MicrostockGroup

Okay, this and the FEAST thing are both baffling me.  Are there really NOT ENOUGH people shooting stock???  They need to train more?  Crazy. 

Great existing contributors get to subsidise the entry of new "student" competition. Just what we need.

Sounds like agencies are now targeting younger creatives to make images that connect with younger consumers.

Targeting younger creatives with lower expectations and no preconceptions about image value more like.

ETA this is more about Feast than Alamy, who I am sure are more altruistically motivated given that they donate most of their end to good causes anyway

Excellent point. Alamy is such a good success story, it became successful and remains successful without screwing those who contribute to them. Thank God for the Brits 

It is quite clear they view us as disposable items and they love it when we do our best to train our replacements.

Exactly!

I think part of this is Alamy trying to challenge suppliers in the industry to be more responsible with their images and business practices.  They aren't doing this to get more contributors - they are doing this to "train" new artists and to take them away from stock sites that take advantage of them.

There is also a campaign to get members to join BAPLA - I have received two emails in the past month about the campaign.

In all honesty, they may be winning me over.  There's much less drama on the traditional side and the revenue is the same or better.

Ann, you're right....my point being they are trying to push budding photographers into going into the traditional as opposed to the micro route.

I'm in the UK and only got one message, about the BAPLA Academy. I thought I read in the forums there that another had gone out a couple of weeks ago; if so (and ICBW), I didn't get the first one.