Comments on: Goodbye (and Good Riddance) to the Pro Stock Photographer http://rising.blackstar.com/goodbye-and-good-riddance-to-the-pro-stock-photographer.html Professional Photography Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:56:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Guy Iviehttp://rising.blackstar.com/goodbye-and-good-riddance-to-the-pro-stock-photographer.html/comment-page-1#comment-2350 Guy Ivie Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:17:17 +0000 http://rising.blackstar.com/?p=1409#comment-2350 It's true that there are a lot of people out there taking pictures for the love of it. Just look at Flickr and all of the other photo sharing sites. However, most of them are not creating great photography. And the microstock sites still seem to be carrying a lot of the same old stuff that has been appearing for years on the RF CD collections; it's just available a la carte, so to speak, and really cheap. The 'mercenary' stock photographers you describe probably will have to find 'honest' jobs, but cheap microstock that's 'good enough' will also hurt excellent pro photographers who offer stock as a sideline. They'll have to lower their stock prices considerably in order to make sales. It's true that there are a lot of people out there taking pictures for the love of it. Just look at Flickr and all of the other photo sharing sites. However, most of them are not creating great photography. And the microstock sites still seem to be carrying a lot of the same old stuff that has been appearing for years on the RF CD collections; it's just available a la carte, so to speak, and really cheap. The 'mercenary' stock photographers you describe probably will have to find 'honest' jobs, but cheap microstock that's 'good enough' will also hurt excellent pro photographers who offer stock as a sideline. They'll have to lower their stock prices considerably in order to make sales.

]]> By: paul melcherhttp://rising.blackstar.com/goodbye-and-good-riddance-to-the-pro-stock-photographer.html/comment-page-1#comment-1889 paul melcher Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:44:20 +0000 http://rising.blackstar.com/?p=1409#comment-1889 Adam, you said it. Only those not succeeding in their primary task need to have a "supplemental income". And the supplemental quickly primary. lets not fool ourselves here, most of those who succeeded in stock were only benefiting from a closed circuit of distribution, not because of their "talents". To shoot for no one, we no clients on the receiving end is an absurd occupation. Adam,
you said it. Only those not succeeding in their primary task need to have a "supplemental income". And the supplemental quickly primary. lets not fool ourselves here, most of those who succeeded in stock were only benefiting from a closed circuit of distribution, not because of their "talents".
To shoot for no one, we no clients on the receiving end is an absurd occupation.

]]> By: Adamhttp://rising.blackstar.com/goodbye-and-good-riddance-to-the-pro-stock-photographer.html/comment-page-1#comment-1800 Adam Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:05:35 +0000 http://rising.blackstar.com/?p=1409#comment-1800 Oh yes, good ridence to those who may have wanted to supplement their income while working on personal projects or who were disrespected and marginalized by the overgrown egos of advertising or journalism.While I am sure that there are were some full-time "stockers" who were in it for the money, my experience is that stock is something a professional does on the side so that the life of being freelance and at the whims of sometimes unreliable industries (advertising or journalism.) To think that some how stock photographers are some how populated by those who cannot hack it in the open market is both illogical and un-researched.Yes the playing field is leveled and it is all but impossible to really have stock be a stable part of your income. This is because it has hit the ground, and it is short sighted to think that is good for any photographer. All that has been done is to devalue the work of professional photographers of any stripe and this hurts everyone. Oh yes, good ridence to those who may have wanted to supplement their income while working on personal projects or who were disrespected and marginalized by the overgrown egos of advertising or journalism.

While I am sure that there are were some full-time "stockers" who were in it for the money, my experience is that stock is something a professional does on the side so that the life of being freelance and at the whims of sometimes unreliable industries (advertising or journalism.) To think that some how stock photographers are some how populated by those who cannot hack it in the open market is both illogical and un-researched.

Yes the playing field is leveled and it is all but impossible to really have stock be a stable part of your income. This is because it has hit the ground, and it is short sighted to think that is good for any photographer. All that has been done is to devalue the work of professional photographers of any stripe and this hurts everyone.

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