I have worked several times with the big Stockphoto portals, but as a buyer of media for use in brochures or on websites. So I knew the big names in the industry.
Over the years, my network storage has accumulated hundreds of photos that could be sold well. With the setup of my home photo studio, I was now also able to do studio photography and thus produce photographs, which were ideal for selling on these online sales platforms. Why not offer these photos for sale?

On a boring Sunday morning I started my registration in the photo portals “Adobe Stock” and “Shutterstock” and uploaded my first pictures.

After uploading the pictures, in both portals you need to provide them with a title, one or more categories and keywords. Keywords are automatically suggested for the uploaded pictures, which a system in the background suggests to match the motif. This is very practical, saves a lot of time and provides good keyword ideas. I simply use both systems for keyword creation, combine the automatic suggestions and my own keywords into a common list and then insert them on both platforms.

For motifs that show clearly identifiable people, appropriate model contracts, also called model releases, must be uploaded before the images can be submitted.
The same applies to motifs that represent property that can be perfectly identified, such as houses, for example.

After submitting the images, it takes 2 to 3 days, depending on the portal, until the submitted images have been checked and are ready for sale.

Shutterstock

Update September 2020: I sell most of my pictures here, but the revenues are a joke with the latest license sales model. At Adobe Stock I earn much more money with less sold images. Meanwhile I don’t even bother to submit my pictures to Shutterstock anymore. The review process of the submitted images is in my eyes often arbitrary and extremely intransparent. Save yourself the time and register directly with Adobe Stock, I’d guess you have ten times more revenue.

The registration takes about 10 minutes, the upload of the pictures is ergonomic and intuitive. Keywords are automatically suggested for the uploaded pictures, which a system in the background suggests according to the motif. This is very practical, but doesn’t work as well as Adobe Stock. I simply use both systems for keyword creation, combine the suggestions and my own keywords into a common list and then add them to both platforms.

Your earnings will be paid out directly to your PayPal, Payoneer or Skrill account after reaching a minimum balance of 25€.

Click here to register:

Become a Shutterstock Vendor

Adobe Stock (including Fotolia)

Adobe Stock pays the highest average revenue per image sold. However, in my experience, not as many images were sold as at Shutterstock. Only 10% of my photos were sold at Adobe Stock.

Registration also only takes about 10 minutes and uploading and submitting photos is as convenient as at Shutterstock. As already written, I find the automatically suggested keywords much better than those of the competition.

Meanwhile Fotolia also belongs to Adobe Stock. Those who upload their pictures to Adobe Stock automatically sell their own pictures to Fotolia. With only one account you can serve two large platforms.

There is one big advantage here when it comes to model releases or property releases: Adobe is a pioneer of digital signatures and this is also noticeable in the contract creation process. While other providers require us to sign contracts on paper, scan them in and attach them to a picture to be submitted, the contract process at Adobe Stock is completely digital. Our model receives the contract by e-mail, signs it with a finger on the smartphone and sends it back digitally. Without having to print a single page of paper. This is ingenious, saves paper and protects the environment.

Your earnings will be paid out directly to your PayPal, Payoneer or Skrill account after reaching a minimum balance of 25€.

Click here to register:

Become an Adobe Stock vendor

All the links in this text are Amazon Affiliate Links or Shutterstock Affiliate Links and by clicking on an affiliate link I will earn a percentage of your subsequent Amazon purchases or earn a payout for your registration. However, this circumstance does not influence the background of my product recommendation. This product recommendation is independent, honest and sincere. 

Bei allen genannten Links handelt es sich um Amazon-Affiliate-Links oder  Shutterstock Affiliate Links. Durch einen Klick auf einen Affiliate-Link werde ich prozentual an Euren darauf folgenden Amazon-Einkäufen beteiligt oder erhalte eine Provision für Eure Registrierung. Dieser Umstand beeinflusst aber nicht die Hintergründe meiner Produktempfehlung. Diese Produktempfehlung erfolgt unabhängig, ehrlich und aufrichtig.

Der Beitrag Sell pictures and photos online – which platforms are worth it? erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.

Good studio equipment for a small hobby budget

For a long time I concentrated exclusively on landscape and travel photography. Also, because for a long time I simply had no room to set up a hobby studio. After transforming the winter garden into a large office and workroom, the space problem was solved and finally, especially in the dark and cold season, I was able to devote myself to studio and portrait photography.

