In 2009, Shutterstock was the first stock photo bank to begin acting as a tax agent, followed by other major stock banks like Fotolia, Dreamstime, and Depositphotos by the end of the year. How did this manifest? These popular stock photo banks started withholding taxes from image sales.

After all the anticipation, it has finally happened. The free bonus program at DP (Depositphotos) has ended. The stock bank Depositphotos officially discontinued its program to incentivize stock photographers on April 1, 2010.

Why did this happen?

More and more stock agencies are launching Russian-language interfaces for users. And, perhaps, this is justified, as many microstock contributors are indeed from Russian-speaking regions. But, importantly, the percentage of stock buyers from Russian-speaking regions is also increasing month by month. It seems to me that the introduction of Russian localization on stock agencies is driven by competition for new markets.

As you’ve likely seen in previous articles or learned from your experience with stock photo agencies, the primary method for withdrawing earnings from top microstock contributor sites in the CIS and other developing countries has always been – and still is – Moneybookers (now Skrill).

Everyone experiences events that bring lifelong joy, and a wedding day is universally one of the most cherished.

Many beginner illustrators often wonder how to handle open paths in vector illustrations. Novice illustrators often face rejections due to unclosed paths. While many stock image websites provide guidance on resolving open path issues in vectors, I believe this topic deserves further clarification.