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Author Topic: 500px beside microstock ?  (Read 37986 times)

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« Reply #75 on: February 13, 2016, 11:09 »
+2
I don't think it works, in reality.  Everybody wants to sell, nobody really wants to spend time looking at other people's work.

Actually people do look at other people's work. A lot. And they "like" it. But mainly to get "likes" in return. Some are even leaving comments beging for "likes". Typical social media behaviour.

This is why it is good that popularity is not a decisif factor for search ranks.
Being liked in a "photographer's club" might be totally different than being liked by real world buyers.

The other reason to check other people's work is obviously to "get inspired"



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« Last Edit: February 13, 2016, 11:16 by Zero Talent »


« Reply #76 on: February 13, 2016, 12:24 »
+7
Something I don't quite understand:

Here's an agency selling our images for 3-digit $ amounts. And they pay 70% of that to the artist. No subscriptions, no penny sales. No insane, uncomprehensible rejections. No closed club for only the chosen few.

And most of what I read here is doubts, complaints, discussion on watermarks...
And the majority keeps uploading to Istock for 15% - 20%, receiving pennies for sale. Or to shutterstock for (at most) 30% and RPD between $0,25 and maybe $1. Or dreamstime where all you still get is $0,35 subs. Or to 123RF who pays as little as $0,21 per sub sale. Or...
The list goes on and on.

Why not give it a try, upload all your new work on 500px and wait a few months before uploading elsewhere? Give them an advantage.

You can still upload to all the micros later. I read a lot that new images don't sell on all the micros as they used to (and I experience the same with my uploads), so it does not seem to be a big loss.

If enough people would do like that, maybe something would change in this industry...

« Reply #77 on: February 13, 2016, 12:37 »
0
e.

It would be great to have crowd based macrostock site. I like their public gallery system very much. It is a good step towards crowd curation.

I don't think it works, in reality.  Everybody wants to sell, nobody really wants to spend time looking at other people's work.  To get them to do that you have to tie search rank to popularity, and that leads to intensive 'gaming' of the system.  I see that on FAA and Crated.
[/quote]

I disagree, I had a lot of curated galleries on istock, I loved collecting files on subjects that interested me, similar to pininterest today. There are loads of people who are "collectors"

What is needed though is for the customer to be able to subscribe to a gallery, so they can create their own personalised feed to look at. To simply subscribe to an artist is not that useful. If you only want to see food pictures, you dont need the new landscapes in your personalized flow.

And on istock if my files were taken into a popular gallery, their sales could go through the roof. So we have an established history that crowd curation works really well and increases sales.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #78 on: February 13, 2016, 12:49 »
0
It would be great to have crowd based macrostock site. I like their public gallery system very much. It is a good step towards crowd curation.
How does it work?
I was finding that almost all I was selling from FAA was US content, so I thought I'd try a UK-based setup from which some people I know have sold some prints. I put one file up, and suddenly my email inbox was inundated with people telling me how good it was - but only using about four phrases, which must be some sort of ticky box system. It seems that you have to get so many likes to get a good position, but I'm sure that I am supposed to go back and 'like' something of theirs or the mutual admiration society will soon end. I'm really not interested in playing this sort of game, so I've left it at one file.

« Reply #79 on: February 13, 2016, 12:57 »
0
It would be great to have crowd based macrostock site. I like their public gallery system very much. It is a good step towards crowd curation.
How does it work?
I was finding that almost all I was selling from FAA was US content, so I thought I'd try a UK-based setup from which some people I know have sold some prints. I put one file up, and suddenly my email inbox was inundated with people telling me how good it was - but only using about four phrases, which must be some sort of ticky box system. It seems that you have to get so many likes to get a good position, but I'm sure that I am supposed to go back and 'like' something of theirs or the mutual admiration society will soon end. I'm really not interested in playing this sort of game, so I've left it at one file.

As I said before, you don't have to play these "like mine and I'll like yours" games to sell on 500px. I know I don't.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2016, 13:01 by Zero Talent »

« Reply #80 on: February 13, 2016, 14:15 »
+1
Something I don't quite understand:

Here's an agency selling our images for 3-digit $ amounts. And they pay 70% of that to the artist. No subscriptions, no penny sales. No insane, uncomprehensible rejections. No closed club for only the chosen few.

And most of what I read here is doubts, complaints, discussion on watermarks...
And the majority keeps uploading to Istock for 15% - 20%, receiving pennies for sale. Or to shutterstock for (at most) 30% and RPD between $0,25 and maybe $1. Or dreamstime where all you still get is $0,35 subs. Or to 123RF who pays as little as $0,21 per sub sale. Or...
The list goes on and on.

