In the last few years, the connotations surrounding microstock photography have drastically changed. Once considered a hobby for unskilled photographers, selling stock has become a lucrative way of gaining side income.

Before signing up at a stock photo site, get a few things ready:

A black and white JPEG image of your photo ID. Stock sites will ask you to upload this as proof of your identity for security purposes. Due to the fact that you are now a 1099 employee of the stock site in some cases, making sure that your payment information is correct is their priority.

Around 10 examples of your best stock images. Most sites have an initial submission process in which you must upload a few of your best images to be reviewed. This ensures them that you are serious about being a photographer and have the equipment and skills to make great stock.

Below is a rundown of the major stock sites today, from the perspective of a photographer.

iStockPhoto is one of the largest stock sites when it comes to both customer base and image library size. Under the parent company Getty, iStockPhoto has the financial backing and marketing to continue its recognition as the stock site for buyers. Being a company that sells photos, vector images, and video, multimedia artists can take this to their advantage. As a non-exclusive submitter, the royalty rate is 20% of sale price, which averages between $.20 to $10 per image/video purchased. That percentage raises to 40% if exclusivity is selected, which also includes other perks like free business cards from iStockPhoto , placement in ads, and front page features on their website.

ShutterStock has one of the smallest per-image pay ($.25 flat fee), however, it has one of the highest sale rates. Being a subscriber site, buyers pay a flat fee each month for the ability to download a set amount of files. This benefits the photographer greatly, as customers are more likely to download more images than they need, or perhaps choose random images just to use up their monthly image credits.

LuckyOliver is newer to the stock scene, but is quickly gaining new customers. Unlike other stock sites, LuckyOliver is extremely community focused. The forums and comment system are very photographer-friendly and it is the only major stock site that gives personalized comments every time your photos are reviewed. Their site is built with a design aspect in mind, and browsing is easy on the eyes. The royalty rate starts at $.30 for the smallest sized images up to $25. Photographers also have the option of setting a “buyout” price, which is how much s/he is willing to sell all the rights to the photo for.

BigStockPhoto ’s payout rate ranges from $.50 to $3 per image, and can be as high as $60 for special license downloads. A helpful tool on their site is the Photo Needs page, which lists the subjects they are currently looking for and the types of images that are in high demand.

Dreamstime currently has one of the highest payout rates in microstock, which is 50% of sale price. This raises to 60% for exclusivity, and exclusive photographers also get the advantage of an automatic $.20 bonus for each submission. Sales on Dreamstime are slower than on other sites, however, their smaller base of images allows skilled photographers to become noticed quicker.

123RF
also pays 50% of image price, and their referral program is very rewarding. Paying you 10% of the royalties of any photographer you refer for life, and 15% of the purchase of any buyer you refer, promoting the site may bring in as much revenue as submitting photos.

Fotolia currently claims to have the largest image bank of royalty-free images, both comp and for pay. They accept both photography and illustration. The pay rate starts at 33% of sale price and increases with both exclusivity as well as photographer rank, which is determined by the number of accumulated downloads.