iStock Photographer Jim DeLillo Strikes Gold

New Jersey Photographer, Jim DeLillo joins an elite group of less than 1500 photographers worldwide reaching the milestone of 10,000 downloads at istockphoto.com.

Oakland, NJ (PRWEB) May 6, 2009

In October of 2004, Jim DeLillo of Oakland, NJ uploaded his first photo "Reflections of a Balloonist" to the then fledgling company iStockphoto.com. The photo depicted a hot air balloon reflecting off the pond in perfect symmetry near a covered bridge in Queechee, Vermont. The image has sold 31 times since then, not his most popular, but the oldest. It is still available for sale today. Istockphoto clients have dowloaded his images a total of 10,000 times, securing his place at the Gold canister level.

iStockphoto grew to the largest selling micro-payment stock agency and was purchased in 2007 by Getty Images. Mr. DeLillo's photography grew along with it. He added over 1000 images to his portfolio. Not an easy task. To be accepted as a contributor, the photographer must submit a sample of three photos that undergo scrutiny by the inspectors. Approval does not guarantee that photos will be accepted, approved or for that matter, downloaded. The scrutiny continues, as every uploaded photo must meet strict standards.

iStockPhoto.com ranks their contributors at the following 'canister' levels, refering to the little icon of a traditional film canister which appears next to the photographer's name on their web page:

Base: 1 - 249 downloads
Bronze: 250 - 2,499 downloads
Silver: 2,500 - 9,999 downloads
Gold: 10,000 - 24,999 downloads
Diamond: 25,000 - 199,999 downloads
Black Diamond: 200,000+ downloads

Current rankings of all istock contributing photographers can be seen at http://istockcharts.multimedia.de/

BlackDiamond Contributors:14
Diamond Contributors:509

Gold Contributors:740

Silver Contributors:2279
Bronze Contributors:6398
Base Contributors:17550

"My photography is very ecclectic", Mr DeLillo said. "My photos bear more of a documentary style." "I currently see more usage of dramatic imagesas opposed to the traditional clean white backgrounds." "I expect to continue to grow my portfolio and see an acceleration in downloads, now that I have reached the iStockphoto.comGold canister level."

Contributing photographers to iStock can make a supplemental part-time income, like DeLillo, or reach six-figures in a dedicated full-time, very competitive profession. Mr. DeLillo remains exclusive to iStockphoto, maximizing his earnings with the company. Full artist Exclusivity means no images, video or audio files may be sold on other royalty-free sites or businesses with the exception of Getty Images.

In today's economy New Jersey Photographer, Jim DeLillo, known as jimd_stock on the site, has found a way to turn his passion into cash. Using micro-payment stock photography, DeLillo has supplemented his income, reached a key milestone, and has created a demand for his work, where once his photos are uploaded, they continue to make money, even in his sleep. This opportunity is open to anyone with a camera and some patience.

About Jim DeLillo
Jim DeLillo is a photographer that is an active, exclusive member of iStock.com, the fastest growing micro-stock company, owned by Getty images. His 20 years of experience include international publications such as Woman's World Magazine and many other daily, weekly, and monthly publications. His photojournalist, reality based, eclectic style provides a refreshing break from the stiffly posed studio shots. Jim can be followed on Twitter http://twitter.com/jimdeli

About iStock
iStock or iStockphoto.com, owned by Getty Images, was created in 2001 by Bruce Livingstone who decided to sell stock images online at a micro-payment price. Typically selling for $3 - $12, it put the world of stock images within reach of any designer or user of stock.

iStock pays photographers royalty for each file downloaded ranging from 20% to 40% of the purchase. The rate varies based upon the photographer's total number of downloads, and whether they are exclusive to iStock.

Istock has since expanded their offerings to include vector based illustration, flash, video, and most recently, audio.

For more information, visit iStock

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