Ready to turn your passion for photography or videography into a lucrative source of passive income?
Don’t miss out on my top tips and hard-earned lessons from my first year on Pond5! In this article, I’ll reveal how I earned $4,683.32 by consistently uploading 4,640 clips and selling 111 of them. Discover what sells and what doesn’t, learn how to save time, and make the most of your footage. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this article has everything you need to succeed on Pond5.

What’s Better: Editorial or Commercial Footage?

Let’s get real: whether you shoot editorial or commercial footage, it probably won’t make a big difference to your earnings. In my case, a whopping 95% of my sales came from editorial clips, with only a handful commercial clip sales. So, it’s safe to say that my bread and butter is editorial footage. And the best part? You don’t need release forms for editorial footage, since it’s already out there in the public domain. However, if you’re planning to upload commercial footage, make sure you have release forms handy. Without them, your footage will either default to editorial or get rejected altogether. Keep these tips in mind and start earning on your stock footage platform of choice!

Behind the Scenes: What it Takes to Create and Sell Stock Footage on Pond5

Curious about what it takes to make it on Pond5? Let me give it to you straight. It’s a year-long commitment that involves around 1,500 hours of planning, preparation, and brainstorming every day. And that’s just the start! We then have to get to the shoot location, which can mean carpooling, taking a bus or train, or driving ourselves and shelling out cash for gas and tolls. Once we’re there, it’s a race against the clock to capture the perfect footage. Sometimes we hit the jackpot, and other times, we walk away empty-handed. It’s all part of the game.

But the work doesn’t end there. We then have to edit the footage for the client, ourselves, and for Pond5. We even create a reel to showcase our Pond5 clips and then upload everything to the platform. Next comes the crucial step of adding a title, description, metadata, keywords, and collection to make the clips searchable and relevant to potential buyers. Once approved, it’s time to promote the reel on platforms like YouTube and direct people back to the Pond5 collection. Phew! As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts to this process, and a lot of elbow grease that goes into getting those stock footage sales. But if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, the payoff can be worth it.

How to Turn Your Videos into Profitable Stock Footage on Pond5

Are you tired of capturing aimless footage of nature and wildlife with no real returns? It’s time to get strategic and focus on relevant content to start earning real money. A simple way to stay updated on what’s relevant is by tuning in to different news channels and identifying common themes. It doesn’t matter which channel you watch; everyone uses the same footage, but with their own spin. Take notes and start capturing footage that aligns with these trending topics in your local community. You can even sell the footage directly to your local news station and then upload the remaining content to Pond5. The key is to keep an eye on what’s relevant and use it to your advantage. Follow these tips and start cashing in on your stock footage with Pond5.

How Many Usable Clips Does a Shoot Yield?

Are you wondering how many usable clips you can get from a single shoot for Pond5? Well, the answer depends on various factors such as your shooting style, the location, and the subject matter. But in general, a 60-90 minute shoot can yield anywhere from 50 to 150 usable clips for Pond5. Of course, the number of usable clips may vary based on your individual shooting and editing skills. So, make sure you focus on capturing high-quality footage that aligns with the current market demands to increase your chances of success. Follow these tips and start maximizing your earning potential on Pond5.

My Personal Guidelines for Pricing Your Work on Pond5

Pricing your work can be a daunting task, especially for those just starting out. But fear not! Based on my experience, there are some guidelines you can follow to set reasonable prices. For 1080p footage, I usually price it at $79 for a good, 15-second clip with interesting and relevant content. A mediocre 3-5 second clip will cost around $50. For high-quality, one-minute footage, I can sell it for up to $149. For 4K footage, I start pricing at $149, and for really good quality, I may charge up to $249. Keep in mind that drone footage requires a license and could result in a hefty fine if you don’t have one. Pricing ultimately depends on the quality and uniqueness of your work. For hard-to-get, once-in-a-lifetime clips, I charge up to $499. Don’t sell yourself short if you have something valuable to offer! Follow these guidelines, and start unlocking the secrets to setting reasonable prices on Pond5

Collaborating with People: Cash, Commission, or Portfolio Exchange?

How I collaborate with people and models to create amazing content:

First and foremost, the easiest way to handle a collaboration is to pay them cash and have them sign a release. It’s a straightforward deal – they get paid, you get your footage, and you can use it forever. Just pay cash, and you’re good to go.

However, if you’re on a budget, there are other ways to collaborate. For instance, you can offer a commission to the artist. For example, with one artist, I said, “Hey, I’ll give you 20% of the gross clip sale, and you cover the PayPal fee.” PayPal takes a small fee, so they get their clip at 20% plus the fee. To make sure everything is transparent and legit, I include a report showing how many sales the clip has made.

Lastly, maybe you have a cool friend who will do it for free. They may need something for their portfolio, and in that case, you can do a portfolio collaboration where they help you out, and you shoot them a couple of things or give them a photo shoot, or a free favor. It’s a value exchange – they get something they need for their portfolio, and you get the footage you need for your project.

So, those are the three ways I handle collaborations with people and models. Remember, there’s always a way to collaborate, no matter what your budget is.

Do You Need Expensive Gear for Stock Footage Sales?

Some of my top-selling videos were shot with a $500 Panasonic G7 camera using a cheap kit lens, and even though they weren’t shot perfectly, people still paid for them.

