Editorial or Commercial??

Most of the micro sites don't accept "editorial" images. Meaning images that include logos or recognizable brands (or people), without a signed model / property release. Editorial shots are considered "newsworthy". Usually, that means cloning out any logos or identifying names, which can be pretty time consuming.

Shutterstock is one exception. They will accept editorial shots. I've often wondered if editorial shots would sell well, since they have limits on thier use. Not too long ago, I took and image of traffic on the interstate, and uploaded it to SS, just to see how "editorial" would do. Then I took some time and cleaned it up for "Rights-free" submission. Both were accepted:

Above: with logos removed

Below: as seen, with logos

SO: 4 months down the line, how have they sold? Surprisingly, the "editorial" version has done pretty well. It is my 13th "most popular" image at SS, and #12 in sales. But not surprisingly, the "RF" version has done much better. It is my 5th most popular , and 4th in sales. The logo-less version has sold more than 2x as many times at SS. Plus the RF version is at my other sites, and doing well (#6 earner at IS, #3 at DT). Strangely, 123RF rejected this one for "Potential Copyright Issues" despite my meticulous cloning.