Hey! I'm Tracy! :) Photographer. Homeschool Mum of 3. Living in New Zealand. Making RU-vids about photography and living a creative life... Later in life. Lol
this guilt that you discuss here is extremely real! tricky to balance that much-needed free time when you've got years & years of media that needs attention (along with ALLLL the adulting we have to do lol). glad to hear this discussed, it's not an overly-talked about point!
Well, I think that there's short term gain when you're trading time for money - like doing one off gigs. And then there's marathons like stock photography - where you invest your time up front and you get pay back later. BUT, the people I've seen online who are successful at it, treat it like a job. Some are making 6 figures out of it, but they have a 10 year portfolio. And I keep seeing it repeated, that it's only about 10% of that portfolio that's actually making the money. The other 90% is just there to basically point to the 10%. At this point, I'm going off other creators I'm watching, cos I've only ever made a few dollars. But I also get that you need to have a large portfolio to make larger money. I think the only exception would be if you got something REALLY timely - like during "the big sick" a few years ago, people that were making content related to that did quite well I think. And also some strategy - paying attention to what people are talking about, and then making content specifically for that. For instance, if you enjoy doing health related photography, maybe there's a new diet fad everyone's raving about - so if you make content on that, it's going to sell better for example. So there's definitely strategy to it - but it's possible. It's just up to you if you want to put the time and effort into it. Like working out - you've got to be strategic and consistent to see results. There's always people succeeding in area's and those failing. It's up to you if you're willing to dip your toes in to try. :)
Keep up the good work. Stock photography is also a numbers game. More photos means more downloads. I started in 2018, I think with a few sales in 2 years. Now I have an average sale of 60 photos per month, spread over 6 stock sites. I've got around 1300 photo's.
Your RU-vid channel is genuine and awesome. I’ve done stock for a while, just for fun really, but my biggest thrill was in 2019 when I sold a photo for $8 and one for $18. My thinking is always that my photos won’t earn anything just sitting in my photo library.
:) Thanks! That's actually the best way to put it. If you're going to have photo's, why not just store them on a stock site and at least make money from them? It's kind of like having a portfolio online of your work and instead of paying for a website, they pay you occassionally. lol. It's crazy, cos most of the time they're really small prices - I've often said how disproportionate the joy is for even a 10c sale. I can't imagine how happy I'd be to get an $18 sale! 😂
This could be my story! Same reason I never made the step forward. And guess what, I started around the same time as you did with stockphotography, maybe a few months earlier, and it's slowly getting somewhere. 🙂 And yesterday I uploaded my first Ai image, just to try it out and see if it's something to do on the side together with photography. And I'm working on uploading video's too. But what you did is a great idea, taking photo's while doing the daily tasks. Why didn't I think of that, duh... 🙈 Love seeing you video's each month from the other side of the world. 😉
I'm pretty sure my story is lots of people's stories. There's always so many complicated reasons why we don't take steps forward - and the hardest part is when you go "I'm a fairly intelligent person, WHY can't I figure this out?" And truthfully I've found the only answer is cos I'm afraid to take that step forward. As soon as I take that step forward, I end up figuring something else out - that I never would have, had I not actually DONE it myself. That's quite simply what all the "experts" have over the rest of us I've come to believe - they simply take steps that we're afraid to. I'd love to see your portfolio - can you send me the link? It's so cool to see what others are doing! I'm also trying to get into video at the moment - I'd love to get good at video too - but one step at a time. lol. And AI fascinates me. My other half and my kids are creating a game and are using AI to help solidify some of the idea's. They already had half the game designed, but questions around landscape idea's and stuff - it's AMAZING what AI can do. What program are you using?
Honestly Asheesh, I would love to too - but I don't think/speak well on camera. I think so much better when I write, so I script most of it before I film. And with the kids in the background, it's easy to get distracted while I'm doing it - and some days I'm just exhausted from burning the candle at both ends at the moment. So I put it together like that because I'm often looking down at the script I have on my phone, so it doesn't come out as naturally as I'd like - thus the quick cuts. It's a skill I'm hoping to improve on, but - as they say - you have to start somewhere. :) Thanks for reaching out though, I appreciate all the feedback to get better!
I have a 5D classic and mark 2. Love them. I purchased a couple of extra batteries for them and I have a portable solar panel that I can charge them with when I’m out in the field.
appreciate the vid! it's worth the couple hundred bucks for set of wireless mics; you've got a cool channel going here with relevant content/info, your audience will DEF appreciate improving your legibility when it comes to audio quality. keep up the good work and thanks again!
