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Author Topic: new & question about deposit photos  (Read 13436 times)

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« on: January 10, 2018, 20:14 »
+1
Hi All!

Relatively new to the 'stock photography/video' scene, although I have been taking pictures/videos for a very long time! Thought it was cool when I realized I could sell my work online too.

Question. I've been trying to register for deposit photos for about 5 months now - but just get the runaround. Is it all run by bots now? Since the depositphotos sub forum here seems to be last posted in august 2017, not sure if anyone uses them any more? I'm posting a link to my original thread there: http://www.microstockgroup.com/depositphotos/deposit-photos-registration-not-working/new/#new

Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated, thanks!



SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2018, 20:44 »
+1
I only do video, but I signed up there nearly two years ago... and haven't sold a single thing. I get hundreds of sales a month, so you think I'd get at least one there over a period of two years! Then again, it is called deposit-photos rather than deposit-videos, and it's in the middle tier on the right, so might be worth it for your images. Not sure about the whole signing up/submission situation.

« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2018, 20:54 »
0
Thanks.

Well - yeah, it might just be me trying to sign up now - I've tried submitting both photos & videos, and always get "rejected, try again in 10 days". I've even analyzed their best sellers list so I submit something similar (so I "know" they are of "commercial value") - and those get rejected too. Not sure why.

For video - which sites do recommend signing up for? How large is your portfolio?

Thanks for the help!
« Last Edit: January 10, 2018, 21:27 by SuperPhoto »

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2018, 22:17 »
0
I've only got 25 clips on DP, but they are some of my best sellers... the same clips would still get dozens of sales a year each, on multiple other sites. I might upload some more stuff though, give them a fair crack of the whip, as it were.

My total portfolio is just over 500 items. Give or take. Best sites for me (in order) are VideoHive, VideoBlocks, Pond5 and Shutterstock. 

« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2018, 23:35 »
0
Huh, cool stuff!

Thanks for the links to the sites. I'm currently in the process of getting setup on some sites myself, so learning all I can.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2018, 00:37 by SuperPhoto »

niktol

« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2018, 03:27 »
+5
That's not an agency you should be striving to join, the sales are low (less than 3% of the total for me) and the RPD is low, which means that you are potentially undercutting yourself. Focus your energy on something else and forget about DP. Consider the rejections your lucky sign.

« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2018, 09:16 »
0
Hi Niktol,

Thanks - what does RPD mean? & Which sites would you focus on? (Right now I am doing primarily video, although I have a bunch of photography/photographs I'd like to submit as well).

Thanks!

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2018, 09:59 »
0
Basically all the sites in top and middle tier on the list to the right with the exception of Bigstock and Depositphotos, and add in Videoblocks and VideoHive. I would also give IStock a miss but opinions differ on that one.

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2018, 10:50 »
0
One thing to note, before the pitchforks come out... animation does a lot better at VideoHive than live action content, so unless you're doing motion graphics, then it's unlikely VideoHive will be at the top of your list when it comes to sales figures. Combine that with the low prices and the current queue length, and most people aren't too keen on them, which I guess is understandable. However, the queue is slowly coming down, and within the next few months you'll be able to set your own prices. And there's a good volume of sales as well... I guess the lower prices mean people are just buying more.   

niktol

« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2018, 10:52 »
0
Hi Niktol,

Thanks - what does RPD mean? & Which sites would you focus on? (Right now I am doing primarily video, although I have a bunch of photography/photographs I'd like to submit as well).

Thanks!

RPD means "royalty per download", a common abbreviation here. It's not the only metric of performance, far from the most important, but the underlying idea for using it is that a given customer will only download your image once so if RPD is too low, it's a giveaway.

Illustrations are not entirely different from photography, so as pointed out above the higher ranks on the right are likely to bring more revenue. I am not among people who think that iStock is a horrible deal, perhaps it's very portfolio dependent. Just don't do anything exclusive, that's my opinion. Some other agencies also deserve attention but figuring out which ones will come later as you figure out where your niche is.

Videos are very different from illustrations so here I can't really comment.

« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2018, 14:59 »
0
Depositphoto is, in my opinion, the most perplexing agency in the business.

For years, as an "also ran" business, they accepted just about everything you
submitted. It worked for me because, as a street photographer, DP was one of my best agencies selling less mainstream subject material.

DP always mirrors its business with Shutterstock. What the SS does, DP will always follow. Lately they're rejecting just about everything I'm submitting. Much like the SS did a few years back.

And as a result? DP was once sitting around 13-15 in the "earnings rating" that you see on the right side of the page. They're now hovering around "5".

Unfortunately, unlike the SS, Depositphoto is a follower and not a leader.


Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #11 on: January 12, 2018, 01:04 »
0
Depositphoto is, in my opinion, the most perplexing agency in the business.

For years, as an "also ran" business, they accepted just about everything you
submitted. It worked for me because, as a street photographer, DP was one of my best agencies selling less mainstream subject material.

DP always mirrors its business with Shutterstock. What the SS does, DP will always follow. Lately they're rejecting just about everything I'm submitting. Much like the SS did a few years back.

And as a result? DP was once sitting around 13-15 in the "earnings rating" that you see on the right side of the page. They're now hovering around "5".

Unfortunately, unlike the SS, Depositphoto is a follower and not a leader.
I would think their rank is more to do with their predatory pricing. They are pretty much selling everything for a dollar so you usually get the same for an on demand sale their as you would for a sub sale elsewhere.

« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2018, 17:17 »
0
thanks for the feedback everyone, giving me quite an insight.

Another question - I've noticed when signing up - some of these sites want you do give them a drivers license, passport, etc just to sign up... is that 'right'? My concern is about identity theft, and seeing as how a lot of companies can be hacked, I'm not quite that comfortable giving that... What do you do about that?

niktol

« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2018, 19:50 »
0
I remember a post by Jo Ann Snover - who as I understand is a veteran poster here - where she suggested to blur out numbers and perhaps dates of birth on those documents before uploading. I thought it was a good idea and it might work with agencies. You have to ask them.

« Reply #14 on: January 12, 2018, 20:12 »
0
Hi Niktol -

Thanks. Yes - but it seems the agencies are "demanding" that info just to set up an account.

I am talking to one of them right now, because I don't think it's right.

niktol

« Reply #15 on: January 12, 2018, 20:21 »
0
Hi Niktol -

Thanks. Yes - but it seems the agencies are "demanding" that info just to set up an account.

I am talking to one of them right now, because I don't think it's right.

Eventually you will have to share some personal info because of taxes and rules agencies have to go by in their jurisdictions. But you don't have to sign up with agencies that are irrelevant.

« Reply #16 on: January 12, 2018, 20:30 »
0
Seems all the larger ones are 'demanding' that info. Taxes, etc - okay, I get that.

But.... passports, drivers licenses, etc... not too comfortable with that. Because - what if - you get some disgruntled employee that decides to take a harddrive of "verified documents" and sell it to a bunch of hackers - and then all of the sudden have 10 credit cards opened up in your name, etc... that, I'm very uncomfortable with...

So, not quite sure what to do...


niktol

« Reply #17 on: January 12, 2018, 20:40 »
0
It can happen anywhere, it's a feature of internet so to speak. Agencies are small potatoes for hackers, and I can't remember when any personal info was stolen from a stock photography site. They are much bigger targets for illegal image copying/downloading. To me it's a well tolerable risk.  But certainly you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. I believe you can pay a monthly fee and have a report of credit card applications and inquiries delivered to you by Equifax or something similar. Now wait a minute, didn't Equifax just got hacked?  ;D

« Reply #18 on: January 12, 2018, 20:41 »
0
lol re: equifax - *exactly* my point! If - a company that one would think 'should' be taking every measure to protect personal info gets hacked, then... what about realitively speaking smaller companies that may not employ the same kind of security measures?

niktol

« Reply #19 on: January 12, 2018, 20:48 »
0
as they say if you don't risk anything you risk even more. It's your decision, but I didn't have any problems with major stock agencies after many years of working with them, so my senses are blunted.

« Reply #20 on: January 12, 2018, 20:53 »
0
@niktol - hmm, thanks. hadn't heard that expression before.

and yes - did lose out on something that could have been very lucrative last year (not stock photo related) - mainly because of my concerns about that. (I didn't want to send in a bunch of stuff over the internet, but then it really took off). so trying to re-think that/whether my concerns are legitimate...

« Reply #21 on: June 12, 2018, 06:25 »
+1
Interesting thread - I was also rejected from DP, tried again (still waiting for response), but if it's not really worth the bother then I won't sweat any more over it! I felt quite despondent over the row of 'no commercial value' feedback ahahah. But some of those photos have sold elsewhere so I guess it's just a matter of taste between agencies.

I'm finding it very curious (and frustrating!) how much variation there is between what agencies will accept/reject certain images, or require releases or not for some.

« Reply #22 on: June 12, 2018, 06:27 »
0
Interesting thread - I was also rejected from DP, tried again (still waiting for response), but if it's not really worth the bother then I won't sweat any more over it! I felt quite despondent over the row of 'no commercial value' feedback ahahah. But some of those photos have sold elsewhere so I guess it's just a matter of taste between agencies.

I'm finding it very curious (and frustrating!) how much variation there is between what agencies will accept/reject certain images, or require releases or not for some.
They do have a lot of NCV rejections....if I thought it was consistent then fair enough as we are all saying agencies let too much through. But I find the rejections quite random.

« Reply #23 on: June 12, 2018, 08:55 »
+1
Would you believe it, I've just had the email through saying I was approved for DP!

Adobe is my current bane of woe for rejections - SS accepts most things, Alamy never a rejection, but Adobe (and now Canstock - 'not unique enough') reject probably half or more of what I submit. Even images that have sold on SS are rejected on Adobe; and images from EyeEm selected for premium that are now live on Getty.

There is such a baffling range of criteria to learn about. Often I wonder if some of the review process is actually automated and things are being accepted/rejected where they ought not to be.

dpimborough

« Reply #24 on: June 12, 2018, 09:20 »
+4
Would you believe it, I've just had the email through saying I was approved for DP!

Adobe is my current bane of woe for rejections - SS accepts most things, Alamy never a rejection, but Adobe (and now Canstock - 'not unique enough') reject probably half or more of what I submit. Even images that have sold on SS are rejected on Adobe; and images from EyeEm selected for premium that are now live on Getty.

There is such a baffling range of criteria to learn about. Often I wonder if some of the review process is actually automated and things are being accepted/rejected where they ought not to be.

I hope you are happy with nothing but 30 cent sales and few of those too.



 

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