Why not give it a try, upload all your new work on 500px and wait a few months before uploading elsewhere? Give them an advantage.

You can still upload to all the micros later. I read a lot that new images don't sell on all the micros as they used to (and I experience the same with my uploads), so it does not seem to be a big loss.

If enough people would do like that, maybe something would change in this industry...

All good points.  Thinking about it.  I'd just like to know whether they're selling 'stock', or 'art', or both. It makes a difference, for example in keywording and descriptions, and it would be nice to have a strategy if we're going to spend the time uploading.

authenticcreations

« Reply #81 on: February 13, 2016, 14:22 »
0
Photos are licenced there for advertisements or editorial. So they sell for sure for stock. Mirco

« Reply #82 on: February 13, 2016, 14:23 »
+1
Photos are licenced there for advertisements or editorial. So they sell for sure for stock. Mirco

And they don't sell prints anymore - right?  So it's purely a stock site at this point.

« Reply #83 on: February 13, 2016, 14:40 »
+2
All good points.  Thinking about it.  I'd just like to know whether they're selling 'stock', or 'art', or both. It makes a difference, for example in keywording and descriptions, and it would be nice to have a strategy if we're going to spend the time uploading.

I don't really know. I just uploaded my stuff as it was, no special keywording or description. But I don't do classic stock images anyway, more travel and wildlife (some would say vacation snaps).

And I did not get many sales yet, but one of them was my highest $ amount for one image that I ever received. $262,50 my share.
For those who ask: this is the shot.

« Reply #84 on: February 13, 2016, 14:45 »
0
All good points.  Thinking about it.  I'd just like to know whether they're selling 'stock', or 'art', or both. It makes a difference, for example in keywording and descriptions, and it would be nice to have a strategy if we're going to spend the time uploading.

I don't really know. I just uploaded my stuff as it was, no special keywording or description. But I don't do classic stock images anyway, more travel and wildlife (some would say vacation snaps).

And I did not get many sales yet, but one of them was my highest $ amount for one image that I ever received. $262,50 my share.
For those who ask: this is the shot.

Cool! How long did it take you before you got your first sale in there?

Just started uploading, I only do travel stuff
« Last Edit: February 13, 2016, 14:47 by lanabyko »

« Reply #85 on: February 13, 2016, 14:50 »
+1

Cool! How long did it take you before you got your first sale in there?

Just started uploading, I only do travel stuff

Around 1,5 years. But I think they started the whole prime thing in between, so probably shorter. They certainly cannot compete (yet) with the classic stock sites in terms of volume, but I hope that may improve.
It's a lot more satisfying seeing one sale with such amounts than hundreds of subs...

« Reply #86 on: February 13, 2016, 15:07 »
0
dirk, do you have many model released people shots? did you invest a lot per shoot? many people do, so if you are working with children, families patients, you become sensitive to abuse issues.

I will try them with files where the risk is only on me. Food or landscapes or stills.

I think if they offer an artist friedly protection for those who want it, they will be swamped with files. So many people keep telling they are waiting for them to solve that problem.

Just a simple option for those who want it. It is not forcing anyone to use it.  How hard can it be?

« Reply #87 on: February 13, 2016, 15:11 »
+1
dirk, do you have many model released people shots? did you invest a lot per shoot? many people do, so if you are working with children, families patients, you become sensitive to abuse issues.

I will try them with files where the risk is only on me. Food or landscapes or stills.

I think if they offer an artist friedly protection for those who want it, they will be swamped with files. So many people keep telling they are waiting for them to solve that problem.

Just a simple option for those who want it. It is not forcing anyone to use it.  How hard can it be?

No, I don't shoot anything with models in it. And I don't specifically invest in stock shoots, but rather try to sell the shots I take anyway.
I understand your concerns though, maybe some more people need to tell them directly about those concerns so that they provide a better watermark.

« Reply #88 on: February 13, 2016, 15:12 »
0
I don't think popularity has much to do with sales. People will buy images they need, not images that they like. And they will search for them through keywords.

I had a sale of a file that had pulse only "25".

authenticcreations

« Reply #89 on: February 13, 2016, 15:22 »
+1
I had a sale of a grid fence close up for 220 dollars. A shot that everyone could take. 0 cents costs. Took the shot while having a walk.

Mirco

« Reply #90 on: February 13, 2016, 15:54 »
0
Thats great news mirco, thank you for sharing :).

Maybe more people can try them with non sensitive content if they are worried and maybe in a few months we will get the option so many people are asking for.

But perhaps model released or sensitive content is something they dont even want.

If they give us the guidance they want mostly landscapes, flowers, editorial travel...why not? Just let  us know what direction they want to go.

