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Author Topic: iStock Vetta Collection  (Read 27170 times)

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« on: June 24, 2009, 07:43 »
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In case you hadn't heard yet, iStock announced its (formerly known as "Premiere" :) ) Vetta collection this morning of 35,000 higher priced hot shot style images.

http://www.istockphoto.com/vetta.php


RT


« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2009, 09:08 »
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I think the idea is a great one, however from what I've seen so far the collection seems to be made up of some very creative images and a lot of standard run of the mill stuff that can be found on any microstock site, I cannot see the appeal to a buyer if the type of images in this collection don't excel that which is on offer at the regular price or on every other microstock site for less.

If I were exclusive and had images I felt were worthing of the Vetta collection I wouldn't be too pleased seeing them alongside a snapshot of a puppy dog in the garden and others like that!

Time will tell and like I said I think it's a good idea.

« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2009, 09:10 »
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...yes Sean!

And also added localized search results, new icon (shiny golden camera) for Vetta images and restyled the "My Upload" section of Contributor.

Hope to start soon to sell what I have on Vetta!

Wish a Great Day to Everybody!

« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2009, 10:06 »
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I like the idea of recognising that some images have additional value too but the selection method and pricing does seem a bit arbitrary.

I think they could learn from DT's Level 1-5 system in which placement/price is earned either through sales on an increasing scale or through being an assignment acceptance.

It just seems a bit odd to escalate the price of one particular image with no sales to suddenly being 4x the worth of other images that have notched up 1000's of sales.

Istock (and the artists) would probably make far more money by increasing the price of proven exclusive best-sellers than arbitrarily-awarded 'nice' images. Ultimately this is all about stock usefulness and saleability, not art. If an image hardly sells then increasing it's price by 4x is probably not going to help it much.

« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2009, 10:17 »
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Vetta means summit.  Makes more sense than premiere.

lisafx

« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2009, 10:28 »
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Congrats to istock on implementing this.  Hope it goes well for them and raises the price of premium imagery everywhere.

I am not delighted with the new Uploads page though.  Lots of real estate given to Vetta, which for me, is totally wasted, and stats I actually use like total DL's, total Royalties, etc. crammed over on the right hand side.  It's pretty hard to discipher.    I'd have been happy to lose the massive "comments" column in the middle in order to make more room for relevant stats.

« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2009, 11:32 »
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I think they could learn from DT's Level 1-5 system in which placement/price is earned either through sales on an increasing scale or through being an assignment acceptance.
and finally sell them for $0.35 ?

« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2009, 11:40 »
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Thanks for heads-up, Sean!

I have to admit the shots on the front page flash slide show are freaking awesome!

However, when I clicked on the 'view Vetta' button there were only illustrations. After 60 plus pages of vector graphics, I stopped looking.

How does one search for Photographs only, in the Vetta collection?
Is there a way to do it in the advanced search page?

« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2009, 12:44 »
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That may be a bug in the search dropdown that selects Best Match, Age, Downloads, etc. for the sort. Vectors were the most recently added to the Vetta collection and the bug with the sort order not refreshing is being looked at according to an admin post.

« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2009, 13:00 »
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I think they could learn from DT's Level 1-5 system in which placement/price is earned either through sales on an increasing scale or through being an assignment acceptance.
and finally sell them for $0.35 ?

No, they would sell them for .25-.38 on Photos.com and JIU.  Uncredited and no link to rest of portfolio.

alias

« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2009, 13:30 »
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IStock are dead right to expand into different price points.

« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2009, 13:38 »
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IStock are dead right to expand into different price points.

Absolutely.  It seems to have worked out well for the other sites that have already been doing it such as DT, Fotolia, Etc.

Jury's still out on the long term effect on contributors though.

pieman

  • I'm Lobo
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2009, 13:40 »
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That may be a bug in the search dropdown that selects Best Match, Age, Downloads, etc. for the sort. Vectors were the most recently added to the Vetta collection and the bug with the sort order not refreshing is being looked at according to an admin post.
Yep, we are on it.

« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2009, 15:56 »
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For exclusives only? That's lame!
Come on non-exclusives, let's start a vendetta-collection!  ;D

« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2009, 16:23 »
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I think the idea is a great one, however from what I've seen so far the collection seems to be made up of some very creative images and a lot of standard run of the mill stuff that can be found on any microstock site, I cannot see the appeal to a buyer if the type of images in this collection don't excel that which is on offer at the regular price or on every other microstock site for less.

I agree.  Many creative and even a bit artsy images, and some very ordinary ones (good nevertheless).

Come on non-exclusives, let's start a vendetta-collection!  ;D

Good idea!   ;D

« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2009, 20:13 »
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hmm, the new search results are 'very brave'

Just searched for our favourite stock cliche 'apple' and of the results in best match, only at image 51 did I get to an isolated picture of an apple, ALL of the previous images were vetta images, including "Man spraying insecticide in apple orchard", "Fruity Girl with an apple in a hat" and "Inteligent - a photo of a bulldog wearing spectacles?". A search for apple used to reveal a whole page of every different sort of isolated apple photo you could imagine.

perhaps that's just a glitch in the search results, clearly they want to promote their more expensive images, but sacrificing search quality? yes they are all nice photos now instead of boring apples on white backdrops but will those results not scare away a lot of the $1-$5 customers? from the first page results you could be forgiven for thinking that every photo on the site costed 20-40 credits. Of course you can click on advanced and turn them off but only if you know to.

« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2009, 20:22 »
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It's terrible! The only search you can conduct is the default Best Match. As non-exclusive, we are going to be non searchable except for those who are willing to search the bottom!

« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2009, 20:38 »
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As non-exclusive, we are going to be non searchable except for those who are willing to search the bottom!
As non-exclusive, we are going to be non searchable because we aren't in it.
Besides, the search result of that collection isn't working decent yet, because they added all the images in one day, and the last they added will end up higher at first.

« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2009, 20:38 »
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You're right! I think the first 80 or so images were all 'Vetta' when you search apple.

That's not going to please their customers __ looks like another own-goal by IS.

« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2009, 20:48 »
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Oh wait, you guys mean the search engine overall, not only within that Vetta collection!
Yeah now I see, the search result are pretty messed up by all those Vetta images.
Now I understand why all those Vetta- exclusives have so many sales allready.

« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2009, 20:51 »
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Gregor, you got it right this time. I didn't mean Vetta, I meant you couldn't search anything except Best Match.

I hope it's a glitch.

Oh wait, you guys mean the search engine overall, not only within that Vetta collection!
Yeah now I see, the search result are pretty messed up by all those Vetta images.
Now I understand why all those Vetta- exclusives have so many sales allready.

« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2009, 22:36 »
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well good idea, and why should i give a "best" image not to an macro agency? They pay more?
Just an idear... of a rookie.


Ups...and not to forget: just as an idea of an humbleness rookie who never ever would like to lift his head over anyone like lisa or puravida, who are the rulers here.

bittersweet

« Reply #22 on: June 24, 2009, 22:54 »
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well good idea, and why should i give a "best" image not to an macro agency? They pay more?
Just an idear... of a rookie.


Ups...and not to forget: just as an idea of an humbleness rookie who never ever would like to lift his head over anyone like lisa or puravida, who are the rulers here.


If you have an outlet to sell your images to a macro, sure that's a great idea. I think this thread was just announcing the opening of the new iStock collection, which only contains images from some of their exclusive contributors. So if you aren't exclusive there, nobody is asking you to send your best images anywhere you don't want to.  :)

« Reply #23 on: June 25, 2009, 02:37 »
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Having so many Vetta images at the front of the search is going to put new customers off.  If they are browsing and look at the prices of the first few images they will be put off and assume that all images are that price. I think it really isn't a good idea.

