Author Topic: Price your own images at BigStock now available but to who? (Read 12287 times)

Lcjtripod · « **on:** January 25, 2009, 09:25 »

Price your own images are already on BigStock. I could not find any information on the BigStock site as to how to do it or who can do it. I only found it on one photographers profile. The photographer is Andres an excellent photographer by any standards.

He has several hundred images on his port that he priced.

The photos are identified by a light blue P in a circle on the thumbnails.

Check his Newest Images to see them.

I found the prices up to 90 credits for a 13.7mp image (photo ID# 4328828)

Does anybody know anything about this?

No info on BigStock and nothing on their forum either.

-Larry

gostwyck · « **Reply #1 on:** January 25, 2009, 09:34 »

Interesting.

I've thought for some time that this could the next natural development for microstock __ allowing contributors to price their images according to their production costs or the uniqueness of the images. That would then be a true marketplace.

Newsfocus1 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 25, 2009, 10:34 »

Quote from: gostwyck on January 25, 2009, 09:34

Interesting.

I've thought for some time that this could the next natural development for microstock __ allowing contributors to price their images according to their production costs or the uniqueness of the images. That would then be a true marketplace.

Which, of course, was one of the big features of snapvillage when it launched. I very naively priced all mine at $25 (just got 30c subs). Reduced to $5 months ago (still just 30c subs). Setting your own price is great in theory but the SV experience isn't encouraging. I suppose if you have brilliant and unique photos it might (but sadly mine are neither

). Regards, David

Tuilay · « **Reply #3 on:** January 25, 2009, 11:12 »

sounds like Featurepics, Cutcaster, SV,etc... all very nice to ask your own price, but no sale. i don't like it. it could mean poor business , which is why they're trying on new ideas.

gostwyck · « **Reply #4 on:** January 25, 2009, 11:52 »

Quote from: Newsfocus1 on January 25, 2009, 10:34

Which, of course, was one of the big features of snapvillage when it launched. I very naively priced all mine at $25 (just got 30c subs). Reduced to $5 months ago (still just 30c subs). Setting your own price is great in theory but the SV experience isn't encouraging. I suppose if you have brilliant and unique photos it might (but sadly mine are neither ). Regards, David

SV are hardly relevant. SV was a half-hearted, too-late and generally piss-poor attempt to enter microstock from a company who have managed to lose money every year that they have been in business. I don't think we can take any lessons from them.

I'm talking about established microstock businesses __ the type that actually have customers and things.

sharpshot · « **Reply #5 on:** January 25, 2009, 12:12 »

I think this will work. Some other sites have failed selling at higher prices but they never had enough buyers. That is probably more to do with a lack of marketing than price.

Tuilay · « **Reply #6 on:** January 25, 2009, 12:22 »

Quote from: gostwyck on January 25, 2009, 11:52

SV are hardly relevant. SV was a half-hearted, too-late and generally piss-poor attempt to enter microstock from a company who have managed to lose money every year that they have been in business. I don't think we can take any lessons from them.

I'm talking about established microstock businesses __ the type that actually have customers and things.

Agree. Like so many sites that appear to be serious microstock sites, but behave like operation in a shoe box, so to speak. Half-a#s# operation, merely to get a business grant or tax deduction for their travels, what not. SV ? not quite that way, but could still be tax related for Corbis. No real effort to gain a market foothold, just "boardroom vapour ware".

madelaide · « **Reply #7 on:** January 25, 2009, 12:22 »

Although I like the idea of setting our prices, I agree this may be confusing for a buyer. It's much easier if he searched for something and knows that any of those images will cost him the same. Now "I like this that it costs US$5, but I like this other one that costs US$10, hmm, which one should I buy?". And BigStock doesn't have a zoom tool so he can check quality, does it?

Regards,
Adelaide

cathyslife · « **Reply #8 on:** January 25, 2009, 12:37 »

I agree with madelaide. I think that buyers go to microstock to buy images for micro prices. The only way I would pay more money for that image is if it's rights managed and exclusive to that site. Assuming that's the way the images are going to be marketed, it makes sense to keep buyers on your site for that exclusive image rather than lose them to go surfing at other rights managed sites.

I think this economy has everyone diversifying and trying to grab as many buyers and keep them on their sites for as long as possible. In that context, it makes sense.

Tuilay · « **Reply #9 on:** January 25, 2009, 14:46 »

if i understand the motives of BigStock, then this is what i think:

It may be OK to charge a price that YOU have decided on.
BUT! It looks as though YOU are not the one to decide this as no information is listed as to how to do it.
Is it decided by the Camera you use? Your image quality? (we know how that works) don't or if your a favorite photographer of the site? Perhaps a reviewer decides. (that's a laugh)
No info and lots of questions unanswered by the BigStock site.
BigStock Forum? Forget it no one uses it including BigStock. It offten goes for several days with zero postings.

