528: Claire Bonnor – How to supply stock photography to a photo stock library for income

PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Claire Bonnor of www.austockphoto.com.au is someone I discovered while chatting over Messenger with photographer and premium member Caro Telfer.

She was talking about shooting for a stock library and how it was making her think differently about her business.

Caro said…

I’m not quite making a living out of it, but it has given me a new option and changed how I work.

I’m a founding contributor (since 2016) to the Austockphoto Library.

Claire Bonnor is the principal at Austockphoto, and I think she’d be good as a guest on the podcast.

So far, I have about 5,000 images on the Austockphoto website. Until last year (which was a disaster health-wise for me), I had been adding, on average, 1,000 new photos each year. Last year my gross sales came to just under $20K. Considering that I hoped to cover my weekly coffee spend when I first signed up, it exceeded my expectations!

That was enough for me; I was 100% keen to learn more about stock libraries and how they could help produce an income for photographer listeners.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• How Claire got into stock photos and creating a stock library
• Is there a demand for stock photography
• Why use stock photography
• Why should a photographer submit images to a stock library
• The selection process involved which photos to submit to stock libraries
• How much do you earn when submitting stock photos
• How pricing & licensing work with stock photos
• The importance of adding metadata to uploaded photos in the stock library
• The resolution needed for stock photos
• Discussion on model releases and their scope
• When should you secure model release forms
• What are the most saleable photos in a stock library
• Having a variety of stock photos gives more chances of selling more
• Are you allowed to photograph certain buildings or architecture for commercial use
• What photos are not allowed to be uploaded in a stock library
• Always think about the end-user when uploading photos into a stock library
• Will the presence of AI affect stock libraries and business
• Can stock libraries benefit from AI
• Are stock photos secure once uploaded to a stock library
• Usage rights and licensing of stock photos
• Claire's advice to those who want to do stock photos
• Claire's reason for building a stock library business
• Earning passive income through stock photos

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

The basic licenses range from currently $10 to $110 and photographers get 50% of every image that's licensed. – Claire Bonnor

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Claire shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode.

The stock photographers who do well in our library are the ones that are shooting a great range of types of shots within that one shoot. – Claire Bonnor

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Claire or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engine for podcasts, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google, and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show, and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to them.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Austockphoto Website

Austockphoto Photographer Application

Austockphoto on Facebook

Austockphoto on Instagram

Caro Telfer on Austockphoto

Caro Telfer Website

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Claire for sharing her thoughts, ideas, tactics, and processes for generating an income with stock photography and making it a viable money-making opportunity.

Our focus has always been authenticity. I just think we're still a long way from being able to convincingly use AI to create images that just feel as real as what we're going for and what our customers are loving. – Claire Bonnor

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

The post 528: Claire Bonnor – How to supply stock photography to a photo stock library for income appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.