I use the Micawber formula. If I enjoy what I'm doing and after paying my bills I have a penny more at the end of the month than I did at the beginning, that equals happiness. If I have a penny less, that is the road to misery.

Here's the way i see it.

Jens you dont get the crumbs of crumbs you have your own style like Vampires and Butterflies along with HDR.

For me no big cost at all.

Equipment is paid for so no cost, dont do models and if i do it is me so no cost or you can use model mayhem for the cost of a CD for the model.

If i want to do outdoor shooting i just do it on a day when i am going to be in the area where i want to shoot anyway so no cost there because i was going there anyhow.

Most everything is done at home or nearby so minimal cost for example i shoot some editorials 6.3 miles from where i live so round trip is 12.6 miles or 1/2 gallon of gas $1.72 i get anywhere depending on event 100-200 images of which i get 50-100 or more for stock then while i am there i am passing out business cards to every and anyone interested in my work and i line up appointments with them for shoots paying more then what microstock pays.

So CPI may come out to a few pennies per image if that.