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Author Topic: What do 500px actually sell?  (Read 13775 times)

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« on: November 23, 2016, 08:11 »
0
I mean, they used to sell pretty much one size canvas prints, I seem to recall.  But now????

The problem is that I typically put my (best) photos on more than one site, but would like to have some consistency of pricing across all sites.  With FAA you can choose price (markup), my own site ditto. But 500px?

How have other people dealt with this please? Is there any way on 500px I can set size/price, for example? Or is it basically just the microstock model where 500px sell whatever they can for whatever they can get - and just give us a percentage of that. I really just need to see their price list and purchase option (shown to customers) I guess....

I did look on their site but found no useful info.

Cheers.


« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2016, 10:54 »
+6
they sell a load of rubbish bs since they hired that crook from istock, kelly 'i hate contributors' thompson

« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2016, 11:47 »
+6
The first step in the new plan was to cut the photographer's share by half.  And I guess step #2 hasn't been determined yet.

I closed my account as soon as this guy showed up, and forgot all about 500px.   If they ever decide what they're trying to be, I might look again.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2016, 14:51 by stockastic »

« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2016, 11:47 »
0
[dup]
« Last Edit: November 23, 2016, 14:50 by stockastic »

« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2016, 15:51 »
+1
Some actual answers to my questions might be nice.....

« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2016, 20:22 »
+1
from me they did not sell anything in one year. I took my photos down, uploaded elsewhere, some have sold. IT is a waste of time there except for networking and playing the populars game, i.e. watching your image get likes and become popular within minutes then sit there to no sales.

« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2016, 20:29 »
+1
The first step in the new plan was to cut the photographer's share by half.  And I guess step #2 hasn't been determined yet.

I closed my account as soon as this guy showed up, and forgot all about 500px.   If they ever decide what they're trying to be, I might look again.

As did I.

« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2016, 22:21 »
+4
Some actual answers to my questions might be nice.....

I understand they're not the answers you wanted to hear, but you should listen. They are the correct answers.


« Reply #9 on: November 24, 2016, 03:33 »
0
Thanks so much obj owl. Just what I needed to know..... That seriously is not great and with the ex IS guy it is indeed likely to get worse.... :(

I have sold there just twice for fairly good money but what with all the messing about with small size/large size for marketplace etc..... :(

Busy trying to find alternatives though to standard microstock. SS all up creek with search,nothing new selling, database expanding exponentially and spammed; IS...well....IS; FT and DT tick along as ever but not enough to pay many bills....the rest barely keep me in coffee and chocolate on a good month.

If anybody has any better ideas than 500px I'd be extremely pleased to hear!  (You never know......!  ;D)


 

dpimborough

« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2017, 17:39 »
+2
An old thread I know but I can't be bothered opening a thread for 500px

A good article about that gang can be read here

http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/500px-imagebrief-crowdsourcing.html  ;D

« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2017, 19:39 »
+6
Its a good article.  I deleted my account at 500px as soon as they changed the commission but to say Who could be so ignorant or desperate? . Some 840 clueless photographers (article not Sammy) completely misses the point.

Unlike us, the clueless photographers were presumably not trying to pay their bills with their photography.  Every local newspaper, now even the BBC, advertises send us your pictures the reward is the Warholian 15 minutes of fame, although probably much less time in the internet age.

So how does one fight against crowdsourcing?  Recently Mastercard plastered the arrivals area of Bucharest Airport with advertisements including one, Download the Uber app to get 10% discount.  The citys taxi drivers threatened to strike if it was not removed.  So now it says, Download the [blacked out} app to get 10% discount.  We are not fighting a competitor trying to undercut us: we have competitors who dont currently care about the price at all.

But that will change.  The PEOTUS has taught us the importance of narcissism.  The snappers happy to give their pictures away at the moment for the privilege of being on a popular web page will eventually compare their works value with Kevin Aboschs potato (I picked tatties as a kid and thats a nice potato but ).  Greed is probably not good but, over time, it will drive us to a reasonable equilibrium point.

« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2017, 13:40 »
0
Good article.  It's sort of like the ethical treatment of animals: growing public awareness is steadily reducing the opportunities for commercial exploitation.  Operations like 500px don't like big bright lights shone on them. 

There will always be plenty of people desperate for 'exposure' and some sort of validation.  But I think crowdsourcing - as a business model - peaked quite a while ago.   And the same for it's corollary on the contributor side: "I want my work to be available from as many sources as possible".   All that does in the long run is is force you to spend more and more time uploading, for a steadily reducing total return. 

« Last Edit: January 15, 2017, 14:27 by stockastic »

« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2017, 14:30 »
0
"the clueless photographers were presumably not trying to pay their bills with their photography"

I don't know why you assume that Douglas.....
:(

« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2017, 15:56 »
+1
"the clueless photographers were presumably not trying to pay their bills with their photography"

I don't know why you assume that Douglas.....
:(

Seems like a safe bet to me.  Well, maybe some of them are dreaming, or imagining, that they might one day make a  living from photography. They'll find out that it doesn't matter how many times you give your stuff away in hopes of being "noticed" - while the middleman makes money from it.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2017, 17:49 by stockastic »

« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2017, 03:40 »
+5
OK, so let's agree that 30% is rubbish and the lack of watermark means people steal the pics. So ditch 500px.
SS is up S creek. Barely worth uploading now. Maybe continue but without much enthusiasm.
IS are mean in the extreme. 15%? Ditch.
FT sells for utter peanuts if you're not Gold/Diamond or whatever, and we haven't forgotten the DPC.  Got face on. Ditched.

