Microstuck: A Microstock Photography Blog

Best Canon Lens for Microstock

2011-04-26T21:14:00.003-04:00

100 if not 1000 searches are conducted a day for the answer to the above question: "What is the best Canon lens for Microstock". Ahhh, a difficult question, with no real answer. Microstock is just the selling of the images to a company. the TYPE of images you create are completely upto you. And the lens you need is directly related to the type of images you plan to make. For example, lets say

HDR and Microstock, does it do well?

2011-04-26T16:48:00.001-04:00

Hello readers, Today I would like to discuss how your images are seen on stock websites and, indirectly, how HDR photography (or tonemapped photography, if you prefer) seems to do so well. First we need to touch upon the first point of the above sentence, how your images are seen. As an image buyer, I type in a few keywords, and get literally BOMBARDED with hundreds, if not thousands, of images.

New Agency Emerges! - Cutcaster Review.

2010-10-06T20:43:00.000-04:00

Hello readers :) Wanted to fill you all in on a new agency that started up just recently. This "new" startup is anything but truly new, as it's founder has a *very* long history in the microstock world and has the credentials to do microstock right. The site has a few features that are of particular interest to microstock sellers: -High commission rates for sales. -Upload system is a snap, with

Istockphoto: Changes to earnings!

2010-09-17T02:01:00.000-04:00

Hello readers! Just wanted to inform you that, if you have not already caught the message, there seems to be a change occurring at istockphoto concerning the amount of money that *non-exclusive* parties will receive per image. I would highly recommend you check out the forum postings at istockphoto if you contribute or plan to contribute, as it may influence your decision. Many photographers

Jumping into Video, Audio got you down?

2010-07-23T21:11:00.001-04:00

Hello readers :) I wanted to take todays post to comment on the upcoming trend of video in microstock. You've heard this before, on my blog atleast. Believe me though when I state that I am not the only one who sees video as the wave of the future. I'd like to comment a bit about creating video when using a DSLR. If you happen to own a DSLR capable of video, I do hope you give it a try. You

Artifacting, Noise, Rejections, and Coping

2010-06-08T02:30:00.000-04:00

One of the hardest things to overcome is rejection. This applies to all things in life of course but in microstock you will (most likely) get A LOT of it, especially when you first start out. It can be difficult to spend a few hours preparing a few items to shoot, processing them in post for a few hours, then pridefully uploading them. A few days later you get a big fat "rejected" email. What

istockphoto vs shutterstock

2010-05-23T02:03:00.001-04:00

Hello readers! Today I wanted to give a quick update on my microstock earnings through these two companies. Please keep in mind this is based on my own experiences... and "your mileage may vary" as they often say. With that disclaimer added, let's jump into my thoughts so far on these two companies when compared side by side. So far, based on my own numbers, Shutterstock seems like the clear

Camera returned from Canon, Repaired?

2010-05-07T14:03:00.000-04:00

If you've been following along with my Canon 7D Auto focus woes you'll know that I recently had to send it in to Canon for that autofocus that was *say* off base, in my opinion, along with a bit of vertical noise banding even at iso 100. Posted located here: Canon 7D Focus Issues? I received the camera back a few days ago and have been running tests to see if there was improvement. The Canon

A small post on Tutorials

2010-05-06T01:48:00.000-04:00

I found this website with a few tutorials and honestly found them to be useful for photoshop manipulations. Videos can be found at: http://library.creativecow.net/tutorials/adobephotoshop/cs4 The info may already be known by most, but if you find even one topic that you had not mastered yet, then it may be worth while. Be sure to check it out, you know the old saying "you learn something new

Video Microstock? iPad? and best sites for Video

2010-05-05T00:26:00.001-04:00

Microstock, like many fields, has evolved. Video is now a larger component of microstock then it was even just a year ago. But is this a gimmick? A temporary evolution that will soon falter in favor of traditional photo based microstock? It's difficult to say, but I personally believe that video stock is the future of microstock. Lets put 2 and 2 together here. Now more than ever the world is

Canon 7D Auto-Focus Issues?

2010-04-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

Hello readers! I am saddened to say, I had to send my Canon 7D in to Canon for repairs. Now, if you have been following the news about this camera you may have heard of excessive noise issues and auto-focusing issues throughout the internet. Fortunately this is something that does not seem to be happening (or have happened) to all Canon 7D's. However, a few out there do seem to be plagued by

Exclusive? or multiple agencies?

