Welcome to my November 2025 Brutally Honest Earnings Report, written after a full month bouncing across the Atlantic to the US and then onto Spain and finally catching my breath (briefly) back “home” in Portugal. I have two major announcements to make on this post – let’s get started!
🚨 Major Announcement #1: I’ve Joined Amazing Aerial!
You may recall that a few months back I published an exclusive interview with Paul Prescott, CEO of Amazing Aerial.
Why did I finally accept?
Because sitting on the fence gets uncomfortable, literally and metaphorically.
Disappointment with other agencies
For years I’ve been uploading panoramas to Robert Harding, but their quarterly reports kept feeling too close to microstock pricing for my taste. This last report was slightly better, but still below expectations. And as for Alamy RM exclusives? Pricing okay but poor volumes. Hoping that Amazing Aerial will change this!
Inspired by Fabio Nodari
I’ve been following Fabio Nodari’s experience on Amazing Aerial (he was interviewed here earlier), and his results have been encouraging especially with the incredible scenes he’s capturing across China.
My first two batches at Amazing Aerial
Right after my four days in Toledo, I submitted my first set of photos and clips. Their AI-powered metadata system made it surprisingly painless.
I’ll keep uploading aerial photos and videos to them and aim to have a solid collection soon…then hopefully report back on earnings so perhaps you’ll want to give them a go as well. So far I’m optimistic.
🚨 Major Announcement #2: I Finally Upgraded to the Nikon Z8
After years with my trusty Nikon DSLR (in fact since around 2012 with my D800 and then since 2021 with my D810), I’ve finally joined the mirrorless world with the Nikon Z8.
When I was over in Florida, I did shop around but perhaps due to the whole tariff uncertainties, I actually found US prices higher than Europe’s. Late-stage capitalism?
Affordable online camera store
Then I inquired a fellow poker-photographer while in Bulgaria, who tipped me off to E-infin online Camera Store, where I got a great deal.
First impressions of the Z8
Thanks to an adapter, all my Nikon lenses work perfectly, so no need to buy new glass.
Early impressions? Low-light performance is outstanding as photos and video both sharp and steady. Sample footage coming next month.
✨Monthly Highlights
A couple of posts went live this month:
Now, onto my earnings.
Monthly Earnings Breakdown
📸Image Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of Images in port (new images Nov) | Net Revenue Nov | Avg Return Per Download |
| Amazing Aerial | 12 (12) | – | – |
| Alamy | 17,156 (160) | (-118)* | 4.58 |
| Arcangel (RM-exclusive) | 5,922 (232) | 0 | 0 |
| Adobe Stock | 4,910 (34) | 73 | 0.65 |
| DepositPhotos | 8,828 (50) | 8 | 0.50 |
| Dreamstime | 9,830 (53) | 9 | 0.45 |
| Freekpik | 1,214 (3) | 7 | 0.06 |
| iStock (Oct 2025) | 9,378 (10) | 132 | 0.97 |
| MotionArray | 476 (4) | 11 | 0.16 |
| Robert Harding (Q3 2025 monthly average) – RM/RF exclusive | 694 (22) | 28 | 1.47 |
| Shutterstock | 12,809 (50) | 91 + 352 AI Contributor Fund | 0.54 |
| Wirestock | 3,066 (0) | 15 | N/A |
| Total | 608 |
🎥Clip Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of clips in port (new clips Nov) | Net Revenue for Nov | Avg Return per Download |
| Amazing Aerial | 14 (14) | – | – |
| Adobe Stock | 1,568 (7) | 43 + 32 Free download payment | 7.17 |
| Pond5 | 3,351 (160) | 12 | 12 |
| iStock (Oct 2025) | 1,218 (6) | 10 | 1 |
| Shutterstock | 2,694 (11) | 8 | 5 |
| Total | 105 |
Grand Total: $713
*🧾 The Alamy Fee Disaster
Yes… Alamy hit me with a $150 administrative fee for incorrectly marking an image from 2018 (!) as exclusive. That means I owed them money this month.
Straight from the Alamy contributor forum, here’s their reasoning:
This is a fee that is charged where an image has been incorrectly marked as ‘exclusive’ to Alamy, Alamy has searched for and found an infringement, and we’ve opened up a legal case to make a claim but then had to close the case because it isn’t in fact exclusive to Alamy.
As there is a considerable investment in looking for infringements, we are now passing on part of the cost already spent. This is part of the contributor contract:
2.10. Notwithstanding clause 16.7, by marking Content as Exclusive, you grant Alamy the right to chase third party infringements of the Content without Alamy having to consult you. Where pursuing such infringements if it is found that the Content is available on another licensing platform, Alamy has the right to recoup any fees (including reasonable administration fees where escalated to legal action), that Alamy has incurred in the pursuit of any action taken.An image can’t be marked as exclusive if:
o It’s available on another stock agency site
o It’s either an exact reproduction (in all or part) of a work of art
o It’s not protected by copyright
o It’s in the public domain
o Copyright ownership is unknownPlease can you review the rest of the images you have on sale to ensure that only images exclusive to Alamy are marked as ‘exclusive’.
I’ve double-checked my entire port to avoid future surprises.
Advice: If you’re even slightly unsure, set everything to non-exclusive.
📘Arcangel book covers – best-month ever (in terms of accepted – sales for Nov yet to be reported)
A massive milestone: 227 images accepted this month, a personal record. Here are most of them in a collage:
A few years ago, that number would have taken at least eight months. It shows how much my understanding of Arcangel aesthetics has matured and what makes for a commercial book cover. Now hopefully all this effort should yield sales soon…
📈Three Best-Sellers this month
No huge sales to discuss, but lots of medium-sized ones.
🗺️Plans for December
November was intense: four countries in four weeks, tons of shooting, tons of travel. I thought December would be quiet…that is until I found another ridiculously cheap cruise (100 euros/night) all-inclusive. I’m not super keen, but at that price it’s no-brainer.
Back to traveling soon…to Spain
And yes… I’ll say it again: I’m in love with Spain. For cost, climate, logistics, culture and general openness, it might be the best overall country I’ve ever explored. Vamos!
Notable stops:
- Valencia (first time ever, will just be there for one day)
- Barcelona (finally giving myself three full days there to explore!)
Here’s the full itinerary:
What else is going on in December:
- Two new interviews coming (including Hugo Kurk and The Gentle Giant)
- My annual Good, Ugly, and Bad Report drops at the end of the month
Until next time.
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 12 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 and more recently, The Brutally Honest Guide to Drone Laws in Europe.
Alexandre Rotenberg's Brutally Honest Guide to Stock Photography & Footage 
Thank You Alex, good luck with Amazing Aerial. I must think about drone for next years.
LikeLike