounts), and they take a 15% cut from the sale price of your photo - which you specify, but the minimum you can put it on for is $20, and the maximum is $999,999. I've put a couple of mine on for that much.

Some people take perfectly composed, perfect coloured arty photos and put them on - I however tend to go for specialised things, local things (although it's usually down to my inability to take arty shots). For example, there is a total of 1 other picture of Cheltenham on there, so hopefully a bit of a niche for me, especially with all this photogenic countryside around.

fanny splendid


Timmay


fanny splendid


sproggy

Just out of interest, what is it the person gets for their buck?

Do you supply a photo print or are they buying access to the full .jpg file for download?

Timmay

They get a high-resolution photo of whatever they're looking for, to use for pretty much whatever they want. Previously a few of my free ones have been used on corporate intranets, one on a University site about one of its courses, a few on Webopedia, and probably several more where they've not contacted me about it.

If you're designing something specific (electronic or physical medium), you know quite specifically what you're looking for, and if you find the right image in a good quality, you're willing to pay £10-£15 for it.

Of course, depending on the image, I guess some people would want it to create prints from.

terminallyrelaxed

Fab. I'm going to have good look at the free one. I imagine the biggest customers are people looking to publish - brochures, flyers and the like.
I think I'm more at the mediocre arty end, rather  than niche markets, but we'll see how it goes......

Timmay

Quote from: "Timmay"sxc.hu is the free stock photo exchange site - free to join, images are free to download. It's all free.
It's all free. Your images are free for anyone to download. Free. Gratis. You get no money out of it.

I wasn't sure if you quite realised that.

terminallyrelaxed