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Messages - Brasilnut

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1
Shutterstock.com / Re: Yay my photo is used as a book cover
« on: March 22, 2024, 11:25 »
One of my pasttimes is to go to book shops and flick through the first page after the cover to see where the image was taken.

I do see plenty of SS image used on covers (as well as Getty, less so AS), but it's usually as some part of composite with another image or more from the larger and more artistic agencies, Arcangel/Trevillion.

I don't think any serious publisher would use a SS or microstock image on its own knowing full well a competitor or even random business could start using it on let's say a toothpaste ad (or much worse) thus diminishing its uniqueness.

So, I think for a simple image it's OK to be paid little even for a book cover as it may not be strong enough to be used on its own. Plus it's RF subs and probably already sold 100s of times anyway (and buyers know this).

I find it difficult to justify it that way.
With an extended license, e.g. for print, the degree of commercial use is usually higher.

You have to distinguisch between an use for some random news / blog article as a gap filler or an use for print like a book cover.
A good book cover contributes significantly to a higher revenue amount, the commercial use aspect is much higher.
The same applies to print on demand stuff like t-shirts, etc.
So 10 cents are just extremely ridicilous low because the buyer will earn for sure thousand times more.

Ideally the extendend license would guarantee that the image is not used hundred of times but only the one buyer owns all rights.
The main problem is that no one is tracking the copyrights or the use restrictions (just like a half million prints, lol!), so such agencies just sell everything for some cents.

I agree that the licensing terms are too broad and vague for micros RF. Once we upload our images to microstock it's almost impossible then to track the usages and go after infrigement. The cost outweights any potential benefit except for a few rare cases.

We don't have to upload our images to these micros, there's always the option of going Alamy RM exclusive, that way we get a nice report everytime there is a usage and a clear procedure to go through to tackle infrigements (where the contributor can also earn from claims).

I'm happy at Arcangel as I know that the minimum I'll earn from a book cover is $75 net and as high as 4 figures. Once there is a sale I receive a report with type of license, the book title and author.

2
Shutterstock.com / Re: Yay my photo is used as a book cover
« on: March 19, 2024, 11:10 »
One of my pasttimes is to go to book shops and flick through the first page after the cover to see where the image was taken.

I do see plenty of SS image used on covers (as well as Getty, less so AS), but it's usually as some part of composite with another image or more from the larger and more artistic agencies, Arcangel/Trevillion.

I don't think any serious publisher would use a SS or microstock image on its own knowing full well a competitor or even random business could start using it on let's say a toothpaste ad (or much worse) thus diminishing its uniqueness.

So, I think for a simple image it's OK to be paid little even for a book cover as it may not be strong enough to be used on its own. Plus it's RF subs and probably already sold 100s of times anyway (and buyers know this).

3
Shutterstock.com / Re: Yay my photo is used as a book cover
« on: March 15, 2024, 18:35 »
A STANDARD IMAGE LICENSE grants you the right to use Images:

Printed in physical form as part of product packaging and labeling, letterhead and business cards, point of sale advertising, CD and DVD cover art, or in the advertising and copy of tangible media, including magazines, newspapers, and books provided no Image is reproduced more than 500,000 times in the aggregate

https://www.shutterstock.com/license

Thanks Alex you're always there ready with the answer so thank you.

You're welcome (just don't shoot the messenger ;D)

4
Shutterstock.com / Re: Yay my photo is used as a book cover
« on: March 15, 2024, 16:52 »
A STANDARD IMAGE LICENSE grants you the right to use Images:

Printed in physical form as part of product packaging and labeling, letterhead and business cards, point of sale advertising, CD and DVD cover art, or in the advertising and copy of tangible media, including magazines, newspapers, and books provided no Image is reproduced more than 500,000 times in the aggregate

https://www.shutterstock.com/license

5
Shutterstock.com / Re: Monthly earnings and downloads
« on: March 14, 2024, 06:45 »
My understanding is that we are not allowed to publicly share our earnings on Shutterstock. I dont agree with that rule but I dont make the rules.

As SS is a public company the auditors/lawyers thought it would be a good idea to put this clause in the contributor contract, but they have never enforced it (as far as I'm aware). I've been reporting my earnings at SS since early 2019 with no issues.

It's crazy how things are turning out with my port. For March, so far, SS is in THIRD place behind Alamy and Pond5 with AS not too far behind.

How the once mighty SS has fallen.

6
1. Might as well try to squeeze the last remaining drop of earnings in this otherwise dying industry

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2024/03/11/shuttered-shutterstock-why-its-losing-its-shine-for-contributors/

7
^^ I'm assuming that many buyers won't create the AI themselves (or hire prompt engineers) but license them at stock agencies with more generic keywords.

