Is Stock Photography Worth It? I Submitted 1,200 Photos to Find Out...
Summary
TLDRFrankie, an amateur photographer, embarked on a 30-day challenge to test the viability of stock photography as a passive income source. With a goal of uploading 1,000 photos to Adobe Stock and Shutterstock, Frankie faced the reality of tedious editing and tagging. Despite only achieving 600 uploads, the experience was enjoyable and educational. Adobe Stock accepted a disappointing 32 photos with no sales, while Shutterstock accepted 260, resulting in modest earnings. Frankie recommends Shutterstock over Adobe for amateurs and suggests focusing on quality over quantity, especially with stock video, for better success in the stock photography market.
Takeaways
- 📸 Frankie, the video creator, embarked on a 30-day challenge to test the feasibility of earning passive income from stock photography as a complete beginner.
- 🌅 The project was inspired by a family vacation to Mexico, during which Frankie took 550 photos, later editing and selecting nearly 400 for potential upload.
- 🌄 Frankie's daily routine during the vacation involved early morning walks to capture photos without disrupting the vacation experience.
- 🖼️ Editing and uploading photos to stock sites proved to be a more time-consuming and tedious process than anticipated, particularly the task of tagging photos with up to 50 tags each.
- 🔑 Frankie set a goal to upload 1,000 unique photos to Adobe Stock and Shutterstock but later adjusted it to 600 due to the workload.
- 📐 Frankie's experience with Adobe Stock was disappointing, with only 32 out of 585 photos accepted and no earnings to show for it.
- 🎉 In contrast, Shutterstock was more successful, with a 45% acceptance rate and small earnings from photo downloads.
- 🚫 Key reasons for photo rejections included visible trademarks, missing model releases, and issues with focus, exposure, and titles.
- 🔒 Shutterstock provided valuable feedback on photo rejections, helping Frankie learn and improve.
- 📈 Frankie recommends stock photography with realistic expectations and suggests focusing on quality over quantity, as well as considering stock video as a potentially more lucrative avenue.
- 📈 Frankie's overall conclusion was positive, valuing the experience, skill development, and potential for long-term passive income, despite the initial challenges and modest earnings.
Q & A
What was Frankie's main goal for the 30-day challenge?
-Frankie's main goal was to determine if a total amateur could earn passive income from stock photography.
What did Frankie do during the family vacation in Mexico?
-Frankie took about 550 photos during the vacation and edited them down to around 400 worth uploading.
How did Frankie approach the photo-taking process during the vacation?
-Frankie went on hour-long walkabouts each morning before the sun rose, covering various locations around the resort and nearby areas.
What were the two stock sites Frankie chose to upload photos to?
-Frankie chose Adobe Stock and Shutterstock as the sites to upload photos.
What was the most tedious part of the process for Frankie?
-Tagging was the most tedious part of the process, as it was time-consuming and required adding up to 50 tags per photo on each site.
What was Frankie's initial goal for uploading photos to the stock sites?
-Frankie's initial goal was to upload 1,000 unique photos to both Adobe Stock and Shutterstock.
How many photos did Frankie actually manage to upload to the stock sites?
-Frankie ended up uploading around 600 photos to the stock sites, not reaching the initial goal of 1,000.
What was the acceptance rate of Frankie's photos on Adobe Stock?
-On Adobe Stock, only 32 out of 585 submitted photos were accepted, which is an acceptance rate of about 8%.
How did Shutterstock's photo review process compare to Adobe Stock's?
-Shutterstock reviewed photos more quickly, usually within 24 hours, and provided feedback for each rejected photo, unlike Adobe Stock.
What was Frankie's experience with earnings from the uploaded photos?
-Frankie earned 30 cents from one download on Adobe Stock and 40 cents from two downloads on Shutterstock, totaling 70 cents.
What advice does Frankie give for those interested in stock photography?
-Frankie recommends having realistic expectations, focusing on gaining skills rather than money, and considering Shutterstock over Adobe for amateurs.
What did Frankie learn about the importance of video quality in stock photography?
-Frankie learned that using a tripod is crucial for stock video to avoid shaky footage, and that there is high demand for stock video, especially with model releases.
What were the common reasons for photo rejections on Shutterstock?
-Common reasons for rejection included visible trademarks or intellectual property, missing model releases, out-of-focus subjects, inconsistent exposure, and poor titles.
