My WEIRDEST photo sales on Shutterstock
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มี.ค. 2019
- Sometimes, I get really strange but high-paying downloads on Shutterstock. In this video, I talk about some of these weird downloads, one of which was my top-earning photo for a single download and the other of which was my highest earning video download (for a single download). These are definitely not my most beautiful pieces of work.... they are all quite random. But I thought it would be interesting to share my experience with you all anyway! There are so many ways you can earn passive income as a photographer and uploading unsaturated content to Shutterstock is a good way to bring in some extra money every month with stock photography and stock footage.
SIGN UP as a Shutterstock contributor (if you haven't already): submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=...
My gear:
My camera - Canon 5D Mark IV: amzn.to/2LTFOwT
Canon 16-35mm lens (awesome wide angle): amzn.to/2Jsstx4
Canon 70-200 zoom lens (great for events): amzn.to/2Jms9A5
Canon 85mm 1.2 (my FAVORITE portrait lens): amzn.to/2kEuV5I
Canon 85mm 1.8 (a cheaper alternative): amzn.to/2LQMAnk
Canon 50mm 1.4 (second favorite portrait lens): amzn.to/2sAuKvN
DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone: amzn.to/2spNwqq
My favorite drone backpack: amzn.to/2snNE9M
ND filters for my drone: amzn.to/2LPmS2x
GoPro Hero6: amzn.to/2LemFEF
Find me on Instagram: / nicolesglass
Find me on Facebook: / nicoleglassphotography - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
"...but I've definitely photographed body parts of mine and sold them on shutterstock"
Hold up!
I've been studying how to get paid for photos and found a fantastic website at Hartlyn photo pro (google it if you're interested)
There are many components to earn cash with your camera. One plan I found which succeeds in merging these is the Hartlyn Photo Pro (check it out on google) it's the most incredible guide that I have ever heard of. look at the awesome info .
here's several ideas for how to get paid for photos
Use you social media accounts for promotion
Setup your own blog
Join a suitable course or site for marketing photos
(I read these and the reasons they work on Hartlyn photo pro website )
My most common comment, which I receive multiple times every single day, is "how can I upload photos of people, properties and brands without a release form?" Before asking this question, please watch my video on commercial vs. editorial images! th-cam.com/video/WyWvDNDB3pg/w-d-xo.html
And if you like the music I use in my videos, check out this super awesome FREE trial to Epidemic Sound: share.epidemicsound.com/zdM3n Literally the most awesome place to get music for videos.
I'm just getting started with stock photography and videos. We do not do a lot of editorial because we know a lot of people do not like to be photographed. We get a release from anyone who's the subject of the photo. It's so good to offer to take the picture in advance and let them know what we can do for them. We give the person 25% of what we get when we can get a mobile number for them. I'm in Nepal and so many of these people really can use $25 or so. They often cannot sign their own name so we bring an ink pad for a thumbprint.
The most weirdest photo i had downloaded was a isolated photo of my Iphone 6 witch sold twice for 25c each. But there's too many photos of iphones on shutterstock. also this has nothing to do with it but i took your advice from this video and took some photos of stuff that there isn't too many of. If there's too many saturated photos of one thing then i don't take them photos.
Nicole Glass must have been a toes fetish? :)
Hallo mam , can I shoot with mobile for shutterstock ?
Love your content, especially that b-roll taking photo of your toe beside your computer. Haha!
Lol I'm glad you enjoy my weirdness 😂
It's great that you share your full experience with pictures while sharing your ideas and revenues! Feels like you're worth trusty. Keep the good work and thank you for sharing! :)
Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoy my videos :) And yeah.. I guess I just speak my mind. I know some of those sales were super weird.
Hi Nicole, just wanna mention that your inputs are stunning inspiring to me. I started with landscapes and nature one year ago and your reports and videos are like a boost for the next season to me :) You appear honest, without an show or allyres (if I type that correctly). Tough solid and elegant breed, you! Thanks a lot and all the best for your future! Martin
Hey Martin, thanks so much for the kind words! I had no idea these types of videos would inspire people but I'm glad that they do :) And yeah I am not much of an actress so putting on a show would not be easy for me, haha.
Stoked to have found you and your channel on TH-cam. Lots of great info. We haven't downloaded anything yet, but will be doing some soon. Thanks again! Michael & Melissa
I've laughed so much with this video... you got a great sense of humor. Full of value information, thank you so much Nicole!