8
Dear human Colleagues,

As AI technology continues to advance, its understandable for us stock photographers and videographers to feel somewhat concerned about its potential disruptions to our revenue streams. We can just keep doing the same old and hope that it just blows over (which it wont) or we may adopt strategies to protect our livelihoods.

I've published five such strategies that you may wish to start adopting right away lets get started!

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2024/03/07/future-proofing-creativity-5-strategies-for-stock-photographers-videographers-in-the-age-of-ai/

Alex

9
Shutterstock.com / Re: Is Shutterstock dead?
« on: March 01, 2024, 12:05 »
So far in 2024 for the first time ever for both January and February Shutterstock was not my best-performing agency.

Lost out to AS in January and IS in February.

Hope Alamy will crush them in March!

11
General Stock Discussion / Re: This month's sales
« on: February 03, 2024, 09:55 »
Highlights for my month:

- 3 book covers at Arcangel
- 3 decent clip sales at Pond5
- AS beat SS for first-time ever for me

Lowlights:

- Record low average RPD at SS
- Many images licensed by major publications where I earned <$10/each

Link to the full earnings and news report including YT version:

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2024/01/31/january-2024-brutally-honest-earnings-report/

Alex

12
Dreamstime.com / Re: Any tips for good keywording on Dreamstime?
« on: February 01, 2024, 11:05 »
Can't speak specifically about Dreamstime (poor sales there), but keywording overall I'm using Phototag.Ai for keywording both images and now they do great work with videos.

I've published a review of this great and affordable piece of software with a shameless affiliate link :)

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2023/11/07/review-of-phototag-ai-keywording-your-images-automatically-using-ai/

13
Dear Colleagues,

Just published this post on the new EU AI Act that will soon be coming into force and specifically for us, how it will impact AI-generated stock content.

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2024/01/26/new-eu-ai-act-and-its-impact-on-ai-generated-stock-content/

Alex

14
Follow-up post on how I lost my drone with insight from DJI's Flyaway Customer Service.

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2024/01/08/how-i-lost-my-dji-air-2s-on-new-years-eve-a-cautionary-tale/

15
Dear Colleagues,

I've just published my comprehensive year-end stock summary on the blog as well as on YouTube (41 mins long).

Hope you enjoy watching/reading as much as I have compiling these reports. Overall it's been a difficult year but I remain optimistic about certain segments of the stock industry.

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2024/01/03/2023-year-end-review-good-bad-and-ugly/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct_O0CtxICM&feature=youtu.be

All the best - Alex

16
On average, this year, my iStock clip prices are 6x less than SS and AS and 18x less than Pond5.

Nevertheless, even if sales are tiny, I've made some $400 all-time from iStock on a port of just over 800 clips.

17
A couple BIG critisisms:

(a) No way to sign up with just an e-mail. Looks like the dev took the super lazy way and "authenticates" with google/facebook/github. If someone doesn't have any of those accounts - no way to sign up for the service, not to mention - many people (including myself) just don't feel comfortable USING a "google/facebook" account to "create" an account. (privacy is one of those reasons among others). Big no-no. So no way of signing up with just an e-mail.

(b) He doesn't specify how much credit packages cost.

(c) His online chat bot isn't actually connected to anyone - so asusming he is sleeping right now - so if you try to message, just says "failed to send"...

So... it "might" be good, but obviously still needs a lot of work right now.

I got in touch with the developer at Phototag.Ai with these concerns and he's trying to be accepted at the MSG forum and it's still pending. In the meantime he has replied the following:

"Hello! Im Aaron, one of the developers responsible for PhotoTag.ai. First of all, thank you for the constructive feedback! Were constantly listening to our members and implementing improvements based on their feedback. Here are some specific responses to your concerns:

(a) I promise the decision to only include OAuth login options was not out of laziness, we felt that improvements to the user experience outweighed any other drawbacks. Also, we only use these platforms to retrieve your email address and authenticate your request. That being said, weve received a few complaints about the lack of email sign up (so youre not alone on that), and were actively working on implementing that feature! I expect itll be live before next week.

(b) Good point that the one-time photo bundle prices are not on the landing page - well have to update that. The prices are $19.99 for 1,000 photos and $149.99 for 10,000 photos.

(c) Im sorry your message didnt go through on our chat. Ill be reaching out to our provider to see why that happened. Please bear with me if I take some time to respond because Im actually the only person actively monitoring those messages! But I promise I always answer any messages that come through."

18
Thanks for posting.

PhotoTag seems to be best piece of software out there for this purpose from what I've researched.

In addition, according to the programmer the code is constantly being improved and soon they will have videos.

