It’s been a busy August, especially on the drone front, so let’s get straight to it. Here’s a preview from a recent stock footage / book cover shoot I did on the edge of the Old World:
Sticking with drones, I also wrapped up a fun mini-project shooting the stadiums of Lisbon’s two giants, Sporting and Benfica, with full authorisation. If these clips (and the stills) don’t sell regularly, I may finally throw in the towel on this business (like I have done with Esty – more on this later).
Monthly Highlights
Two blog posts worth checking out this month:
Monthly Earnings Breakdown
Image Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of Images in port (new images Aug) | Net Revenue Aug | Avg Return Per Download |
| Alamy | 16,901 (28) | 19 | 2.70 |
| Arcangel (RM-exclusive) | 5,536 (56) | 😦 | 😦 |
| Adobe Stock | 4,825 (36) | 74 | 0.75 |
| DepositPhotos | 8,737 (10) | 62 | 1.09 |
| Dreamstime | 9,763 (57) | 18 | 0.85 |
| 10 (0) | Nil | Nil | |
| Freekpik | 1,211 (1) | 5 | 0.06 |
| iStock (July 2025) | 9,345 (19) | 102 | 0.67 |
| MotionArray | 456 (8) | 25 | 0.16 |
| Robert Harding (Q2 2025 monthly average) – RM/RF exclusive – DO NOT RECOMMEND TO UPLOAD TO THEM (I’m the idiot for insisting with them) | 666 (6) | 10 | 0.80 |
| Shutterstock | 12,748 (38) | 85 | 0.50 |
| Wirestock | 3,066 (0) | 13 | N/A |
| Total | 413 |
Clip Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of clips in port (new clips Aug) | Net Revenue for Aug | Avg Return per Download |
| Adobe Stock | 1,531 (56) | 30 | 7 |
| Pond5 | 3,166 (38) | 0 | 0 |
| iStock (July 2025) | 1,144 (0) | 14 | 1 |
| Shutterstock | 2,570 (64) | 31 | 6 |
| Total | 75 |
Grand Total: $488
Thoughts on the month
Honestly, nothing spectacular although August is always slow with half the buyers off on vacation. I’m banking on September being stronger and hopefully breaking the $1k mark in all months until the end of the year.
Best-Sellers
A custom sale at DepositPhotos of all places earned me $46 but the image isn’t visible. Otherwise, these have been my best-sellers worth mentioning.
Goodbye Etsy
I’ve pulled the plug on my Etsy store.
Between pointless monthly fees and a steady stream of scam/spam messages, it was a complete waste of time.
POD still has potential, but it needs a smarter approach. Steve Heap is having success with his strategy and blogs about it regularly.
Plans for August and October
September is shaping up to be intense:
- Poker tournaments across Portugal and Spain
- Then heading to Sofia, Bulgaria for another event
- I’m regularly posting stories from the poker tables over on my Instagram
On the creative front:
- Finalising my Drone eBook (cover reveal below!)
Thanks for reading, and see you next month!
About Alex
I’m Alex, eccentric, based in Lisbon, and on a mission to explore every corner of the globe while capturing stock images and footage along the way.
For the past 10 years, I’ve been grinding as a travel photographer/videographer and freelance writer. Along the way I’ve also written The Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock Photography, a book packed with war stories and practical tips for anyone crazy enough to enter this business.
Alexandre Rotenberg's Brutally Honest Guide to Stock Photography & Footage 
Give me a shout when you’re in Sofia-I may be around for a drink, if you like
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