Lol I'm glad I made you laugh and that you enjoyed hearing about some of my most cringeworthy top earners 😂
Nicole Glass I love that word in english (cringe), perfect for some of these shots 😁😁
Your videos are so helpful. I'm binge watching it while taking notes!
I'm happy to hear that! 🙂 Thank you. 🙏
You are so funny..... laundry founding through Shutterstock... :):):):) here comes to toe photo... I was so waiting for that... I cannot finish my coffee, I am chocking!!! You taking photos of your toe.... hahaha.... good one Nicole!!!!! Great video!!!!
LOL. You were the first one to find out about this and I'm glad you appreciate how absurd it is. Haha. I was sooo hesistant about even including the picture in the video because it's kind of ugly.
@@NicoleGlass this video is amazing and people will love you for the fact that you are so real!!!
I like you both!!! @@ZdenkaDarula thxs for your work helpimg us!!!
Thanks, Nicole, for another great video. You are the best when it comes to stock photo advice!
Thank you Gregory 😊
You are so right about the weirdness on what sells on SS! Thanks for all the videos. I had my first 2 sales on SS with less than 100 pictures uploaded and I’ve been uploading any picture I think has any value thanks to this video! Both sales are the pictures I thought would never sell. Sorry but may have to steal some of these ideas 🧐
I so appreciate this video because I’ve been wanting to do something like this! Thank you so much for sharing! I think this is the best video yet that I have seen!
OMG, first photo I ever sold on the internet was a picture of my girlfriend's toes! We were excited and weirded out at the same time! lol
Lol I’m glad I’m not the only one 😂
Ha ha. Probably used by a print designer for a pamphlet for the local beauty parlor or nail salon. :)
@@NicoleGlass uk'omwsx
@@annwilliams6438I love y
Just started in shutterstock. Wanted to let you know how amazing your vids are!!! Thanks for sharing such great info, have a brilliant day mate :)
Aww thanks so much! Much appreciated 🙏🏻
Nicole, just wanted to thank you for all the information and experience you are sharing on your channel! Binge watching your stock photography playlist 😂👍🏽🤪
Aww thank you, I'm glad you like these :) I have tons of videos about this topic.
You are the most honest youtuber I’ve ever found! I really like all of your videos! keep good work! 👍🏼
Aw thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate that! :)
Thanks for making the video. Once again very informative. 👍
I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Wow! You just popped out on my TH-cam Feeds and so glad I checked this video out! Thank you for sharing your tips and also what has happened to you. My friend keeps pushing me to try it out. I've always been afraid to for reasons I don't understand. But you really encouraged me to try too! thanks so much nicole! Looking forward to more vids!!
You're very welcome! I'm glad it motivates you to try. Never hurts to try something and it might just pay off in the long run 😊 good luck! 🍀
Now I'm trying to figure out how I can covertly photograph my mother in-laws super crooked toes without here knowing...lol
Lol, good luck with that one! Let me know how it goes.
😂 😂 😂
I think you would need a model release ...
lmao @ "But why my toe?" ...Great vid Nicole!
thanks!
Stellar video! I love all of your videos and really appreciate your info and personality! The WEIRDEST asset downloaded (I only do video) was a macro shot of my knife sharpener. It looked a bit like a city street so I labelled like that lol. But the camera was an OLD Nikon J1 with a pinhole cut in the lens cap and a tiny but strong magnifying glass as the "lens". The movement wasn't even smooth but I actually uploaded it as a test to see if it would get rejected for jittery camera movement. Nope. Sold it for a cool $27USD LOL....
Great vid Nicole. Your tactics are paying off for my 3D model sales.
I'm happy to hear that! :)
I’m from WV & loved hearing you say Harpers Ferry 😊 great video with some great ideas.
Love your Shutterstock videos. They have been a big help to get my contributor portfolio started. Thank you for the great tips and guidance!!
Great to follow lesser known photographers out there.
Thank you so much for sharing these information with us. Wish you all the best for your journey
Thanks for the insight. I have been shooting stock for many years but always as a very part time on the side kind of thing. I really want to devote more time to it and your videos are definitely inspiring. Thanks.
Hey Todd, thanks so much for the kind words! Yes, it's definitely a side thing for me as well but it has created pretty good side income.
I know a few people who do stock photography full time, which is also very possible with a lot of time and effort.