2010-04-17T01:13:00.000-04:00

One of the big questions I see from A LOT of microstock photographers is whether it is worth going exclusive with just one company, or better to take multiple agencies to sell images on. It is a difficult argument really, due to many factors. Namely, being exclusive with an agency usually grants a bonus percentage per image sold. Usually 20%-40% additional per image. It is definitely a

Canon 7D, new firmware : 1.2.1

2010-04-16T21:51:00.000-04:00

Canon 7D firmware has just been updated to 1.2.1. You can read more about it at the Canon Website, but basically it addresses a few minor features, one of them being the "overheating" warning function in the Canon 7D. Minor firmware update, to be honest, in essential fixes, but an update none the less. The instructions on upgrading are quite specific, so make sure to follow them closely if you

It's Heeeerrreee - CS5 Launch Day is today :)

2010-04-12T17:31:00.003-04:00

It has arrived, the CS5 Adobe launch day. Honestly, if you have CS4, and know how to use it, you probably don't NEED a CS5 upgrade. I know some who are still pumping out mind blowing images on an elements 7 working environment. If you have lightroom 2, same applies, CS5 would not be considered a "needed product" by most. However, that being said, this suite is bring some amazing things to the

Photoshop CS5... the future is beautiful

2010-03-29T17:18:00.000-04:00

Adobe Photoshop CS5 is just around the corner, and with it a bundle of new and exciting changes as always. I'd like to write about a particularly interesting change, the Content Aware Fill tool. This tool is a very efficient way to delete an object from a scene, or even add an object to a scene, when the usual photoshop tools would not be large enough to accomplish it. You typically use the "

Three (3) small, seemingly obvious tips to improve your Microstock Photography

2010-03-26T21:10:00.001-04:00

I wanted to just detail a few points I have learned so far concerning microstock. I consider these tips to be valid information, useful for anyone beginning microstock photography. Remember, these tips are based off personal experience, and may or may not apply directly to your situation. 1). Comply with the microstock agencies guidelines! -I do not know how many times I had an image rejected

New to Microstock? Here is a photographers guide!

2010-03-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

I'd like to take this opportunity to present to you the Photographers guide to the different Microstock Agencies. The link should be at the top of the page: "Photographers Guide to Microstock Agencies". It's a short summary of the microstock agencies and details about each but it should be very handy. Keep in mind it is only based off of my own experiences and information I have gathered from

New Camera, New Experiences

2010-03-24T10:58:00.001-04:00

If you have been looking at the digital SLR field at all these past few months, then you have no doubt heard of the Canon 7D. The Canon 7D, along with a few other Canon DSLRs (The also new T2i (Canon EOS 550D) and the older 5d Mark ii) can do what DSLRs had previously only dreamed of, they can shoot video. Not just any video, but film like 24fps format video, 30fps normal format, and even a

Microstock worth it to a Newcomer?

2010-03-16T14:03:00.000-04:00

One topic that never seems to die in the world of microstock is the old belief of "get rich quick". I'm here to say, flat out, that just like anything else in life, you'll have to work hard in microstock to make money. Now, we are not talking about making 200$ a month. That is easy doable with a bit of perseverance and invested time. Large, full-time income levels of money are what I am

A few tips on camera use from Scott Kelby!

2010-03-13T23:46:00.000-05:00

If you are anything like me, you feel you could always learn a bit more about your photography craft. Today I wanted to link to a article by Scott Kelby where he posted a few videos with tips and tricks for camera use. I would particularly like to recommend that you catch the episode with "shooting people in studio" and the episode with "5 ways to use a reflector". Both are insightful and come in

New Company Enters the Fray! Snapixel

2010-03-11T10:43:00.001-05:00

Snapixel Snapixel is a different microstock company from the usual affair. Microstock companies typically want very "microstock" images and will decline most images done in an artistic or unusual fashion. Snapixel is different, they merge home photo type style with the microstock industry to make a website where buyers have truly interesting choices. That's not to say your regular microstock

Studio Seamless Whites Through Zack Arias's Eyes

2010-03-10T11:50:00.004-05:00

What exactly is a Seamless White? Its where the photographer takes an image, and ensures that the subject of the image is the center of attention with nothing but pure white as the background. In microstock you will see a lot of this. It isn't the only way to make an image, but it is a popular way to display stock photography. Reasoning here is that a graphic designer who purchases your image

How to make the best of it

2010-03-08T15:30:00.002-05:00

We have already covered how microstock is a great field, but like many great fields, has a lot of competition. We've also covered a few ways to improve your skill set and be more successful in the microstock game. Now we will discuss one of the most important points of microstock, branding. Like any product, the brand gains momentum and power. A "good" brand name is associated with quality,

Photography Deal

2010-03-07T02:28:00.001-05:00

I know most are only starting to get into photography, but the Tamron 18-250mm lens is on sale for decent prices: Tamron 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 AF Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Lens for Nikon Mount : $269.00 Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom for Canon Mount: $329.00 The lens is not too bad. It does not have Vibration Reduction, but microstock is *usually* performed

So I know what microstock is, now what?

2010-03-07T01:52:00.002-05:00

So you now know what Microstock photography is and you know that you can use it to market and sell your photos. So what is to stop you from picking up one of these and one of these and becoming a billionaire? Well, quite simply it is the other thousands upon thousands of photographers like you that are trying to do the same, possibly with better gear, more years of experience, and more time then