I normally wait until the end of the month to share my earnings, but this time I just couldn’t. Consider this a rant-post, so brace yourself!

Although July and August were poor at just under $500/each (as expected during the summer slump), September has traditionally been a different story. Historically, it’s been one of my strongest months, kicking off the run-up to Christmas, which is the best stretch of the year. I like to call it the “business-end”, before January collapses again.

Here have been my results for all Septembers since 2019 when I started reporting earnings:

Just how bad is it?

Well, let’s put it this way: Dreamstime is crushing Shutterstock this month. Yes, it’s that bad. Halfway through September, Shutterstock sits at a miserable $18 and in today’s high-inflation world, that doesn’t even cover a decent lunch.

What’s going on? Honestly, I have no idea (but I have some theories, more on this later). It feels like my portfolios at Shutterstock and Pond5 have been completely switched off. Sales still trickle in, but they’re tiny, infrequent, and nowhere near normal levels. So far: 71 downloads for an average of just 26 cents, including one video clip that earned me 29 cents.

At this point, you have to ask yourself: what’s the point of uploading there anymore? I probably won’t and if I do only a few select drone clips.

Even if things pick up slightly in the next two weeks, it’s still on pace to be my worst month there since 2014. And we’re talking about a portfolio with 12,749 images and 2,580 clips, with new content added every month. That’s more than a decade of progress seemingly erased overnight.

Shutterstock doesn’t give priority to new content

Even video reviews there are taking longer (not that they would sell anyway). I’ve sent in a batch two weeks ago after shooting both Lisbon main football stadiums with my drone and they’re still pending.

What about Pond5?

At Pond5, it’s even worse. I haven’t had a single sale there since June. For a platform that used to be a decent mid-tier earner for me with the occasional high-priced clip sale, this silence is deafening. This year only 11 sales earning me just $263. The averages are OK but volumes are too low.

What about iStock?

Well, they will reporting the August results in a few days. Perhaps it will give some indication of the overall trend of the once-great, now-pathetic empire that is Shutterstock/Pond5/Getty.

Shutterstock is an embarrassment!

I’m not the only one noticing this. There’s a lively thread over on MSG Forum titled “Shutterstock is an embarrassment” with plenty of other contributors reporting shockingly low earnings, including the Gentle Giant.

“I have more on AI sales at Adobe than on SS. Sad times.”

It seems to be an industry-wide trend, not just bad luck on my end. I can’t blame AI directly as much of my port consist of editorials.

What’s going on?

Could it be tied to the Getty merger? Possibly. A lot is happening behind the scenes that we’ll never be privy to. Maybe operations are quietly steering buyers toward Getty, or maybe algorithm changes are funneling buyers to other collections, who knows. Whatever the cause, the outcome is the same: independent contributors are being squeezed out of the picture.

In the real world, academic explanations don’t pay the bills. What I do know is that the days when Shutterstock and Pond5 could be considered reliable backbone agencies feel long gone.

Meanwhile, Adobe Stock continues to hold its ground, delivering a respectable month. At this point, it’s looking more and more like the only agency still treating contributors with any semblance of fairness. The rest of microstock are just junk, including pretentious Robert Harding that only want the best but deliver the worst when it comes to earnings. Alamy also not faring so well, completely devoid of any large sales, it’s more of a waiting game there.

Earnings update at the end of the month

I’ll update again at the end of the month, but right now September 2025 feels like a brutal wake-up call for the entire stock industry. For years I’ve compared this business to a terminally ill patient with a slim chance of recovery, but now that patient isn’t just sick, it’s on life support. Why I even continue to bother with microstock is beyond me, some habits are hard to shake off.

Some good news, the Drone Guide draft is finally complete!

Finally, some good news! After six months of hard work, I’ve finished drafting the 2026 Brutally Honest Drone Pilot’s Handbook. The draft is now with my designer, who’ll work her magic to make it look sharp. If all goes to plan, it’ll be published in late November. Stay tuned for more details soon.

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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 especially in 2025.