MicrostockGroup Sponsors


Author Topic: What images go to Alamy  (Read 4821 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« on: July 18, 2015, 01:49 »
0
Just wanted to understand what images go onto Alamy. Is it the ssme as the microstock sites, so same as SS and iStock? Or do i send a unique set of images? Like getty moments and all. Have just started uploading here and got my initial batch approved.


« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2015, 02:22 »
+1
I upload everything.  Microstock goes under one name and I have a separate pseudonym for exclusive alamy images, mostly editorial with a few RF.

« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2015, 04:07 »
+1
I'm pretty sure Alamy would say they do not regard themselves as a microstock site and would not encourage contributors to upload identical images to their site and microstock sites.

Having said that, they do nothing to prevent it and it is down to the individual contributor what they submit. Indeed, since they now have a policy of encouraging pretty well anybody with a half-decent camera (or iphone) to submit, it could be argued they are opening up the contributor market even more than some microstock sites. Their QC policy of only inspecting a small sample of of submitted images tends to reinforce this, given that it was originally designed to cater for submissions from experienced professional photographers, rather than people who are still low on the learning curve.

Alamy's 15 minimum nominal price per image would tend to suggest that identical images which are  also available on microstock would never sell on Alamy. This is not totally the case, but it would be surprising if many clued-up purchasers bought from Alamy when they could easily and cheaply go elsewhere for the same image.

Alamy's strength is in RM soft editorial, UK especially but worldwide shots too. I try to play to the strengths of the different agencies and submit to Alamy only editorial -  those images which it does well with. They may not sell in quantity but just occasionally they provide a very good sale, which makes microstock prices look silly. I don't think it is my interest, or indeed in the interest of new contributors, that Alamy goes down the line of becoming just another microstock, so my stance is to resist the temptation to put on Alamy all the stuff you have submitted elsewhere.

« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2015, 04:28 »
+1
Alamy have been quite good for selling my microstock portfolio.  Some buyers don't care about price, sometimes alamy is cheaper than some of the microstock sites and they have a licence that's more like buying an EL on the micros.

« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2015, 08:28 »
0
sharpshot and the others summed it up well.  I send anything that is regular RF to Alamy as well as the micros and have been surprised sometimes at what sells there - not always what I expected.  I also have separate images that I submit there exclusively, usually RM.  Anything that has unreleased people (usually editorial) on the micros cannot go to Alamy, as they would need to be RM there and can't be sold RF elsewhere if they are RM on Alamy.  For any images with people in them you should have different shots for Alamy versus the micros.  Alamy also is very strict about what they consider people - an unrecognizable silhouette in the distance or part of a hand that might be OK as RF on the micros would qualify as people pics on Alamy and need to go RM there.

« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2015, 21:34 »
0
Got it, so all RF is allowed but not recommended due to the higher prices

shots with people need to go to editorial/RM and have to be exclusive to Alamy.

I've heard that Alamy does really well with worldwide travel images.  I guess then it makes sense to shoot a couple of shots specially for Alamy when you are on a trip

« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2015, 02:08 »
0
Got it....
shots with people need to go to editorial/RM and have to be exclusive to Alamy.
...


Not quite. Shots which are RM at Alamy cannot be submitted as RF anywhere else. You are free to submit the same RM shots to other agencies, as long as it is under a RM licence there too. Also be aware that RM does not necessarily equate to editorial material.  RM can be equally applied to commercial, non-editorial shots which are typical of microstock, but if you do, you can't sell the same (or similar) shot elsewhere as RF.


 

Sponsors

Mega Bundle of 5,900+ Professional Lightroom Presets

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors