Comments on: Microstock Around the World

By: Lee Torrens

Lee Torrens — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:26:15 +0000

Thanks Kate, I saw the SnapVillage article and yes, I imagine there’s a similarly global spread of contributors at all microstock agencies.

-Lee

By: kate

kate — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:39:24 +0000

Awesome post Lee! Very interesting…

Looks like snapvillage took your idea down to the contributor level. I wonder what this is the same on other microstock sites?

microstock is global

By: sarica

sarica — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:48:16 +0000

Hi Lee, any stock photographer in Turkey tells you that his (not her:) photos get downloaded at night, which might indicate US ( also Canada) is still the biggest market for stock photos.

Besides, a friend of mine called Bulent Ince (www.istockphoto.com/graphixel) is a Diamond level contributor at iStockphoto and he’s one the first guys who discovered iStock in Turkey as well as introducing stock photos to others here. Though he moved in Russia recently, he’s certainly the best among Turkish stock photographers…

By: Lee Torrens

Lee Torrens — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:20:44 +0000

Hey Laurent, yes, but I’m working with their origin rather than current headquarters. StockXpert is now 90-something percent owned by Jupiter Images now, so they’d be in the US too.

-Lee

By: Serban Enache

Serban Enache — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:10:52 +0000

One of the best articles in the last year. It doesn’t even need the end remarks, if you’re not new to stock.

By: Laurent

Laurent — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:55:43 +0000

Lee , not that I deny my country but Fotolia headquarters are in New York, they have offices in Paris though …

By: Lee Torrens

Lee Torrens — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:45:03 +0000

Hi Chris, PDN’s salary survey from 2006 has some gender data for the industry. Also notice that three of the seven top microstock contributors are female.

-Lee

By: Lee Torrens

Lee Torrens — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:37:51 +0000

Hi Dan, the microstock photographers are those I’ve profiled in my Microstock Celebrity series.

The top two traditional photographers I already knew and I asked around to get the other three names.

I also asked a contact in the UK agency scene for names of successful British stock photographers and he said, “I can rattle off all the top selling agencies in the UK and various European countries, but individual stock photographers I am stuck on.”

I welcome extra input if you think there are people missing from the list. I’m less familiar with the traditional side of the market.

-Lee

By: Lee Torrens

Lee Torrens — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:33:02 +0000

Hi Mark, that’s true, I’ve used the microstock agencies founding country rather than the country of their current owner as it makes for a better story.

I considered adding Masterfile, Inmagine and Alamy, but from what I read the three I’ve listed are the standout ‘top’ agencies. Tony Stone would come under Getty Images now, of course, but yes, would have added a different flag on the right-side column.

-Lee

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:49:50 +0000

Hum, very good post, i ponder now…
Wondering were we can scurry for gender info as well…