(my two bits worth)

DanP68 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 25, 2009, 15:43 »

Quote from: Lcjtripod on January 25, 2009, 09:25

Price your own images are already on BigStock. I could not find any information on the BigStock site as to how to do it or who can do it. I only found it on one photographers profile. The photographer is Andres an excellent photographer by any standards.

There is nothing in Andres' collection to suggest he priced his images. The "P" is in reference to "Premium Collection." Although I cannot find any information on a BigStock Premium Collection, apparently they are following the industry trend and starting one. And it looks obvious that Andres was one of the first invited to have his images in this Premium Collection.

Lcjtripod · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2009, 15:50 »

Quote from: DanP68 on January 25, 2009, 15:43

Quote from: Lcjtripod on January 25, 2009, 09:25
Price your own images are already on BigStock. I could not find any information on the BigStock site as to how to do it or who can do it. I only found it on one photographers profile. The photographer is Andres an excellent photographer by any standards.

There is nothing in Andres' collection to suggest he priced his images. The "P" is in reference to "Premium Collection." Although I cannot find any information on a BigStock Premium Collection, apparently they are following the industry trend and starting one. And it looks obvious that Andres was one of the first invited to have his images in this Premium Collection.

Click on one of his images to see image details. You will notice a "P" in a blue circle and a notation Premium Image and next to that is a question mark (?) click on it to get a lesson on how it was priced. (by the photographer) and amounts to less than 1 % of the images on BigStock.

Check it out and come back!

Thanks,
Larry

DanP68 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2009, 16:05 »

I've already read the description Larry. It's a Premium Collection. BigStock is not opening up the doors to let anyone start re-pricing their images. The images in the Premium Collection are priced at the contributor's discretion, but that is the extent of it. Unless one of your images is selected as "Premium," you will not have the opportunity to re-price anything. No one will.

The questions to ask (which I just did in their forum) are -

Who will be eligible to submit to the Premium Collection?
Can any submission be marked as "Premium" by an inspector?
Will existing uploads be eligible to become "Premium"? I highly doubt that.

It looks to me like they are doing what has already been done at several other sites, and started a special collection. Nothing else is going on. I'm a little perplexed as to why they have not mentioned anything about it however.

Lcjtripod · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2009, 16:11 »

Quote from: DanP68 on January 25, 2009, 16:05

I've already read the description Larry. It's a Premium Collection. BigStock is not opening up the doors to let anyone start re-pricing their images. The images in the Premium Collection are priced at the contributor's discretion, but that is the extent of it. Unless one of your images is selected as "Premium," you will not have the opportunity to re-price anything. No one will.

The questions to ask (which I just did in their forum) are -

Who will be eligible to submit to the Premium Collection?
Can any submission be marked as "Premium" by an inspector?
Will existing uploads be eligible to become "Premium"? I highly doubt that.

It looks to me like they are doing what has already been done at several other sites, and started a special collection. Nothing else is going on. I'm a little perplexed as to why they have not mentioned anything about it however.

Another big question: WHO will decide if the images CAN be sold as premium?

-Larry

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2009, 17:33 »

Buyers are looking for the right image, at the right price, and quickly. I think the seller pricing model would drive buyers nuts because it wouldn't give them any more than one of those things.

Tuilay · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2009, 18:05 »

Quote from: Lcjtripod on January 25, 2009, 16:11

Another big question: WHO will decide if the images CAN be sold as premium?
Larry

Larry Larry Larry, so many questions. Who decides? Well , that 's for you to find out,
and get that PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. BigStock(vsop), hmm?

michaeldb · « **Reply #16 on:** January 25, 2009, 20:26 »

DT automatically raises prices on images based on demand. I like this. But I do not like the idea of making some contributors superior to others in a hierarchy. That is a lot of what is wrong at IS, I think. Let everyone play on a level playing field and each image be judged on its own merits.

Lcjtripod · « **Reply #17 on:** January 26, 2009, 12:13 »

Quote from: michaeldb on January 25, 2009, 20:26

DT automatically raises prices on images based on demand. I like this. But I do not like the idea of making some contributors superior to others in a hierarchy. That is a lot of what is wrong at IS, I think. Let everyone play on a level playing field and each image be judged on its own merits.

Can you name the sites "with a level playing field?" ... and I will start uploading to them.

I won't hold my breath.

