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Author Topic: what's the real difference between RF and RM?  (Read 6240 times)

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« on: November 26, 2013, 04:38 »
0
As a photographer, what's the difference between RF and RM about your income? Which type sales better and bring your more?
and I found in Alamy, a lot number of pictures just shooted in the street, park, or every common place in a city, these snapshot will be sold in actually?
what kind of photos should I upload to Alamy will sales good?
I hope I can get some experience about Alamy from you. I joined it just few days. And I don't want to make another tragedy again( As my DT problem...)


ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2013, 04:46 »
+1
Sorry, that's a 'how long is a piece of string' question.
There are no certainties about Alamy; what sells, sells.
There is no pattern to my Alamy sales (only RM) - just what a buyer needed at the time.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2013, 04:51 »
+1
You need to be aware that the amount actually charged for a photo usually bears very little resemblance to what's shown on the image calculator, as it seems most buyers have negotiated deep discounts.
There are occasional high sales, but fewer and fewer; most IME are sub $50.
Remember also that prices quoted on their forums are generally gross, not net.
Check out how many millions of files there are there, and be aware that the owner said they made IIRC c330,000 sales last year. Lets you know what your chances are.

You may have to wait months for a sale to clear before you get the money.
It's absolutely not a get rich quick scheme. I had several hundred images and eight months before my first sale.
Just to manage your expectations.
Be aware that if you have a file RF elsewhere, it must be RF on Alamy, also if there is any tiny, out of focus hint of a person or something that needs a PR that you don't have releases for - they don't do RF editorial.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2013, 09:53 by ShadySue »

« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2013, 05:22 »
0
I sell almost only RM because of the type of content - cityscapes, most of which with people, and sports events. I don't have much there and therefore my sales are not impressive. I didn't allow novel use. Only one sale was below US$50. There was one last year of US$170 that was renewed this year for the same price.
If only I would stop taking photos and start uploading more! :)

« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2013, 07:00 »
0
It's seems like I have know something!

If a file is RF-Editorial in microstock agence, that means it's OK to set as RM in Alamy?

And a file is just RF in microstock, it must be RF in Alamy?

You need to be aware that the amount actually charged for a photo usually bears very little resemblance to what's shown on the image calculator, as it seems most buyers have negotiated deep discounts.
There are occasional high sales, but fewer and fewer; most IME are sub $50.
Remember also that prices quoted on their forums are generally gross, not net.
Check out how many millions of files there are there, and be aware that the owner said they made IIRC c330,000 sales last year. Lets you know what your chances are.

You may Just to manage your expectations.hve to wait months for a sale to clear before you get the money.
It's absolutely not a get rich quick scheme. I had several hundred images and eight months before my first sale.

Be aware that if you have a file RF elsewhere, it must be RF on Alamy, also if there is any tiny, out of focus hint of a person or something that needs a PR that you don't have releases for - they don't do RF editorial.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2013, 07:56 »
+1
It's seems like I have know something!
If a file is RF-Editorial in microstock agence, that means it's OK to set as RM in Alamy?
No, if you have an editorial file in microstock (RF), it cannot be sent to Alamy. The same file cannot be RF somewhere else and RM on Alamy; therefore as Alamy only license editorial files as RM, a micro editorial (RF) cannot be also on Alamy.

Quote
And a file is just RF in microstock, it must be RF in Alamy?
If a file is RF (non-editorial) in micro, it must be RF on Alamy, yes.

« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2013, 09:50 »
0
what kind of photos should I upload to Alamy will sales good?

My best single sale this year RM at Alamy earned me (i.e. after deductions) $130. That is a reasonable sale - but it would not surprise me if that picture never sells again. That is an image which is never going to earn very much money.

If a picture is seldom going to sell (for whatever reason) then it makes sense IMO to sell it where it will potentially go for the most money.

Spray and Pray

« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2013, 10:46 »
0
$$$$   ;D


ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2013, 10:49 »
0
$$$$   ;D
Not necessarily, particularly at Alamy.

« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2013, 14:36 »
0
I found in Alamy, a lot number of pictures just shooted in the street, park, or every common place in a city, these snapshot will be sold in actually?

Normally I am quite doubtful about people uploading what often seems like masses of quite random stuff. But I just noticed that I have sold one which more or less partly fits the random part of that description - though I am careful to avoid uploading similars. It's an appx $80 sale - appx $40 to me for use in a German text book. It's a picture of a sign above a Japanese restaurant.

But as with my previous example - I will not be surprised if that never sells again. Therefore it would not represent a particularly good return. And there are others which will likely never sell. My guess is that the vast majority of my Alamy pictures will never sell - where as 2/3 of my iStock pictures have sold at least once.

Ed

« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2013, 20:00 »
+2
As a photographer, what's the difference between RF and RM about your income? Which type sales better and bring your more?
and I found in Alamy, a lot number of pictures just shooted in the street, park, or every common place in a city, these snapshot will be sold in actually?
what kind of photos should I upload to Alamy will sales good?
I hope I can get some experience about Alamy from you. I joined it just few days. And I don't want to make another tragedy again( As my DT problem...)

The difference between RF and RM is the usage rights associated with the image and the control you maintain over your images.  At Alamy, there really isn't a difference in income as they will adjust the price to their customer as appropriate.  The consideration of which types of sales bring you more depend on what types of agents you submit to if you submit on a non-exclusive basis.  If you submit RF to Alamy and then the same images as RF to micros, then your income will be different if you submit RM to Alamy and RM to other traditional agencies on a non-exclusive basis.

Yes, snapshots sell at Alamy...and they sell at other agencies as well.  Common places in the street or at the park are licensed for everything from editorial use in magazines and travel guides, to internal corporate uses that do not require model releases (as they are not used to sell or endorse a produce on a commercial basis).

Every person's portfolio is different...and every search algorithm is different at each agency.  The challenge is to find which agency works best for you based on your style of photography and style of keywording.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2013, 20:02 by Ed »


 

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