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Hi Reader,

I started stock photography to survive the slow seasons as a wedding photographer, now I do it as a love letter to life.

Let me explain. Inside my membership, Stock Photo Besties, we’ve been talking about turning the mundane into art. And it got me thinking...

What if stock photography isn’t just a way to make passive income, what if it’s the nudge you need to fall back in love with your life? Or at least notice the tiny, beautiful moments hiding in plain sight?

I was journaling on my “why” the other day. Why I keep showing up to this work. And the truth is, it comes back to one thing: creative freedom.

Which, for me, is deeply tied to time freedom. And financial freedom.

I don’t have all three figured out yet, but stock photography has helped me find pieces of each. Enough to keep going and believe it’s possible.

A a photographer when you’re hired by a client, even when they love your work, there are still expectations and limits. You’re creating for someone else. But with stock photography, I get to decide what to shoot. I get to tell the stories I want to tell.

Some months that looks like creating a styled concept with a creative brief. Other times it’s documenting real people doing what they love. And sometimes, like this June, when I came down with a virus that lasted an entire month, it’s capturing the view from my back yard. The ordinary magic of being present where I am.

Someone recently commented to me that stock photography feels like getting rewarded for capturing their life.

I couldn’t agree more.

If you’ve been craving more creativity, more presence, more you in your work,

this is your sign to go for it!

WHAT TO UPLOAD IN JULY IF you haven't started uploading fall themed content yet, this is your sign! Here's what to look for: ✔️Harvest, Farms, Fall Gardens ✔️Cold & Flu Season ✔️ Hospitals & Healthcare ✔️Halloween & Dia de los Muertos ✔️Fall Textures & Landscapes ✔️ALL Q4 (October, November, December) Holiday Content ​

STOCK AGENCY UPDATES

FAQ: What if I miss the deadline for a seasonal trend? Is it even worth uploading?

The Short answer: Yes. But it’s more about prioritizing your submissions.

If you don’’t shoot your summer content until the end of July it’s easy to think you missed the boat. But in stock, timing is more flexible and seasonal images can still sell year-round.

My advice: Upload it anyway, just don’t make it your top priority.

Don’t let late content clog your queue when bigger opportunities are coming

Why this matters:

• Buyers search for holiday content months in advance and after the fact. A good image is still a good image.
• Even if it doesn’t sell now, it could start picking up traction later, especially if it’s evergreen or well-styled.
• If you’ve got back-to-school, or fall images ready to go, upload those first. Once you’re caught up, circle back and add the late stuff.

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Stock is a marathon, not a sprint. And every image you upload adds to your future earnings!

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xo,

Aubrey