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Author Topic: Alamy: a way to put your micro images into macro  (Read 26590 times)

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« on: March 08, 2011, 10:06 »
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Alamy pays contributors better than other agencies, that's the No.1 reason we should support Alamy.

the No.2 reason is, via Alamy, you can sell your micro images in macro sites.

I was rejected to be a constributor of Inmagine months ago, they said they do not accept micro images.

And I happen to chat with an Inmagine customer service girl, who showed me a few their recent sales, I believe a lot of photographers can shoot that kind of photo, it's just a man's portrait, the price is over USD100.

So I came up with the concept: a lot of micro contributors are good in technique, but just don't know how to get into macro world to earn big dollar.

Until yesterday, I happen to found there are a lot of Alamy images in Inmagine.

So you know the idea now: you can have your micro images both in micro and macro, just via Alamy.

And I even found panthermedia images in agestockphoto...


« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2011, 16:58 »
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I didnt even know this site Inmagine, i went to check and found some images of mine with no information about the author (me).
So you say this images are there throug Alamy?

microstockphoto.co.uk

« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2011, 17:43 »
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Alamy pays contributors better than other agencies, that's the No.1 reason we should support Alamy.

the No.2 reason is, via Alamy, you can sell your micro images in macro sites.

I was rejected to be a constributor of Inmagine months ago, they said they do not accept micro images.

And I happen to chat with an Inmagine customer service girl, who showed me a few their recent sales, I believe a lot of photographers can shoot that kind of photo, it's just a man's portrait, the price is over USD100.

So I came up with the concept: a lot of micro contributors are good in technique, but just don't know how to get into macro world to earn big dollar.

Until yesterday, I happen to found there are a lot of Alamy images in Inmagine.

So you know the idea now: you can have your micro images both in micro and macro, just via Alamy.

And I even found panthermedia images in agestockphoto...

These are all very good reasons to upload to Alamy.

What bothers me is that they only check one picture and reject all pending ones: either you upload very few pictures at a time - but it takes years to upload a large port - or you run the risk of mass rejections for no reason.

« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2011, 18:08 »
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I didnt even know this site Inmagine, i went to check and found some images of mine with no information about the author (me).


Inmagine owns 123RF, so if you contribute to 123RF then that would explain why Inmagine has your images.  Here is a blog from Alex at 123RF explaining the program, instituted in 2009.

http://www.123rf.com/blog/blog.php?idblog=b1000087

I have always found this program to be interesting, in that it allows for a much higher sales price and a 50% commission.  However I have never had a sale through this program.  It could be my images were not exported to Inmagine after I rejoined 123RF last October.

« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2011, 18:24 »
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What bothers me is that they only check one picture and reject all pending ones: either you upload very few pictures at a time - but it takes years to upload a large port - or you run the risk of mass rejections for no reason.

I'm not a statistical QA expert but I have some experience in electronic manufacturing, and in inspecting shipments of parts from vendors.  What Alamy did in your case is not really how it's supposed to work.  To save time with a large shipment, you would inspect a very small random sample.  If it passes you accept the entire lot.  If the small sample fails, you then inspect a much larger sample to make your final decision.  The idea is to be fair to your supplier and not waste everyone's time with unnecessary rejections.  Of course, in most businesses you actually need or want what your suppliers are giving you :-)
« Last Edit: March 08, 2011, 18:27 by stockastic »

CD123

« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2011, 18:36 »
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They rejected over 300 images I loaded over 13 batches over 7 days, after checking only 1 and then dismissed all (no further inspection), because they decided to batch them together, as they fell behind on their evaluation. All seen as 1 if they evaluate them together. Very nice attitude about it as well: This is just how we do things, so just load it again.  :-\
« Last Edit: March 08, 2011, 18:40 by CD123 »

« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2011, 18:39 »
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No stockastic, unfortunately you are wrong. Follow this link http://www.microstockgroup.com/alamy-com/submission-nightmare!/
They rejected over 300 images I loaded over 13 batches after checking only 1 and then dismissed all (no further inspection), because they where batched together. It is their (sic) policy.


I am agreeing with you.  I am saying their policy is not right.

