Shutterstock vs. Bigstock which microstock photography site to chose?

Shutterstock is undoubtedly one of the leading microstock sites in the world serving high grade stock photos for over 2 decades. On the other hand Bigstockphoto is a comparitive newbie which started around 2004 and was recently acquired by Shutterstock. So which microstock site should you prefer? Well it depends on you. But here are a few facts that you should know before taking the step:

Shutterstock

Pros: Leading subscrition based microstock site on the net. Don't get put off by the low ($.25) per sale rate because you sell a lot more than most other microstock sites (because of the subscription system). In fact if you really want to make it big this is the place for you.

If you are a beginner then the forums are a must read and truly a treasure trove of information on anything and everything that takes photography beyond a hobby and turns it into an art.

The On The Red Carpet programme is also useful for getting backstages passes to important events in your locality and increase your repertoire of editorial stock.

Cons: Before they accept you as a photographer you have submit 10 photos of which at least 7 have to be approved. Only quality photos are accepted and make sure you submit your BEST 10 because if you don't make it the first time you have to wait for one whole month before making the next submission. They also ask for minimum 4 megapixel photos so make sure of it.

Bigstockphoto

Pros: This site accepts photos of size 1.3mp upwards, which is a great plus point above the other microstock sites. The minimum quality standards set by BSP are also lower than Shutterstock. I am not saying that BSP doesn't have great quality photos, what I'm trying to say is they will also accept some of your average or just-above-average photos and it really helps in kindling your enthusiasm. So if you are not sure if you can compete with the very best then this is the ideal place to get started and test the waters of the microstock industry.Moreover you can submit your photos right from the word go and their review process is also one of the fastest in the industry.

Cons: The only downside is that the amount of sales is drastically less than Shutterstock and you need quite a large portfolio to generate any substantial income.

If you can't decide where to start, don't worry, both of them offer non-exclusive membership so apply to both.

Remember: The main idea is to Have Fun.