Thanks! I'm trying to improve it in editing at the moment, but as soon as I'm able, i'll be investing in some better audio gear. Especially because the setup I have is just one huge open plan room, we're right next to the main road, and I'm always filming with the kids on their computers in the background - I think a wireless mic is a good idea for a start.
@@redandthewolfphotography sounds like you’re on top of it! Even consider something like wired earbuds for $10-20 that plug into phone, and can sync audio easily from there. Affordable hack, but might be worth it while waiting to get into proper mics. I personally love stumbling across smaller channels like yours, picking up tips, and seeing channels grow. You’ve got a cool format and good info, no reason this won’t grow imo! Keep up the good work, we appreciate you 👌
Thanks for the kind words. It's such a neat thing to watch your channel grow, and even though often there's that drop off in the views as the video progresses - I'm amazed still at the number of people who watch my video's to the end. It's very humbling. Hopefully I can help or inspire others the way I've found help and inspiration here on RU-vid. :) I might just try out the ear bud thing - I've got an extension around somewhere, so I can probably plug them directly into the camera. I'll test it out tomorrow when I film and see how it comes out.
@@redandthewolfphotography the audio is prob a small detail in the big picture, but in a weird way i just want the best for this cool little channel 😊 (and it helps legibility to folks who do not have the same native tongue). it adds a little bit of work in post to sync audio, but nothing you can't handle i'm sure. also worth testing a few built-in noise reducers or vocal enhancers depending on what you're editing in. i think we're in approaching a different age of YT where the real & relevant creators are captivating their audience more than channels with 100k++ subs. much rather watch/interact with industry pro i relate to vs influencer on the same topic with watered down info and constantly selling their plug-ins/lut packs/sneaky collabs etc.. and tbh, I think in the next year or two we're going to see a very subtle but sizable shift in what viewers want. this is pure speculation, but in a sentence, i think we're going to see honesty & transparency prevail ... we've all had enough of these 'well-lit camera box readers' saying the same stuff as everyone else, and not being daring enough to say the downsides/downfalls of certain things. this is a long-winded way of saying thanks for putting the focus/effort into something that means something to you, and subsequently helps inform/inspire the folks in the camera industry. sorry for long reply, yay afternoon-expresoo hahahaa!
@@kernzilla It's really nice to see other people who like to write novels like I do! lol. Thanks so much for the supportive comments. I really think the whole "business" side of youtube is important, but some people DEFINITELY do a better job than others. I really love it when someone takes the time to be creative with ads or sponsorships, rather than just reading it out. I have to admit, even on TV, most ads are rubbish... I really love it when I find an ad that makes me laugh and is super clever. I think people need to be just actually genuine - and that's missing from lots of creators. Still SOOO much to learn on this platform, but if I just get 1% better each time (either in front of the camera or in my processes), then I figure in another year or two, I'll be on the right road finally! :)
It's interesting what you said about looking through the viewfinder with a DSLR. One of the reasons I went mirrorless is that I can shoot video while looking through the viewfinder, something I can't do with my DSLRs. It's especially handy if you're shooting birds. I tend to go for Wasabi batteries for my cameras. They're not a cheapo brand and they're reliable, but they are cheaper than the genuine Nikon battteries. Keep in mind, Nikon and Canon, etc, aren't battery manufacturers, companies like Wasabi are. I have heard that the new Nikon Z6iii will only work with genuine Nikons though. Good to see your subscriber count in the background is going up every time I watch one of your videos. 201 as I type this.
I guess that's one bonus of the mirrorless, everything can be seen through the viewfinder. I find myself in a funny space and time - loving the technology that can help me learn and start a business, but still loving the mechanical aspect of some things. My concern with the on-brand batteries, is that if there's ever any issues, I can say that I followed the instructions and used what was provided. In my older cameras (both of which were second hand), I just used the cheaper non-brand batteries. But when you really splurge on something like the 5D and the 24-70 lens... there were a few things I wanted to make absolutely sure were the "right" thing to protect it. And yea, I'm super humbled to watch my numbers go up each day. It's a bit weird, because I'm still learning myself, but it's really nice. And the coolest thing, is getting to chat with people around the world like yourself! Just mindblowing. :)
hey tracy adventurer your content is amazing been watching ur videos from few days u need to improve the color grading and add key points through the captions bit transitions its bit appealing just an observation it can get more engaged audience Lemme know if you need an video editor.