« Reply #24 on: June 25, 2009, 03:16 »
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^ yes that has already been confirmed by buyers over in the IS forum^

As you say it could put many Customers off and to be franc seems to create a division within the Exclusive content rather than the bump all Crowns received in a previous best match shake up

« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2009, 05:56 »
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Just doing a search for 'car' means going through 20 pages of images before getting to a regularly priced file - quite unbelievable to say the least. Plus the fact that I can't see any of the 'Gold Camera Icons' (Safari 4.0 on a Mac) so I have no way of telling that the file is part of a premium collection (well, other than the huge price increase).

Were buyers told about this at all? I don't remember seeing anything mentioned in their newsletter, so I bet it's come as quite a shock to a lot of buyers.

bittersweet

« Reply #26 on: June 25, 2009, 06:42 »
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Just doing a search for 'car' means going through 20 pages of images before getting to a regularly priced file - quite unbelievable to say the least. Plus the fact that I can't see any of the 'Gold Camera Icons' (Safari 4.0 on a Mac) so I have no way of telling that the file is part of a premium collection (well, other than the huge price increase).

Were buyers told about this at all? I don't remember seeing anything mentioned in their newsletter, so I bet it's come as quite a shock to a lot of buyers.

Do you really not narrow down your searches any more than that? You would start going through search results numbering over 59,000? If so, searching must always be very frustrating for you. I did some normal searches (because I was actually looking for something, not just "testing") and they were not vetta all at the beginning. Some were, but there were others scattered below some of the non-vetta results I looked at. On a more narrow search it might not seem so overwhelming. 

If there really are a significant number of designers who do not know how to narrow down their searches, then there will most definitely be repercussions to this strategy. I'd imagine there are significantly less buyers who will show up expecting to pay $10 and decide to pay $50+ instead. It remains to be seen if istock's percentage of these purchases will offset the potential losses of sales for the vast majority of contributors due to confused buyers.

Were you seeing the camera/vector icons before they added the gold versions? I'm on Safari 4.0 on a Mac, and they are showing up fine, right where they were when they were black and white, same with the gold pen tool icon for vectors. I wonder if there might not be some other reason.

lisafx

« Reply #27 on: June 25, 2009, 13:09 »
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Ups...and not to forget: just as an idea of an humbleness rookie who never ever would like to lift his head over anyone like lisa or puravida, who are the rulers here.


LOL!  I am flattered Werkmann!

I don't have a crown or scepter though, just a lot of opinions.  Is that enough to make a ruler?   ;)

« Reply #28 on: June 25, 2009, 13:14 »
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I am tired of reading...

Is it only for exclusive contributors or for everyone!?

bittersweet

« Reply #29 on: June 25, 2009, 13:22 »
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I am tired of reading...

Is it only for exclusive contributors or for everyone!?

It is for istock exclusive contributors, as was stated in the original announcement weeks ago.

« Reply #30 on: June 25, 2009, 13:45 »
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So then Vetta images are dominating the front 20 or more pages of ALL Best Match searches, not just within that collection? 

Wow, that is going to hit non-exclusives hard.   At least the sales will be made up on other sites when the buyers go looking for micro priced images. 

« Reply #31 on: June 25, 2009, 13:48 »
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So then Vetta images are dominating the front 20 or more pages of ALL Best Match searches, not just within that collection? 

Wow, that is going to hit non-exclusives hard.   At least the sales will be made up on other sites when the buyers go looking for micro priced images. 

it was a typical snafu glitch and should be ok now.

« Reply #32 on: June 25, 2009, 14:35 »
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Thanks Whatalife!

I see this like advantage for all other pics out of Vetta collection because same motive can be founded for 10x less price.

« Reply #33 on: June 25, 2009, 14:47 »
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it was a typical snafu glitch and should be ok now.

