18 How to Make Dollars from Cents
the custom order tool available for packages of more than 160
credits. Alternatively, you can become a subscriber by purchasing a
subscription package that allows for as few as 30 days and 750 images
to 1 year and 9,125 images, in each case with a 25-image-per-day
download limit.
Per-image pricing is dependent upon the resolution required, with
prices increasing for larger, higher-resolution images and the “level”
of the image (higher prices charged for the more popular images). This
translates to higher commissions for photographers. For further infor-
mation, see http://www.dreamstime.com/sellimages.
If you look at the Dreamstime pricing in detail, it appears to favor
subscription downloads, where per-image prices are at their lowest.
But, according to Serban Enache, chief executive offi cer (CEO) of
Dreamstime, the credit packages are in practice the more popular
choice with buyers.SHUTTERSTOCK
Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com) is a pure subscription site, offer-
ing packages starting at 1 month with a maximum of 25 downloads
per day for $159.00 to 1 year with a maximum of 25 downloads per
day for $1,599.00. It is arguably the most successful subscription site,
and if you are thinking of sending some of your work to the microstock
image libraries, my advice is to put Shutterstock at the top of your
library list.
We will continue to adjust our payouts to match the pace of business. Our pho-
tographers are our greatest asset, and we know it.
Jon Oringer, CEO, ShutterstockUnlike Dreamstime, at Shutterstock all image sizes are the same
price and so are commission payments to photographers—$0.25
per download for junior photographers and $0.30 per download
for more senior photographers with more sales ($500 worth in
commission, to be precise). Some photographers deliberately send
Shutterstock smaller fi le sizes only in the belief that this will
force buyers to fi nd big fi les at other sites and pay more for the
higher-resolution sizes. I’m not sure this is a sensible use of time
and effort, and I would advise against trying to beat the system
this way. Go and shoot more stock instead!
Shutterstock is run by entrepreneur Jon Oringer. He has made
Shutterstock the yin to iStockphoto’s yang. If you submit work to
iStockphoto and Shutterstock, you have bagged what many would
regard as the best single sale and the best subscription site, a
great starting point in your microstock photographic career. Shutter-
stock advertises extensively and generates a considerable amount