Can you spot what’s wrong with this photo? 
When I first took this image, I loved it. Today, I look at it and I’m a little embarrassed that I cut the flowers off on the sides and there’s more than one bare stem. I could have chosen a hundred different places to stand. Why didn’t I see those bare stems? Still, while it’s not perfect, it’s my best-selling stock photo, so there’s no way I’ll take it down. Last year I went back to the same tulip field and took this improved version: 
And I’m happy to report that my new, improved version of this photo is currently selling twice as often as the original. Look at these numbers: Photo 1: About 174 sales/year Photo 2: About 296 sales/year My first photo has had a few years’ head-start, so it’s still my most lucrative photograph. But right now I’ve got two images selling like hotcakes instead of one. I’m making twice the money without twice the work. One of the cool things about selling stock photos online is that, as you improve as a photographer, you can always go back and re-shoot your best-selling photos. This is a great way to bump up your portfolio and capitalize on an already good idea. Not sure what to shoot? Reshoot what you already know people are buying. The tulip fields are blooming here in Oregon this month, and I’m thinking about heading back out there for another shoot. Why not, right? Maybe by this time next year, it’ll sell THREE times as much as the first. And even if it doesn’t, it’s doesn’t matter. These photos are easy and fun to take. I’ll spend a few minutes processing them, and a few minutes uploading them to my agencies. And then the rest of the year I’ll just sit back and watch them sell. That’s the beauty of microstock photography. Share on Facebook
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