168 Case Studies
shoots raw fi le format for stock (excellent!). Her fi nancial performance,
summarized in Figure 10.2, shows just how successful you can be
using a decent but not top-range kit—it is all a result of her application
and talent.
Commenting on her favorite sites, Jo Ann says, “Fotolia, for ease
of uploading, but for sales, iStockphoto and Shutterstock tie for fi rst
place.”Carsten
Carsten is a German national now living in Miami, FL, and working
as an interpreter. Microstock seems to have had quite a fundamental
effect on his approach to photography, as he explains: “For 15 years,
I loved photography but never had the right equipment or guidance.
Ever since I heard of the microstock industry, I made the decision to
upgrade to a D70 digital SLR in order to have more fl exibility in terms
of settings. I have improved my skills to a point where I defi nitely
want to keep going to a professional level.”
Carsten had no stock experience before he found the microstocks,
but he does have a background in advertising and had on occasion
chosen images for buyers.
Carsten likes concept shots because he says they sell best. He
spends 1–2 hours a day on his stock photography. What you mayFIGURE 10.2 Jo Ann successfully
combines her careers as mom and
photographer.