CD123

« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2011, 18:42 »
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No stockastic, unfortunately you are wrong. Follow this link http://www.microstockgroup.com/alamy-com/submission-nightmare!/
They rejected over 300 images I loaded over 13 batches after checking only 1 and then dismissed all (no further inspection), because they where batched together. It is their (sic) policy.


I am agreeing with you.  I am saying their policy is not right.

Sorry, edited my remark after getting behind your point.

« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2011, 19:34 »
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Alamy pays contributors better than other agencies, that's the No.1 reason we should support Alamy.

the No.2 reason is, via Alamy, you can sell your micro images in macro sites.

I was rejected to be a constributor of Inmagine months ago, they said they do not accept micro images.

And I happen to chat with an Inmagine customer service girl, who showed me a few their recent sales, I believe a lot of photographers can shoot that kind of photo, it's just a man's portrait, the price is over USD100.

So I came up with the concept: a lot of micro contributors are good in technique, but just don't know how to get into macro world to earn big dollar.

Until yesterday, I happen to found there are a lot of Alamy images in Inmagine.

So you know the idea now: you can have your micro images both in micro and macro, just via Alamy.

And I even found panthermedia images in agestockphoto...

These are all very good reasons to upload to Alamy.

What bothers me is that they only check one picture and reject all pending ones: either you upload very few pictures at a time - but it takes years to upload a large port - or you run the risk of mass rejections for no reason.

If you have decent pictures you have little to worry about. I uploaded 300 pictures there in the matter of two days and all were accepted. If I had waited for 10 to go through at a time out of worry, I would have been there for weeks. Not worth the bother, especially given what you have to do next.

« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2011, 21:15 »
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I didnt even know this site Inmagine, i went to check and found some images of mine with no information about the author (me).


Inmagine owns 123RF, so if you contribute to 123RF then that would explain why Inmagine has your images.  Here is a blog from Alex at 123RF explaining the program, instituted in 2009.

http://www.123rf.com/blog/blog.php?idblog=b1000087

I have always found this program to be interesting, in that it allows for a much higher sales price and a 50% commission.  However I have never had a sale through this program.  It could be my images were not exported to Inmagine after I rejoined 123RF last October.



Yes they have included 123's images into inmagines' search, but not as macro, it is seperate "value 8" so it is similar to what veer did on their site..

lagereek

« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2011, 01:41 »
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Yeh,  only trouble is, they dont sell very much Macro at this place.

microstockphoto.co.uk

« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2011, 02:10 »
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If you have decent pictures you have little to worry about. I uploaded 300 pictures there in the matter of two days and all were accepted. If I had waited for 10 to go through at a time out of worry, I would have been there for weeks. Not worth the bother, especially given what you have to do next.

I agree that their inspection is not so difficult: actually easier than some micros. Nevertheless, I don't like their random check method.

I am very new to Alamy. After they accepted my first batch of a few pictures, I uploaded a large batch of architectural pictures and they rejected it with reason "visible retouching" (rightly so) because they randomly cheched the only one on which I removed a hoarding. If they cheched each picture, I am sure they would have accepted most, as they were not dissimilar from my previous (accepted) submission.

On the other hand, if I tried to upload my full port in one batch - including a few thousand old pictures which I am now ashamed of - and if I were lucky, they may have checked a good one and accepted a lot of my initial crap as a bonus. How can this guarantee quality?
« Last Edit: March 09, 2011, 02:33 by microstockphoto.co.uk »

RacePhoto

« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2011, 03:48 »
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If you have decent pictures you have little to worry about. I uploaded 300 pictures there in the matter of two days and all were accepted. If I had waited for 10 to go through at a time out of worry, I would have been there for weeks. Not worth the bother, especially given what you have to do next.

I agree that their inspection is not so difficult: actually easier than some micros. Nevertheless, I don't like their random check method.

I am very new to Alamy. After they accepted my first batch of a few pictures, I uploaded a large batch of architectural pictures and they rejected it with reason "visible retouching" (rightly so) because they randomly cheched the only one on which I removed a hoarding. If they cheched each picture, I am sure they would have accepted most, as they were not dissimilar from my previous (accepted) submission.

On the other hand, if I tried to upload my full port in one batch - including a few thousand old pictures which I am now ashamed of - and if I were lucky, they may have checked a good one and accepted a lot of my initial crap as a bonus. How can this guarantee quality?