As an ambitious hobby photographer, I have equipped myself with technology that serves its purpose and is not unreasonably expensive. Certainly there is more professional equipment, but for my first steps I didn’t want to spend more than 400€ to set up a reasonably well equipped “photo studio”.

In the following I report among other things about used products of various manufacturers. At this point I would like to clarify that I do not have any business relationship with these companies. I have researched and tested a lot and would like to share my experiences on this topic. However, in the following I will use affiliate links to the Amazon products as compensation for my work. However, my recommendation of these products is sincere and independent.

Continuous light vs. flash light

In my studio I have about 4m x 6m meter space available. The used lighting devices should provide enough light within these dimensions. The first decision I had to make was whether I wanted to work with flashlights or permanent lights. Laziness triumphed, I decided to use continuous light.

Continuous light makes it easier for me to adjust the camera because the lighting conditions are always the same and I don’t have to deal with the situation-dependent setting of a flash system. When using continuous light, I don’t have to wait for the flash to recharge between shots.

Even if a flash system provides more light energy than continuous light for a short time when triggered, continuous light is sufficient for my 24 square metre studio.

In addition, a complete, good flash system would have been considerably more expensive than my continuous light setup. One day I’ll also be doing studio photography with flash, but not today.

Background and Backdrop

As background, also called Backdrop, I got a white and a black fabric background from NEEWER.

We need the white background for high key photography because it distributes the available light evenly in the room, the black background for low key photography because it “swallows” superfluous light and does not reflect it.

The backdrop doesn’t just hang on the wall in the background, but runs out on the floor. Thus, transitions between wall and floor are not noticeable in photos.

NEEWER 10 x 20FT / 3 x 6M PRO Fotostudio 100% reiner Polyester faltbarer Hintergrund Hintergrundbild für Fotografie, Video und...*

• 3 x 6m/9.8 x19.7ft Hintergrund, perfekt für Fernseher, Video-Produktion und digitale Fotografie
• Schlaufentasche nur auf einer Seite zum Drapieren oder Aufhängen

Amazon

NEEWER 10 x 20FT / 3 x 6M PRO Fotostudio 100% reiner Polyester faltbarer Hintergrund Hintergrundbild für Fotografie, Video und...*

• 10 x 20FT / 3 x 6M Hintergrund, perfekt für das Fernsehen, Videoproduktion und digitale Fotografie
• Stangen Tasche auf jeden oberen Rand erlaubt es, drapiert oder aufgehängt zu werden

Amazon

I hung both backgrounds on cheap curtain rods and hooks from the hardware store. The cost is about 40€.

If you like, you can also use tripod systems like the following for fixing. However, I would have lost important studio space due to the tripod feet of the suspension, which is why I decided to mount it on the wall.

Special offer

Walimex pro Teleskop Hintergrundsystem L 120-307 cm breit, Fotohintergrund System 102-256 cm hoch, Lampenstativ 5/8'' Spigot, für...*

• [Flexibilität] - Die Querstange ist von 120 bis 307 cm in der Breite verstellbar und trägt zuverlässig Hintergründe aus Stoff oder...
• [Kompatibilität] - Das Hintergrundsystem von Walimex pro ist perfekt für Rollkern-Hintergründe geeignet und unterstützt abreißbare...

−21,17 EUR 88,73 EUR

Amazon

Before using the backgrounds, you should either smooth them with an iron or wash them first, then dry them in the dryer and hang them up without wrinkling immediately afterwards. The second option saves tiresome ironing.

With the white background it is much more important that no wrinkles are visible, with the black background we can mostly neglect wrinkles.

Continuous light for hobby budget

First I bought two soft and reflector boxes with energy saving lamps from NEEWER. With this I wanted to lay the foundation stone. The light boxes are stretched like an umbrella and have a strong reflective coating inside. 5 45W energy saving lamps per box produce sufficiently strong light. The light boxes can either give off “hard” light, or by attaching a white fabric curtain “soft” light, which we need for portrait photography.

