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Agency Based Discussion => Alamy.com => Topic started by: ShadySue on September 07, 2011, 19:24

Title: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: ShadySue on September 07, 2011, 19:24
http://www.alamy.com/Blog/contributor/archive/2011/09/07/4885.aspx (http://www.alamy.com/Blog/contributor/archive/2011/09/07/4885.aspx)
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: lisafx on September 07, 2011, 19:31
Okay, this and the FEAST thing are both baffling me.  Are there really NOT ENOUGH people shooting stock???  They need to train more?  Crazy. 
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on September 07, 2011, 19:50
Weird.  Maybe they're tired of getting pictures of random English buildings and sheep?
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: travelstock on September 07, 2011, 20:08
Great existing contributors get to subsidise the entry of new "student" competition. Just what we need.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: ShadySue on September 07, 2011, 20:21
Great existing contributors get to subsidise the entry of new "student" competition. Just what we need.
At least we're not taking a hit in our royalties to pay for it. Alamy has always said they support educational projects out of their profits. Even with the 'training rivals' aspect, it's far preferable to supporting 'suits' in their apartments overlooking Central Park. IMO.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on September 07, 2011, 20:28
Sounds like agencies are now targeting younger creatives to make images that connect with younger consumers.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: rubyroo on September 08, 2011, 02:51
Wow.  I was recently considering finally shooting some RM for Alamy.  Now I feel a bit deflated.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: Microbius on September 08, 2011, 03:30
Sounds like agencies are now targeting younger creatives to make images that connect with younger consumers.
Targeting younger creatives with lower expectations and no preconceptions about image value more like.

ETA this is more about Feast than Alamy, who I am sure are more altruistically motivated given that they donate most of their end to good causes anyway
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: sharpshot on September 08, 2011, 04:23
It might be a good thing for students to get 100% commission.  It will show how greedy sites are that only pay 15 to 25%.  I'm not too concerned about the competition, as alamy already has 25 million images.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: Microstock Posts on September 08, 2011, 05:16
It might be a good thing for students to get 100% commission.  It will show how greedy sites are that only pay 15 to 25%.  I'm not too concerned about the competition, as alamy already has 25 million images.

Excellent point. Alamy is such a good success story, it became successful and remains successful without screwing those who contribute to them. Thank God for the Brits  ;)
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: rubyroo on September 08, 2011, 05:17
Yes that is an excellent point.  Consider me re-inflated.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: gbalex on September 08, 2011, 10:50
Okay, this and the FEAST thing are both baffling me.  Are there really NOT ENOUGH people shooting stock???  They need to train more?  Crazy. 
It is quite clear they view us as disposable items and they love it when we do our best to train our replacements.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: lagereek on September 08, 2011, 10:55
Embarrasing!  as if we are not enough people in this industry.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: lisafx on September 08, 2011, 14:07
Embarrasing!  as if we are not enough people in this industry.

Exactly!
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: ann on September 08, 2011, 21:41
[....]
At least we're not taking a hit in our royalties to pay for it. Alamy has always said they support educational projects out of their profits. [....]

+1
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: Ed on September 09, 2011, 08:15
I think part of this is Alamy trying to challenge suppliers in the industry to be more responsible with their images and business practices.  They aren't doing this to get more contributors - they are doing this to "train" new artists and to take them away from stock sites that take advantage of them.

There is also a campaign to get members to join BAPLA - I have received two emails in the past month about the campaign.

In all honesty, they may be winning me over.  There's much less drama on the traditional side and the revenue is the same or better.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: ann on September 09, 2011, 16:11
Ed - I'm in U.S. and received email about BAPLA Academy, which I'm guessing went to all Alamy contributors opted into receiving such info. However, I don't recall receiving anything re BAPLA membership.

From the BAPLA site: "BAPLA also works closely with its sister organisations - PACA in the USA and CEPIC across Europe."

 - BAPLA - British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies
 - PACA - Picture Archives Council of America
 - CEPIC  - (Centre of the Picture Industry) Coordination of European Picture Agencies Stock, Press and Heritage

BAPLA, PACA, and CEPIC appear to be geared toward big agencies rather than the "typical" individual professional photographer.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: Ed on September 09, 2011, 17:35
Ann, you're right....my point being they are trying to push budding photographers into going into the traditional as opposed to the micro route.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: ann on September 09, 2011, 21:21
After seeing your reply, Ed, I reread mine, and realize one of my intended points was not at all clear - I was curious if UK contributors got a different or additional message re BAFLA than contributors got in other areas, such as U.S. (But you'd have needed ESP to realize that based on what I wrote.)

And I agree with you that their goal of helping student photographers goes deeper than giving the students an opportunity to earn 40% extra commission for a couple of years.

Ann, you're right....my point being they are trying to push budding photographers into going into the traditional as opposed to the micro route.
Title: Re: Alamy offering bona fide students 100% royalty for two years!
Post by: ShadySue on September 10, 2011, 05:15
I'm in the UK and only got one message, about the BAPLA Academy. I thought I read in the forums there that another had gone out a couple of weeks ago; if so (and ICBW), I didn't get the first one.