Great Escape Publishing

Posted September 20th, 2010 by The Photographer's Life & filed under Travel Photography.

Time for a stock photo progress report… Since I last wrote, I’ve been in Ecuador with photographer Shelly Perry, learning about taking travel photos for stock. Read some tips and see some attendee photos here. It’s exciting to see that while I was gone, more readers are taking the leap and getting started in stock. Here’s the latest news from the Breakfast StockClub Facebook page: From Phillip Garceau: “Just sold my first photo on Fotolia. It’s great to hear the experiences other people have had with stock photography!” From Dana Evanger: “Got my first four photos accepted today… Bigstock accepted them.” From Caroline Maryan, who was with us at the Stock Photo Workshop in Quebec a few weeks ago: “Cross your fingers… I just uploaded three photos to iStockphoto, to apply. Two from the shoot in Quebec, one from Thailand.” Two days later, Caroline added: “Yippee!!! The two from Quebec made it in!!! Soooo, now I need to upload another good one!” Congrats, guys, and keep it up! In Ecuador, Shelly and I talked about what makes a successful stock photographer. She suggested that to be successful in stock, you have to keep up your momentum. Start now, and keep photographing, keep applying, keep uploading. Don’t stop if you get a rejection, or you don’t see a lot of sales right away. Keep up your momentum, and not only will you continue to get better, but you’re more likely to make money, too. And… you know… fund your travels around the world! As for me, I’m up to 16 sales, with 155 total images accepted in four online agencies (see some of the ones that have sold to the right, here). Here’s the breakdown: Bigstock – 52 images, 1 sale Fotolia – 40 images, 6 sales iStock – 33 images, 3 sales Dreamstime – 30 images, 6 sales Another thing Shelly told me in Ecuador is to play the field with stock agencies. I’m ready to make more sales, so this week, my goal is to apply to six more agencies:

Shutterstock
123RoyaltyFree
Veer
Canstock
Crestock
DepositPhotos

I’m excited to see what happens… I’ll let you know how it goes by the end of the week.

In the meantime, go out there and get started… apply to more agencies… take more photos… and make more sales! What’s your goal for the week? Leave a comment on the Breakfast StockClub Facebook page and let me know how it goes. Housekeeping… BSC Readers Only: If you’re joining us at the Ultimate Stock Photo Workshop in Delray this October 29-31, drop me a note to let me know that you’re a BSC reader so that I can put you on the list for the BSC-only Pirate-themed photo shoot on the beach. This is going to be a fun, creative shoot, and I don’t want any BSC-ers to miss out!! ALSO: Leave a comment on the Breakfast StockClub Facebook page, so that you’ll know who else is going. If you’re not yet signed up for the workshop, hurry to get in so that you don’t miss out on ALL of the awesome photo shoots we have planned… I’ve heard talk about vampires, zoo animals, Valentine’s themes, business themes, a restaurant, a cigar bar, a circus tent, and more. Plus, all the new stock photo skills you learn in Delray will be applicable to all of the photos you take from here on out. Turn your camera into a money-maker in three days!! Only a dozen seats remain, so get on this before it’s too late! [Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]