Stock Photography Marketplace?

I know it would be really hard to manage copyrights but envato has a pretty well disclaimer to protect them from copyrights issues. They also have a very knowledgeable group behind that can figure anything out.

Just a thought since I believe it come be very profitable. I will be on stand by.

I like the idea

But if you’re asking about gear, that might be a good idea to keep separate, something that users can’t sell on, only official Envato items

Rather then making a full blown site for just stock photos, the Envato team could make a category on GraphicRiver for stock photos?

They could, but Stock Photography is such a wide genre already that it would just make graphic river that much bigger. Having it’s own site would probably be the best way to keep the saturation levels down.

Rather then making a full blown site for just stock photos, the Envato team could make a category on GraphicRiver for stock photos?

They could, but Stock Photography is such a wide genre already that it would just make graphic river that much bigger. Having it’s own site would probably be the best way to keep the saturation levels down.

+1

If they did it i’d like to think it was seperate, would be stupid to combine it into GR…

I like the sound of a stock photography marketplace because my partner is a photographer and would love to join in with the Envato marketplaces to earn a bit of extra cash.

It’s interesting to see how sites like iStock are eating some of GR’s pie, while never actually mentioning pixel-based graphics and the like in their mission text.

“Search for photos, illustrations, video & audio”

I never would have put “video & audio” on a site with the word “stockphoto” in the domain. Despite it, they seem to be shifting a lot of graphics over there.

There’s a lot of competition, but there’s still room for another stock site if it’s done correctly. Most of my own designer friends can’t really afford to buy the stock photos they need, because prices are just ridiculous. A lot of stock sites charge several dollars for one image, and the designers I know are barely making ends meet as it is. So they either have to search for free images on reputable public domain sites, or they have to shoot their own, or they have to ask the client to purchase the images and hand them over, which does upset some clients.

Also, a lot of stock images are not very creative. How many pictures of cats and apples and stacks of money do we need? It is very difficult to find an image creative enough to warrant the high prices charged by sites like iStockPhoto.

Another issue is the fact that extended licensing for photos (so they can be used for templates, for example) is prohibitively expensive. BigStockPhoto is the only site I know of that doesn’t charge for use in templates, but their images can be rather lacking in quality and creativity sometimes, especially in some genres.

I think another stock agency is sorely needed to cater to people who can’t afford $5-$20 for a single image at a decent size, and who want the kind of quality and creativity that envato marketplaces seem to attract. Especially if the site offers extended licenses with every photo at a low/reasonable cost.

The stock photography market is pretty saturated already.

+1

A lot of stock sites charge several dollars for one image, and the designers I know are barely making ends meet as it is

Photographers even less so. Several dollars for one image is perfectly reasonable.

The reason that creative individuals are having trouble to make ends meet is not the stock sites, nor the photographers, but the fact that technology has turned everyone into a photographer / graphic designer / film maker etc. End clients expectations have changed accordigly and the expectation of getting something for nothing seems increasingly ubiquitous.

What will probably happen in most creative endeavours, as has more or less already happened in photography is that the middle and lower end will be almost wiped out by stock…. veritable armies of talented amateurs selling their work for almost nothing. There will be a significant knock-on effect into most commissioned photography, while the high end will continue to thrive.

We’re talking about a major scale cull and many creative occupations being brutally converted into hobbies.

-felt.

A lot of stock sites charge several dollars for one image, and the designers I know are barely making ends meet as it is

Photographers even less so. Several dollars for one image is perfectly reasonable.

The reason that creative individuals are having trouble to make ends meet is not the stock sites, nor the photographers, but the fact that technology has turned everyone into a photographer / graphic designer / film maker etc. End clients expectations have changed accordigly and the expectation of getting something for nothing seems increasingly ubiquitous.

What will probably happen in most creative endeavours, as has more or less already happened in photography is that the middle and lower end will be almost wiped out by stock…. veritable armies of talented amateurs selling their work for almost nothing. There will be a significant knock-on effect into most commissioned photography, while the high end will continue to thrive.

We’re talking about a major scale cull and many creative occupations being brutally converted into hobbies.

-felt.

Very good points Felt…..