Good news.  Thanks.  I have been trying to wade through the thread on istock, but got bogged down around page 18 or so ;)

« Reply #34 on: June 25, 2009, 14:49 »
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It seems like an experiment. They use exclusives as Guinea pigs cause they cannot go somewhere else. If they succeed it might be down of micros assault to macros space :-) In meanwhile macros try to get into cheap images space too. At the end of the day everything will look the same.

bittersweet

« Reply #35 on: June 25, 2009, 14:57 »
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There have been more reports of sales than I honestly expected to see this early in the game. That's a good sign that they weren't completely off base.

I only have one image in there and it was swept in with all the 25 credit vectors...and now is bumped up to 30 credits as a vetta vector. It's nowhere near my best work, but the arbitrary price assignment got it in there. Maybe it will miraculously sell before I lose my crown and they kick me out of the collection.  :)

pieman

  • I'm Lobo
« Reply #36 on: June 25, 2009, 15:13 »
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@whatalife: It's weird. I review the list we have of people dumping exclusivity pretty much every day and the list has been empty for sometime now. You might want to make sure you got your Exclusivity Cancellation request in. Currently I'm not seeing anything in our queue.  
« Last Edit: June 25, 2009, 15:15 by pieman »

bittersweet

« Reply #37 on: June 25, 2009, 15:21 »
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@whatalife: It's weird. I review the list we have of people dumping exclusivity pretty much every day and the list has been empty for sometime now. You might want to make sure you got your Exclusivity Cancellation request in. Currently I'm not seeing anything in our queue.  

Well the cancel link on the site didn't work the day I tried it and only lead to a blank page (on 2 different browsers). I submitted a support ticket, and received a reply from a support rep the next day, confirming my request and stating the date of my support ticket would be the effective date of my request, and that I would be released 30 days later.

Maybe since it didn't go through the usual queue, it missed showing up on your list.

(Edited to correct an overstatement: I went back to my copy of the ticket and response and saw that it had only been attempted on 2 different browsers, not 3.) ;)
« Last Edit: June 25, 2009, 15:42 by whatalife »

pieman

  • I'm Lobo
« Reply #38 on: June 25, 2009, 15:36 »
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@whatalife: That would explain it ;)

« Reply #39 on: June 26, 2009, 05:26 »
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@whatalife: It's weird. I review the list we have of people dumping exclusivity pretty much every day and the list has been empty for sometime now. You might want to make sure you got your Exclusivity Cancellation request in. Currently I'm not seeing anything in our queue.  

I seems to be acceptable policy for istock admins to unsolicedly discuss members account information, in the past 24 hours I also saw Rob bringing up a buyers purchasing details in open forum too. Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.

« Reply #40 on: June 26, 2009, 05:56 »
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I seems to be acceptable policy for istock admins to unsolicedly discuss members account information, in the past 24 hours I also saw Rob bringing up a buyers purchasing details in open forum too. Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.

I'd agree and I was thinking the same. Both forums have the facility to PM the individual too so the communication could have been more discreet. In both instances the Admin's were using private information (some of which was inaccurate) to openly question the validity of a statement. I was amazed when it was used against a good customer complaining about the price increase!

alias

« Reply #41 on: June 26, 2009, 05:57 »
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Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.


Then you are misunderstanding the letter and the spirit of the data protection legislation.

Data Protection Act 1998
« Last Edit: June 26, 2009, 05:59 by alias »

« Reply #42 on: June 26, 2009, 06:15 »
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Coming from the UK where we have strong data protection laws I'm surprised.


Then you are misunderstanding the letter and the spirit of the data protection legislation.

Data Protection Act 1998

No, I was just trying to make a cheap point, but in my case not using privileged information. :-[
ETA ( as well as making up a word that probably doesn't exist ! )
« Last Edit: June 26, 2009, 06:21 by thesentinel »

bittersweet

« Reply #43 on: June 26, 2009, 06:44 »
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In both instances the Admin's were using private information (some of which was inaccurate) to openly question the validity of a statement.

