My wife and I began selling photos online over two years ago as a way to earn a little extra money out of something we enjoyed. At the time we had a little 4 megapixel point-n-shoot camera but since my wife knew a little about photo editing from studying graphic design in college. At the time we thought we knew about photography, we soon realized we didn't know that much at all.

We only earned $16 in our first month, but with persistence and lots of research we raised this to $270 in six months. As it was a part time hobby we didn't expect it to earn so much so quickly, but this early success convinced us of the potential and we quickly invested in a digital SLR. Over two years later we're now earning around $600 each month with a modest portfolio of around 700 photos listed with eight agencies. We're still hobbyist photographers creating stock photos in our spare time.

Who sells photos in the microstock market?Through my blog I've connected with hundreds of other microstock contributors. There is an amazing variety of people contributing to this market and with a similarly impressive variety of reasons. I know retired couples who just love to see their work published and I know people who earn tens of thousands of dollars each month. There's also a variety of people in the middle for whom microstock is their job or who, like me, have microstock as part of their income. However, one of the biggest groups are photography students - both formal students with photography as their chosen career and hobbyists who study for fun.

Why is microstock so good for students? There are three main reasons: freedom; money; and education.

To participate with Microstock is free and there are no set work hours, no bosses and most importantly, no due dates. Microstock pays money which is great given that photography isn't a cheap endeavor. If you are interested in learning about the commercial side of photography Microstock is also a great way to educate yourself. What better teacher than a global market of photo buyers?

Yes, Microstock is a controversial endeavor. You may have heard it is 'bad' for the industry. The microstock concept is relatively new as it only works with the Internet and high quality digital cameras. Because of that there are many professional stock photographers with strong feelings about the impact microstock is having on the industry.

Many of the world's most successful stock photographers that I have spoken with have said they're not noticing any impacts on their business from microstock. These professionals know that their photos compete on quality and not price (microstock photos sell cheaper but in higher quantity) and they also know that there will always be buyers interested in the top level of the market, regardless of the price.

It's also logical to expect that the hundreds of photographers who now make a living with microstock have displaced some 'traditional' stock photographers. This happens with any technological change as big as the Internet and digital photography and it's understandable that those on the receiving end are not happy about it.

Microstock has also brought new buyers to the market. Small businesses, charities and bloggers weren't big buyers of stock photos when they cost $350 or more. Now that blog size images are $1 and print size images are $10, you can imagine how sales have increased.

So how much can I earn in microstock? That depends on both the quality and quantity of photos you can produce. Full time microstock contributors with a portfolio of 7,000 high quality images earn over $20,000 per MONTH! At the other end of the scale some contributors with only a handful of images earn just a few dollars. Like me, you'll most likely find yourself between these two extremes.

I earn a little under $1 per photo per month. On my blog I publish my monthly earnings figures and links to my portfolios (About page). With this information you can easily compare your portfolio or photography skills to determine more or less how much you could expect to earn with your photos in the microstock market.

Is it easy to get into microstock? Not at the start. Many agencies require a test submission which is generally stricter than their usual review process. Microstock agencies also review submissions based on what sells; typically these are images that are super sharp, noiseless and commercially appealing. Because of this process many established and highly skilled photographers experience early rejections and quickly dismiss the microstock opportunity. By beginning with the middle tier agencies that don't require you to pass a test, you can easily get an idea of what types of photos are accepted and which ones sell well. After that, it's relatively easy to start earning money.

Research the internet for some ideas of best selling photos. You will notice simple shots taken with the intention of selling for stock, but with no more preparation that being in the necessary place with your camera. Some of the photos you will find can earn over $30 per month though their success varies between agencies.

It's also not easy creating above-average success. Average per-photo earnings of top microstock contributors can be up to ten times what I earn, so you can imagine the difference in the quality and appeal of the photos they produce. They also need to repeat this many times to create a portfolio large enough to raise their earnings above average.

How can I improve my chances of success? These are some hints for those who are interested in getting started selling their photos in the microstock market:

Managing your expectations can often sound easier than it actually is. A typical sales pitch might read, "click here to start earning money from the photos sitting idle on your computer". That's not exactly realistic and you'll soon quit if you begin with this expectation in mind. Do your own research to figure out what sells, create these photos well, and be smart about how you contribute. Concentrate on workflow.

If you are planning on contributing many photos it's important to have an efficient workflow so time is not wasted doing unnecessarily repetitive tasks. Do your research and refine your workflow so you can put quality photographs into the market as quickly and efficiently as possible. Microstock is business. If your photographs are more artistic than commercial you may want to seriously consider if you and microstock are a good match. Artistic photos will not sell as well as commercial photos, however they will sell in the microstock market.

Research. Don't stop with the few ideas I have already given you. It is important to get all your questions answered before you begin so you save time and don't accidentally do anything that doesn't work to your advantage. There are blogs written for people selling photos in the microstock market, read these as well as other sites.

6 Microstock Sites Where You can Make Money from Your Photos Here are a number of Microstock programs that offer photographers money for their images: Shutterastock, Dreamstime, Crestock, fotolia, 123rf, Stockxpert.