If an amateur produces a great photo that meets the needs of a commercial customer, there is no reason why the commercial customer should expect to pay the amateur less than a pro. The price should be based on the value of the image to the customer, regardless of who produced it.
There has been an explosion of customers who want to use imagery, but the majority of these new clients have small budgets for photography. Meanwhile, sales to traditional stock photo customers have been sluggish for some time, and there are signs their needs will decline.
As more amateur photographers submit images to microstock, the line between amateur and professional blurs. In some areas, amateurs are giving pros a run for their money.
To outline a new model means it is necessary to come to some general agreement on several of the industry's fundamental issues. In a nine-part series, Jim Pickerell will discuss several key ones. Each installment will explore the impact on the future of the stock photo business. Part I: The New Business Model
Not only are photographers and agents upset about Getty Images recent move to lower the price for Web use of virtually all of its images to $49, but many in the investment community look at it as a bad idea as well.
When photographers sell exclusive images for greeting card use, they get less and the buyer gets more.
The drive by photographers and distributors to license RM stock images for exclusive use could be the undoing of many photographers.
As promised, Getty is heavily promoting its new $49 price for Web use of any RM, RR or RF image in its collection. But some suppliers are rebelling.
Many professional photographers claim no one could make a living selling images for $1.00 to $2.00, but there are always exceptions. At 28, Yuri Arcus is the world's top selling microstock photographer and has a good chance of reaching his aspiration of earning $1 million from stock photography before he is 30.
Digital Railroad has launched the beta version of Research NetworkTM that enables picture buyers to submit research requests, free of charge, to more than 1,300 photographers and 65 agencies in 62 countries. Buyers may submit requests online in real time using their own descriptive phrases, or contact the research staff of Digitalrailroad.net MarketplaceTM.