It goes to show that you don’t always need the best equipment or perfect footage to make a sale. To be honest, I thought most of these clips were garbage and nearly deleted them. But, I remembered the original clip I sold way back in April, which was only three seconds long. I thought, “If someone is gonna pay money for that, they’ll pay money for whatever.” So, I stopped deleting clips unless they actually were shaky, blurry, or just straight garbage.

The lesson here is that if the footage is usable, it’s worth selling. You never know who’s gonna buy what, and sometimes, imperfect footage can still be valuable. So, don’t worry too much about the quality of your equipment or footage – just shoot what you can and put it out there. You might be surprised at what sells!

Shooting Top-Selling Stock Footage: My Camera Gear Revealed

I want to talk about the gear I use for shooting my videos. My main camera is a Panasonic G9, which I chose because of its stabilizing features. The body and the lens I use (a 12-35mm f/2.8) are both stabilized, which means I don’t need a gimbal. With this setup, I can shoot outdoor footage in a guerrilla-style because the camera shots are super smooth, giving it that cinematic look. The Panasonic G9 shoots 4k 24fps 10-bit, 4k 60fps, and 1080 180 fps – it’s an incredible camera that can handle both photos and videos.

Before I got my G9, I was a loyal Panasonic G7 shooter for three years, and nearly all of the videos I shot were with that camera. Even though the G7 is an older and more affordable camera, it still produced some of my top-selling footage. So, my point is, you don’t always need the latest and greatest gear to get great footage – it’s all about how you use it.

At the end of the day, gear is just a tool. It’s up to the user to make the most of it and produce great content. Don’t get too caught up in having the best and most expensive equipment. Instead, focus on developing your skills and using the gear you have to its fullest potential.

PSA:

As of March 7, 2023, if you own an iPhone 12 Pro or similar spec model, you will shoot way better quality with your smartphone than the Panasonic G7.

Making Money through Stock Footage Sales on Pond5: One-Year Income Breakdown

Let’s take a look at our one-year income breakdown from selling footage on Pond5.

In April, we started strong by putting in 300 hours to create COVID-19 related content, and we made $468.45 in sales. May was even better, and we made $588.02 by selling footage of empty streets and other pandemic-related scenes. However, in June, we hit a decline of $464.27 and decided to take a break.

During our vacation, we invested in a professional camera, a G9, a gimbal, and a drone, a Mavic 2 Pro, to future-proof ourselves by exporting footage in the highest bit rate. In July, we started selling more drone footage and had some sales related to the coronavirus pandemic, totaling $379.62.

Throughout August, we shot commercial real estate drone footage, which resulted in $335 from editorial coronavirus pandemic sales. September brought us $491.24 in stock footage sales, featuring clips of the coronavirus pandemic and homeless individuals.

In October, we made $238.82 by selling stock footage featuring an outdoor morgue during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as footage of an EZ-Pass sign. November was a great month for repeat clip sales, and we made $620.39.

December was our lowest month, but we still managed to make $152.35 from editorial coronavirus footage. In January 2021, we made $502.74 by selling footage of outdoor rallies, protest events, and even some footage from an old moving company video.

February brought in $200.25, and we sold a commercial clip from a restaurant. In March 2021, we had our biggest month yet, making $710.32 exclusively from editorial sales. Our footage included stock market footage of the pandemic, as well as footage of closed businesses, empty streets, and a local food bank charity.

So, what did we learn from this year of selling footage on Pond5? Quality isn’t everything – a clip is a clip is a clip. The most important thing is to have relevant clips that people are looking for. Don’t worry about the clip’s quality; you will make money with it.

Making Sense of Pond5 Trends: To Follow or Not to Follow?

You can never predict Pond5. It’s constantly changing and evolving, and what sells one month might not sell the next. This can make it difficult to know what to shoot and how to allocate your time and resources. On their front page, Pond5 showcases whatever is trending that month and has all these different ideas, including cool and goofy things. However, following their advice and shooting these clips is a gamble because Pond5 does not include the number of sales on these clips.

To back up what I’m saying, during my hardcore month on Pond5 (April, May, and parts of June), I had my clips featured on the front page in the Pond5 Select galleries. I’ve had several clips featured in these galleries, and many of them received a lot of views, but zero sales. Having trending content and featuring your stuff does not guarantee sales. What does get you sales is having stock footage that is relevant to today’s world.

Therefore, look for current events such as news and create footage related to them. This is probably the fastest way to make money by selling stock footage. The news is always changing, and there’s always a demand for relevant footage. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, footage of masks, social distancing, and closed businesses was in high demand.

Another reason I don’t follow Pond5 trends or try to come up with my own stock ideas and trends is because it’s like thinking of a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. You’re thinking up footage for a project that doesn’t exist. Instead, I view stock footage as a byproduct of a paid production. Whenever I’m hired for a paid production or job, I stick any leftover or unbought footage up on Pond5. It’s just part of my process. This footage came from a project that had a real market demand, and someone actually paid me to produce it. Shooting stock footage from thin air has no demand, so it’s just supply with no demand.

If you’re a photographer, videographer, or a big production company, figuring out how to systemize Pond5 into your main process can create a secondary source of income for you. So, definitely check it out. Whether Pond5 is worth it or not depends on your situation. If you have a lot of leftover footage or are consistently producing content that could be repurposed for stock, it’s definitely worth considering. But if you’re just starting out and don’t have a lot of extra footage, it might not be the best use of your time and resources. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if Pond5 is worth it for your specific situation.

Michael Shatravka / Guerilla Camera Operator
2020 COVID LOCKDOWN – Brighton Beach

Photo Credit:
Rais Muharamov