Snap & Sell Photo Club Member Spotlight:
Interview with stock photographer, Ann Moore
Bonnie: Ann, what attracted you to stock photography?
Ann: I was never really into photography or even aware of stock photography until I heard you speak in November 2014 at an International Living conference on funding your life overseas. (My daughter was living overseas and I went with her just for fun.) You made stock photography sound fun, and something I might be able to do. I signed up for the Snap & Sell Photo Club newsletter, bought a mirrorless camera, and was hooked.
Bonnie: Wow, I love to hear that! How long have you been submitting photos as stock?
Ann: I’ve been submitting since 2015.
Bonnie: What’s the story behind your best-selling image?
Ann: My best-selling photos are panoramas. But the secret is that they’re banner pictures that can be used on websites. For example, this banner image below is such an unexciting photo, but it is my best-selling stock photo. It sold 142 times for as much as $13 per download, all year long.
To get an idea of how banner images might be used, you can see this one in use here at this title company’s website.
I like submitting banner photos for stock because they are useful on websites and sell well. Also cropping as a banner will sometimes help you get rid of unnecessary or distracting parts of a landscape scene and just focus on the main point of interest.
Here are two more examples of banner images that have brought in sales for me:
Bonnie: What a great idea! About how much income have you made with stock so far?
Ann: I have earned over $2,000 so far from Adobe, Shutterstock and iStock (Getty).
Bonnie: What’s your favorite thing about shooting photos for stock?
Ann: I love that it’s passive income. I didn’t want to accumulate a lot of “stuff” and worry about printing, framing, matting, etc. I get a real kick when each photo sells as stock. I love to travel, and it gives me a reason to get out there and do things, see things. It’s a small business for me and I can deduct expenses. It’s fun and you can get quite creative, especially setting up shots at home. What’s not to love?
Bonnie: Any tips for folks who are just starting out?
Ann: Submit to three different agencies. My best-selling photo was rejected by another agency, so it’s a good idea to submit to more than one agency at a time.
Also:
- Don’t be a perfectionist or take any rejections personally. Move on and learn from them. One agency may reject a photo but another may accept it.
- Pay attention to resolution and other requirements. Read suggestions, take classes on photography, and read Bonnie’s Snap & Sell Photo Club newsletter.
- The monthly Snap & Sell Photo Club Challenges really helped me think about different possibilities and ideas. That’s a great place to start. [hyperlink to S&SPC promo]
Bonnie: Thank you for sharing all these helpful ideas, Ann! Wishing you all the best with your stock photography journey.