That's exactly why it's being done. I have also been amazed to see things like this happen on more than one occasion. In all honestly, I used to secretly cheer when it happen to someone who was getting on my nerves and just being all kinds of obnoxious, but when it transformed from a one time slip-up at the peak of an admin's understandable frustration, into a tool for the bullying toolbox, it wasn't so amusing anymore.

Now that it has been used on me, it only confirms that I've made the right decision. That's all I really want to say on the matter at this time.

« Reply #44 on: June 27, 2009, 14:35 »
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Sorry to hear this approach is being used. As regards the vetta I have just enjoyed browsing through, however like the standard collection have found that though mostly stunning Imagery is available within the collection I was surprised  to also find some very ordinary Files in there.  :o Think there is a little work to be done  ;) would hardley call a very avarage blossom Image with a defocussed background cutting edge . Still an intersting devopment still in the makeing

« Reply #45 on: July 05, 2009, 06:35 »
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Back to the vetta / standard collection mix - i've not been looking since I last wrote on this thread, but it now looks like the experiment is over with the search results... a search of apple now gives me one vetta image and all those lovely apples, and sliced apples and weird apple-orange things that were there before. I'm glad they tried it on - I might of worked, I wish we knew the overall istock sales figures while the vetta skewed results were running.

« Reply #46 on: July 05, 2009, 08:35 »
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Well, the fact is that the collection is working well, I have less than 100 files there and I'm selling vetta files on almost a daily basis... sometimes more than one in a day. Let's hope it lasts!

« Reply #47 on: July 05, 2009, 18:48 »
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Well, the fact is that the collection is working well, I have less than 100 files there and I'm selling vetta files on almost a daily basis... sometimes more than one in a day. Let's hope it lasts!
Vetta images are getting an extraordinary boost in best match placement. Getting good sales doesn't surprise me, higher prices not withstanding. We've seen over and over again what good search placement can do.

« Reply #48 on: July 05, 2009, 21:24 »
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Well, the fact is that the collection is working well, I have less than 100 files there and I'm selling vetta files on almost a daily basis... sometimes more than one in a day. Let's hope it lasts!
Vetta images are getting an extraordinary boost in best match placement. Getting good sales doesn't surprise me, higher prices not withstanding. We've seen over and over again what good search placement can do.

This might explain why others here, like me, observed a sudden drop in sales after June 16. One contributor here even mentioned a week without any DLs at all. My personal dry spell went from June 17-21 after a very good June 16. Over all, the first half of June was my BME, then suddenly all came to a halt and I had a meager 7 sales from June 17 till now. (Caveat: small port of 310, acceptance ratio 12/15 on latest batch)

Obviously, this must be result of tweaks in the search engine, and the Vendetta collection emphasis might be an explanation. I'm not sure if this is wise to do, but it's iStockphoto's site, and they do as they please. We are just the styrofoam pieces that float on the giant waves that iStock makes with its constant best match changes, whether good or bad. The positive side is that the Vendetta sales show that there is a market for higher-priced pictures and that the rush to the lowest possible price is wrong. The other positive side is that it makes you feel happy to be independent. If it rains at iStock, it's sunny at other sites. And vice versa.

« Reply #49 on: July 06, 2009, 10:20 »
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The positive side is that the Vendetta sales show that there is a market for higher-priced pictures and that the rush to the lowest possible price is wrong. The other positive side is that it makes you feel happy to be independent. If it rains at iStock, it's sunny at other sites. And vice versa.

Well said Cevapcici!  I completely agree on both counts :)

« Reply #50 on: July 06, 2009, 13:25 »
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... the Vendetta collection ...

LOL!

 :D

« Reply #51 on: July 06, 2009, 16:32 »
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... the Vendetta collection ...

LOL!

 :D

Wsn't Vendetta going to be our collective response to Vetta? 

bittersweet

« Reply #52 on: August 04, 2009, 09:34 »
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abimages

« Reply #53 on: August 04, 2009, 15:41 »
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« Reply #54 on: August 04, 2009, 21:49 »
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Wow, how pathetic.


 

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