@@NicoleGlassWell, keep it coming. Thanks again.
Great video and awesome attitude towards stock photography. I feel like i've seen your toe photo before HAHAHAHA
LOL hopefully not on a billboard or anything 😂
This page is really good to watch when you are really interested in shutterstock.
Love from India 😍
All the best for further videos I'm waiting for the next one❤️❤️🤗🤗
A bottle of Dettol on a plain white background. Sells all the time! Everyone says stock contributing is a waste of time. Hope they keep saying that cause its making you and I money. Great content! I'm away out to stub my toe cause at 64, Scottish and male the wife would complain if I started waring her heels!
Haha, yes indeed. Although I've exposed so many secrets at this point, it should be easy for everyone by now!
Lol please don't stub your toe on purpose!!
Toes sell. I can say 😂
David Bautista mind didn’t !! Mind you I’ve got feet like a hobbit 😂
Hello I am new to Stock photography. But you can take a stock photo of a products like that and sell it?
@@mikeosinski50 Yes but you have to follow submission guidelines and submit it as Editorial content. Follow Shutterstocks submission guidelines for 'Editorial' and you should be OK
Another great video, Nicole. I sold a photo of an algae covered water puddle for a few bucks on Adobe, that surprised me. I also sold picture of a hole in the ground for a buck, which pleasantly surprised me as well. Great advice here about uploading content that is not over-saturated.
You gave me so much inspiration to start this, thanks a lot Nicole!
That's awesome! :) Hope you enjoy the process
back in the good days of stock I sold (well, sold via a library) a photo of a bunch of roses for £1500. I had bought the flowers for my wife 😀
Wow that's incredible! That definitely paid for a lifetime worth of flowers for your wife 😊
That was the early days of Alamy when my image sales averaged £400+
Not the case now so I am considering more than just Alamy to place my images
I'm a new subscriber, love your content and ideas. I'm wondering how many photos you have on Shutterstock?
I was wondering if doing stock photography would be a good idea and your channel is helpful! I'm studying up so I can get an account when I turn 18 in less then a month. During my research I found your underrated channel and have been watching lots of other stuff besides stock on your channel too. Keep up to good work!
Thanks so much!
Very informative video. Awesome. Thanks.
You're welcome!
2:43 I really enjoyed that joke a lot.
You are awesome.
Thank you:)
Fantastic video Nicole, gave me a bunch of ideals, now I better go write them down before I forget 😁 Take care.
That is awesome, happy to hear that! 😊
So funny thanks for this video !
Quick question, how many photos do you have uploaded since you began on Shutterstock ? Or you exclusive to ShutterStock ?
Me after this vid:
*Aight imma get my bones broken...*
Please don’t!
@@NicoleGlass 😂 Thanks for the gr8 vid... really appreciate it!
We're in a pandemic. Need the money
New subscriber here after watching a few of your informative videos. This one is no different. It’s like practically anything is game; just need to wrap my head around that. I uploaded 10 images couple years ago and have earned .75. Haha. Thanks for the great info!
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed it Sarah :)
This video as well as many more you published about Shutterstock, are extremely useful.
I'm planning to open a new account on SS soon, and your videos help me a lot.
Glad it was helpful! Best of luck
Great video and always a good reminder to just shoot all the time because we never know what's going to sell. So far my weirdest sale was for the underside of a starfish, on a rock in flat light. $180 net to me on Alamy. Go figure!
Sweet, that’s an exciting sale for sure! 😊
Paying your laundry bill with a picture of the dryer sheets you used for laundry!! Boy do I love the poetry on that :)
Hahaha
You are a wonderful woman, I really like your videos very knowledgeable.keep it up, you are really helping a lot of people around the world. God bless you.
Thank you Rateesh, I'm glad you find my videos helpful :)
Thanks for the video, you just made me realize that I am not monetizing my photography of all my travels
You probably have a gold mine on your hard drives!
Great videos thank you! So your photos of any products with brand names etc. are uploaded as editorial correct?
Correct :)
What does that mean?
Mine was a line of garbage cans overflowing with every sort of item tossed out during holiday season. Another was a pile of bricks, rubble, and rebar from a building demolition against a blue sky.
Funny, good for you and I wouldn't think of putting images of such items up on a site. I usually junk images like that in the past, but you got me thinking.