We can always upload preview images with our own full frame logos. I just think it looks bad if everyone does their own thing, but many people are already doing it that way. So it is not like it is forbidden. They just dont want to offer their own option.

« Reply #91 on: February 13, 2016, 16:02 »
+1

Cool! How long did it take you before you got your first sale in there?

Just started uploading, I only do travel stuff

Around 1,5 years.

LOL.   

Sorry, that made me laugh. It just shows how slim the pickings can be in photography today, and how endless  patience is required.  I'm actually coming around to the idea that I should put stuff on 500px, just trying to decide what to upload. 


« Reply #92 on: February 13, 2016, 16:24 »
0

Cool! How long did it take you before you got your first sale in there?

Just started uploading, I only do travel stuff

Around 1,5 years.

LOL.   

Sorry, that made me laugh. It just shows how slim the pickings can be in photography today, and how endless  patience is required.  I'm actually coming around to the idea that I should put stuff on 500px, just trying to decide what to upload.


Patience, so true :) and a lot of long term planning which can be hard for people as badly organized as I am (live for today and stuff), but I'll give it a try anyway, this thread did inspire me a lot ;D

« Reply #93 on: February 13, 2016, 16:46 »
+2
I guess I'm a bit negative because I've been burned in the past; spent the time uploading hundreds of photos and never made significant sales.  At GL for example, I got some nice sales early on, but then word gets out, everybody comes in, pretty soon the number of contributors is way out of proportion to the number of buyers, and no one makes anything anymore.   I've put a couple hundred on Crated too, and nothing is happening; but hey it's only been a few months, obviously I need to let some years go by before expecting anything :-)


« Reply #94 on: February 13, 2016, 17:15 »
0
I'm wondering how that "pulse" system works - my fresh uploads got around 50 pulse just within minutes online. Does this number change over the time?

« Reply #95 on: February 13, 2016, 17:25 »
0
It seems to keep going up the more views, likes or comments it gets. No idea if it affects sales.

I love that files go on sale immediatly and I dont have to wait three weeks for the inspection. Self driven webshop, there is a lot to like.

Doesnt hurt to be careful. So many fair trade places have opened in the last few years, people get excited, nothing ever happens.

Community life doesnt tell you anything about sales potential. I am on several places with fantastic community vibe, but hardly any sales. Which doesnt surprise me because all the things the buyers need or I would need as an artist to make it easier for the customer to find my files is missing.

Many places take their "anti stock attitude" so far that they are no longer really useful for the customer.

But 500pix has a great system, the only missing piece is the artist friendly watermark as an additional option.

« Reply #96 on: February 13, 2016, 18:10 »
+3
I'm wondering how that "pulse" system works - my fresh uploads got around 50 pulse just within minutes online. Does this number change over the time?
The pulse goes up based on the number of likes, but only for the first 24 hours.

Each like adds lower and lower increments, as the pulse goes up.
Once you reach 97-98 (or so) it takes about 10 likes to gain 0.1

But again, it doesn't really matter so much, if you are there only for sales.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


« Reply #97 on: February 13, 2016, 18:16 »
+1
I'm wondering how that "pulse" system works - my fresh uploads got around 50 pulse just within minutes online. Does this number change over the time?
The pulse goes up based on the number of likes, but only for the first 24 hours.

Each like adds lower and lower increments, as the pulse goes up.
Once you reach 97-98 (or so) it takes about 10 likes to gain 0.1

But again, it doesn't really matter so much, if you are there only for sales.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


I see, thank you.

After 1 day in there -  500px is very very contagious ;)

« Reply #98 on: February 13, 2016, 18:33 »
+1

Cool! How long did it take you before you got your first sale in there?

Just started uploading, I only do travel stuff

Around 1,5 years.

LOL.   

Sorry, that made me laugh. It just shows how slim the pickings can be in photography today, and how endless  patience is required.  I'm actually coming around to the idea that I should put stuff on 500px, just trying to decide what to upload.

Yes, it's not exactly the same sales volume as Shutterstock  :)

But it feels a bit like I am trading the short-lasting instant satisfaction of fast sales against the longer lasting - but requiring a lot more patience - satisfaction of higher $ amounts per sale.

And, more important, while the overall mood in this forum seems to be doom and gloom, people are repeatedly talking about falling revenues, the race to the bottom, looking for alternatives to monetize their photography.... seeing there is a place that does not try to undercut the competition but charges higher prices, pays out 70% and actually does sell images looks a lot like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And maybe that light is not the headlights of an oncoming train like all the times before...  8)

« Reply #99 on: February 13, 2016, 18:36 »
+1
One concern I have re 500px is the extremely slow review process, it takes them weeks to approve a few of my images for their marketplace.


 

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