Microstock photography or Micro Stock Photography is an offshoot of traditional stock photography. What defines a company as a microstock photography company is that they (1) source their images almost exclusively via the Internet, (2) do so from a wider range of photographers than the traditional stock agencies (including a willingness to accept images from “amateurs” and hobbyists), and (3) sell their images at a very low rate (anywhere from $.20 - $10) for a royalty-free image.

A number of microstock sites also sell vector art, and some sell Flash animations and video, as well as images. Stephen Shankland, “With site revamp, Fotolia adds vector art”, ZDNet News, June 1, 2007

History

The pioneer of microstock photography was Bruce Livingstone, who created iStockPhoto, originally a free stock photo site that quickly became an industry phenomenon. Livingstone sold iStockphoto to Getty Images in February 2006 for $50 million USD.

Tools to help support the micro stock photographer have also started to emerge, including the Micro Stock Monitor tool which is a plugin for Firefox browsers and reports on your sales and viewing statistics from a range of different micro stock websites.

Practices and controversy

Each microstock company uses a different pricing and payment scheme. Photographers can upload the same pictures on multiple sites or, with some agencies, become an exclusive supplier and receive an increased commission. Eric A. Taub, “When Are Photos Like Penny Stocks? When They Sell”, New York Times, June 5, 2007

There is no fee to post photos on a microstock site. However, microstock companies do not accept everyone or all photographs. Each employs a team of reviewers who check every picture submitted for technical quality, as well as artistic and commercial merit. Photographers add keywords that help potential buyers filter and find pictures of interest.

The mindset of microstock supporters is that quantity will prevail and photographers will end up making as much from many small sales as they would from a few large sales on a traditional stock photography site. But some professional photographers believe microstock devalues the practice of photography, since most pictures on microstock sites have been taken by non-professional photographers. Professional photographers see the growth of microstock sites as reducing their own incomes.

References

See also

• Stock photography