It's not necessarily "junk". Randomness can also be photographed artistically :) But yes, the less-beautiful images can often have a lot of value due to their subject matter.
Thanks from Tampa, Florida Nicole... I'm up very early taking pictures of dryer sheets, nothing wrong with a little competition :-) Be well and stay encouraged!
LOL! I expect to see a lot more of them in the search results after this video... guess I'll need a new way to obtain my laundry fund.
@@NicoleGlass You are awesome... Keep up the great work, I appreciate your channel!
The lizol and the drone shot of hotel were uploaded as editorials? Nice video
Had to be
love you thanks so encouraging and interesting
Great video! Congrats.
Thanks!
oh wonderfull ... thanks for making ... and share with us .. from india
I was thinking 💭 about what you were going to show after the dryer sheet photo, and I kid you not, I thought of a TOE! What are the odds?!? 😲
Lol! I guess you have a psychic sixth sense 😉
Very informative video ✌️
Glad to hear that!
Nicole, thank you so much , love your videos
I'm happy you enjoy them :)
Hello Nicole! Love your channel. I was wondering, when uploading an illustrative editorial photo, do you click editorial AND illustration when you upload or just one or the other?
Submit it as an "editorial" image and then write "illustrative editorial" as one of the keywords.
Great vid! Passing along to a friend.
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it
Terrific 👍Just found you through Zdenka.
Thanks! Zdenka is awesome :)
Good sales. I laugh at the photo of your foot. I photographed my foot many times, but never sent it for sale. Need to make a series of photos and send for sale. Maybe I have a golden foot? )))
Or maybe you have a different quirky feature about yourself! I've sold photos of my teeth too... hah.
Fun videos . You’re awesome
I sold an overexposed picture of a bridge over a pond near my hometown in Romania for $299 on 123rf. On shutterstock I think the best I had was $36 for a photo of a mountain top...
Wow, now that's pretty amazing, especially since you're saying it was overexposed! Congrats.
Unde e bodul ala ca ma duc si eu sa ii fac o poza?:))))
My most surprising success story is a photo of a black plastic box with the traditional Dutch fish snack "kibbeling" (battered chunks of fish) with sauce on a shiny metallic table top. Sold 18 times, earned me $15,68. Didn't make me rich yet, but at least I've earned back the money I paid foro it several times.
Love ur work nicole
Interesting. I remember seeing a while back that my town of 100k had almost no photos or videos on stock footage sites and the ones that were actually there being pretty underwhelming. I figured there probably just wasn't a lot of demand for them but now I know that those hyperspecific photos can fill a unique niche which can be lucrative. Other people always say that you should be more like the competition but these cases prove the opposite can also be true. Although I obviously don't know the real rate at which your weird photos get downloaded.
Hi, great and appetizing video must I say, already found wierd part of my body. The strangest photo I sold was A photo of rotten onions ;) Peace
Ooh rotten onions. Haven't heard that one before! Certainly a weird one :)
Fascinating!
Thanks for sharing!
I love your videos, your a great inspiration! I started uploading my photos 4 months ago and have sold 7 but the sales haven't even reached $4.00 I'm starting to think I'm wasting my time. Is there a different site you can recommend that will pay off better? Keep your wonderful videos coming....your cute and funny!
Thanks Olive! It’s hard to make it on all stock platforms, it is truly a game of quantity and submitting unsaturated content. Getty Images typically pays more but they do want exclusivity. Alamy tends to pay more per image but my downloads there are so infrequent that overall Shutterstock does better for me. I’m sure there’s others, these are just ones I have experience with.
Great channel. I should dig out my pictures of my spinal fusion lol. How does the pricing work? do you put the price on the picture or video or does shutterstock arrange that?
Super informative
This is so encouraging. Now I'm really depressed I sold my 5D. My toe might not like anything less. : )
Congrats, by the way! (I hope you thanked your toe.)
Thank you Tana! Perhaps I'll take those toe earnings and treat my toe to a spa day. We'll see ;)
Enjoyed this video. Amazing what you can earn from what appears to be run of the mill subjects.
Thank you! Yes, these sales definitely surprised me.
great video thank you
Thanks great work
Thank you!
