MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: Stocksy's call to artist  (Read 108037 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

« Reply #175 on: October 28, 2014, 04:13 »
+1
Hello!

Anyone heard something from Stocksy? Are we still many waiting reply?


« Reply #176 on: October 28, 2014, 04:24 »
0
I'm still waiting, although I didn't apply until late August.


« Reply #177 on: October 28, 2014, 09:05 »
+2
still waiting...applied in mid june...i think i will be waiting when next "call for arstist" will open  ;D ;D

« Reply #178 on: October 28, 2014, 13:20 »
+4
Our best work is not obligatory the best for Stocksy, I mean they look forward not just for good sellable and well done job, but something new and original :)

 it was a joke, right?

« Reply #179 on: October 28, 2014, 14:27 »
-1
Our best work is not obligatory the best for Stocksy, I mean they look forward not just for good sellable and well done job, but something new and original :)

 it was a joke, right?

Not a joke! New, original, new points of view, something unusual which to surprise you; unexpected compositions and all this to be authentic ...But this is just my opinion.

fritz

  • I love Tom and Jerry music

« Reply #180 on: October 28, 2014, 18:56 »
0
I did some search for "concept" and found "plenty" of fresh and original conceptual files (from early 70's)

http://www.stocksy.com/search?src=head&text=concept

marthamarks

« Reply #181 on: October 28, 2014, 19:38 »
+5
I did some search for "concept" and found "plenty" of fresh and original conceptual files (from early 70's)

http://www.stocksy.com/search?src=head&text=concept

Thanks for sharing that selection of "concept" images. As a wildlife photographer, I continue looking for the (very few) wildlife images available on Stocksy.

The selection you provided includes this "portrait of a young deer stag": http://www.stocksy.com/392103

The keywords attached to this image are:
Quote
animal, antler, autumn, brown, buck, cervus elaphus, coat, color, colorful, concept, deer, doe, domination, fall, fawn, female, fight, fighting, foliage, forest, fur, herd, horn, jousting, male, mammal, natural, nature, power, red deer, ruminant, rut, season, seasonal, show, spots, stag, vivid, wild, wildlife

I find both this image and its keywords spectacularly underwhelming. The single passive-looking deer in the monochromatic (brown) image is standing in front of a brick-and-concrete structure with a pipe running vertically in front of it. It appears to be a zoo image (which I never shoot). The only "concept" I can see it illustrating would be captivity.

Nowhere in the keywords do we find a reference to any human-built structure or zoo. Instead, we have colorful, doe, domination, fawn, female, fight, fighting, foliage, forest, herd, jousting and vivid, none of which bears any relationship to this image.

Maybe I'm just a hopeless realist and don't get the creative, innovative Stocksy "approach", but I don't find anything impressive about this image or its keywords.

Perhaps somebody can explain it to me.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #182 on: October 28, 2014, 19:49 »
+1
It's not necessarily a zoo, deer can come into towns and gardens, so it might have been shot in someone's backyard.
Stocksy say they want images unlike what you find in micros, so ... this is it!
But for sure, the keywording is too often inexplicable. It's a shame they don't seem to be interested in being better than the micros in that regard.

marthamarks

« Reply #183 on: October 28, 2014, 19:56 »
+3
It's not necessarily a zoo, deer can come into towns and gardens, so it might have been shot in someone's backyard.

Then the title should say "young stag deer in someone's backyard", and the keywords should include urban and backyard, not forest, foliage, herd, jousting, etc.

Maybe the concept is "urban grunge"?
« Last Edit: October 28, 2014, 19:59 by marthamarks »

« Reply #184 on: October 28, 2014, 19:58 »
+1
Perhaps somebody can explain it to me.

A _lot_ of the contributors are both new to stock and keywording, and don't have English as a first language.  One of the things we are working on is having a staffer who can assist these folks.  There's other initiatives coming as well to help with searching as well.

marthamarks

« Reply #185 on: October 28, 2014, 20:05 »
+6
Perhaps somebody can explain it to me.

A _lot_ of the contributors are both new to stock and keywording, and don't have English as a first language.  One of the things we are working on is having a staffer who can assist these folks.  There's other initiatives coming as well to help with searching as well.

Not to pick a fight, Sean, but... even a rookie photographer with absolutely no English at all, relying strictly on a dictionary, wouldn't think of looking up the words forest, foliage, joust, doe, herd, etc, to associate with this image.

