Top 14 Selling Categories for last two months

I don't like top 10 lists. So I decided to put together a top 14 list. Just for fun and to help you. Here is some of the info that we learned over the last two months that can help you guys. I did my best to organize the numbers and then put them into categories for you. I hope this helps everyone.

Top 14 Categories with the Most Total Downloads in June

1. people- kids, young adults and babies
2. people- adults, mature adults, senior citizens
3. nature- flowers, plants and trees
4. business-business tools and concepts
5. objects on white background
6. nature- scenery and landscapes
7. signs & symbols
8. business people
9. emotions and moods- concept stuff
10. vector graphics and illustrations
11. objects- still life
12. travel- transportation
13. architecture & interiors-building exteriors
14. sports related

Most Popular Photos

We want to see your most popular photos, illustrations and images. There is really not an exact formula for this but could be in terms of views, downloads, compliments from your peers or ones that made your kids and close family give you a high five for snapping.

To help us at Cutcaster and to show off a bit (all in good fun), I'd like it if you would post a link in the comments to either your most popular photo on any site you belong to (doesn't have to be Cutcaster but it could be) or post a link to other web pages or portfolios that show the most popular photos on the different sites. This is for a few different reasons which I will blog about in the next few days but it is a test to help us all out. Lets see all those popular images and photos.

How can I buy stock photos and stock footage at Cutcaster?

Here are 4 Easy steps to help you buy stock photography and stock footage on Cutcaster.

Anyone can buy and all are welcome. Buying stock photography and footage on the Cutcaster website is very simple however some new users have been asking about the best way to buy stock images and videos on Cutcaster. I'll explain a little more.


* Step 1. Create a Free account. That is step number one. The first thing to buy images and stock video from Cutcaster is to create a free account. Simply click here or visit www.cutcaster.com and click on the Join Now button on the Cutcaster homepage. It takes only a few seconds to put in your user name, password, and contact information.

* Step 2. Browse our premium and newly uploaded collection at Cutcaster. We are growing by leaps and bounds and have many exclusives that you cannot find on other stock photo agency sites or stock footage sites.

* Step 3. Now that you have your account, you can add an image or clip of footage to your shopping cart or ClipFolder, which is our version of a lightbox. (I recommend adding the images to the ClipFolder if you are not ready to purchase the photograph or video. You can send these to colleagues or clients.)

* Step 4. Select the images and video that you need and click the checkout button at the top of the screen. The next page will display different image and video files you have chosen. Checking out is a breeze and we accept all major credit cards.


That is it, just 4 easy steps!

If you still have questions please contact John or Victoria at 215-688-2751, call us on skype at johnnywgriffin or email us at john @ Cutcaster.com.

600,000 and counting!

This is a great video of the Myers family of Sacramento. They have a collection of 600,000 slides of photos which means they were born with a camera in their hands and it never left their side. Check out the organization and the time it must have taken to amass that collection. Bravo for providing some great moments in time and sharing them with us.

Interesting Reports

The NYT reports that Corbis receives more "than 85 percent of its revenue from licensing images at an average price of $250 each". I'm not sure how they will sustain that over time. I'd like to see how that is trending and how fast it is moving.



The WSJ said recently after the acquisition of Pump Audio that images "costing more than $500 each accounted for about 40%" of Getty Images´s total revenues from the previous year. It goes on to point out that demand is dropping as I type this. Well, it doesn't include me in the article.

Snapvillage- Corbis's new project

StockPhotoTalk reported today that SnapVillage launched its beta site today, empowered by Corbis but catering to user-generated photography. I'm not sure how sweeping the changes are for those participants in the microstock world but they are proclaiming big things in the press release. Some of the advantages are pricing that empowers photographers, access to premium markets and streamlined image submissions. How important are these issues to you? How would you rank what are most important to you?

The NYT ran an article on SnapVillage today quoting Gary Shenk, who said that "the company is not just acknowledging the growing importance of microstock sites, but also recognizing the threat to its higher-price images. "Cannibalization is going to happen in our industry", Mr. Shenk said. "We can either let it consume us or be part of it".

They still have to work out some bugs as they are in beta so I won't comment that much on the platform just the offering.

The best thing I see about the new offering is that photographers can now set their own price. That is a step in the right direction but how will they assure or at least avoid photographers who price their content too high or too low. Understanding the market and how the market is pricing content out there is a lot for people who spend a lot of their time doing their passion. Photography. Do people really want to keep changing their prices if they are not getting sales or moving up their prices if they are getting a slew of sales. How will SnapVillage capture those extra sales or extract that extra dollar out of every download for their customers?

I think it is a good start but don't think they have gone far enough. Cutcaster will build off the power it gives back to the creators to set the terms and pricing in addition to empowering the buyers to choose a lower price they can only afford or want to pay. Providing information that is easy to understand and visually see for people is the best way for them to capture value and educate themselves on the market trends. Allowing them to set the price is only one step in a much larger picture.

For those of you outside the US, this site will not be available to you for a while.

Big News in Stock Photo Land

Big news out of Flickr today and 123RF media. Using a Flickr API, Inmagine's stock brand 123RF will now allow its users to license their photos to potential buyers. This is a giant move and big surprise. Ill be interested to see how Flickr members will use this service but i think it is step in the right direction for selling photos and eventually video in the future. This is a win win for the sellers and buyers. Yahoo owns Flickr fyi.