Author Topic: new feature at DT - Photographic Genres (Read 1945 times)

luissantos84 · « **on:** March 08, 2012, 14:56 »

http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_30672

CD123 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2012, 16:56 »

Interesting. Thank you for the heads-up Luis.

jsnover · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2012, 16:57 »

Thanks for posting this. I had a look but didn't add anything to my profile as I don't think any of those really apply to my portfolio. Perhaps after we see it in action once it goes live it'll be more obvious whether a generalist (like me) is better of not putting anything vs. putting categories in which they have only some images.

lisafx · « **Reply #3 on:** March 08, 2012, 17:06 »

Thanks Luis! I missed that, but think it's a very good idea. Anything that increases my exposure in my subject areas is welcome

Paulo M. F. Pires · « **Reply #4 on:** March 08, 2012, 17:09 »

Thanks

I haven't nothing to loose to give e try... but they should have something like "Depends on Photographer mood"

luissantos84 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 08, 2012, 17:14 »

everybody be sure not to put amateur photographer

cthoman · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2012, 17:34 »

Wow! Way to make me feel included DT!

I'll make sure to tick the I'm not a photographer box.

digitalexpressionimages · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2012, 18:00 »

Not keen on it. But then I don't like being labeled period. If there were a genre called "everything under the sun" then sign me up.

Like I want to be known as a wedding photographer, or a landscape photographer. I do all those things and more. If I can point my camera at it, it's shot. Why do they want to put every contributor into a category?

Screw it, I'm going to go drink myself happy.

corepics · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2012, 18:14 »

At the same time, they disabled the hyperlinks in the profile, which allowed us to link to collections of images. I do like this new feature, better, though. Seems like a smart and novel move by DT.

gemmy12 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2012, 23:35 »

but whats the use to add genera of your photography when there is already a section 'Favourite subjects' in profile... Is it like that one may get request from buyers for specific photo related to his genera ?

lisafx · « **Reply #10 on:** March 09, 2012, 15:46 »

Quote from: gemmy12 on March 08, 2012, 23:35

but whats the use to add genera of your photography when there is already a section 'Favourite subjects' in profile... Is it like that one may get request from buyers for specific photo related to his genera ?

These genres will be searchable by buyers, whereas "favorite subjects" is only visible to someone visiting your profile.

heywoody · « **Reply #11 on:** March 09, 2012, 17:46 »

Do buyers use categories, let alone genres for a search?

gostwyck · « **Reply #12 on:** March 09, 2012, 17:59 »

Quote from: heywoody on March 09, 2012, 17:46

Do buyers use categories, let alone genres for a search?

Exactly what I was thinking. DT would be better putting their resources into generating more realistic search results. If they did then they wouldn't have to keep rejecting so many supposedly 'similar' images to maintain their precious 'tightly edited collection'. Leave the buyers to decide what they like and let the cream rise to the top on merit. They'd also sell more images at higher levels if the buyers actually got to see the good stuff more often.

IMHO it is their crappy search results (and possibly to some degree their 'Levels' pricing architecture) that is helping to gift the microstock market to SS. Do you think SS will be introducing 'Genres' any time soon? No? Nor me.

elvinstar · « **Reply #13 on:** March 09, 2012, 18:08 »

Quote from: heywoody on March 09, 2012, 17:46

Do buyers use categories, let alone genres for a search?

I was always a card-carrying member of the "categories suck" club, but seeing what buyers searched for on Dreamstime has made me rethink that somewhat. I notice quite a few images where there is nothing listed under "buyer searched after" which leads me to believe that they were looking at a category. I could be wrong (and often am!) but it makes me wonder.

lisafx · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2012, 18:21 »

A year or more ago I remember a top admin at DT was quoted as saying that their buyers search by category often. I assume that must still be true, and that's why they've invested the time in creating this.

It's a very simple thing to add categories to your profile. It took less time than making this post on MSG. I don't really see the down side.

gostwyck · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2012, 18:26 »

Quote from: elvinstar on March 09, 2012, 18:08

I was always a card-carrying member of the "categories suck" club, but seeing what buyers searched for on Dreamstime has made me rethink that somewhat. I notice quite a few images where there is nothing listed under "buyer searched after" which leads me to believe that they were looking at a category. I could be wrong (and often am!) but it makes me wonder.

My understanding is that the system can record the keywords used for simple searches but when it gets more complex, and the buyer searches again 'within results' for example, then the recording does not work.

heywoody · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2012, 18:31 »

Yeah - any category probably has tens of thousands of images and you might as well browse the 10 million or whatever is there @ 80 thumbs per page.

gemmy12 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2012, 23:57 »

Quote from: lisafx on March 09, 2012, 15:46

Quote from: gemmy12 on March 08, 2012, 23:35
but whats the use to add genera of your photography when there is already a section 'Favourite subjects' in profile... Is it like that one may get request from buyers for specific photo related to his genera ?

These genres will be searchable by buyers, whereas "favorite subjects" is only visible to someone visiting your profile.

oh that is nice. But is it wise to categorize/limit oneself to certain genera if he/she is jack of all trades ?

lisafx · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2012, 19:00 »

Quote from: gemmy12 on March 09, 2012, 23:57

But is it wise to categorize/limit oneself to certain genera if he/she is jack of all trades ?

Sorry, I don't understand why you think attaching some categories to one's profile is limiting. If you are in a category, your images will be visible to someone searching it. If you aren't, they won't. Your images will still be searchable by every other existing criteria, whether you select categories or not.

How is this limiting??

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #19 on:** March 10, 2012, 20:13 »

Quote from: lisafx on March 09, 2012, 18:21

A year or more ago I remember a top admin at DT was quoted as saying that their buyers search by category often. I assume that must still be true, and that's why they've invested the time in creating this.

It's a very simple thing to add categories to your profile. It took less time than making this post on MSG. I don't really see the down side.

Start watching from 4 minutes 10 seconds, til the end. The amount of buyers who actively use categories is a lot, apparently.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK99GYhbALc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Allsa · « **Reply #20 on:** March 10, 2012, 21:12 »

Quote from: cthoman on March 08, 2012, 17:34

Wow! Way to make me feel included DT!

I'll make sure to tick the I'm not a photographer box.

I know what you mean - not one category for illustrators.

gemmy12 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 10, 2012, 21:58 »

Quote from: lisafx on March 10, 2012, 19:00

Quote from: gemmy12 on March 09, 2012, 23:57
But is it wise to categorize/limit oneself to certain genera if he/she is jack of all trades ?

Sorry, I don't understand why you think attaching some categories to one's profile is limiting. If you are in a category, your images will be visible to someone searching it. If you aren't, they won't. Your images will still be searchable by every other existing criteria, whether you select categories or not.

How is this limiting??

Because i do take shots of the subjects that make me to fall more than 5 genera. So if people search photos by genera then few of my photographs probably wont come out as i have not filled the name of those genera. I am thinking this way. May be it would work better than i am thinking. Btw my sales are down in DT (also in ss, IS proving best now)

lisafx · « **Reply #22 on:** March 10, 2012, 23:15 »

Quote from: Microstock Posts on March 10, 2012, 20:13

Start watching from 4 minutes 10 seconds, til the end. The amount of buyers who actively use categories is a lot, apparently.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK99GYhbALc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

That was exactly the interview I was thinking of! Thanks for digging it up

Maui · « **Reply #23 on:** March 11, 2012, 05:31 »

They completely missed all illustrators. Not very well thought out.

digitalexpressionimages · « **Reply #24 on:** March 11, 2012, 08:37 »

Quote from: lisafx on March 10, 2012, 23:15

Quote from: Microstock Posts on March 10, 2012, 20:13

Start watching from 4 minutes 10 seconds, til the end. The amount of buyers who actively use categories is a lot, apparently.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK99GYhbALc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

That was exactly the interview I was thinking of! Thanks for digging it up

Interesting. If that's true then you'd think they would have a more rounded and diverse set of categories. I have often spent excess time trying to figure the best category for an image because a relevant category for the subject doesn't exist. I even suggested a couple of categories to them but was ignored of course.

I still think applying genres to individual photos rather than photographers would be more advantageous. If buyers shopped by photographer rather than photo that might be different but in my experience buyers don't pay much attention to the photographer. I have purchased 2 lisafx shots in the past but I only learned that after I went through my previous downloads in Dreamstime and noticed. If I absolutely had to buy a lisafx photo, nothing else would do, and it would be nice if it was a landscape, then I could search for lisa in the landscape genre and if she was listed there, browse away, but I just can't see many people buying that way.