Hi! Thanks for that. :) I still have a lot to do in the area of colour grading - actually, lots to learn about the whole process! But just like with photography, another few years and I'll get it right. :)
It's definitely been a slow start for me, but it's also been a busy year. I'd suggest giving yourself a time frame and going full on into it. The more you put up, the faster you'll see results - either it'll work for you or not. Best of luck with it!! :)
I love your comment about how would your friends describe your photography, food photographer, portrait photographer or just "photographer". Being drawn and marketing to a specific type of photography doesn't mean you can't photograph other things as you mentioned, it just gives you your own spot on the "shelf" so people can find you.
I think in the beginning most of us just want to photography EVERYTHING. I just took my camera everywhere. lol. But now I'm wanting to move into the professional field - I really need to niche down, and I think if your friends can describe what you do, I think that's a good indication that you're representing yourself on social media well. And that's a great analogy - yea, it's like being in the right spot on the shelf to be found. That's exactly it.
thanks for sharing this video, Really useful. need a small guidance from you. I am new to Shuttershock. I created few illustrations on Adobe Express related to World Blood Donor day and uploaded on Shutterstock. I can see these are rejected with the reasons - Plagiarized Content - I created these on Adobe Express and not copied from somewhere else. Does this rejection means that illustration created using different platforms like Adobe Express or Canva is not allowed to sell as stock. Need your guidance on this please. Your guidance will be very useful for me so that I will be careful in future. Thanks for your time and guidance.
Hi Sandeep! My understanding is that things need to be 100% original. So if you are creating something where you are "curating" rather than "creating from scratch" - that's not fully original. So for example, if you are using elements or templates provided by Canva or Adobe Express, that's probably why you're getting a rejection in this instance. If you are only using fonts and shapes (squares, circles, triangles, etc), it would probably be ok. But any additional elements - such as photo's, Adobe Express or Canva specific png's, pre-made logo designs - that's most likely the issue. My suggestion would be to learn a little about adobe's firefly if you want to get into AI created work (which you can then alter if you choose), and / or InDesign or Illustrator, where you can guarantee that your design work is 100% yours. Currently only Adobe Stock allows for anything AI created. Shutterstock is not allowing AI yet. There's a tonne of fascinating and helpful tutorials on youtube for all of them if you're interested. :) I hope this helps and you can get on with some awesome design work in the future! :)
I'm curious, you mentioned in other videos the phrase "Keyword Research". Where do you do this? That's one of the biggest issues I have. As a side note, I had one rejected by Shutterstock for copywrite infringement because a historical marker was in it. Go figure.
I will be making a video on this in the near future, but the basis of what I do, is to go into shutterstock and adobe stock, and type up what I THINK I would type up if I were looking for my own images. So if I had a photo of a daisy, I'd type up "daisy" in the search term, and then find similar images and copy the keywords. I aim for 49 keywords, but some of my images I'm lucky if I get to 20 to describe them. That's sort of the basics, so start with that at least. I'll try to remember to drop you a comment when I create and load up that video. :)
Adobe are accepting editorial now. I had several images accepted in mid May with the Qantas logo. It's interesting what you say about stock being a naughty word. Back in my younger days, I dreamt of becoming a stock photographer. This was before digital and the stock libraries were extremely difficult to get accepted into. Everything was physical transparencies that actually resided in a physical library and only the best photographers had images in them. There is that element now of people thinking they can make money from their happy snaps shot on their phone. It's the same with contest websites like Gurushots, where people think they can win challenges with any old rubbish, because that's the way Gurushots is marketed.
I think with photography and videography becoming so available to everyone these days, you're definitely going to see more of the "oh, photography is just point and click, so anyone can do it" attitude - which I think filters down into the "cheap" feeling sometimes. I think it's a blessing and a curse - it's more saturated, but it's also more accessible for those of us coming into it later in life, or who are living somewhere that would have made it more "restrictive" (for lack of a better word) back before the internet. So - I have to ask - have you followed your dream? Are you a stock photographer full time? :)
I find Alamy is the fussiest with quality issues. To make things worse, if you upload a batch of images and one of them is rejected, they reject the whole batch without looking at the rest of the images. I don't know if this changes as your QC level goes up. Adobe is where I've had the most sales over the years, but they are by far the slowest at reviewing images. I have an image waiting for review there, that sold on Shutterstock the day after it was uploaded. It's still waiting on Adobe 25 days later. Adobe seem to be accepting my videos a lot quicker than my images. My biggest seller and most recent sale, is one I originally uploaded to Fotolia back in 2007. Fotolia was absorbed into Adobe Stock a few years ago. I've had images on stock libraries for a long time, but it's only the last month that I've started getting back into it.
