Is Stock Photography and Video Worth It In 2022?

 

It's 2022 and the cost of goods, rent and gas prices has gone up. Majority of us are looking for ways to save money or make passive income. Many creators, like myself, are resorting into stock work to find additional income. 

It's been said many many years ago, stock work was good money. Now, do to competition there are more creators doing this type of work. How do we stand out amongst the others doing the same thing? So I ask myself..

On a daily basis I question this when I am about to upload to stock sites. I find myself doubting the process. But when I turn my head to bills, I'm reminded I have to make this work. 

I've been uploading with stock sites on a regular basis since January 2021. I uploaded perhaps 15 photos, many got denied. Not until 2022, I opened the account and saw buyers. When I saw $2 from a photo sold, it inspired me to go further into the process. It's now September, 2022 I have been uploading photos and videos almost on a weekly basis. Some stock sites are more strict with their requirements, but often times it does get accepted. 

Here are some financials I've gained in 3 stock/video sites. 

Adobe

Shutterstock

Pond5

I have learned that in order to be successful in these stock sites you have to do this;

1) Dedicate your time and be committed to uploading. Many successful stock contributors have uploaded thousands of content. I'm only reaching one hundred +

2) Study the popular downloads and try and create your own

3) Stick to a stock site that will provide a more fair payout. A stock site I am in - I'm not a fan of because of the payout. But the backend support and tech is great. So I keep it so I have tools to use for other stock sites. I explained that on a video...  

Looking at my payout, I ask myself, is it worth it in 2022? For me, yes! My plans are to work remote in the next two years, and any passive income I can start generating now would help us down the road. It does take a lot of work up front, but once the AI has figured out the keywords and buyers it eventually starts getting some pay. This process may not work for everyone, especially, if they are looking to make money quickly. "This is a marathon and not a sprint," per say.

If you are considering going in this direction, best to really analyze your situation and see if this even fits your time and schedule.