What was the upload limit Frankie encountered on Shutterstock?
-Frankie encountered an upload cap of around 100 photos per day on Shutterstock, with a suggestion to submit less for best practice.
What is Frankie's next step after the stock photography challenge?
-Frankie is moving on to a new passive income project and is seeking input from viewers on whether to focus on Etsy templates, Medium, or audiobooks.
Outlines
📸 Stock Photography Challenge: Amateur to Income Earner?
Frankie, an amateur photographer, embarked on a 30-day challenge to test the viability of stock photography as a passive income source. Despite having no prior experience, Frankie aimed to upload and sell photos to discover if it could be a lucrative venture. The script details Frankie's journey, from the excitement of taking photos during a family vacation in Mexico to the tedious process of editing and uploading over 600 photos to Adobe Stock and Shutterstock. The challenge involved early morning photo sessions, meticulous editing, and the strategic use of tags to increase discoverability. Frankie's goal was to upload 1,000 unique photos, but the process proved more time-consuming than anticipated, leading to a revised target of 600 photos. The summary also touches on the disappointment of not meeting the initial goal and the lessons learned about the importance of video content, which Frankie did not successfully incorporate due to quality issues.
🔍 The Reality of Stock Photo Acceptance and Earnings
In this paragraph, Frankie discusses the stark contrast between the number of photos submitted and those accepted on Adobe Stock and Shutterstock. Out of 585 photos submitted to Adobe Stock, a mere 32 were accepted, with many others still under review and no feedback provided. This was a significant disappointment, especially considering the time and effort invested. On the other hand, Shutterstock was more accommodating, with 260 out of 576 photos accepted, offering a 45% acceptance rate and prompt reviews within 24 hours. Shutterstock also provided valuable feedback on rejected photos, citing reasons such as visible trademarks, missing model releases, and issues with focus or exposure. Frankie earned a modest 40 cents from Shutterstock during the challenge, which, while not significant, validated the effort and potential of stock photography as a passive income stream. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation for those interested in stock photography to focus on quality over quantity and to consider Shutterstock over Adobe for a better experience.
🚀 Reflecting on the Experience and Looking Forward
Frankie concludes the video script by reflecting on the overall experience of the stock photography challenge. Despite not achieving the initial goal of earning a substantial passive income, Frankie considers the project a success due to the enjoyment derived from the process and the valuable skills acquired. The script highlights the importance of realistic expectations and the potential for long-term gains with platforms like Shutterstock. Frankie also suggests focusing on stock video as a more profitable avenue, emphasizing the need for quality footage and model releases. The paragraph ends with a call to action for viewers to participate in deciding the next passive income project, with options including Etsy templates, Medium as a writing platform, and creating audiobooks or capitalizing on audio content. Frankie expresses gratitude for the viewers' engagement and looks forward to embarking on a new project, hoping for greater success in the future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Stock Photography
💡Passive Income
💡30-Day Challenge
💡Adobe Stock
💡Shutterstock
💡Editing
💡Categorization, Title, and Tagging
💡Model Releases
💡Acceptance Rate
💡Feedback
💡Quality vs. Quantity
Highlights
Frankie, an amateur photographer, takes on a 30-day challenge to explore the potential of stock photography as a passive income source.
Despite no prior experience, Frankie aims to test the common claim that stock photography can provide substantial passive income.
Frankie's project involves taking, editing, and uploading photos to stock photography sites Adobe Stock and Shutterstock.
A family vacation to Mexico serves as the backdrop for Frankie's initial photography, resulting in 550 photos taken.
Frankie's morning walks contribute to a peaceful and productive routine during the vacation, yielding a significant number of photos.
The real challenge begins post-vacation with the time-consuming task of editing and uploading photos to stock sites.
Frankie's initial goal of uploading 1,000 unique photos is revised to 600 due to the complexity of the process.
Only 32 out of 585 photos submitted to Adobe Stock are accepted, a disappointing outcome for Frankie.
Shutterstock shows a more favorable response, accepting 260 out of 576 photos, a stark contrast to Adobe Stock's acceptance rate.
Shutterstock's quick review process and provision of feedback for rejected photos are appreciated by Frankie.
Frankie earns a modest 40 cents from Shutterstock downloads, validating the potential of stock photography for income.
Frankie recommends Shutterstock over Adobe Stock for amateur photographers due to better acceptance rates and feedback.
