Amanda Hides(Amanda Rohde): “Learn to Think Like a Designer”

Many beginners are curious about how much one can earn on microstock sites, whether it’s actually possible to earn money, and how quickly one can start making money on these platforms. Many are also concerned about the stability and prospects of earnings on microstock sites. I was once similarly curious and, filled with doubts, read many interviews with microstockers who achieved success in this field. I would like to offer you the opportunity to explore the success stories of leading microstockers in the world, so you can understand what can be achieved on these platforms, in what time frame, and with what efforts.
So, let’s get started! I will begin with a charming girl of Australian origin – formerly Amanda Hides, now Rohde (Rohde).

Amanda Hides (Amanda Hides) was born on May 1, 1980, in Brisbane, Australia, into a poor, no, very poor family and became the youngest daughter of Linda and Gordon Hides. Besides Amanda, there was another child in the family – her older sister (who, by the way, also works with the iStockphoto microstock under the name Rinelle).
Amanda’s father was a fish farmer, so she spent most of her childhood on the east coast of Queensland. Her upbringing can be described as unusual in many ways. Amanda spent her childhood without electricity, hot water, and many other conveniences. For several years, she even lived in a simple eight-person tent, where meals were prepared right outside.
For most of her life, she lived in a wooden hut, and for a few years, simply in an eight-person tent, where meals were prepared right outside. In other words, by our standards, she was practically homeless; she didn’t even have money to pay for an apartment in Brisbane, where she worked multiple temporary jobs.
From second to tenth grade, Amanda was homeschooled because her family often lived far from schools. After finishing school, she returned to Brisbane to enroll in university. Now Amanda has a bachelor’s degree in information technology with a specialization in information management.
After graduating from university, Amanda worked in various libraries and had several temporary jobs. But the salary did not match the efforts she put into her work.
After that, Amanda spent several months working on her father’s farm, but as it turned out, returning home after leaving wasn’t easy, so she went back to Brisbane and started working in technical support for Internet projects. However, this job was shift-based, and due to her strong internal clock, she quickly became tired of it. After all this, she decided to start her own business.
She often practiced using Photoshop for her own needs, and she felt that she had mastered it at a fairly professional level. So she began offering digital photo retouching services to professional photographers. Some of them were interested in her services, and thus Amanda Hides created her small business, which could be considered, at the very least, a good side income.
While doing this work, she discovered iStockphoto and began collaborating with this microstock. But everything changed when she was given a 3-megapixel simple camera. A little later, she surprised her husband Michael (whom she married in 2001, after which she became Amanda Rohde) by telling him about her decision to quit her business and fully focus on iStockphoto. And now, after just over three years, she became one of the most successful photographers on iStockphoto, with a portfolio of over 7,400 images, which has already earned her over 245,000 sales (the interview was conducted with Amanda on 22/03/2007; it’s quite old, but it hasn’t lost its relevance).
Amanda Hides fundamentally does not sell her works for more than $1 per photo.
At the same time, her earnings from the microstock exceed $250,000 (two hundred fifty thousand) per year!

Hello, Amanda. First of all, I want to thank you for agreeing to this interview. I tried to include the most popular questions asked on various forums. I think it will be interesting to hear your answers to many of them. So, let me start.

Always a pleasure, let’s begin.

In the introduction to the interview, we can see how your interest in microstocks began. Did you have any photographic education before you registered on iStockphoto?

No, I’m not sure that any such education could have been of any benefit to me personally. Certainly, something might have been useful, but when I was studying, traditional film cameras were mainly used, not digital ones. And I have never had a film camera (and to be honest, I have no desire to acquire one now).

In fact, I think that if you have enough enthusiasm, you can learn practically everything on your own, using many different information sources and the experiences of others. The forums of iStockphoto and its members helped me a lot in the learning process, but besides that, there were literally hundreds of materials that I reviewed thanks to the Internet, books, magazines, and communication with other photographers. I also spent (and still spend) quite a lot of time studying the works of other authors, trying to understand why a particular photo works, how the light was set for it, why such a subject was chosen, and how to improve that shot.

