Great posts and great comments! After 30 years of shooting stock I wish I could contribute more. The one thing that I have figured out from having images in RM and RF (I am relatively new to RF) is that the image seems more important than the business model…that is I have images that earn equally well in both categories. A big question for me is whether that would also hold true with Micro…it may be, but I just can’t bring myself to contribute to Micro. If I had to picture a likely scenario for the future I would agree with the idea that RF and Micro will move closer together, perhaps even merge. Big producers will dominate those categories, and those of us who don’t want to be “Big Producers” can take our time, make outstanding images, find the holes that still need to be filled, and perhaps help contribute to the success of those images by getting them in front of as many potential buyers as possible. I have decided to try and do that through my website.

Anyway, great forum and posts…thanks to all!

I’m nerd when I really get into something I like. One more observation I’ve made with business in general is that when things aren’t going right, a lot of people tend to look outwards first (as in blaming the economy for example) and only ever look in the mirror when the business finally fails.

Chris

You make some interesting observations about the popularity of keywords over time. It’s certainly a logical explanation for why ‘some’ people are experiencing diminishing returns.

And I like your tact. Nicely put!

-Lee

A few years back, business was ranked at about 4th on Shutterstocks 100 most popular keyword list. Currently its 11th. In other words, the images so many have been creating that used to make them good money seem to have been business and now that category is not only bloated supply wise, its becoming less and less popular.

No wonder people are seeing diminishing returns!

I think the bigger issue was they became tunnel visioned on one or two subjects and forgot to keep a look out on the “next big thing”. This can apply to the overall stock photo market.

I don’t doubt that the whole industry is becoming more saturated overall, but I think the whole “falling RPI” thing is a bit narrow minded. I say this because there is solid proof, in the form of agency profits, that micro as a stock photo industry segment, is on a growth path, so there must be opportunity out there, but its no longer in microstock business images. If you shoot business pictures, yes, its profitability now sucks due to saturation and falling popularity. The thing to keep in mind is that certain subjects fall out of favor and are replaced by others, so now that business is falling, what is replacing it? Thats the big question for a lot of people.

From my point of view, as a startup in the current situation, I can only see growth, but in a way I have the good fortune of entering a market that forces me to be efficient with my production. It only sucks when you are coming from the opposite direction, and I can understand the pain.

-Lee

From what I see on some forums – e.g. SS – there are many professional photographers among the most active forum posters, and they are usually very kind and helpful

-Lee

Rahul