The importance of using a tripod for video submissions is highlighted, as Frankie's videos were rejected for being shaky.
Frankie suggests focusing on quality over quantity when uploading photos to stock sites for better results.
Stock video is identified as a potentially more lucrative avenue for passive income than photos.
Frankie's overall experience with stock photography is positive, despite not meeting initial financial expectations.
Frankie concludes the project with a call to action for viewers to vote on the next passive income challenge.
Transcripts
my name is Frankie and I spent the last
30 days trying my hand at taking
uploading and selling stock photography
I wanted to find out if a total amateur
with no experience could earn passive
income from stock photography because I
often see it mentioned as a top passive
income opportunity in fact I've actually
recommended stock photography a time or
two on my main channel the money
resolution I took on this 30 day
challenge to see if I could put my money
where my mouth is or was I guess today
I'll share it all how the photo taking
went my upload goal what sites I chose
to upload to what went right and wrong
what I would have done differently plus
of course did I make any money by the
way 30-day passive income challenges is
what I do here on the channel each month
I take on a new passive income project
from scratch and show you how it all
went so far I've taken on YouTube
investing online courses in now stock
photography stick around until the end
to see what I'm taking on for May 2023
And subscribe so you don't miss out out
how it all goes but let's dive in truth
be told I have always been interested in
trying my hand at photography over the
years I often find myself going on walks
just to take photos I'm also the one on
trips that probably takes way too many
photos I even love editing photos and
putting them into digital or physical
albums or at least posting them of
course on social media and I was
inspired to take on stock Photography in
April because we actually had a family
vacation planned for Mexico so I brought
my Canon M50 camera that I actually used
to film these videos with me and came
home with about 550 photos and after
editing I deemed close to 400 of those
worth uploading I didn't want my project
to be a distraction on vacation so each
morning I got up before the sun and went
on hour long walkabouts I went all over
the resort the nearby Beach the golf
club the town and more I looked forward
to this daily it was in no way a chore
since I wake up with or before the sun
most days anyway it was peaceful I got
steps in I saw amazing sunrise is so
zero complaints by April 10th when I got
home I was off to a great start and
feeling super motivated but then I
quickly realized the fun part was mostly
over the real work was ahead of me I
won't cover all the process details here
but if you do want more watch my
mid-month update but long story short I
had to edit each photo individually then
upload photos to two different stock
sites and I chose Adobe stock and
Shutterstock then I had to categorize
title and tag every photo individually
twice because of course they were on two
different sites tagging was easily the
most tedious part of the process you can
add up to 50 tags on each site per photo
so I figured it was best to add 50 tags
for each photo luckily you can add and
edit tags in bulk plus there are some AI
tools for help but it's still very
tedious and extremely time consuming in
my mid-month video I said my goal was 1
000 unique photos uploaded to both sites
well I lost steam after I spent almost a
week in the edit and upload process and
my new goal became 600 on both sites
next I ended up shooting around 100
photos in and around where I live in
Tacoma Washington and in nearby Seattle
then I remembered I had 100 or so great
photos from our honeymoon in Aruba so
that is how I got to 600 or at least
pretty close now I didn't hit my goal of
1 000 photos uploaded but I was really
proud of the effort overall and I did
hit some other challenges and I also
failed to upload any stock video I
learned video is actually where the
biggest opportunity is to make money but
it just didn't work out I shot 30 plus
15 second videos on my trip and back
home but none of them felt good enough
to submit my mistake was not using a
mini or a full tripod so all my videos
were really shaky and I didn't want to
edit and submit these low quality videos
just not worth it I said I submitted
close to 600 photos those twice but how
many actually got approved and accepted
onto each of the sites I'll start with
Adobe stock this was a challenge of the
585 photos I submitted only 32 got
accepted yes 32
ouch Adobe also took longer than
Shutterstock to actually review so
184 at the time of recording are still
being reviewed in process and have been
for over a week and a half plus Adobe
doesn't provide any feedback so I don't
know what I was doing wrong most of the
time so technically eight percent of my
photos that have been reviewed got
accepted that means I should end up with
close to or around 50 listed when the
final batch is reviewed some entire
batches by the way of 50 plus were fully
rejected early on in the process so that
was pretty demoralizing and part of the
reason I decided not to submit 1000
photos did I make money with my 32
photos on Adobe nope zero zip zilch here
are the photos I'll scan through that
