The three main reasons include: freedom; money; and education.

To participate with Microstock is free and there are no set work hours, no bosses and most importantly, no due dates. Microstock pays money which is great given that photography isn’t a cheap endeavor.

If you are interested in learning about the commercial side of photography Microstock is also a great way to educate yourself. What better teacher than a global market of photo buyers?

Yes, Microstock is a controversial endeavor. You may have heard it is ‘bad’ for the industry. The microstock concept is relatively new as it only works with the Internet and high quality digital cameras. Because of that there are many professional stock photographers with strong feelings about the impact microstock is having on the industry.

Now you might be wondering, how much can I earn in microstock? That question depends on both the quality and quantity of photos you can produce. Many people who work full time and have a portfolio of 7,000 high quality images earn over $20,000 per MONTH!

On the flip side some contributors with only a handful of images earn just a few dollars a month. Like me, you will most likely find yourself between these two extremes.