They don't just look at one picture. Someone might look at the thumbnails and a large batch of them and look at some, close up. If one or two are marginal, they might check others. They can check one in ten or one in 15 or selectivity check those that the thumb, looks like it needs checking. But in any case, it's not just one.

You are correct, sometimes a dog sneaks through, because they looked at only good samples. Some people play that game and try to sneak in sub-par images, which only hurts all of us and Alamy. Kind of a silly game to play?

A persons QC ratng also means they will look at more and more carefully. So if you have 2000 pictures and two rejections in two years, you will probably breeze through. If you have 100 images and keep getting rejections, they will look at everything you send in, much closer. That's an approximation of how it works.

Start small, get an idea of what they take and what they refuse. Just like 123, once you know the limits, you can send more and more, and worry less and less.

« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2011, 04:09 »
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You need to qualify with a "test" upload of 4 images.  My first three trys were rejected (quite rightly) and I was accepted on my 4th test upload.  After you know Alamy's requirements it's not hard.  I've since uploaded over 600 images in 65 separate uploads to Alamy over the past 6 weeks, all have been QC accepted.  Alamy takes a statistical approach to approval which in my opinion is the best way to manage quality while not going overboard as many other sites do.  In short, we are expected to be adults capable of meeting a requirement, and with a bit of trust on both sides it seems to work.  Alamy is not a micro site.  Image sales are very low compared to micros, but the average price obtained for each sale is much higher.  Alamy has a mainly RM portoflio, mostly aimed at the editorial market, although RF images are growing. Each to their own - it's just a different model.   

traveler1116

« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2011, 10:26 »
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No stockastic, unfortunately you are wrong. Follow this link http://www.microstockgroup.com/alamy-com/submission-nightmare!/
They rejected over 300 images I loaded over 13 batches after checking only 1 and then dismissed all (no further inspection), because they where batched together. It is their (sic) policy.


I am agreeing with you.  I am saying their policy is not right.

Sorry, edited my remark after getting behind your point.

The problem with Alamy is they don't reject enough stuff.  Having the largest collection isn't important if the quality suffers.  For what it's worth they have never rejected one of mine but many of the same shots would have been rejected by the micros.

« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2011, 11:42 »
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 To be honest with you Alamy's prices seem to be not all that far off from IStock and even cheaper sometimes, and yet the license they give is much less restrictive than other micro site's that would require an EL to do what Alamy allows normally.. Here are 2 royalty free images that I sold through both one Alamy 1 Istock..

Istock =
Royalty Free Small 849 565 px 11.8" 7.8"
@ 72 dpi 551.37 KB
= 10 credits
- 84% = $1.60 (my commision)

Alamy =
Royalty-free 906 KB, 681 x 454 pixels
36 KB compressed
 = $ 3.16
- %40 = $1.90 (my commision)

Almost exactely the same price though Alamy gives a much broader license of use.. Although I should mention I have made Royalty free sales at Alamy that were $300+ as well.. Although I am seeing a LOT of Novel Use sales recently and other low priced schemes..


BTW - here is a wopping sale from the Almighty GETTY IMAGES!!!

Royalty Free
$6.27
- 80.00% $1.25 (My commision)
« Last Edit: March 09, 2011, 11:50 by tubed »

lisafx

« Reply #16 on: March 09, 2011, 11:57 »
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What bothers me is that they only check one picture and reject all pending ones: either you upload very few pictures at a time - but it takes years to upload a large port - or you run the risk of mass rejections for no reason.

Is this really a widespread problem?  I have around 6k images on Alamy, mostly uploaded over about a year and a half,  and have never seen a rejection. 

If you apply the same quality standards you do for microstock, you should be able to avoid rejections at Alamy. 

« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2011, 12:10 »
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When I first started learning about stock photography, I started with Alamy. When I uploaded photos from my old Nikon D70 back when you had to upsize them to 48 MB for Alamy, I'd get the occasional rejection,  but since I began uploading photos from my D700, that's never been an issue. Now that they only require 24MB files, I've gone back through my D70 photos, reprocessed them using Nikon Capture NX2, and they pass easily all the time too.

I've also uploaded many purposely blurred backgrounds, and every one has passed easily because the purposeful blur was obvious. Their standards are strict, but if your images are technically sound, they will pass.

