stipe Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Exactly 10 years ago, January 7, 2010, I got my very first sale on Alamy. It was a photo I shot to a local farmer I met along with his yak on a remote mountain path in Tibet a few years earlier. A quick shot around midday in a clear day with a strong and horrible light. Nothing of special and neither nicely edited to tell the truth. Anyway, that photo was my first one to be sold by a stock agency and it was published on the Guardian newspaper. I still remember how thrilled I was when that sale popped up into my on line account. Somehow, it was the official begin of my career as travel professional photographer. Since then, thousands of images of mine have been sold. Many for peanuts (if not less!), others, instead, were three-digit sales and even a four-digit sale once! At that time, Alamy was my first stock agency I joined but more agencies followed later. Over the years stock photography market changed significantly and not for the better unfortunately. Microstock agencies became much stronger and they contributed to lower sale prices while, at the same time, famous leading international photo agencies like Corbis disappeared from the market or were purchased by others. On the other side, the offer of digital images by new photographers increased too much and this was another relevant contributing factor to lower prices generally. Just to give you an idea, in 2010 there were only 12 millions of images available for sale on Alamy while today the total amount of images is one step away only from reaching 200 millions! Certainly, I can forget about still getting the average earnings of that time nowadays. During all this time, anyway, all my hard efforts as travel photographer have been fully awarded with getting my photos published on front covers for famous magazines or tourist guides like National Geographic Traveller or Lonely Planet, calendars, books or travel brochures, but all the sincere happiness I felt when I discovered my first sale on Alamy right 10 years ago still remains my greatest emotion I got as travel stock photographer. Stefano Travel Photographer 2 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) How time flies! Our first sale, of a New York skyline, was in June 2001. Looking back I hadn’t realised that our first 4 sales were all black and white images, 2 of them were shot on b&w infra red film. One of these is still our highest net sale. (we got 80% back then!) PS In case anyone notices it says here we joined Alamy in 2005! We joined in 2000 (first upload was 30th Oct 2000) but merged two accounts in 2005. Edited January 7, 2020 by Thyrsis 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvallee Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) Nostalgic are we? Trip down memory lane in the golden days.... II knew then that it took time to license images, so in fact, I didn't check my sales for a few months. Someone at work prompted me to do so and I was shocked to discover a longish list of sales. My first license was in July 2003 during my Brazilian days. I had no idea what I was doing with Photoshop, as you can see... My third one in December of the same year was for $402. I was still working on my Photoshop (lack of) skills. Edited January 7, 2020 by gvallee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domf Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Stipe your photographs are stunning, it is theft that your photos sell for less than $$$. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Ramsay Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 First sale in 2007, immediately refunded and then sold again for twice the price. Medium format transparency. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Quist Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) First sale - January 2010 - COP 15 climate demo at Parliament in Copenhagen. Editorial - USA - 60% of $245. My technique has improved considerably since - thanks to Alamy. Edited January 7, 2020 by Niels Quist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webby Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 My first sale, 2007. A good start at $299.99...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiskerke Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Ah how time flies. As Marx* said: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. My first 2 on Alamy: sale 23/6/2005 - scanned 35mm Velvia - Phnom Penh, Cambodia sale 1/7/2005, a week later! - Amarapura Myanmar - again scanned 35mm Velvia wim * Groucho not Karl - but you may have guessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeCee Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 30th Sept 2003, first sale for $78, Selfridges store, Birmingham, UK Same image sold again a few weeks later for a further $65 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colblimp Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 My first sale way back on the 27th April 2016 for a massive $10.68 for personal use. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb photos Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 My first sale was this image, shot on Monday 4th September 2017, sold later December 8th for $38.42 gross. McDonald’s strike solidarity rally, Old Palace Yard, Westminster. Cut down to use as a banner on the TUC website. I remember it well, it was the first time I carried an 11" MacBook Air instead of the heavier MacBook Pro retina. I'd forgotten to bring a USB card reader, the MBP had one built in. Cursing, I passed on then covering the arms fair demo at the excel, heading back home to upload rather late as live news. Since then I keep a card reader in each of my camera bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stipe Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 3 hours ago, domf said: Stipe your photographs are stunning, it is theft that your photos sell for less than $$$. Ahahaha, thank you so much for your very nice words!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Crean Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 This on 15th Oct 2007. Sold for $439, still the highest single sale I've had, then sold again in 2010 for $93. Other images have earned more through multiple sales but that first was what got me going.... Phil 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thyrsis Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 3 hours ago, wiskerke said: As Marx* said: Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. * Groucho not Karl - but you may have guessed. 😂 Gave Ian a birthday card with that on last year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Ventura Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 First sale, Oct 2005. A scan from a Fuji Velvia tranny taken in Anguilla (still sells) for $52.72. I thought I hit the lottery by joining Alamy! That was the lowest priced sale for the next two years with most being well into the $$$, in that era. Now I get a $$$ here and there. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Ashmore Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Sold in November 2015 for the priestly sum of $5.37 and used in Croatia. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Woods Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 This is a fun thread. My first was November 2006, Adam and Eve on Tryfan. It sold for $180 but It was refunded a week later The day after the refund this one went for $430 It was interesting, and disheartening, to see that of my first 50 sales a whopping 30 were for over $100. Colin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Richmond Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 June 2014 for my first Alamy sale: Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles', taken in my own garden. $32.76 for a five year licence. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Pritchard Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 "Ancient Forester II" (detail) outdoor sculpture by David Kemp. Grizedale Forest, Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England. My first sale on 19th.January 2007. I joined Alamy on 19th.April 2006. Country: United Kingdom Usage: Editorial Media: Newspaper - national Industry sector: Media Industry Sub-Industry: Publishing Print run: up to 500,000 Placement: Inside Image Size: 1/4 page Start: 19 January 2007 End: 20 January 2007 $ 152.50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Gritstone outcrops on Kinder Scout, licenced for $124 in 2008... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VbFolly Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I wish I'd started a few years earlier! My first sale was in May 2016 to the Daily Mail - print and web - for $16.13. A European brown bear in Finland. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) My first sale on Alamy Joined Alamy 08 OCT 2012 Uploaded 53 photos in November, 2012 First sale 10 DEC 2012 Washington Post print newspaper for $80 Sold again to Washington Post for this web version on 6 FEB 2013 for $27 Edited January 7, 2020 by Lisa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pearl Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 (edited) I only had 15 images on Alamy when this sold in June 2004 Country: Saudi Arabia Usage: Advertising and promotion Media: Airport display Industry sector: Travel and Tourism Sub-Industry: Airlines Print run: up to 5 Image Size: Double crown 20inx30in (50.80cm x 76.20cm) Start: 06 June 2005 End: 06 September 2005 It sold again in Feb 2005 for $180 Looking through my early sales is actually quite depressing as only 9 out of the first 50 are less than $100 and many are top $$$ sales and none were less than $$. We didn't realise how lucky we were compared to now. Pearl $ 263.58 Edited January 7, 2020 by Pearl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broad Norfolk Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 My first - from April 2008. Look what Newspapers paid at that time! Country: United Kingdom Usage: Editorial Media: Newspaper - national Industry sector: Media Industry Sub-Industry: Publishing Print run: up to 1 million Placement: Inside Image Size: 1/2 page Start: 25 April 2008 End: 26 April 2008 $ 172.05 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokie Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 First sale on 26 September 2008 for $36. Country: Russian FederationUsage: EditorialMedia: Magazine - Print onlyIndustry sector: Media IndustrySub-Industry: PublishingPrint run: up to 10,000Placement: InsideImage Size: Spot sizeStart: 01 August 2008End: 01 September 2008 John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now