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I've been away and am trying to catch up with things. Yes, I had said that things were going well - and still are, especially given that August usually isn't a great month.

I'm not in any lightboxes or part of that in-crowd stuff. I have a very small number of Vetta images. I don't do E+

My take on the very selective lightboxes is that it's really about drawing buyer's attention and getting them into the store. The set of images is so small that no matter how lovely they are that's unlikely to be the set of things searched - it's more like the displays in the store window to get you to come in. In that context, I think that smaller sets of images work better than larger ones, and really eye-catching ones better than those more likely to sell in the end.

It seems that the bigger issue is for those (exclusive and independent) who have seen sales drop, which I would think is unrelated to the lightboxes. I don't have a clue what's going on there, but I do know (from the best match changes in 2008 prior to best match 2.0 that did horrible things to my sales) that when sales suck you try to figure out what changed.

I guess I'm pretty weird in my buying habits, but if I don't see, in a shop window, the sort of thing I'd be likely to buy, I don't go in. If I were looking to buy images and it said that a lightbox was the 'best' we have in our collection, and none of it was in the style/genre I wanted (very very few of the 'critters' are wild, for example), why would I imagine I'd get 'better' than 'the best' in the complete collection?

I don't dispute that IS is maybe less profitable these days for independents. I went exclusive (I was independent for four years) earlier this year when prices changed, so I only know that from reading here.
Maybe I misunderstood what the post was saying, but I was referring to the long standing (years!) rumour that IS would one day close the door to non-exclusives.

Funny how things are going!  before and especially with Getty, etc, you could ONLY become exclusive on merit, i.e. your photography was that good and inspiring. In fact you could only become a member (without paying as in Photographers-choice) if you were good enough.

Nowdays?  well it seems any old fart with a p/s can be exclusive and to top it all the poor sods are led to believe its an "honor" .

No I dont think IS will close any doors on independants,  why?  well simply because there would be an increased stream of suppliers to the competition. It would be a disatrous move.

In all fairness though maybe we should not knock this too much,  IS,  is still mosts number one earner and in bad times which this is Im sure theyre taking a lot of stick even from their exclusives, I dont think theyre getting too fat.

best

Here's another thought....  instead of bitching about the 80% you pay istock, why not thank them for paying you 20% and earning a living doing something you love instead of having to do weddings which you said you hate.  You take the photo, you upload it, keyword it, you don't advertise or promote it in any way.  You let IS do the rest of the work for you for the rest of your life.  That's worth 80% isn't it? 

Sunnymars,
All right then.
You go ahead and thank Getty for taking 80 per cent of your earnings. Nobody's stopping you.
I wonder what are you going to do with the other sites? The sites that pay you a better commission?
Send them flowers every weekend? Write poems?

Lisa is someone who's willing and capable of changing things for the better. Not many people have the guts to do it.
You should support her voice, it's in your own interest.

good point...I forgot about that. being exclusive is like having golden handcuffs...but I guess it is the same for a well-established independent too.

Sure!  nice port!!  pitty about youre inferiority complexed attitude,  belongs at school, not here.   Nice port though.

all the best wishes.

LOL, I've come to the conclusion that about 80% of the people here lack basic communication skills and are completely effing useless.  It's a good thing you all can bloody operate a camera, I tell you!

BEST!

Sorry!  my post was directed towards sunnymars!!  not you. Hey!  must be a glitch or something here, I can swear Im seeing the posts changing.

anyhow all the best.

I sincerely hope youre right.

best.

gostwyck must be pissed off because his post where he agreeing with me in the other thread, was the only post i didn't acknowledge.  you must have felt completely insignificant, awwww

till next time dorks.