Neewer 1900W Fotostudio Softbox Beleuchtungsset: (2) 200 cm Lichtstativ, (10) 45W Glühbirne, (2) 5-Fassung Lampenhalter, (2)...*

• Im Set enthalten: (2) 20x27 Zoll / 50x70 Zentimeter Softbox, (2) 79 Zoll / 200 Zentimeter Lichtstativ, (10) 45W Glühlampe, (2)...
• Softbox: Macht das grelle Blitzlicht weicher und verringert den Schatten auf Ihrem Objekt, so dass Sie beim Gebrauch ein perfektes,...

Amazon

With these two light sources I was now ready for low key photography, in which a single light source is sufficient.

The light output of my umbrellas was good, but the umbrellas take up too much space even when stowed away. That’s why I next bought a LED permanent light system from SAMTIAN, which is more space-saving to store and can also produce both “hard” and “soft” light.

The LED systems have further advantages over conventional lamp lighting systems:

• LED systems can be dimmed in brightness
• LED systems allow regulation of colour temperature (cold light/warm light)
• LED systems can also be operated mobile with rechargeable batteries
• LED systems are more energy-efficient
• LED systems can be adjusted by remote control
• LED systems are slimmer and do not interfere with the image

600 LED Dimmbare Ultra High Power Panel Camcorder Videoleuchte 3200K ~ 5600K mit Fernbedienung für Canon Nikon Sony Pentax...*

• Drahtlose Fernbedienung: Es wird mit einer drahtlosen Fernbedienung geliefert. Der Ein- / Ausschalter befindet sich hinter der...
• Mehrfachstromversorgung: Die Stromquelle ist ein Netzteil (im Lieferumfang enthalten) oder ein NP-F550 Li-Ionen-Akku (im Lieferumfang...

Amazon

In my opinion, the manufacturers mentioned are the classic “China manufacturers”. To be honest, at the beginning I had doubts about the choice of these products. But the devices always fulfil their purpose. I thought to myself, “What can you do big wrong with lamps?” At the same time, I was worried that the lamps might flicker a lot. In the end I dared to order.

Sure, there are a few places where you will notice the cheapest price on the product. For example, the power cables could be longer, the tripods a bit more stable and the controls a bit more valuable. Nevertheless, these points don’t harm the purpose of the devices and the price has to come from somewhere.

Meanwhile I’m so convinced of the LED systems that I wouldn’t use regular lightboxes anymore. Sooner or later I will replace the softboxes completely with LED components. My original doubts that the LED systems could possibly flicker or emit bad light were quickly dispelled after the first tests.

With a total of 4 light sources I was now perfectly equipped for both high key and low key photography.

My High Key Setup

In the High Key environment I use the two reflector screens with continuous light for the illumination of the background. Sometimes with and sometimes without soft diffuser. So that the big boxes don’t protrude into the picture, I placed them on the floor.

The two LED systems illuminate the actual object by means of the soft diffuser included in the scope of delivery. This makes portrait shots appear evenly illuminated and soft.

My Low Key Setup

In the low key area I only use the LED systems. I can adjust the brightness of these systems conveniently by remote control, because in a low key environment less light is often more. I also like the possibility to influence the colour temperature of the light.

For a better distribution of reflections I bought a foldable reflector shade with which you can set some accents for the illumination.

Special offer

NEEWER 43"/110cm Lichtreflektor Lichtdiffusor 5 in 1 zusammenklappbare Multischeibe mit Tasche durchscheinend, Silber, Gold, Weiß...*

• Dieser Reflektor passt auf alle gängigen Reflektorhalter
• Fünf Oberflächen: Gold, Silber, Weiß, Schwarz und Durchscheinend

−9,30 EUR 27,69 EUR

Amazon

All the links in this text are Amazon Affiliate Links, and by clicking on an affiliate link I will earn a percentage of your subsequent Amazon purchases. However, this circumstance does not influence the background of my product recommendation. This product recommendation is independent, honest and sincere. 

Bei allen genannten Links handelt es sich um Amazon-Affiliate-Links. Durch einen Klick auf einen Affiliate-Link werde ich prozentual an Euren darauf folgenden Amazon-Einkäufen beteiligt. Dieser Umstand beeinflusst aber nicht die Hintergründe meiner Produktempfehlung. Diese Produktempfehlung erfolgt unabhängig, ehrlich und aufrichtig.

Der Beitrag A low budget setup for high key and low key photography in a hobby studio erschien zuerst auf Pixelfriedhof.