DP (!), BS (25c) etc - well let's just group them together as not worth the effort.

Leaves us with...? Pride. But zero sales, zero income. Pays no bills/butters no parsnips. Not great either!

I guess from the fact you are on this forum you are still supporting the Microstock middlemen?

:(

« Reply #16 on: January 16, 2017, 10:44 »
+2

I guess from the fact you are on this forum you are still supporting the Microstock middlemen?

:(

I have a few hundred on Alamy and GL.  I get a sale once in a blue moon, but at least they pay a few dollars and I don't feel like a total sap. 

I get the frustration.  And I know some people still manage to make significant money from microstock.   They must be churning out very salable shots at a high rate, things that can sell so many times that they make it on volume.   I don't know how to do that. 

If you have a formula that works, great.  But seriously - won't you have to work harder every year, for less return?  Is that a career path that anyone wants to be on?  I suppose it can still work as a part-time thing IF you can find that niche that brings in enough to be worthwhile.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2017, 11:37 by stockastic »

« Reply #17 on: January 16, 2017, 13:29 »
0
Thanks so much obj owl. Just what I needed to know..... That seriously is not great and with the ex IS guy it is indeed likely to get worse.... :(

I have sold there just twice for fairly good money but what with all the messing about with small size/large size for marketplace etc..... :(

Busy trying to find alternatives though to standard microstock. SS all up creek with search,nothing new selling, database expanding exponentially and spammed; IS...well....IS; FT and DT tick along as ever but not enough to pay many bills....the rest barely keep me in coffee and chocolate on a good month.

If anybody has any better ideas than 500px I'd be extremely pleased to hear!  (You never know......!  ;D)


Better idea is to setup your free photography website here http://shutterforge.com/. It's already setup to sell your work



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2017, 15:14 »
0
Better idea is to setup your free photography website here http://shutterforge.com/. It's already setup to sell your work.


Well that looks interesting, actually.  Although they do no marketing of their own, have no keyword search, so no one is going to find you there except maybe by Google search.  They do claim to be properly SEO optimized.

I sell prints on FAA and there are some things seriously wrong there.  Shutterforge might be a nice addition. 

« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2017, 16:11 »
0
Better idea is to setup your free photography website here http://shutterforge.com/. It's already setup to sell your work.


Well that looks interesting, actually.  Although they do no marketing of their own, have no keyword search, so no one is going to find you there except maybe by Google search.  They do claim to be properly SEO optimized.

I sell prints on FAA and there are some things seriously wrong there.  Shutterforge might be a nice addition.


I have tried FAA but have sold nothing. It seems you need to do a lot of self promotion. Do you do any marketing for your images? Is it possible to sell without it?

« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2017, 17:40 »
0
Better idea is to setup your free photography website here http://shutterforge.com/. It's already setup to sell your work.


Well that looks interesting, actually.  Although they do no marketing of their own, have no keyword search, so no one is going to find you there except maybe by Google search.  They do claim to be properly SEO optimized.

I sell prints on FAA and there are some things seriously wrong there.  Shutterforge might be a nice addition.


I have tried FAA but have sold nothing. It seems you need to do a lot of self promotion. Do you do any marketing for your images? Is it possible to sell without it?


I have  about 500 there and I sell a couple every month, sometimes more, without any marketing of my own.  Some buyers are looking for specific subjects and can find your work by title and keywords.  Supposedly, the more you sell, the better you're ranked in search.  I'm doubtful about that but I did sell a bunch this last December. 
« Last Edit: January 16, 2017, 18:11 by stockastic »

« Reply #21 on: January 17, 2017, 07:48 »
0
Ta for that. Shutterforge looks good as a website arrangement, but odds of being found about zip. I'm not in north America either so any promotion I might do to family, friends etc would be little use given any delivery charges etc

FAA. I've had some pics there for ages, sold 3 times, not for huge sums. But FAA used to be ART. Now they sell shower curtains. So no longer sure what to upload there, and actually doing so is a right royal PIA.

Hence the problem.

« Reply #22 on: January 17, 2017, 08:36 »
+1
(from the article) "The idea that organizations like these can take 70% (or more) and leave the creating artist with a pittance, is just abhorrent."

Well, at least 500 px is in good company.

I assume everyone who pulls their port there on principle has also done so at all the other sites. Right.    ...Right?


« Reply #23 on: January 17, 2017, 08:48 »
0
Better idea is to setup your free photography website here http://shutterforge.com/. It's already setup to sell your work.


Well that looks interesting, actually.  Although they do no marketing of their own, have no keyword search, so no one is going to find you there except maybe by Google search.  They do claim to be properly SEO optimized.

I sell prints on FAA and there are some things seriously wrong there.  Shutterforge might be a nice addition.


Examples sites open not in all browsers. For example, in Opera it loads empty page. But main site ok.

« Reply #24 on: January 17, 2017, 10:28 »
+1
Copidosoma, i pull my port from sites that screw me over, promising me 70%, i paid  contribution, and then get cut by 57% is insulting, ss paid 20 cents when they started, now they pay me 120 dollar, even though their commission is 30% or something, i dont feel the need to leave


 

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