were accepted on screen it has only been
a couple of weeks so there's still a
chance I'll earn some money over time
but I can't imagine I'll be earning more
than a few bucks a year based on my
experience I cannot recommend that you
upload to Adobe at least not as an
amateur you may have better luck but as
you can see I didn't but what about
Shutterstock I had a lot more success
with Shutterstock I apparently uploaded
slightly less photos at 576 of those 260
were accepted that is five times as many
as Adobe a 45 acceptance rate and I am
very happy with that I also really
appreciated how quickly Shutterstock
reviewed the images usually within 24
hours instead of five or six days or so
on average with Adobe best of all
Shutterstock actually provides feedback
for each photo that got rejected and I
want to share some of that feedback so
that you can learn and avoid my mistakes
first of all you can't have any kind of
trademark or intellectual property
whatsoever this photo got rejected for a
visible brand name or logo which I still
haven't found though I'm sure they're
right and graffiti I learned is
considered intellectual property which
okay respect I guess it should be I was
also told I was missing model releases
from people in landmarks Sometimes some
photos got rejected for the main subject
being out of focus even though I thought
it was intentional and artsy in my very
amateur opinion some photos were flagged
for needing an English translation
though I wasn't sure where you actually
submit that somewhere under over or
inconsistently exposed and I'm not
really sure what that last part means
some photos were rejected for noise or
artifacts in them and finally this is
one of my favorite photos that I took
last month but it was rejected because I
gave it a bad title apparently vacation
travel in Loreto Mexico wasn't
descriptive enough which I guess is fair
most were only rejected for one reason
but a few bad apples reminded me how
amateur I really am with three or more
rejection Flags so in terms of
Shutterstock the only downside I see to
uploading to the site is that I did
frequently hit an upload cap but I
simply needed to wait 24 hours to submit
more I think it's around 100 uploads a
day or so and after I submitted my first
100 or so I did see this message saying
I should submit less as a best practice
so that's just something to keep in mind
but did I make money on Shutterstock
during my 30-day passive income project
I actually did I was so excited when I
logged in on April 24th and saw that I
had one download that was going to pay
me 30 cents I had one additional
download in early May for 10 cents and
here are the two photos on screen you
can see I'm owed a whopping 40 cents
which isn't bad at least not a complete
and utter failure over problem but
honestly even if I made zero dollars it
wasn't a failure because I had a ton of
fun plus I have a ton of amazing photos
from our trip it got me out of the house
when I got back home I got exercise I
definitely improved and learned and
gained some skills and who knows it
might actually work out long term with
Shutterstock do I recommend stock
photography yes but only if you have
realistic expectations I also suggest
that you consider Shutterstock and
potentially some other sites but not
Adobe as I've said have fun with it
focus on gaining skills not money and
stick with quality not quantity perhaps
upload 20 or 25 of your very best photos
to four or five sites and see what you
learn and go from there if you do want
to actually earn money from stock maybe
avoid all the hassle that I just
described and stick with stock video
only I think video is where you could
really succeed use a tripod especially
if you have people in them that are are
willing to sign model release forms as
someone who is always looking for a sock
video for my YouTube channel like this
extremely random one on screen I can
tell you there's definitely high demand
for stock video now that is a quick
summary of a very long project there is
so much more that I could say and share
but I wanted to keep this tight and semi
short and to the point if you are
looking for more do check out my last
video I mentioned at the top it was my
mid-month update where I shared more
about the project background micro
versus macro stock sites why I chose the
sites that I chose my strategy my
process and most importantly I included
seven tips that I recommend that will
save you time and energy if you take on
the same project so let me know what you
think about my April passive income
project what did I do right what did I
do wrong what did you learn what are
your thoughts on stock Photography in
general for passive income after
watching this and if you have succeeded
in the stock space please share a tip or
two I'd really appreciate it because I
can definitely see myself uploading more
in the future but not in May and that's
because I'm on to a new passive income
project but here's the truth I need your
help I can't decide between three
options Etsy templates medium which is a
writing site and creating audiobooks or
money from audio in general so give me
your Vote or idea in the comments and
subscribe so that you see what I take on
next you are the best for watching until
the end my name is Frankie and I
appreciate your time and attention on to
the next one hopefully it's a little bit
more successful I hope to see you soon
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