I had an established gallery on-line with a “set-your-own-prices” site that had garnered absolutely no response. An associate of mine who had a gallery at the same site experienced the same thing. I was constantly searching for other ideas and venues. I found stock sites, but the requirements seemed to consistently be beyond what I had available to me at the time.

Of course, money was an issue. I didn’t have a lot of dispensable cash to throw at a real stab at professional photography. I was a nothing more or less than a hobbyist who always thought it would “be cool” to sell photos.

So, one day I stumbled across my first microstock site. It seemed like a dream come true. The concept was brand new, and there was a high demand for photos. It was a brilliant idea from a business aspect, because it filled a gap. It was cost effective for the photographer, and it was cost effective for the customers. And there was a big demand at first for photographers and for photos. I signed up, and I was off and running.

I won’t spend a lot of time hashing over what it WAS like. But I will tell you that it’s not nearly as easy as it was last year. The processes, which determine the photos that are made available on these sites, have become much more discriminating in what they are looking for. And they vary from site to site. And they shift over the course of time.

The best thing about the entire experience for me has been that I have, without a doubt, become a better photographer. I understand composition and color and lighting better than I ever did before. Also, I view the world around me in a completely different way. I am constantly looking at everything as a “photo op”. For me, that’s a good thing. It has created in me the ability to see something appealing about every single thing I look at. And it has kept me motivated to continue shooting.

Then, of course, there has been a great deal to learn about photo editing, which is a large portion of my particular work flow. My goal is to continue to improve as a photographer and to reduce the amount of time I spend at my desk. I always feel a small triumph when I have a shot that is good “out of the camera”.

I have read and re-read the battle going on between microstock and rights protected stock. I know that many professional photographers feel that their territory is being encroached upon by a new generation of photographers that includes those of us who didn’t go to school for this. I understand the threat they feel. I understand they feel microstock is lowering the standard of photography. I understand they feel we are “sellouts”. I understand the basis of all those arguments.

The way I view it, however, is based on two concepts. One of which is that the microstock market is NOT the same market as the rights protected market. In my opinion, it is for the most part, a NEW market. Photos that are not just snapshots are now accessible by people who just couldn’t afford to purchase contracts with the “big guys”.

The other is that there are a vast number of professions and selected skills that are being challenged by the consequences of the PC age and the internet. What was once untouchable by the general public is now readily available for anyone with a PC and a little bit of skill. Desktop publishing has turned marketing and advertising and media upside down. Digital recording has turned the music industry upside down. Email has turned the post office upside down. The list goes on and on.

It is the way of things in today’s world. It is the give and take of free enterprise, and it is a wonderful thing. It keeps the traditional ways of business fresh by challenging all aspects in new and different ways every day. I think perhaps the rights protected agencies and photographers would do themselves a great amount of good if they put their energy into tapping that NEW market instead of complaining about the existence of those of us who provide the service that market demands.

That being said I also believe there is a market that microstock cannot compete in. It is important to specify that quality is not an issue in that market. I am firmly convinced that photo quality is not in any way limited in microstock. The primary difference is exclusive use of images offered by rights protected agencies. Microstock simply cannot offer that to their customers.
The bottom line is that microstock is a valuable resource in today's print and web media, and I am proud to be a part of that growing field.

Perry Correll [contact] [bio ]