Yea, Adobe's review process is CRAZY slow. I've actually found them to be the pickiest with quality issues. And I had images sitting there for months that I just ended up deleting cos they were clogging up my work flow. Also - just saw your second comment, so that answers my first question about if you followed your stock photography dreams. lol. :)
Hi Tracy, by far the quickest way to lift your earnings is video. Your photos are nice so if you can get some clips along the way and start uploading them, they'll start to pay off much bigger in the longer run.
That's definitely part of my plan. I really want to improve my filming too - and that's a great way to do both at the same time! It's great to get feedback that I'm heading in the right track though! :)
Yes. I do keyword research first, then title them from the keywords I've collected. I generally batch them - so I'll do 20 or 30 images at a time, and go through each and keyword each. Also, I keep my keywords for other images, so it's helpful if I have similar images to just go back and cut and paste relevent ones. Also, Adobe is really good at coming up with extra keywords, so I always paste them in there first, and collect Adobe's other suggestions.
Great video, for someone just starting out you seem to know your stuff. Can I ask if you considered istock Getty? If not why not? And if you did why did you not choose them to upload to?
The short answer is yes - I had no specific agencies in mind when I started research except shutterstock, as that was the only one I had already uploaded half a dozen to a few years back. When I really got into it this year, I did do some research, but I also decided I would start with 5 (and not stress too much over it, just to get started), and after doing my research, I chose the 5 I currently use. But that's not to say I wouldn't use iStock at some point. I do remember seeing some not-so-great reviews from contributors who were reputable, but I can't remember the exact reason I chose not to try them. But I certainly won't bad mouth them, as I haven't had any personal experience using their services.
Well, hopefully by the end of the year I'll be able to look back and see the ups and downs, but ultimately see the progression. But I really appreciate seeing other people's ups and downs too, that's why I want to include the not so great times too. Social media often makes everything look so perfect, I think we need some doses of realism. :)
Hey! I've literally just put it up! It's been a pretty hectic past few months, and this is the first chance I've had to catch up! It's not quite my normal upload, but I hope you like it. <3 It's honest, if nothing else. lol
That's absolutely why I make these videos. I really appreciate watching other creators, and I just love joining in the conversation. Plus it challenges me in other ways. :) Thanks for popping over!!
Really enjoying your videos! I'm in Otago and have been dabbling in stock photography for a couple of years, but decided to get serious over the last month or so. I clearly remember being way over-excited about my first 10c sale 😂 so can totally relate haha. Looking forward to seeing how your stock journey unfolds.
I'm up at the base of the Coromandel, but it's so nice to connect with other NZ photographers! I'm still crazy excited over any sale - I'll take 10c over a thumbs up like on facebook any day. 🤣🤣🤣 One day I'm just hoping there'll be like 100 sales in a day, rather than like 3 a month. But I'll get there eventually. :)
@@redandthewolfphotography yes it was nice to hear a kiwi accent :) I'm at 10-20 a month, slow and steady is all good. Haha good point - 10c is definitely worth more than a like!
Great video and very interesting. Thank you for the upload 😊. One constructive criticism, could you speak slightly slower please, and the tightly cut edits add to the fast feel, which would be better if slowed down just a bit please. But then again, I'm just old 🙄😅.
Hey! I'm so sorry I haven't replied to your message! It's been a crazy past few months, and I'm behind on EVERYTHING. lol. I tried to speak a little slower this time, but I also cut my video a lot because I'm not good at recording and so I write a script and then basically just speak one line at a time - so I often have to mush it together so it doesn't sound quite so akward. lol. And I know the feeling about being old - I just can't be bothered with some that go too fast... still trying to find the right pacing. :)
Tracey I looked at the stock site portfolios and I like your style, with a tinge of jealousy. One thing I learnt is that having the same image across a number of agencies, buyers may chose the cheapest agency to use that image. Another hint is to allow dead space in your image, dead space is where the buyer can add text or perhaps another image. Filling the frame restricts the ability for them to do that.
Hey! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, the past few months have not been the easiest! Thanks for the compliment. 😊 I had wondered if people would agency hop to find cheaper pricing - but I think a lot of people also have their favourite agency or agencies they use repeatedly, so I haven't really got enough experience to judge either way yet. Hopefully one day I will have lots of sales and I'll actually be able to weigh in on that properly! lol. Most of my photo's so far were simply old ones off my hard drive - so yea, moving forward, there will definitely be a change in my style to reflect space for text, and also for use for headings and things. I know for myself, I've tried to use stock images for clients to create facebook headers - and they're beautiful images, but I just can't fit them right for a header image. I'm super looking forward to getting back behind the lens!!