-Larry

Tuilay · « **Reply #18 on:** January 26, 2009, 12:22 »

Quote from: Lcjtripod on January 26, 2009, 12:13

Quote from: michaeldb on January 25, 2009, 20:26
DT automatically raises prices on images based on demand. I like this. But I do not like the idea of making some contributors superior to others in a hierarchy. That is a lot of what is wrong at IS, I think. Let everyone play on a level playing field and each image be judged on its own merits.

Can you name the sites "with a level playing field?" ... and I will start uploading to them.

I won't hold my breath.

-Larry

you better not (hold your breath), dude ! i am not going to revive you !

michaeldb · « **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2009, 13:02 »

Quote from: Lcjtripod on January 26, 2009, 12:13

Quote from: michaeldb on January 25, 2009, 20:26
DT automatically raises prices on images based on demand. I like this. But I do not like the idea of making some contributors superior to others in a hierarchy. That is a lot of what is wrong at IS, I think. Let everyone play on a level playing field and each image be judged on its own merits.

Can you name the sites "with a level playing field?" ... and I will start uploading to them.

I won't hold my breath.

-Larry

Well I don't know all the policies of all the sites, and maybe none are perfectly level. But some are more level than others. SS has the tiered .25 to .38 payments based on the contributor's earnings, but otherwise it treats contributors pretty equally, doesn't even have exclusivity. And I think DT and StockXpert are relatively 'level' in the way they treat contributors. But the most unlevel is IS, with its exclusivity bonuses, stinkin badges, best match favoritism, invitations offered to some contributors and not to others, and so on.

I understand that sites have to experiment with all kinds of ideas to try to lure the best contributors, but personally I like the idea of selling images image by image, whoever they were made by.

I would like to see a site where we could contribute by some kind of anonymity scheme, where no one - even the reviewers - could see which image was by which contributor. And all images were reviewed, priced, and sold equally, purely on their merits. What would be wrong with that?

tan510jomast · « **Reply #20 on:** January 26, 2009, 13:17 »

Quote from: michaeldb on January 26, 2009, 13:02

(edited to show response point)
I would like to see a site where we could contribute by some kind of anonymity scheme, where no one - even the reviewers - could see which image was by which contributor. And all images were reviewed, priced, and sold equally, purely on their merits. What would be wrong with that?

Wow, wouldn't it be awesome? A site with only images. No fave, no data for dl, views, ratings. Not even the name of the contributor. Then when it sells, it sells on merit of the image , as michaeldb.

Not even sure if that's possible. That would be like shangrila, looking for utopia

lisafx · « **Reply #21 on:** January 26, 2009, 13:19 »

Very interesting development. I would love to hear more details on this.

I think it is great that BigStock is rolling out all these initiatives to increase their sales and get a bigger market share. Wonder if at some point the images that are rated "excellent" will eventually be added to the "premium" collection.

I agree with Larry, though, that a system similar to what they have at DT where every image has the opportunity to "earn" it's way to higher pricing is very fair and seems to have worked out well for everyone.

I hope more details will be forthcoming soon....

gostwyck · « **Reply #22 on:** January 26, 2009, 13:26 »

Quote from: Lcjtripod on January 26, 2009, 12:13

Can you name the sites "with a level playing field?" ... and I will start uploading to them.

-Larry

Largely all of them __ you are as good as you are and your sales reflect your skills, your investment and your endeavour. Don't blame anyone else but yourself for any lack of success.

If some sites give certain privileges or exposure to particular contributors it it because those contributors have earned them, either through the saleability of their work or through the commitment of exclusivity to that agency. Agencies like contributors who make them lots of money more than those who don't __ hardly surprising in a commercial enterprise.

You can now "start uploading to them".

Tuilay · « **Reply #23 on:** January 26, 2009, 15:07 »

Quote from: gostwyck on January 26, 2009, 13:26

Quote from: Lcjtripod on January 26, 2009, 12:13

Can you name the sites "with a level playing field?" ... and I will start uploading to them.

-Larry

Largely all of them __ you are as good as you are and your sales reflect your skills, your investment and your endeavour. Don't blame anyone else but yourself for any lack of success.

If some sites give certain privileges or exposure to particular contributors it it because those contributors have earned them, either through the saleability of their work or through the commitment of exclusivity to that agency. Agencies like contributors who make them lots of money more than those who don't __ hardly surprising in a commercial enterprise.

You can now "start uploading to them".

ANOTHER REVIEWER IN DISGUISE, ha!ha!

hali · « **Reply #24 on:** January 26, 2009, 15:15 »

Y'know we're all here just playing ping pong and no one is any wiser about what Larry 's asking. Did you get any answer from BigStock , Lcj?

