Welcome to the first Brutally Honest Stock earnings report for 2025. I’ve just published a special guest-earnings report from a talented Spanish photographer/videographer, David Moreno.
This guest-report makes for a nice change from my usual reports which, although I try to make them as entertaining as possible, are becoming repetitive. Let’s get started on my report!
Monthly Highlights
Cold, dark and rainy days meant a lot of days stuck indoors writing. Which meant that I published a few cool breaking news pieces this month as well as an invitation for contributors:
- Earn $100 by Sharing Your Monthly Stock Photography and/or Footage Earnings on the Brutally Honest Blog! April/May/June/July, etc still available – get in touch if you want to be featured and paid.
Other blog posts
- Breaking News: Getty Images and Shutterstock Discuss Potential Merger
- Getty and Shutterstock Merger: What It Means for Contributors
- DJI’s Bold Move: Why the World’s Leading Drone Maker Removed Geo-Fencing
- Cinematic Inspiration: Four Films & Series That Have Fueled My Creativity
Let’s now move onto my monthly earnings.
Monthly Earnings Breakdown
Image Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of Images in port (new images Jan) | Net Revenue Jan | Avg Return Per Download |
| Alamy | 16,525 (61) | 42 | 8.33 |
| Arcangel (RM-exclusive) | 5,022 (71) | Nil | Nil |
| Adobe Stock | 4,798 (23) | 110 | 0.85 |
| DepositPhotos | 8,520 (9) | 18 | 0.38 |
| Dreamstime | 9,492 (74) | 10 | 0.41 |
| Etsy | 9 (0) | Nil | Nil |
| Freekpik | 1,210 (26) | 3 | 0.06 |
| iStock (Dec 2024) | 9,191 (33) | 80 | 0.52 |
| MotionArray | 395 (34) | 12 | 0.16 |
(Q3 2024 monthly average) – RM/RF exclusive | |||
| Shutterstock | 12,596 (35) | 68 | 0.30 |
| Wirestock | 3,066 (0) | 22 | N/A |
| Total | 367 |
Clip Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of clips in port (new clips Jan) | Net Revenue for Jan | Avg Return per Download |
| Adobe Stock | 1,382 (31) | 15 | 3.75 |
| Pond5 | 3,020 (14) | Nil | Nil |
| iStock (Dec 2024) | 1,051 (22) | 61 | 5.09 |
| Shutterstock | 2,375 (15) | 32 | 4.57 |
| Total | 108 |
Grand Total: $475
Thoughts on the month – Shutterstock in 3rd!
For the first time ever, Shutterstock has dropped to third place in my portfolio monthly earnings, behind Adobe Stock and iStock. They used to be far upfront leaders so it’s surprising (or not) how the mighty have fallen!
With the January reset, my average image price on Shutterstock is a dismal $0.30 per download. Also Pond5 produced a big fat zero sales, maybe related or not to their decline.
Drone clips are selling regularly
On a brighter note, drone clips from my Cape Town trip performed well on iStock, and recent footage from Nazaré, featuring massive waves, also saw sales all-around, although prices are nothing special.
Here’s a reel I created from my December trip to Nazare.
Plans for Springtime – South of France!
I’m fed up with winter, so I’m making plans for early spring. In early-March, I’ll be heading to the south of France for a few weeks, with my drone, of course!
Flying legally
Researching flight regulations, I’ve found that France has many no-fly zones, particularly in urban areas. In this part of France there are many famous people and Russian oligarchs who own mansions & super yachts. Authorities have taken a strict approach by downright prohibiting flights over those wealthy villas.
Therefore, even small drones face restrictions (so I might as well take my Air 3). That said, I’ll be able to take off from the beach and fly over the ocean, though limited to 50 meters in altitude in some places.
Unfortunately, the nice city of Nice is all red (top-right of the above map). As for Cannes, I’ll be limited to a small area close to one of the city’s marinas. Fortunately, I have a 70mm lens to help me zoom into the town centre.
Some of the places in Cote d’Azur that I’m planning to explore with my drone:
- Antibes
- Cannes
- Eze
- St. Paul du Vance
- Grasse – see blog post I published back in 2018
Regardless of the flight restrictions, I absolutely love this part of the world and plan to enjoy my time there, who knows maybe even relax a little and listen to some jazz which Juan les Pins is famous for!
Until next time! A bien-tot!
About Alex
I’m an eccentric guy. I am based in Lisbon, Portugal. I am on a quest to visit all corners of the world. I want to capture stock images & footage. I’ve devoted ten years to making it as a travel photographer / videographer and freelance writer. I hope to inspire others by showing an unique insight into a fascinating business model while shaming scammers.
I’m proud to have written a book about my adventures which includes tips on making it as a stock travel photographer – Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock Photography
Alexandre Rotenberg's Brutally Honest Guide to Stock Photography & Footage 
Hi Alex, not bad for 2025, I think February will be worst , but we will see. Good luck on French travel and many good photos and videos.
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Thanks Alex, I am finding drone video a lone bright spot as well. Also, I am pretty sick of winter myself…..
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