I make serial numbers for my pictures as follows: A letter prefix plus 6 digits. A=Smaller than Micro 4/3, B=Micro 4/3, C=APS.C, D=Full Frame, E=Medium Format, F=Large format. Don Slaughter
Hi Nicole. Great post. I was wrong on every choice in photos. Hehe. Guess there is a lot to be said about supply and demand
It's often the unexpected ones ;)
Can you share you export settings for stocks photos to be uploaded to stock sites?
Hi Nicole, great vid as usual....quick question, was the video of the Marriott editorial or commercial? did you need a property release?
That video was editorial, no release form
A puddle with an oil spill on it was my weirdest sold photo. 🤷🏻♀️
Definitely weird!
In just few of your videos ..... you taught me a lot.
Glad to hear that! :)
just came across you, I have been selling stock on and off for years. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Doug, you're welcome! Hope you find something useful in these vids :)
Thank you so much very useful information on this topic i like your vedio
Thank you!
Very good 👍👌 information..
Hey Nicole Glass! Love this video, love your channel! We also started youtube recently to share our monthly income from stock sites, however Shutterstock's confidentiality terms of service have just been brought to our attention.... We want to keep sharing this info - we feel it's valuable and a lot of people want to know about it - curious if you found a solution. Here's the exact quote from Shutterstock: "By submitting any Content to Shutterstock, you acknowledge that you will acquire certain confidential and proprietary information, including but not limited to royalty rates, royalty payments and earnings data (collectively, "Confidential Information"). You agree to keep Confidential Information confidential and to not disclose Confidential Information to any third party other than representatives, agents, attorneys, accountants, auditors and advisors with a bona fide need to know, who shall first agree to keep the terms confidential." Thanks for any insight!
Hi guys, great channel! Just subscribed. :)
Yes, I read the terms of service before and noticed that after I made a few of these videos. A lot of their information about contributor earnings is public (like earnings tiers), but I don't typically do personal income break-downs... just more general information.
Some of the people who work at Shutterstock know about my channel and they don't seem to have any problems with what I've shared in the past. Anyway, I'm not sure if that's any help or not.. it's sort of a grey area, but I definitely don't think you're going to get in any sort of trouble.
As a grahic designer I buy photos that might work for placing text rather than a nice photo, So table tops, walls with detail around them but the center not having mcuh going on and things like that.
New to ss but my best is .25. But it's sold 5 times! $1.25 total. Oh and it's a recycling bin. So random
That's definitely really random!
I'm so inspired by your video..📧👍
This was incredibly interesting
I'm glad you think so:)
Interesting stuff, thanks for sharing. I'm developing a list of around-the-house shots to take as a start in stock photography, but i promise i won't do dryer sheets...maybe.
I notice your audio seems to peak sometimes, far more than other videos i watch (admittedly on a laptop). Just a note to be aware of, for example the "check" of "let's check, let's see"
Thanks for letting me know! Improving the audio is something I'm constantly working on but haven't quite perfected.
And it's ok... you can photograph the dryer sheets. I bet a lot of people already did that by now, haha.
Nice video thanks for the tips.. Have a question ' how did you get release for picture which have marked name and video allso cause me I've got som. Issues they tald me picture Contain names or mark did you got the release OK from owners or is ther a way to let it be allowed thanks at advance!
This is hilarious yet genius hahah
Awesome video
Awesome video... I wanna know if I am uploading photo of morning view the what should be additional info tag, when I uploading from my android phone it's ask Editorial, illustration and adult. So which option I have to select? Can you please suggest
Hy Nicole thanks so much for such valuable content anda straight on point. I just get interested in the stock photography theme, the photos or videos you show that contain labels how do you sell in shutterstock? It's editorial anda not commercial or something like that?
Thank you again!!
Hi Roberto, yes you are right - those are editorial images!
I've needed photos of specific hotel brands and they are surprisingly hard to find. Nice little niche opportunity! Also there are so many cheesy hotel photos on Shutterstock with models posing in a super generic hotel it's hard to find one that looks natural.
Haha, I can imagine! By the way did you ever create a Shutterstock account to upload your own photos?
I did not. It's a low priority with everything else there is to do.
That is true, with all your tours you probably have so little time in the first place!
The most i got from 1 download is $20 usd, its an old photo i dug up from years ago of a windmill next to a billabong.
I took it with an very old 9mp fujifilm camera with a mold spot on the lens that had to be edited out of every photo i took so it was far from professional yet it sold about 6 times so far.
love ur channel
Google TH-cam audio
You made me frustrated and hopeful at the same time😂
Lol.