Author Topic: PRESS RELEASE: Canstock Photo Inc. Acquired; Now An Affiliate Of Fotosearch (Read 35147 times)

SStevenson · « **on:** November 12, 2008, 05:10 »

Press release issued by Canstock on 11-12-08 as follows:

Stock Photography Company Can Stock Photo Inc. Acquired
(Halifax, Canada – November 12, 2008) – As the result of an acquisition, microstock innovator Can Stock Photo Inc. is now an affiliate of stock photography pioneer Fotosearch. As part of the new relationship, Fotosearch will distribute Can Stock Photo imagery, allowing Can Stock Photo’s contributors access to the robust worldwide distribution network Fotosearch has built over the past 10 years. Can Stock Photo contributors will be able to present their stock photos to millions of Fotosearch visitors every week.
Contributors to Can Stock Photo will further benefit by having their images marketed as prints and their best content licensed in a professional brand. “It’s only been a few days and we’ve already had a tremendous amount of interest from photographers in adding new content to Can Stock Photo as a result of this relationship with Fotosearch,” said Can Stock Photo’s founder, Duncan Enman.
Can Stock Photo will continue to operate as a separate company, and its already easy-to-use upload process has been improved to accept vector files. Further enhancements to the site will be made in the near future, including the acceptance of footage content. As a result of the new owner’s growth strategy, Can Stock Photo will be marketing its website more aggressively to attract even more stock photography buyers. Enman, who created Can Stock Photo while a university student in Nova Scotia, Canada, will remain involved with Can Stock Photo.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About Fotosearch®
Publitek, Inc., dba Fotosearch, is one of the largest stock image agencies in the world, representing more than 100 royalty free agencies and more than 4 million photos. Fotosearch’s impressive client list includes international magazines, newspapers, and publishing companies, as well as thousands of major advertising firms in the U.S. and abroad. Visit Fotosearch Stock Photography at http://www.fotosearch.com to Find the Perfect Photo Fast™.
About Can Stock Photo Inc.
Can Stock Photo™ is a microstock agency founded by Duncan Enman in 2004. Can Stock Photo represents more than 800,000 stock images and has more than 30,000 members. Visit Can Stock Photo at http://www.canstockphoto.com.

peep · « **Reply #1 on:** November 12, 2008, 05:24 »

Since when has Canstock Photo been a microstock innovator

I must have missed it! :-)

leaf · « **Reply #2 on:** November 12, 2008, 06:27 »

will be interesting to see if they get any more customers. They are one of the older sites, but have one of the poorest sales records...

leaf · « **Reply #3 on:** November 12, 2008, 06:33 »

And I wonder how pricing will works. Images on fotosearch are priced as follows

Web Resolution
501 KB / 72 dpi / 4.7" x 7.2" / RGB   USD $49.00

Medium Resolution
13.7 MB / 300 dpi / 5.9" x 9" / RGB   USD $199.00

High Resolution
24.3 MB / 300 dpi / 7.9" x 12" / RGB   USD $269.00

Ultra High Resolution
51.1 MB / 300 dpi / 11.4" x 17.4" / RGB   USD $319.00

will the canstock photos be sold at those prices, or will they be lower? and what will our share be. It is a bit of a bad deal if they sell them for those high prices and give us a measly 50 cents

grp_photo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 12, 2008, 06:37 »

LOL Canstock its time to make my own Stockphoto-site it seems you just need to wait long enough and somebody is willing to buy even the worst non-producing garbage.

grp_photo · « **Reply #5 on:** November 12, 2008, 06:38 »

Quote from: leaf on November 12, 2008, 06:33

And I wonder how pricing will works. Images on fotosearch are priced as follows

Web Resolution
501 KB / 72 dpi / 4.7" x 7.2" / RGB   USD $49.00

Medium Resolution
13.7 MB / 300 dpi / 5.9" x 9" / RGB   USD $199.00

High Resolution
24.3 MB / 300 dpi / 7.9" x 12" / RGB   USD $269.00

Ultra High Resolution
51.1 MB / 300 dpi / 11.4" x 17.4" / RGB   USD $319.00

will the canstock photos be sold at those prices, or will they be lower? and what will our share be. It is a bit of a bad deal if they sell them for those high prices and give us a measly 50 cents

Yes this issue need some research anyone already asked this on the forum?

madelaide · « **Reply #6 on:** November 12, 2008, 09:06 »

Quote from: leaf on November 12, 2008, 06:33

And I wonder how pricing will works. Images on fotosearch are priced as follows (...)
will the canstock photos be sold at those prices, or will they be lower? and what will our share be. It is a bit of a bad deal if they sell them for those high prices and give us a measly 50 cents

My guess: it will be a subcription site as a second-line collection, maybe selling CD collections. There are many images there that most sites would not accept (mine included).