Lcjtripod · « **Reply #25 on:** January 26, 2009, 15:49 »

Quote from: hali on January 26, 2009, 15:15

Y'know we're all here just playing ping pong and no one is any wiser about what Larry 's asking. Did you get any answer from BigStock , Lcj?

I checked the BigStock site upside down and backwards ..... no answers yet. I checked their forum also and someone else is asking the same question there and has not gotten an answer either.

One of these days we may have the mystery solved.

-Larry

Lcjtripod · « **Reply #26 on:** January 28, 2009, 13:29 »

2 days later ... still no information on the site or forum for uploading Premium Images or who or what decides they are in fact Premium.

It sure would be nice if we could all have the opportunity to sell at our prices instead of fixed prices only.

Not one of the blessed,
-Larry

lisafx · « **Reply #27 on:** January 28, 2009, 13:51 »

This is really weird. I have always found BigStock to be one of the most approachable and straightforward sites. I don't ever remember big changes like this and the free section being put into place without their asking for input from contributors, or at least a detailed explanation.

Purely guessing, but isn't this the way sites act when they are in the process of being acquired or are looking for a buyer? I smell a sale in the works.

tan510jomast · « **Reply #28 on:** January 28, 2009, 14:07 »

Quote from: lisafx on January 28, 2009, 13:51

This is really weird. I have always found BigStock to be one of the most approachable and straightforward sites. I don't ever remember big changes like this and the free section being put into place without their asking for input from contributors, or at least a detailed explanation.

Purely guessing, but isn't this the way sites act when they are in the process of being acquired or are looking for a buyer? I smell a sale in the works.

So true, it's not like the BigStock I know. Lisa, if your nose is right, I hope it's for the better of their owners and contributors. Let's hope for the best
P.S.
I know they've been waiting through the weekends, as my Uls were approved (rejected) over the weekend. So maybe there is a change coming. I wish the owners the best.

tan510jomast · « **Reply #29 on:** January 28, 2009, 14:11 »

oops double post, sorry

timdonahue · « **Reply #30 on:** January 28, 2009, 14:25 »

Hi all.. thanks for your interest in what's happening at BigStock. I'll help clarify:

We are beta testing a Premium Pricing feature whereby the contributor can price their own images. We will slowly open this to some of the contributors with highest quality images, based on sales and other criteria. Fotolia and others are doing this too as you saw. How successful will it be? Not sure yet. It's just another way to try working with the community. Some shooters have premium work that tends towards Rights Managed and they are looking for other higher return avenues. Microstock is a changing dynamic beast, so we try it and see what happens. I can guarantee there will other changes as things mature.

Regarding how fast did we reply to an inquiry, we try hard to do it as quickly as we can but sometimes there are a host of other issues in the pipeline that delay a reply for a few days, if the answer has to come from me especially.

P.S. we've worked really hard to make our Approval Queue faster and it's worked.. your images will get approved REALLY fast right now if you have submissions ready :-)

Also - BTW - GREAT GREAT job to all shooters: over the last couple years the quality of micro images has just blown through the roof, so keep up the good work. Really encouraging stuff!

Best wishes to all, thanks much.

Tim Donahue
Founder, BigStockPhoto

lisafx · « **Reply #31 on:** January 28, 2009, 14:35 »

Quote from: tan510jomast on January 28, 2009, 14:07

I know they've been waiting through the weekends, as my Uls were approved (rejected) over the weekend. So maybe there is a change coming. I wish the owners the best.

You are right, Dawn and Tim are great people and it would be nice to see them get a big payday for all the work they've put in to BigStock.

ETA: Thanks, Tim, for the update. Very exciting developments at BigStock. Looking forward to even more success with you in 2009

Lcjtripod · « **Reply #32 on:** January 28, 2009, 15:06 »

I agree with Lisa!

Thanks Tim for the update.

-Larry

MicrostockGroup Sponsors

Author Topic: Price your own images at BigStock now available but to who? (Read 12287 times)

Lcjtripod

gostwyck

Newsfocus1

Tuilay

gostwyck

sharpshot

Tuilay

madelaide

cathyslife

Tuilay

DanP68

Lcjtripod

DanP68

Lcjtripod

PaulieWalnuts

Tuilay

michaeldb

Lcjtripod

Tuilay

michaeldb

tan510jomast

lisafx

gostwyck

Tuilay

hali

Lcjtripod

Lcjtripod

lisafx

tan510jomast

tan510jomast

timdonahue

lisafx

Lcjtripod

Related Topics

Sponsors

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors