What Sells . . . ?

[Ed Rooney]

 

Is it the subject? The location? The tech? Hmm. 

 

I don't shoot sports, wild life, or rual landscapes . . . and I don't shoot Live News. The locations of mine that sell best are NYC (still after 6 years) and Liverpool. I traveled to Chester and York but have no sales from ether. Not yet. I have some sales from the other places I've stopped at after leaving NYC in 2018 -- Mexico, Quebec, Spain, and Ireland, but not many. Tabletop sells, food and other stuff. 

 

I'm getting close to giving up on this and joining a pub darts club. 

 

Edo

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Ed Rooney

[Steve F]

Basingstoke (unsurprisingly) doesn't sell well. London shots seem to sell well, bearing in mind I have very few of them and I've sold some. By far my bestselling images are all produced at home.

 

You could probably sell images of a pub dart club, I think James would call that 'lifestyle' 🙃

 

Edit: and supermarket shots all seem to sell like hotcakes

 

Edited edit, I think that more unusual images, or images of an event can definitely command more fees (not a given, but I rarely get high fees for run of the mill shots).

Edited November 23, 2022 by Steve F

[meanderingemu]

15 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Is it the subject? The location? The tech? Hmm. 

 

I don't shoot sports, wild life, or rual landscapes . . . and I don't shoot Live News.

 

 

you say you don't shoot Live News, is that the submission way or the subject matter.  I have found signs from protests of global subject matters do OK on the stock side and they don't need to be uploaded as LN. but fees are generally below Alamy stated average™

Edited November 23, 2022 by meanderingemu

[Jill Morgan]

Now that my dog show season has come to an end, I plan to spend a little time with my cameras over the winter. Maybe I can pick up a few tips on what I should point them at while out strolling.  Most of the birds have gone for the winter and you can only take so many shots of Blue Jays.

 

Living out in the country restricts my subject matter, although I did sell one of a bull calf last week.  I head to Toronto every so often for supplies, so might drag the cameras along and do some street shooting this winter.  I have found that storefronts can do well.

 

Jill

[Martin L]

What sells..........Air Fryers in the UK at the moment

[Rebecca Ore]

2 hours ago, Steve F said:

Basingstoke (unsurprisingly) doesn't sell well. London shots seem to sell well, bearing in mind I have very few of them and I've sold some. By far my bestselling images are all produced at home.

 

 

Nicaragua -- what gets zooms are one deaf kid signing (he was mischievous and a ham), coffee, and some others, including fire arms and armas blancas (bladed weapons).   The fish were licensing regularly enough at one point, but not so much now.  Jinotega is prosperous enough that it started repelling the US missionarios, but not prosperous enough to be a luxury destination.   I've licensed some plant photos (US and here), but I have lots of them.  

 

Tabletops are easier than getting out and about on crutches with Luis.  Just haven't gotten A Round Tuit yet. 

[Michael Ventura]

2 hours ago, Martin L said:

What sells..........Air Fryers in the UK at the moment

 

U.K. is about a year or two behind on this trend! I have one and use it almost every day.  Love not using my oven whenever possible!

[Ed Rooney]

8 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

you say you don't shoot Live News, is that the submission way or the subject matter.  

 

I don't submit as Live News. If when I'm walking around, I come upon something that could be news, I snap it and submit as editorial stock. 

 

I forgot to list signs. Signs sell well but never for anything but a small fee. 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Ed Rooney

[Allan Bell]

I have listed all my sales for 12 months below.

 

Cambridge Guildhall and Market Square

Lincoln wagamamma sign

Cambridge Fire Station

Cambridge St Andrews Street

Small tortoiseshell butterfly

Ceanothus Concha flowering shrub

Sunflower Black Magic

Ceanothus Concha flowering shrub

Mallard family

Cambridge The Vitrum Building St Johns Innovation Park

Seafront Cowes Isle of Wight

Rural rubbish bins Isle of Wight

Newmarket racecourse Premier enclosure

Clusters of feathered achenes clematis vitalba

Lincoln Greggs food shop

Newmarket racecourse Premier enclosure

Shoes on a mat

Ilminster sweet shop

Lincoln LNER Azuma train railway station

Newmarket racecourse Premier enclosure

Mars bar on wood surface

Crime scene tape

Red Blotch Violas in window box

 

23 images licensed between 1st Decenber 2021 to 23rd November 2022

 

All sales no refunds.

 

Make of it what you will. I do have lots of variety in my port not just the subjects selected above by buyers.

 

Allan

 

[meanderingemu]

23 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I don't submit as Live News. If when I'm walking around, I come upon something that could be news, I snap it and submit as editorial stock. 

 

I forgot to list signs. Signs sell well but never for anything but a small fee. 

 

good

Edited November 24, 2022 by meanderingemu

[wiskerke]

11 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Is it the subject? The location? The tech? Hmm. 

 

I don't shoot sports, wild life, or rual landscapes . . . and I don't shoot Live News. The locations of mine that sell best are NYC (still after 6 years) and Liverpool. I traveled to Chester and York but have no sales from ether. Not yet. I have some sales from the other places I've stopped at after leaving NYC in 2018 -- Mexico, Quebec, Spain, and Ireland, but not many. Tabletop sells, food and other stuff. 

 

I'm getting close to giving up on this and joining a pub darts club. 

 

Edo

 

 

Look at all those sales not from Liverpool. By now you must have a fair idea of what sells for the best money. Have you done similar shots of Liverpool? Are they as good? Are there better ones on Alamy? On Google Images? You get the drift.

However those penny sales of signs do count towards your brownie points.

 

You probably already recite the complete AoA list of searches for Liverpool while your out on the streets. Oops maybe not: there have been 10663 searches for it this rolling year alone. Wow you picked a rich hunting ground!

Not sure how many remain after subtracting all searches for the soccer team though. Otoh who knows you might get to like soccer. 😁

 

wim

[sooth]

unfortunately nyc sells well, unfortunately as its a frustrating city to live in.

 

Things that have sold for me in the past year include storefronts, protests, signs and signage, technology, a few statues (all illustrating a social justice issue), a variety of items in seattle, a variety of items in france, community fridges, bookstores, pickleball, gig workers, automated public toilet, a urine deflector, people almost stepping in dog poop, rain garden, a jar of xo sauce, a chicken.

Edited November 24, 2022 by sooth

[Ed Rooney]

 

I like soccer, Wim! I like both American and European football. But I've never played so I don't know them the way I know baseball. And shooting sports is like seriously doing news or wild life. Not for me at this point in my life.  

[John Mitchell]

This question has been asked many times before in one form or another. I don't see much if any change in the types of images that have sold well on Alamy over the years. There are just a heck of a lot more of them now and many more contributors. I wouldn't know where to find a darts club over here, and curling looks too much like housework. That said, I'm more or less on extended sabbatical now. 😴

 

 

[Bryan]

It's not just what sells, but rather what brings the biggest returns for your effort. A landscape going for $$$ is worth  a few dozen of those pesky storefront or sign photos. 

 

I'm not one to carry a tripod in order to shoot a mountain stream at 1/8th second so producing an unrealistic but maybe fashionable view of the flow. Nor will I get up before dawn to capture the sunrise, or turn out in the bitter cold to  catch a sunset on a snow covered landscape. Maybe this is why I don't make loads of money at this game !

[sooth]

.

Edited December 8, 2022 by sooth

[wiskerke]

3 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I like soccer, Wim! I like both American and European football. But I've never played so I don't know them the way I know baseball. And shooting sports is like seriously doing news or wild life. Not for me at this point in my life.  

 

Most searches are for players and coaches. Maybe a bit of paparazzi work? Red carpet? Maybe not.

 

wim

[Roy Q]

Thanks for the tips everyone - so I'm about to re-caption everything as "air-fryer" and "Liverpool" and wait for it to roll in...

[Steve F]

14 minutes ago, Roy Q said:

Thanks for the tips everyone - so I'm about to re-caption everything as "air-fryer" and "Liverpool" and wait for it to roll in...

 

I'm having to respond with an emoji here: 🤣

[Allan Bell]

4 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

I'm getting rather sad, and a bit confused, now that we can't be happy any more.