I'm glad to know you guys at Stocksy are "on it," because to me an example like this just looks sloppy.

jen

« Reply #186 on: October 29, 2014, 09:21 »
+2
I did some search for "concept" and found "plenty" of fresh and original conceptual files (from early 70's)

http://www.stocksy.com/search?src=head&text=concept

Thanks for sharing that selection of "concept" images. As a wildlife photographer, I continue looking for the (very few) wildlife images available on Stocksy.

[...]

Maybe I'm just a hopeless realist and don't get the creative, innovative Stocksy "approach", but I don't find anything impressive about this image or its keywords.

Perhaps somebody can explain it to me.


We can all go on Stocksy and find examples of individual images we don't like or that we don't think belong in the collection, but I think that's missing the big picture. 

If you're looking for wildlife, check out Paul Tessier - http://www.stocksy.com/PaulTessier, Shane Gross - http://www.stocksy.com/ShaneGross, Alan Shapiro - http://www.stocksy.com/alanshapiro, Jonatan Hedberg - http://www.stocksy.com/formatura, Marilar Irastorza - http://www.stocksy.com/irastorza, Peter Wey - http://www.stocksy.com/peterwey, Anthony Asael - http://www.stocksy.com/anthonyasael, Yasir Nisar - http://www.stocksy.com/maxloxton, Brandon Alms - http://www.stocksy.com/macropixel, just to name a few.


marthamarks

« Reply #188 on: October 30, 2014, 17:12 »
+1
I tried to edit that about 10 times to fix the URLs but it wouldn't let me, so here they are in a list.

Thank you, Jen, for providing that list of wildlife portfolios on Stocksy. I had seen a few of them before but hadn't spotted them all. It's good to know that some wildlife specialists are finding a home there.

Even though I haven't applied to Stocksy, I've been following the discussion here with interest, trying to decide if my work might fit. Looking at those portfolios you provided, I really don't see much difference between the wildlife images (mine and others) in SS and those in Stocksy. So maybe it's worth my taking a crack at it next year.

That said I am genuinely bugged by the inaccuracy I find in some of the titles and keywords. It often seems a non-wildlife-specialist got a shot of a critter and uploaded it without knowing what it was. For example, one image identified as a "White Pelican" is beautiful, but the subject is not a White Pelican. In other cases, there's barely even generic identification, and maybe that's better than misidentifying a species. I'm not saying that SS or DT or IS don't have errors too, but since Stocksy is positioning itself as something special, it seems fair to expect more accuracy.


PS: I'm late in thanking you, because yesterday and today I've focused on processing images of rare Black-tailed Prairie Dogs made a few days ago in Texas. I started uploading them to my site this afternoon. My wildlife photography is always done in natural habitats and "sweet" light. Being out in nature with the critters I shoot makes my images authentic and personally meaningful to me.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2014, 17:40 by marthamarks »

jen

« Reply #189 on: October 30, 2014, 18:56 »
+1
Thank you, Jen, for providing that list of wildlife portfolios on Stocksy. I had seen a few of them before but hadn't spotted them all. It's good to know that some wildlife specialists are finding a home there.

You're welcome!  And if you don't see something in the collection, it's all the more reason to apply and be the first to supply it! :)

That said I am genuinely bugged by the inaccuracy I find in some of the titles and keywords. It often seems a non-wildlife-specialist got a shot of a critter and uploaded it without knowing what it was. For example, one image identified as a "White Pelican" is beautiful, but the subject is not a White Pelican. In other cases, there's barely even generic identification, and maybe that's better than misidentifying a species. I'm not saying that SS or DT or IS don't have errors too, but since Stocksy is positioning itself as something special, it seems fair to expect more accuracy.

Yeah... there are some keywording/description issues for sure.  Keep in mind though, it's still a startup with a really small team and there are only so many things they can focus on at once.  I'm sure the team will eventually expand to include a keywording expert, because yes, it's important that buyers can find images and that they aren't turned off by inaccurate search results.  The great thing about the co-op is we're able to propose solutions to problems like this and vote to have them seen through. 

« Reply #190 on: October 30, 2014, 19:11 »
+1
Do you happen to know if they're still going through the 'call to artists' applications?

Mark Windom Photography

« Reply #191 on: October 30, 2014, 20:25 »
0
Do you happen to know if they're still going through the 'call to artists' applications?

I believe they're still at it....there was a large backlog just prior to closing down this year's application process.

marthamarks

« Reply #192 on: October 30, 2014, 21:59 »
0
Thank you, Jen, for providing that list of wildlife portfolios on Stocksy. I had seen a few of them before but hadn't spotted them all. It's good to know that some wildlife specialists are finding a home there.