You don’t have a serious photographic education, but I assume you were a photography enthusiast before?

Actually, no. Before iStockphoto, I had not taken a single photograph, except for a couple of lucky snapshots. I knew absolutely nothing about the technical aspects of photography; I learned all of that while working. In my opinion, the best feature of microstocks (and iStockphoto in particular) is that you can learn throughout your time working with them. And they will help you with that, instead of just judging how good you are. They evaluate not your personal qualities but only how good each individual photo turned out.

Now you can consider yourself a full-time professional?

Yes. But I could have called myself that several years ago already. The only difference is that now I also receive a full-time salary. 🙂

Stock photography – is it your only source of income, or do you also do freelance photo assignments?

Although I receive offers for permanent work and freelance orders, I decided to turn all of that down because I love the lifestyle and freedom that microstock gives me right now.

I believe you are one of the most active photographers on iStockphoto, with almost 7400 images in your portfolio. That’s about 45 images a week; I think that’s quite a lot. How many hours a day do you spend actually creating photos, uploading, etc.?

Believe it or not, but that is probably the hardest question you could have asked. Sometimes I spend 18 hours a day, and sometimes I can go a month without doing anything. I work unevenly and sometimes get tired. For people who think in terms of “how many hours have I worked already,” working with microstocks can be tough. I tend to think more about how many photos I can prepare today and how many shots I need to take this year.

Do you have time for other hobbies besides photography?

“Hobby” is such an interesting concept; I don’t think I’ve ever had any particular “hobby” per se. I have ideas related to business and things I would like to learn just because I find them interesting. But there’s nothing that has occupied me for a long time – it either turns into something productive or just disappears.

I read a lot, if that can be considered a hobby. I enjoy spending time with friends, and it doesn’t matter how exactly. I play billiards (to be honest, not very well), go bowling, and rollerblade. I play air hockey quite well, but not very often. For me, what’s important in leisure activities is more about who I’m spending time with than what exactly I’m doing. People are much more important than the specific activity.

You are an exclusive photographer with iStockphoto. Why? There are many other microstocks out there. Don’t you think you could earn more if you collaborated with five or even six of them?

Let’s focus on a few points.

First of all, there is the loyalty I feel toward iStockphoto for supporting me throughout my professional journey. Plus, as a “diamond” exclusive photographer, I earn twice as much as I would if I were a regular iStockphoto photographer. Also, I think that other stock agencies won’t provide the same legal support that iStockphoto can if I ever need it.

I like that I can track the fate of my works regarding illegal use, which contradicts the licensing agreement. As an exclusive photographer, it’s not difficult for me at all.

Finally, iStockphoto is the biggest and the best stock agency. How many stock agencies can boast works that have sold over 3000 times?

You have been working with iStock for over three years. What has changed in the last 2-3 years?

A lot has changed in my life over the last couple of years. Thanks to the increase in buyers and payouts, I started receiving a steady income much faster than I expected. This means I can upgrade my equipment faster and achieve more as a photographer.

Do you notice a difference between the photos that are bought today and those from a few years ago?

I feel that there is very little in stock photography that can be called “fashionable.” Of course, there are things that fluctuate in demand. The first thing that comes to mind is the frangipani flowers from my portfolio. They are quite popular right now, but no one knows how long that will last. Works based on a specific, in-demand concept are a whole different matter – the demand for such works hardly changes. I mean works like: a businessman holding a lightbulb, wedding rings, or a piggy bank, etc.

Are there any reasons you might not upload a particular image to the stock agency? For example, an image that holds personal value for you?

The only reason I wouldn’t upload a certain photo would be its insufficient technical quality, which does not meet my personal standards, or if I feel that the photo won’t be useful to designers. After all, this is a way to show the world who I am and what matters to me.

Have you ever felt that your work is worth more than $1? And have you tried selling photos through other channels?

No. The better the photo, the more it will be bought, and the more money it will bring. Plus, I believe that microstocks are the best place to sell my works.

Continue reading the interview in the next article…

Source: http://www.perrush.be/art_hidesy_01.html
Translation: http://microstock.ru