 

I am ignoring that and being my usual bright, happy, jovial self and will post funnies when I get the chance.😃

 

Whether others think they are funny or not is down to them.😢

 

Allan

 

[Rebecca Ore]

On 24/11/2022 at 15:41, Bryan said:

It's not just what sells, but rather what brings the biggest returns for your effort. A landscape going for $$$ is worth  a few dozen of those pesky storefront or sign photos. 

 

I'm not one to carry a tripod in order to shoot a mountain stream at 1/8th second so producing an unrealistic but maybe fashionable view of the flow. Nor will I get up before dawn to capture the sunrise, or turn out in the bitter cold to  catch a sunset on a snow covered landscape. Maybe this is why I don't make loads of money at this game !

 

I've licensed one landscape during my first Alamy career.  It was one where I knew the geography, the name of that particular mountain.  I think the people who sell landscapes tend to be taking photos of architecture in landscapes.  Or they're particularly spectacular landscapes that they know quite well.

 

Most of my licenses have been things, plants, and aquarium fish.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you sell the most what you know the most about, but some of those things have a limited audience.

 

I'm going after some leaf cutter ants soon.  The local householders near the nest poison them on the street, but the queen is deep down below all that, in the dark with the fungus collections, laying eggs.   They're fascinating insects.   (Should check Alamy's collection for what's already been done with them). 

 

 

[gvallee]

1 hour ago, Rebecca Ore said:

 

I've licensed one landscape during my first Alamy career.  It was one where I knew the geography, the name of that particular mountain.  I think the people who sell landscapes tend to be taking photos of architecture in landscapes.  Or they're particularly spectacular landscapes that they know quite well.

 

Most of my licenses have been things, plants, and aquarium fish.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you sell the most what you know the most about, but some of those things have a limited audience.

 

I'm going after some leaf cutter ants soon.  The local householders near the nest poison them on the street, but the queen is deep down below all that, in the dark with the fungus collections, laying eggs.   They're fascinating insects.   (Should check Alamy's collection for what's already been done with them). 

 

 

 

I've done quite well with my leaf-cutter ants. Here. They are fascinating to observe.

 

I think what sells depends on the target country. For example for Australia, what sells most are beaches, then landscapes and wildlife. I've done well with birds but also insects. I can't speak for people doing things, they probably sell well but I don't have many.

[giphotostock]

1 hour ago, gvallee said:

For example for Australia, what sells most are beaches, then landscapes and wildlife. I've done well with birds but also insects.

In Australia, do publishers and advertisers use images of/for:

- biology/physics/chemistry textbooks?

- culture/festivals/traditions/anthropology?

- container ships/trucks/lorries?

- medical/healthcare/doctors/equipment/procedures?

- small business owners/craftspeople?

- agriculture/machinery/crops/gardens/silos/barns?

- commercial and recreational fishing?

- manufacturing industries and construction?

- conceptual images for promotions and ads?

- happy families doing what happy families do?

[gvallee]

22 minutes ago, giphotostock said:

In Australia, do publishers and advertisers use images of/for:

- biology/physics/chemistry textbooks?

- culture/festivals/traditions/anthropology?

- container ships/trucks/lorries?

- medical/healthcare/doctors/equipment/procedures?

- small business owners/craftspeople?

- agriculture/machinery/crops/gardens/silos/barns?

- commercial and recreational fishing?

- manufacturing industries and construction?

- conceptual images for promotions and ads?

- happy families doing what happy families do?

 

I cannot possibly answer you because I have no experience in those areas. I can only comment on what sells for my portfolio.

 

I did license an image of an Aboriginal dancer at a festival, and according to Alamy Measures, there is definitely interest in Aboriginal culture. I licensed one of those only yesterday.

 

Also of interest is the property market. 

[Rebecca Ore]

8 hours ago, gvallee said:

I've done quite well with my leaf-cutter ants. Here. They are fascinating to observe.

There are 13 or 14 pages of leaf cutter ant photos on Alamy.   I'll have to focus on the gritty urban nature of the local colony fighting the humans.

[gvallee]

3 hours ago, Rebecca Ore said:

There are 13 or 14 pages of leaf cutter ant photos on Alamy.   I'll have to focus on the gritty urban nature of the local colony fighting the humans.

 

We have Electric Ants here in Cairns. They like to get into any electrical device and chew the cables.