You're welcome!  And if you don't see something in the collection, it's all the more reason to apply and be the first to supply it! :)

I believe I can do that, Jen, and I think I shall! 8)

marthamarks

« Reply #193 on: October 30, 2014, 23:35 »
0
To Jen, Sean, Mark (or anybody else who knows),

I have a few questions about Stocksy's policy on exclusivity, and please forgive me if I've missed seeing these answered elsewhere. 

Would I need to hold back my best new "Stocksy quality" images and not put them up on any other sites, including my own, in order to submit them to Stocksy next year?

Or is it possible to offer them on other sites in the coming months with the understanding that I'll remove them if/when my images get accepted in the second half of 2015?

Does Stocksy care how many sales a given image might have had elsewhere, or where it might have been published, before it was submitted for consideration?

The basic question boils down to this: Is it worth keeping my best new work back from selling for a year on the (rare?) chance that I might get a favorable response from Stocksy a year from now?

These are important factors to consider in deciding whether or not to submit to Stocksy, and I will be grateful for your input.

Martha


PS, I also have a nice batch of highly-manipulated bird images (my own pix) that I call "Avian Impressions". As prints, they sell like hotcakes at local Santa Fe art festivals and flea markets, but I've never tried selling them digitally. Given that Stocksy features alternative styles that the micro agencies would never take, is it possible that such manipulated bird images could be considered?
« Last Edit: October 31, 2014, 01:33 by marthamarks »

« Reply #194 on: October 31, 2014, 02:57 »
+2
Hi Martha,

I think you should not hold back. We all know it could take really long time to get accepted by Stocksy. You can remove them from other sites once you are accepted. Meanwhile, please allow your images to make money for you. :). Also, I don't think they care about image history since it's RF.

« Reply #195 on: October 31, 2014, 05:27 »
0
Would I need to hold back my best new "Stocksy quality" images and not put them up on any other sites, including my own, in order to submit them to Stocksy next year?

Or is it possible to offer them on other sites in the coming months with the understanding that I'll remove them if/when my images get accepted in the second half of 2015?

Does Stocksy care how many sales a given image might have had elsewhere, or where it might have been published, before it was submitted for consideration?

No, yes and no.  There are lots of people with existing portfolios who move work over when accepted.  Once accepted, you can ask the editors if a series will be considered (style-wise, content-wise, etc.) before going to the trouble of removing it.

marthamarks

« Reply #196 on: October 31, 2014, 09:15 »
0
Hi Martha,

I think you should not hold back. We all know it could take really long time to get accepted by Stocksy. You can remove them from other sites once you are accepted. Meanwhile, please allow your images to make money for you. :). Also, I don't think they care about image history since it's RF.
Thanks for that encouragement. Applying next time it's open sounds like the thing to do!

Meanwhile, I can start assembling a batch for submission. Obviously, that will take some time and thought. A good project for the dark winter months.  :)

marthamarks

« Reply #197 on: October 31, 2014, 09:17 »
0
Would I need to hold back my best new "Stocksy quality" images and not put them up on any other sites, including my own, in order to submit them to Stocksy next year?

Or is it possible to offer them on other sites in the coming months with the understanding that I'll remove them if/when my images get accepted in the second half of 2015?

Does Stocksy care how many sales a given image might have had elsewhere, or where it might have been published, before it was submitted for consideration?

No, yes and no.  There are lots of people with existing portfolios who move work over when accepted.  Once accepted, you can ask the editors if a series will be considered (style-wise, content-wise, etc.) before going to the trouble of removing it.

That's very helpful information, Sean. The overall approach seems logical, too.

I really do appreciate your guidance!

Martha

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #198 on: November 01, 2014, 08:16 »
0
I'm sure the team will eventually expand to include a keywording expert, because yes, it's important that buyers can find images and that they aren't turned off by inaccurate search results.  The great thing about the co-op is we're able to propose solutions to problems like this and vote to have them seen through.
Good luck to them finding 'a' keywording expert whose expertise extends to all subject areas.

« Reply #199 on: November 01, 2014, 13:37 »
+2
Good luck to them finding 'a' keywording expert whose expertise extends to all subject areas.

Luckily, it's not a requirement to cater your pet peeves. The results have to be good enough for buyers only to find what they need and that's far easier to achieve. Otherwise all agencies would be bankrupt already.


 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
2 Replies
6398 Views
Last post March 09, 2011, 12:52
by ErickN
3 Replies
3899 Views
Last post April 01, 2011, 16:02
by tab62
13 Replies
5139 Views
Last post February 20, 2013, 11:54
by roede-orm
57 Replies
17820 Views
Last post March 06, 2017, 07:54
by JimP
24 Replies
9292 Views
Last post December 22, 2016, 13:31
by pixel8

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors