MicrostockGroup

Sorry FD, it is not flattery. I read many times you mentioning technical terminology that fly pass my head. Assume you are qualified. So why not you offer lisafx the assistance ?

And while I got your attention.
I have question for you on Firefox. How do you reduce the memory intensiveness impact on browser? I don't like IE because it is prone to virus. Or is that pure rumor?  What browser do you use? If firefox is so bad why is it the most popular of browser?

Ahem, that was already done. ;-) But thanks!
FF, but I now minimize my # of open tabs so the resident scripts are minimal. FF itself is not that heavy, but of course heavier than IE that co-uses the renderer in the (resident) explorer. If you have little memory, it's better to restart your PC and not open FF when you want to do Photoshop. DPP is a memory beast too.

totally agree with you.

Maybe is the buyer that has to pay a (small) fee before being redirected to an agency website, where he can then buy and download the image. No keywords, author's name etc. have to be displayed to the buyer before he pays this fee.....it wouldn't prevent him to search directly on an agency, but at least the task would be time-consuming.

Besides, I think that it should be up to the contributor to specify where his images are available so that both exclusives and non-exclusives may benefit from this project.

Best,
Diego

I don't blame Lisa for trying to implement it.  It would be frustrating relying on the performance of micro agents especially if you rely on micro earnings to feed your family.  I think the best thing for her or anyone in her situation is to spend less time in here and more time learning ways to promote their own work including developing their own website.  Also Lisa's an excellent photographer and 'people' are her niche.  This is good but it puts a limit to what she can do with her work.  If I were her I would rethink this niche.  She's got enough 'people' shots that can sit there earning while she branches out in other forms of photography and sells those images other ways.  This way if microstock goes down the gurgler, she'll have a backup.

The other idea (alias's) is a good one but I can't see it working by coming into a forum and asking "who wants in?"   I can see it working if a few internet computer geeks/photographers team up together but I cannot see how these people with these skills will be willing to support other competitors who can't provide anything other than a small amount of money.  

I dont agree!  Lisa should stick to what she is extremly good and well known for. Finding a niche, today, 10 years after Micro was introduced? well even if its done, its too time consuming if not impossible, meanwhile the money needs to be generated.

Here is a story:  I ran my own Trad-agency with large, medium, 35-mil trannies, some 20000 for three years, this was back in the 80s, I had high-ranking stuff and man! I was selling very, very well. BUT!!  before I knew, I was stuck in my office, not 8 hours a day but around 15 hours per day, indexing shots, distribution, filing, captioning,etc, etc, etc, etc.  there was no end to it. Remeber, if you want to suceed at something you simply have to be there yourself, no good throwing in a little girl Friday or whatever, hoping they are going to get the job done. Just sitting negotiating in telephones is a hellish job and you have to be a salesman as well.

So many will say AH! but this is online, computers, digital!  sure it is and how much bloody work dont we all do just in PP and uploading??? simple truth is: you got no time over for photography what so ever, your life will concist  of a screen and paper. Fun hey?

I was lucky!  a very large agency bought my little operation, paid me handsomely and later I joined that agency, that Agency was later bought up by Getty!  well the rest is history.

all the best.

Agreeing with you, at least to a point. However where quality really matters,  NO!! everyone with a cam is not a photographer,  far from it.

@ lagereek

You've missed the point.  In their minds they are.  They've joined microstock agencies as photographers.  Microstock agencies refer to them as photographers so in actual fact they ARE now photographers.  It's irrelevant if their photographs are crap. Their photos are still good enough for cheap microstock.  Their images are still saturating the market and it takes longer to find the quality shots. Furthermore these amateurs start playing amongst the big guns and start paying attention picking up tips and gaining more and knowledge. While the hot shots lose enthusiasm over their ever-decreasing revenue, the new ones start earning more and more each month and are full of enthusiasm to improve the quality of their work and the quantity of their portfolios.  In the end they are photographers and a lot move up the ranks.  

Yep!!  this time you got it right and I totally agree. Proposing opening your own site,etc,  seems more like an act of desperation.

Thank you. So that the reason for Lack of Memory warning. Salut FD

Why forget google?

What about creating a site something like this?

- Users can create blog posts about their images/content which:

   - image(s) on the post are allowed to link to author's affiliate account/image(s) at the micro agency of their choice which brings in the extra affiliate boost/income for the purchase; which increases sales of that image; which increases search ranking at the agency
   - post is credited to user's author account/profile on "site" which lists your site/agencies
   - posts a tweet to the "site" twitter account about the blog post
   - gets picked up by the search engines (site will be seo optimized and submitted)
   - blog post feeds will be syndicated to other sites about stock/micro
   - a facebook page will also be created and (eventually) posts will be listed there also

- Users/Authors will be by invitation only in the beginning, then maybe later by approval process.  The first few posts by each user will be held for approval by the admin.  After the user has created a good track record, they will be posted immediately when published.

- Each user will spread the news about their blog posts, which spreads the news about everyone's posts, which advertises the site, …

- With updated content being added daily, search engine ranking and traffic will also flow to the site

The site will be 100% focused on content BUYERS, so it will not have “sell your images here” or any kind of affiliate links of that sort.  The site will have a Google analytics account that all users/authors will be able to view and track progress.  The site will be free for users (maybe some advertising spots will be available to purchase to pay for the site).

Any other ideas?  I have personally seen increased sales from images I have blogged about, with the nice extra boost of the affiliate sale here and there.  My personal photography site gets hits from the search engines daily about images I have blogged about (and my posts are usually rushed and slim on content).

(by the way, this concept is already being created  )

Really great ideas here.  Brandon, I am pleased the blogging is working out so well for you.  It's good to know there is a direct correlation between images you are blogging about and increased sales!  Thanks for sharing that info.

As for what I personally should be doing, well, I am doing what I like and what I am good at.  Shooting people for stock.  I did weddings and portraits before discovering stock and I guess I could go back to that, but I wasn't particularly successful because I lack marketing skills (see a pattern here?).  Not to mention that I really hated doing it.  I doubt I will go back to doing something I hate that much. 

And spending too much time on the forums?  Guilty as charged.  But since I have learned a lot of useful information here, it isn't just a guilty pleasure.  It is part of my business.   It's a fun way to spend free time, and certainly much less of a waste of time than playing Farmville on Facebook or some similar BS.