It will save you time but works best for still life and simpler concepts, not great for more complex subjects such as editorials and travel. Another con is that the maximum image size is 20MB which means having to downscale many of your images to be able to upload.

They allow 3 images a month for free so would suggest everybody try it out and see results for themselves.

19
Dear Colleagues,

Ive just published an interview with Veteran Travel Microstocker, Dmitry Rukhlenko on my blog that I'm happy to share with you. Great tips for beginners, as well as veterans.

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2023/10/22/interview-with-dmitry-ruklenko-veteran-travel-microstocker-with-675000-in-earnings/

If you want to be a photographer, first leave home Steve McCurry

20
General Stock Discussion / Re: Addictive Stock Creatives
« on: October 10, 2023, 06:18 »
Hi all,

Just published an interview with Victor Torres, CEO & Founder of Addictive Stock.

Victor shares has some interesting insight on trends and AI.

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2023/10/10/interview-with-victor-torres-ceo-of-addictive-stock/

Alex

21
It's a good question. I suppose it goes to their own pockets because they do have admin costs.

One thief kindly shared the email they received from SS (on the SS Contributor FB group) after a DMCA claim. Interesting reading.

I'm confused that some accounts are shut down and others they just remove the pics there was a complaint about. No consistency.

22
General Stock Discussion / Re: This month's sales
« on: October 01, 2023, 03:51 »
Here's a link to my detailed earnings/news report for Sept 2023:

https://brutallyhonestmicrostock.com/2023/09/30/september-2023-brutally-honest-earnings-report/

23
iStockPhoto.com / Re: Getty Images announces AI Generator
« on: September 28, 2023, 04:25 »
. double post sorry

you really tripled yourself! :D

a strange coincidence finding you here now,because just a little while ago,talking about drones,your blog from April 2022 "drone special edition" came to my mind! :D

I am quite sure that it will be like this,it is still early but in the near future,all AI contents will be labeled in a more appropriate way by law,it is inevitable for various reasons,and is another reason for not give up now,real contents will be always necessary.

Haha was silly of me, I was trying to edit the post but instead I quoted myself! Shouldn't post when tired.

The regulations will be fascinating and I'm going to be watching closely. I asked Chat GPT to imagine the scenario of an important landmark case in 2030 about the use of AI in journalistic images:



"In 2030, the legal landscape surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in journalism has evolved significantly. With the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content, particularly images, a landmark case has emerged that addresses the boundaries of AI involvement in journalism.

Case Overview:
The case revolves around a prominent news organization that routinely uses AI to generate images for its news articles. These AI-generated images are designed to accompany stories, enhance visual appeal, and save time in the newsroom. However, it has come under scrutiny as it has been revealed that a significant proportion of the images used are created by AI algorithms. The plaintiff in the case argues that this level of AI-generated content dilutes the authenticity of journalism and threatens the jobs of human journalists and photographers.

Legal Proceedings:
As the case proceeds, the legal system faces the challenging task of defining the limits of AI involvement in journalism. The judge presiding over the case carefully considers arguments from both sides and reviews existing laws and regulations related to journalistic ethics and content authenticity.

The Ruling:
In a groundbreaking decision, the judge rules that while AI can play a role in journalism, there must be limits to its involvement. The maximum allowable percentage of AI-generated content in journalistic articles is set at 1%. This ruling aims to strike a balance between harnessing AI's efficiency and creativity while preserving the authenticity and human touch in journalism.

Implications:

Journalistic Standards: News organizations are now required to adhere to the 1% AI content limit, promoting a higher degree of journalistic integrity and authenticity. This ruling encourages a recommitment to human journalism and storytelling.

Creative Collaboration: Journalists and AI developers are encouraged to work collaboratively to enhance the quality of news reporting. AI can still assist in various aspects of journalism, such as data analysis, but with a clear boundary on content creation.

Job Security: Human journalists and photographers find reassurance in the ruling, knowing that their jobs are protected to a certain extent. The fear of widespread automation and job displacement is somewhat alleviated.

AI Development: AI developers are motivated to focus on refining AI algorithms to ensure the highest quality and ethical standards within the 1% limit. This encourages innovation in responsible AI development.

In conclusion, the 2030 case regarding AI-generated images in journalism sets a significant precedent by establishing a clear maximum limit for AI involvement in news content. It reflects a balance between harnessing AI's capabilities and safeguarding journalistic authenticity, ethics, and the job security of human professionals. This ruling shapes the future of journalism in an era increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence."

24
iStockPhoto.com / Re: Getty Images announces AI Generator
« on: September 27, 2023, 16:09 »
. double post sorry

25
iStockPhoto.com / Re: Getty Images announces AI Generator
« on: September 27, 2023, 16:09 »
. double post sorry

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