24 Aug 2007 It’s Just Not Microstock

I spend a lot of time looking at microstock agency websites. Just for fun, here’s some sites that aren’t microstock agencies but are related in one way or another. If microstock isn’t for you, there may be something else here that is.

Photo Sharing

Flickr – the outrageously successful photo sharing website sold to Yahoo! in 2005. Flickr is the one everyone is waiting to see whether they allow members to commercialize their portfolios.

Zooomr – up and coming website to “share, search, sort, store and sell” your photos.

Zenfolio – categorizing this website as photo sharing is like saying Google is just a search engine. Zenfolio provides you with a photo backup service with tons of extras including a facility to sell your photos directly to buyers. Unlimited storage is US$40 per year.

Traditional Stock

Getty Images – the dominant agency in the stock photography industry and ultimate destination for the world’s elite stock photos. Listed on the NYSE and owner of iStockphoto.

Corbis – another global stock photography house whose mission statement is, “Beat Getty”. They’re yet to achieve profitability, but are bank-rolled by the world’s richest man.

Jupiter Images – part of the Jupiter Media group lead by the vocal and charismatic Alan Meckler. Owner of StockXpert.

Alamy – fully online macrostock agency where any photographer may apply.

Inmagine – distributor and retailer of royalty free macrostock images. Owner of 123rf.

Veer – license rights managed creative from photographs to fonts.

Masterfile – rights managed and royalty free images

Search Engine

Image Trail – buyer tool for finding images across multiple microstock agencies. Many images are available on more than one agency. Founder, Peter Galbraith, recently interviewed at StockPhotoTalk, is also the creator of Microstock Forum.

BrightQube – another buyer tool for finding image across multiple agencies, but favors macrostock and only Dreamstime’s microstock images are available.

Alternate Models

IPNstock – host and sell your own images for a fee and a “generous commission structure”. I’m not sure how successful it is – their Online Help link is broken and their copyright notice still says 2005.

Free Range Stock – give your photos away for a share in the advertising on the download page.

Microstock Tools

ProStockMaster – automate the uploading of your images to eight microstock agencies.

Microstock Monitor – Firefox browser plugin to automatically monitor your earnings at ten microstock agencies.

Forums

MicrostockGroup – active forum with a small community of avid microstock contributors. Many of my posts are inspired by discussions here.

MicrostockForum – another microstock forum with a different set of contributors.

Industry News & Commentary

StockPhotoTalk – the industry authority on everything stock photography from Andy Goetze

About the Image – commentary on the stock photography industry from a group of experienced industry commentators

Last updated 2007-09-19