I've been getting a lot of NU sales lately too, but the use of those photos is far more restricted than the usual Alamy sale. If you don't like selling NU licenses, April is the month to opt out.

Most of my Alamy portfolio is RM, so obviously these are not on the micros. I also have some RF images on Alamy and most of them are not on the micros either, however, occasionally I've put the same RF image on Alamy as I have on the micros, but I usually take them off the micros if they sell on Alamy for more than $100, since I feel uncomfortable with the idea of selling a photo for so much more on one site than another, despite assurances by many top industry professionals that this is ok. Twice I had a zoom on Alamy that then was licensed on a micro the same day, another reason to keep the two portfolios separate, if you don't want to kick yourself later for earning a few dollars for a sale that could have brought in a few hundred. One is a top seller on the micros, so I'm sure I'll earn it back, but the other was an unusual photo that I should not have put on the micros to begin with. It's a learning experience.

I'm sure most folks know that once an image has been sold as RF, you can't put it on any site as RM, so you need to be very careful with your choice of license.  There have been instances when an RM image on Alamy shows up on the micros and I assume this is because the photographer has made a mistake. Unfortunately, this makes everyone look bad and it is not ok by anyone's standards.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2011, 12:30 by wordplanet »

« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2011, 12:47 »
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What bothers me is that they only check one picture and reject all pending ones: either you upload very few pictures at a time - but it takes years to upload a large port - or you run the risk of mass rejections for no reason.

Is this really a widespread problem?  I have around 6k images on Alamy, mostly uploaded over about a year and a half,  and have never seen a rejection. 

If you apply the same quality standards you do for microstock, you should be able to avoid rejections at Alamy. 

Everyone with a 6 mpx sales camera can call themselves a pro photog.
You'd be amazed as to what they submit.

Patrick H.

« Reply #19 on: April 02, 2011, 14:22 »
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Thanks wordplanet, that's encouraging.   I also used a D70 to make some of my best-selling photos.  People who say 6MP can't contain 'quality' are blowing smoke in my opinion.

For me, the problem with Alamy is the 6-month lock-in.  So far I've considered that a deal breaker but I'm reconsidering.

lagereek

« Reply #20 on: April 02, 2011, 15:15 »
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The whole point of this OP, was to get into Macro and make money?? right?  and that is exactly the whole point.Nobody is hardly making any serious money in Macro, RM or RF, today. Its a fact. Even the big, famous names are complaining bitterly.
So what chance do you think you have?  Zip.

« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2011, 15:21 »
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Nobody is hardly making any serious money in Macro, RM or RF, today. Its a fact.
But didn't wordplanet just say he's getting some sales at Alamy?

« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2011, 15:47 »
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The whole point of this OP, was to get into Macro and make money?? right?  and that is exactly the whole point.Nobody is hardly making any serious money in Macro, RM or RF, today. Its a fact. Even the big, famous names are complaining bitterly.
So what chance do you think you have?  Zip.
I disagree.  There will always be people complaining about not making as much money as they used to but I think there's still money to be made in macro RF and RM.  People say it's not as good as it used to be but I'm sure there's a lot of macro contributors doing much better than the vast majority do with microstock.

« Reply #23 on: April 02, 2011, 15:58 »
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Help me cut to the chase here.   

Can I just submit all my micro images to Alamy, as RF only?   Are there hoops to jump through, that aren't there on the micro sites?

lagereek

« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2011, 15:59 »
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The whole point of this OP, was to get into Macro and make money?? right?  and that is exactly the whole point.Nobody is hardly making any serious money in Macro, RM or RF, today. Its a fact. Even the big, famous names are complaining bitterly.
So what chance do you think you have?  Zip.
I disagree.  There will always be people complaining about not making as much money as they used to but I think there's still money to be made in macro RF and RM.  People say it's not as good as it used to be but I'm sure there's a lot of macro contributors doing much better than the vast majority do with microstock.

Well sure! what I mean is, the golden days of RM and similar is gone. I only have to look at my own stats with over 25000 RM shots in my portfolio, built up over a period of 20 years. Ten years ago they used to bring in a six figured amount,  today: less then half.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2011, 16:02 by lagereek »


 

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