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Author Topic: SS took 5 out 50  (Read 13202 times)

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« Reply #25 on: November 02, 2007, 10:17 »
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Yes SS is a number one earner for me right now (well IS would have been better if not for their stupid upload limit).
Elena,

With your good sales record, can't you have IS accept more from you than the regular limit?  Even not being exclusive, it seems obvious that you could generate them more if you could upload more.

Regards,
Adelaide


« Reply #26 on: November 02, 2007, 10:20 »
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noise could easily get out of hand if the image was a little dark and you try and repair it in photoshop.  some people think that shooting in raw gives them a 'free' 2 stops of leverage with an image, but shooting at iso 100 and then changing then bringing up the exposure in raw processing is still recipe for noise..... espcially if saturated colors or darks are involved.

not saying you think like this stokfoto, this is just something i have noticed people (in general) have said here or in other forums.

« Reply #27 on: November 02, 2007, 10:27 »
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I have a suspicion that they are still accepting a fair amount of P&S shots of the pets and other stuff like that. And hey, people have taken amazing photos with P&S.
But the problem is they can't tell a difference between the work of a professional photographer and some amateur enthusiast with P&S. And you know what, for their purposes it doesn't matter.  They sell tons of pics to a very wide audience - people buying images range from kids doing school projects and stay home moms that download images for their scrapbooks to big companies that use these images for advertising. And everything in between. So they are told - "we have to be more strict on quality!" - and they just start rejecting more images, good or bad. That's all:) Like I said before microstock has it's advantages but we can't expect them to be something they are not.

« Reply #28 on: November 02, 2007, 10:36 »
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Yes SS is a number one earner for me right now (well IS would have been better if not for their stupid upload limit).
Elena,

With your good sales record, can't you have IS accept more from you than the regular limit?  Even not being exclusive, it seems obvious that you could generate them more if you could upload more.

Regards,
Adelaide

Hmm, not sure... I am a couple of days away from reaching a diamond rating on IS, maybe I should contanct them and ask for more limit... doubt it would work tho:) They seem to be pretty fixed on exclusivity.

« Reply #29 on: November 02, 2007, 10:53 »
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noise could easily get out of hand if the image was a little dark and you try and repair it in photoshop.  some people think that shooting in raw gives them a 'free' 2 stops of leverage with an image, but shooting at iso 100 and then changing then bringing up the exposure in raw processing is still recipe for noise..... espcially if saturated colors or darks are involved.

not saying you think like this stokfoto, this is just something i have noticed people (in general) have said here or in other forums.

I see your point leaf and I think  you are absolutely right just shooting at 100 ISO not even 50 ISO  doesn't provide you a  guaranteed  noise free picture.

« Reply #30 on: November 02, 2007, 12:10 »
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I think sharply_done mentioned that Ron Chapple (iofoto) had been with SS for a while and then closed his account.  Anyone know why? 
I was wrong when I said that - his portfolio is a little difficult to locate on SS, and I didn't look hard enough before writing.
My bad.

« Reply #31 on: November 02, 2007, 13:19 »
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I think sharply_done mentioned that Ron Chapple (iofoto) had been with SS for a while and then closed his account.  Anyone know why?

I was wrong when I said that - his portfolio is a little difficult to locate on SS, and I didn't look hard enough before writing.
My bad.


Google search "shutterstock iofoto" and BINGO!  Here's Ron's portfolio...

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-85699p1.html

« Reply #32 on: November 02, 2007, 13:21 »
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I found this quote by Suvakov from Mostphotos in another thread quite interesting.  MP and SS are such different models though with obviously different clients...  I wish SS and IS would lighten up just a little instead of robbing customers of options.  And they should really try emptying the crap from the bottom of their databases to make room for fresh images before they flat out refuse images.


Today i bumped in to a customer on my way to the office.

The first thing he said was that he visits the site on regular bases just to scan the images.
-"It is starting to look real good now and and the images are comming in fast now" he said.
Yes, we are getting some nice images now ( i said "some" having the "bad images" discussions on my mind).
The customer answered: -" It is not just "some" - the most part of them are really good and usable - some are even to good"
I asked him: -" How can  a image be to good?"
Well, he said: "Some images are just to perfect, to fixed - we want good images but with that special reality feeling"
- Okey, what ever makes you happy, i answered and smiled.

Let the every day customer decide if the image is good enough or not - all we can do is to  continue to upload
the best of our work. Customers repeat the same message over and over again: Let us decide.
And we let them (for now) =)

//R

« Reply #33 on: November 02, 2007, 16:46 »
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I have always said the reviewing should be done by the designers.....but the designers I know wouldn't work that cheap...

« Reply #34 on: November 02, 2007, 17:34 »
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I have always said the reviewing should be done by the designers.....but the designers I know wouldn't work that cheap...

Does anyone know how cheap that actually is?  I've always been curious how much a reviewer makes.

« Reply #35 on: November 03, 2007, 04:17 »
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I have always said the reviewing should be done by the designers.....but the designers I know wouldn't work that cheap...

Does anyone know how cheap that actually is?  I've always been curious how much a reviewer makes.

In MicroStock between 2-5 $Cents/ image reviewed, depending on the agency, SY

« Reply #36 on: November 03, 2007, 05:17 »
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I have always said the reviewing should be done by the designers.....but the designers I know wouldn't work that cheap...

Does anyone know how cheap that actually is?  I've always been curious how much a reviewer makes.

the ranges I have heard (from reliable sources) are 3-10 cents/image

« Reply #37 on: November 03, 2007, 10:30 »
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Do they get paid for the images they reject as well as approve?  If so, then it would be awfully tempting to reject a large batch just to get paid for them quickly, especially if it's near the end of the month and/or you have a quota to fulfill.   Just a thought.

(BTW, it's interesting to watch which threads go the longest here---tells you something about microstockers' real concerns)
« Last Edit: November 03, 2007, 10:34 by HughStoneIan »

« Reply #38 on: November 03, 2007, 10:56 »
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I guess they get paid equally for any image inspected, either approved or rejected.  Rejecting images wouldn't be a smart move, because then there would be a lot of complaints on this particular inspector's work. In fact approving images would be faster - no member would complain.  :D

I have no idea of the quality of images submitted, but I guess a good portion can be discarded just by looking at the thumbnail only.

On the other hand, I believe it's possible that some sites inspect images from certain contributors in a more random way.  I mean, if someone has a very high approval rate, the inspector could pick, let's say, 3 out of 10 in a set and, if they're ok, approve the rest.  That would be a smart use of resources, I think. 

Regards,
Adelaide

ALTPhotoImages

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« Reply #39 on: November 07, 2007, 12:18 »
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As far as reviewing goes, in some cases it is very random on who and when images get reviewed. Which is why some images get reviewed faster then others on some sites. I can also say that the oversight or managing of reviewers is not (in some cases) up to the level we would hope or like it to be. Which can create much of the inconsistency we all see. That and the rest can be chalked up to different philosophies (which many I find self defeating) among the different sites. Also, the resources are not put into it-not a priority. Which can and does, imho, make them a bit hypocritical of their philosophies. Not saying they are being malicious or this is the case for all sites, its just the way it is. 

Although I don't take it personally, I do find some of the review feedback I have received laughable at times. Although I am new to Microstock, I don't mean to brag, but I do know what I'm doing technically and have written image standards for businesses in my time. I know what is a real image issue and what is not. So, I simply move on because with a very busy schedule of full time work, school, and a 3 hour commute I don't have the time to waste with arguments. I imagine we all value our time, so consider that for what is cost effective for you.

Considering point and shoot images. Although the the lower quality these cameras produce is obvious, it should not produce inconsistent reviews given everything else is the same. So, if the reviewers are trained and supervised properly, the standard of acceptability is clear, then the result should almost always be the same. Point and shoot, cheap low end scanner, poorly exposed shot, it doesn't matter. The image either meets the standard (assuming there is a clearly defined one) or doesn't. This seems clear to me or was there some point I missed?

Hope some of this made sense, writing essays is not my specialty. Let me know if I failed to make a point or you need clarification on something I've attempted to write.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2007, 11:41 by ALTPhotoImages »

« Reply #40 on: November 07, 2007, 12:40 »
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3 hours?  That is some commute......

ALTPhotoImages

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« Reply #41 on: November 07, 2007, 13:13 »
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Well that is total. It's about 1 1/2 to 2 hours each way-depending on traffic and how often I have to pull over to scream....


« Reply #42 on: November 07, 2007, 13:16 »
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Well that is total. It's about 1 1/2 to 2 hours each way-depending on traffic and how often I have to pull over to scream....

I feel for you... I have the exact same commute time.  1 1/2 hours one way.

PaulieWalnuts

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« Reply #43 on: November 07, 2007, 13:39 »
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The company I'm at now is a 5-10 minute commute. Last company I was commuting 1 to 1-1/2 hours each way to go only 18 miles. Make a big difference on quality of life.

« Reply #44 on: November 07, 2007, 13:44 »
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 So, if the reviewers are trained and supervised properly, the standard of acceptability is clear, then the result should almost always be the same. Point and shoot, cheap low end scanner, poorly exposed shot, it doesn't matter. The image either meets the standard (assuming there is a clearly defined one) or doesn't. This seems clear to me or was there some point I missed?


I can't agree more - it shouldn't be a rocket science, should it? Just define the standard, train reviewers, supervise them, maybe pay them a bit more so they won't be inclined to do something like - "I am behind in my quota, I'll look at the first 5 images and just reject the other ones - we get so many complaints about rejections anyway".... Oh, but that would require spending some extra efforts and money.... plus, they are making really good profits anyway, so why bother?
Sigh... a while ago on SS forum Laurin Rinder was saying the same thing - you have a chance to make micirostock into respectable and long-term profitable industry, do it right! ... But no - it seems they are more focused on making quick bucks than building a respectable business and retaining talent. But then, eventually, that talent is going to get pissed and go somewhere else... 
By the way - I never heard back from SS support. Surprise-surprise...


« Reply #45 on: November 07, 2007, 15:39 »
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sending files to scout can take weeks. 

More like months, I've been waiting since August for appeals on 2 images.

At the moment DT, 123RF, IS and BS haven't rejected any of the images I've submitted in the last 4 months, but SS won't accept anything I try to submit.

« Reply #46 on: November 08, 2007, 00:57 »
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Elena,  I have been a member on SS for around 3 years.  My acceptance rate has been around 98% / 99% up until very recently.

I started getting irrational rejections a few months ago.  I am experiencing problems and feelings similar to your own. 

Funny thing is, this week my acceptance rate is back up to 100%.  Why?

My feelings regarding all of this are further confused because I know your work is very high quality and if this continues for you that leaves the vast majority of SS submitters in a very poor position.

I personally take most of what Rinder states with more than a few grains of salt, however I do agree that the sites should pay reviewers more money and I think that their work should be reviewed on a regular basis. 

I am sure some just make snap judgments so that they will not have to take the time to open and review each image. 

« Last Edit: November 08, 2007, 01:04 by Alex »


 

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