Stock PhotographyStock Photography is photography shot on speculation, in advance of being sold. Stock photography began as an outlet for the hundreds of thousands of photographs taken on assignment. Eventually, a market developed and flourished that had photo marketers forming stock agencies to market a wide selection of generic photographs. Having the images available as stock gives clients a lower cost (but evenly priced) option. It gives consumers a high-quality visual experience that they might otherwise miss. And, best of all, it gives the photographer the opportunity to earn income from photographs that otherwise would stay in a drawer or on a hard drive forever. Everybody wins! As this business grew explosively, supply was steadily out-pacing demand, and the field became even more competitive. Quality has risen, and shooting specifically for stock has replaced the concept of using the stock agency as a place for surplus photographs.
Many photographers spend part of their time shooting specifically for stock, taking advantage of the opportunities provide by being on location for an assignment. Other photographers specialize exclusively in shooting for stock. Stock can be a lucrative market for photographers, but given its competitive nature some rules to assist you in attaining success are worth keeping in mind:
Your ability to constantly refresh your stock images is critically significant. In fact, stock agencies worth their salt will insist on it. If you are your ‘sales' force, you, too, should insist on it! Keep shooting and showing your work! It is not unusual for photographers with reasonably well developed stock portfolios to generate thousands of dollars from the resale of a single image. Quite a few images have generated tens of thousands of dollars in resale over the years. It is much less risky to build a stock portfolio part time alongside an assignment practice, expanding more heavily into stock as you gain experience and become known.
If you are good at managing your time, selling your own photography really isn’t that difficult. Many professionals, full-time and part-time, are very successful at selling stock. There is no one ‘foolproof’ method for success. However, before you can realize success, you must ‘specialize.’ That is, determine what are your photographic strengths and weaknesses and how to identify and focus on the photography niche(s) that fit for your style and experience. If you want to accurately learn about this photography market, you must read these stock photography articles. Success in the stock photo business is just a click away!
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that your work reflects and brings value. 
he photos are good or not. 
e in this field. This is a great place to start your research; to compare your work with others; and to find markets for your work. 
