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15 Years in Microstock Photography: A Portfolio Builder with Challenges
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15 Years in Microstock Photography: A Portfolio Builder with Challenges

Balancing Passion, Growth, and the Realities of Earning on a Microstock Platform

Matthew Bamberg's avatar
Matthew Bamberg
Nov 29, 2024
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15 Years in Microstock Photography: A Portfolio Builder with Challenges
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My three best-selling images on a microstock website. Photos by Matthew Bamberg

I enjoy shooting microstock photography and have dedicated myself to it. It has been a solid source for building my reputation and professional portfolio. I’ve been with the same agency for nearly 15 years.

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My income is meager. With over a thousand of my best photos, my portfolio is still growing. My submissions are frequent, yet sporadic, as the time I put into preparing and uploading the photos to the website occurs only when I’ve finished all the other higher-paying writing and photo opportunities for making extra cash online.

Three factors concern me about the business model of the microstock site I’m dedicated to:

Income Low

First, the low income is striking compared to other agencies. I’ve seen my photos from the microstock agency that represents me appear on th…

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