selling digital images

[andycook]

What sites specialize in selling your digital images? I thought it might be fun to put my digital images to work for me. I have just under 19K digital images stored on my computer. Somewhere in there are probably a few hundred worthy of selling? I think smugmug is one. Are there others?

-Andy

 

[Rosseau]

search for "stock photography"

You may be able to sell some pics off to a number of websites which come up. I hear it is very very difficult to actually get anything to sell though, but it happens.

 

[andycook]

I've done that search.

Is anyone doing this on a casual basis and have any experiences to share?

 

[AquaDiva]

If there are people in the pics, and you don't have signed releases, there isn't a stock agency that will touch them.

 

[jwedehase]

I can tell you that, as a former customer, when I worked in the design industry, Photodisc.com was the only stop I ever needed when it came to stock photography. I don't know anything about the other side of their business, though. I was just offering a "who's popular and more likely to sell your images" in case it helped.

 

[andycook]

Interesting. How far does that extend? What about people included inadvertently - as in people in the background of a picture?

 

[AquaDiva]

Technically, it's anyone that is recognizable. But background folks give up a certain amount of rights if it's out in public.

But, for example... you are walking through NYC, see some guy eating fire on the street. To use the photo, you need a release from the guy eating the fire. ie permission to use his likeness for compensation.

Now, you get a few people in the background. Are they easily recognizable? do they have anything to do with the photo. Are you in public. It's pretty grey here, but usually you don't need their release.

Public figures.... you don't need anything. That's why there are some many paparazzi.

 

[Blazer88]

I've sold many pictures for advertising use but I don't go through any agency to sell them. They actually contacted me after they saw my pics and I've worked with them on a few different occasions since. Maybe I was just lucky I have thought about putting my images on a stock site since I have hundreds of shots but I don't know which ones would be better to go through.

 

[andycook]

Is there a standard release form? Is it per picture, per day...or what is the scope?