Firstly your audio echos so it makes it hard to listen to you. Now congratulations on your stock journey it is a big learning curve. The first aspect is learning to deal with rejection of your images, one person who submits regularly and is on RU-vid said it took him 6 months of submitting images before he started being accepted. Each Stock agency has a contributor portal where you can discuss ideas, ask questions, but one unspoken rule is when on one agencies forum, you cannot not talk about another agency. Distinguishing between creative and what is editorial can be awkward, as to Adobe in order to be able to submit editorial images you need to have had 100 images downloaded by customer. There are certain rules that if broken can get you banned from submitting to that agency.
Thanks for the extra tips. It's definitely a learning curve when it comes to editorial - and each site has their own rules. Most of what I submit won't be editorial I think moving forward, but it's definitely something you don't want to get in trouble for! And thanks for the tip for Adobe - I haven't had the time to go hunting for answers for things like that yet - so it's good to know. :)
That's really interesting! At the moment I've got no ability to upload editorial to Adobe - but I'm still fairly new - perhaps as I upload more that will unlock for me. Adobe has some unusual rules for new contributors!
Ive been a photographer for YEARS and never thought of stock 🤦♀️ I even had a stone jewelries…. Maybe I can find a few pictures in the last years ! Thanks for your insight and congrats on your sales ! 🎉 Can’t wait for your April report !
@@Alexandraostiguy Releases are generally required if things are identifiable. So if someone has a unique birthmark, or custom made jewelry or tattoo's that are recognisable - it's probably better to. But generally speaking, no.
Stock photography introverts unite! LOL. We can't worry about how other photographers feel/think about stock photography. I've actually been hired by new clients from my stock images. The clients came looking for me online after using some of my stock portfolio. Congratulations on your first Adobe sale.
So true! But I just thought - if I think it, others might too... and it would be a shame if that put them off. Great to hear that you got hired through some of your stock work! That's something I hadn't really thought of! So you use multiple agencies?
@@redandthewolfphotography - yes, I currently upload to 4 different agencies (adobe, shutterstock, Alamy and dreamtime) but am thinking of stopping dreamtime - not quit, just stop wasting time uploading to them.
Hi - Firstly congrats on the RU-vid Channel like you I am a new to stock photography. 300 up loads a month as a busy mum wow that is fantastic.I have just come back from you beautiful country and uploaded all my images to the same sites you use - Mt Cook, Queenstown & Waikane Beach pics made small money on Shutterstock $1 Dollar 🙂. I totally relate to issues around rejections. The logo rejections are bit weird but often they are right. I have invested in TOPAZ Photo AI it gets rid of noise camaera shake etc it s brilliant - not cheap but worth it fo rme . I use a piece of software called Xpiks for uploads to multiple sites it allows me to titile keyword everthing once and then upload everything. My largest portfolio are with Pond5 (2 years) and Dreamstime (18 months) I have earned zero. to date Good luck with the channel I have subscribed and looking forward to future posts
Yea, New Zealand is an amazing country. I definitely don't get around it as much as I would like, and I've never been to the South Island... it's on my "to do" list! I use lightroom for 99% of my editing - and they've got an incredible de-noise AI, but some of the images weren't perfect to start with. lol. I'm keen to see where I'm at by the end of the year - I'm aiming for 1200 images uploaded (same images over 5 sites, 100 per month on average) to see what's worth continuing to put my time into. Some people nail it and do really well - so I know it's possible... it's just trying to learn the right combination of what's going to work. Thanks for the follow. :) As a new creator, it's so amazing to meet new followers as I go!
It is exciting! The funny thing is, once you unlock it, the sky's the limit! And there's SO much data out there to help you on your journey, if you know where to find it and how to interpret it. Great to have you along on the journey!
Just an F.Y.I. Shutterstock bought Pond5 a few years ago. If someone sees a pic on a higher priced stock photo site, they go "shopping" to see if it's been uploaded to a less expensive subscription site... For IP rejections read the Adobe info sheet for intellectual property, even certain colors are "copyrighted" Cat yellow, John Deere green. As for the flowers (unless you find an absolutely rare flower) and sunrises/sets there millions, look at other categories.
Hey! I didn't know Shutterstock bought Pond5. I'm sure there are people that go "shopping" to find better deals, but as a Social Media manager, I much prefer the subscription model so I can just get what I need - so for me, I tend to find my prefered stock agency and just stick with them - that's why - from a buyers point of view, I decided to go with multiple agencies. I know people have different buying habits, but most of us tend towards habitual spending in the same places. And yea - Adobe's list of editorial stuff is quite huge. But as a new contributor, that's all part of the learning process. :) I just want to share that with other newbie's as I go on my journey - there's quite a lot to learn! :)
