Welcome to my June 2026 Brutally Honest Earnings Report, where the long-term goal remains unchanged: trying to cover my gear and travel costs entirely through stock income.
I’ve just come back from six weeks in Rio de Janeiro on what I’d call a working holiday. It was a much-needed break: some winter sun, time with family (including a wedding), a bit of shooting, and plenty of World Cup atmosphere in the background. Let’s get started!
Monthly Highlights
Monthly Earnings Breakdown
📸Image Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of images (new images June) | Net Revenue June | Avg Return Per Download |
| Amazing Aerial (May) | 717 | 138 | 35 |
| Alamy | 17,412 (88) | 100 | 9.10 |
| Arcangel (RM-exclusive) | 6,578 (134) | 0 | 0 |
| Adobe Stock | 4,924 (5) | 145 | 1.02 |
| DepositPhotos | 8,882 (12) | 5 | 0.50 |
| Dreamstime | 9,873 (0) | 2 | 0.37 |
| Freekpik (now Magnific wtf) | 1,217 (0) | 13 | 0.06 |
| iStock (May) | 9,361 (0) | 79 | 0.54 |
| MotionArray | 476 (0) | 9 | 0.31 |
| Robert Harding (Q2 2026 monthly average) – RM/RF exclusive | 741 (6) | 22 | 2 |
| Shutterstock | 12,844 (8) | 81 | 0.63 |
| Total | 594 |
🎥Clip Earnings (USD)
| Agency | Number of clips (new clips June) | Net Revenue for June | Avg Return per Download |
| Amazing Aerial (May) | 745 | 60 | 5 |
| Adobe Stock | 1,612 (1) | 26 | 8.66 |
| Pond5 | 3,429 (1) | 29 | 29 |
| iStock (May) | 1,251 (1) | 15 | 3 |
| Shutterstock | 2,787 (15) | 30 | 10 |
| Total | 160 |
🤖AI Payments Adobe Stock Free Giveaway (USD)
| Agency | Amount |
| Adobe Stock AI | 85 |
| Adobe Stock Giveaway for free usage (6 asset for 1-year terms and 7 asset(s) for perpetual terms) | 94 |
| Shutterstock AI | 23 |
| Total | 202 |
Grand Total: $956
Not a terrible month, but also not exactly a victory parade.
The total looks respectable mainly because of three things: AI-related payments (which are dropping year-on-year), Adobe’s free giveaway programme (pretty much one-off for the perpetual usage), and the first reported results from Amazing Aerial.
Without those extras, the traditional microstock numbers would look considerably weaker. Maybe I’ll start praying for better sales!
📈Best-Sellers
Amazing Aerial monthly results
I’m happy to finally report my first monthly earnings from Amazing Aerial for May.
Considering that I’ve only been seriously uploading there for a relatively short period, the results were encouraging. In total, I earned:
Images: $138
Clips: $60
Total: $198
That is a decent start. Not quite Hugo style where he reported a whopping $1,606 on just over 4,000 assets but what he shoots is a lot more commercial and in-demand than what I shoot (and I’m trying to change my stubborn ways). For instance, shooting power lines deep in the sub-tropical jungle!
As well as a close up of a person taking the trending weight-loss “wonder-drug” that is Mounjaro. Seems like in Rio every other person was taking this even if they weren’t even overweight.
Nevertheless, what’s already clear is that Amazing Aerial appears to place stronger commercial emphasis on premium still images, while videos seem to go into more standard collections. That matters because the potential upside for images appears to be considerably stronger.
Some of my best-sellers included:
It’s early days, but this agency has given me some renewed motivation.
Do you think you have what it takes to be an Amazing Aerial contributor?
Amazing Aerial is not for everyone.
You need strong aerial work, suitable gear, consistency, and the motivation to build a serious portfolio (with a goal of uploading at least 800 assets within the first year). This is not a place to upload a few random drone shots and hope for the best.
But if you have high-quality drone photos and videos, and you’re willing to upload regularly, it may be worth exploring.
If you think you have what it takes to contribute premium aerial content, feel free to get in touch with me. I may be able to recommend you.
Other best-sellers
Plans for July
I don’t usually travel much during the peak summer months of July and August. There are too many crowds, accommodation prices are ridiculous, and many locations are simply not enjoyable to shoot.
So unless a major opportunity appears, I’ll probably stay put in Portugal for the next month or two.
That does not mean doing nothing. While in Brazil, I had a chance to explore a potential street photography business idea that may also work in Portugal. It is still very early, so I do not want to go into too much detail yet, but it’s something I’ll begin testing quietly in July.
✈️Upcoming Travel Plans
| Month | Location |
| July | Portugal |
| August | Paris but not so keen on the heat |
| September | Portugal |
| October | Brazil (Grandfather turning 100) |
| November | USA and Canada (arrive on cruise) |
| December | USA and Canada, maybe Greece around Christmas |
| 2027 | Asia and Poland |
I’m a big believer in planning travel early, especially as geopolitical tensions are causing inflationary pressures, while clients are increasingly devaluing photography work.
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 
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