Making money online thanks to your passion is everyone's dream.

In the world there are thousands of photographers and video makers who already do it with microstock (find out what microstock is). However, if you don't professionalize your production with the sale of stock images and stock footage you will earn only a few dollars/euros per month.

The story I'm about to tell proves that, for those who study a method to produce and commit themselves, good earnings will come.

I (Daniele Carrer) started selling photos and videos online many years ago and I know very well that the competition between contributors today is tougher. And I also know that the slowness with which profits come, in a world that leads people to claim results immediately, is one of the reasons why so many photographers and video makers give up their production soon after starting.

To collect the first $100 with microstock, someone waited up to a year (like Domenico Fornas: read his story) and eventually made thousands of of dollars because of their persistence. But someone else gave up without even getting a single dollar.

Alex Di Martino is evidence that if you work hard and have the humility to learn even you learned how to take good pictures when you were a child, you can still make money by selling your photos and videos online.

Daniele Carrer

The story of the non-professional photographer Alex Di Martino

I'm Alex Di Martino. I have been working as a clerk in a company in Milan for 25 years, but I often move to Rome, where my family lives. I have a wife, a daughter and many passions:

  • Music (I'm a DJ and radio announcer)
  • Modelling (I am a model-maker: you can find my creations on www.animedalmondo.it)
  • Photography and video making

My grandfather taught me the passion for photography in the film era.

I discovered stock footage and microstock in the early days of the business, but in the beginning I had poor results due to inexperience:

  • in business
  • in digital photography

Making money with photos and videos: the turning point

I discovered the site of Daniele Carrer, a fantastic person, along with his videos on YouTube while searching for updated information on the microstock business.

He immediately inspired me with confidence, so I bought his course.

There is a lot of content on the internet about the sale of stock images and stock footage, but Daniele, unlike other teachers, gives straight and practical advice.

Although I have many years of experience with photography, he gave me what I needed to have a reason to use my reflex camera more than ever.

After taking his course, I asked myself a question:

Can I really turn my passion into a profit by changing my approach?

Yes I could! Obviously I didn't think:

I can get rich with my photos and videos because if Daniele has managed to do it, everyone can.

The idea of ​​wealth changes from person to person. For me, being rich means being able to support my family in the best possible way, just like Daniele did.

I am writing this story during a vacation during which, in addition to dedicating myself to my family, I can practice photography and my other passions.

Holidays are the best time of the year to think about microstock and make money online:

  • There is more time to shape your own strategy
  • You can do research on the best subjects

Since I am passionate about photography and video making, dedicating myself to this business does not weigh on me, not even in August nor at Christmas.

The equipment I use to shoot

In 25 years of shooting I have created "an arsenal":

  • three cameras (Nikon D3100 APSC, Nikon D300 APSC, Panasonic Lumix GX80 micro 4/3 with 12/32 F3.5/5.6)
  • eight lenses (35 mm F1.8, 50mm F1.8, 18/200 F3.5/5.6, and more)
  • several tripods (a Manfrotto 290 with fluid head included that I found perfect for shooting stock footage, Manfrotto pixi Evo, Manfrotto pocket MP3).

I always carry my tripods with me when I produce, except the Manfrotto 290, which I use only for some shooting. They are small and light and I keep the pocket MP3 always mounted on the mirrorless (Panasonic Lumix Gx80), the lightest of my three cameras.

I have excellent equipment, but I agree with Daniele when he says that, for beginners, a basic camera and lens are enough unless you have a business project.

You need to have clear ideas to perform well with sales. You have to understand what you want to achieve and work accordingly.

Having a collection of 1000 products (stock images and stock footage) of good quality in your shops (microstock agencies), gives more chances for earning than having much less content but of perfect quality.

This is why it is very important to shape a strategy. Otherwise, you only earn small change.

$230 earned in the first 7 days as a producer

To give an idea of what to expect to those who start producing stock images and stock footage, I want to share some data about my career as a contributor, talking about the period immediately after I took Daniele's course, because I only had a few sales when I produced without a strategy for years before this course.

In the first week I produced 147 contents:

  • 48 images (stock images)
  • 57 time-lapses (stock footage)
  • 42 real time videos (stock footage)

The agencies where I uploaded to were:

The first microstock today is called Storyblocks and, for a few reasons explained on this page, it is no longer a good marketplace to sell for us photographers and video makers who want to make money.

The kind of subjects I like to focus on are common, but I tried to differentiate myself from competitors by shooting the subjects with a different perspective, following the advice that Daniele gives in his course.

This is what I got:

  • Videoblocks: 1 video sold (it was a 4k resolution video and I cashed $179 directly into my Paypal account!). Too bad that today the agency no longer works with these percentages and prices.
  • Pond5: 2 Full HD videos and one photo sold: $14.50x2 + $ 2.50 = $31.50
  • Shutterstock: 1 Full HD video and 2 photos sold. $20.70 + $0.25x2 = $21.20

A total of $231.70 cashed in the first week.

The result surprised me, as I'm not Edward Weston or Ernst Haas. So don't expect identical profits if you start today. I admit that in my case the luck factor played a lot, in addition to Daniele's invaluable advice.

I hope that sharing my experience will be useful to all producers. If you want other advice, my e-mail is a.lombardidj@hmail.com.

Happy Microstock to all of you.

Alex Di Martino

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