Regards,
Adelaide

jsnover · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2008, 11:13 »

Quote from: peep on November 12, 2008, 05:24

Since when has Canstock Photo been a microstock innovator I must have missed it! :-)

I left CanStock before I went exclusive at IS (poor performance) but I had been there since very shortly after the site started (started June 2004 and I joined at the end of October 2004), and I think it's actually fair to describe the site that way.

Duncan implemented image zoom before any of the other sites had it (he took it away again during a later upgrade). He also implemented a great series feature for images from a shoot, and their upload stuff was always getting improvements of one kind or another. He also started out with a very generous pricing model (prices did get cut later to try and compete although it didn't work out) - I remember getting $4 or $4.50 for a large image commission back in 2004/2005 when it was 60 cents at IS.

Doesn't mean the site was overall a success, but I do think that's a fair comment.

Kngkyle · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2008, 11:19 »

Image Subscriptions
Tier Downloads Payout
1 1-1,999 $0.30
2 2,000-9,999 $0.32
3 10,000-24,999 $0.34
4 25,000-99,999 $0.36
5 100,000 or more $0.38

Enhanced License Subscriptions
$22.00 per download

Image-Packs small / medium file size
Tier Downloads Payout
1 1-1,999 $0.80
2 2,000-9,999 $1.00
3 10,000-24,999 $1.10
4 25,000-99,999 $1.20
5 100,000 or more $1.25

Image-Packs any file size
Tier Downloads Payout
1 1-1,999 $1.85
2 2,000-9,999 $2.30
3 10,000-24,999 $2.50
4 25,000-99,999 $2.70
5 100,000 or more $2.85

Footage-Packs
standard definition $8.00 per download
high definition $13.25 per download

Single Image/Clip License
20% of license fee

Prints / Posters
20% of license fee

Downloads represent total photographer downloads on both Can Stock Photo and Fotosearch
http://www.canstockphoto.com/fotosearch_payout.php

lisafx · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2008, 11:43 »

This is really interesting news.

I am actually quite happy for Duncan. As Joann said, he was giving a much fairer shake to photographers than other sites in beginning, and doing a lot of innovating on the site. The marketing aspect just never took off.

I still have my portfolio on Can stock and make occasional payouts. Now under the Fotosearch terms I expect marketing and sales will improve.

Am I delighted that the bulk of my images will be selling for .30 sub prices? Definitely not - but the pricing sounds pretty similar to what is offered through Jupiter's Photos.com deal. Hopefully with the extra worldwide reach of Fotosearch, volume will make up for the low sub prices.

I'm actually kinda glad I hung in there with Canstock now.

dbvirago · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2008, 11:49 »

Yeah, I think technically, the site was always at or ahead of the competition, there just weren't any sales. I quit uploading there first of the year, but did not delete my portfolio. I've never understood why anyone would go to the effort of deleting their port on a site after going to the trouble to upload unless there were bigger reasons than lack of sales.

Hopefully this will pay off.

jsnover · « **Reply #11 on:** November 12, 2008, 12:44 »

Quote from: dbvirago on November 12, 2008, 11:49

I've never understood why anyone would go to the effort of deleting their port on a site after going to the trouble to upload unless there were bigger reasons than lack of sales.

It was the increase in subs sales at a 25 cent commission that did it for me. When I saw half my sales (and it was always the images that sold the best elsewhere) were subs at this rock bottom price - with no volume on the upside like at SS (which was paying more anyway), I decided I didn't want these sales to undercut better subs commissions elsewhere.

rene · « **Reply #12 on:** November 12, 2008, 13:23 »

Quote from: jsnover on November 12, 2008, 12:44

Quote from: dbvirago on November 12, 2008, 11:49
I've never understood why anyone would go to the effort of deleting their port on a site after going to the trouble to upload unless there were bigger reasons than lack of sales.

It was the increase in subs sales at a 25 cent commission that did it for me. When I saw half my sales (and it was always the images that sold the best elsewhere) were subs at this rock bottom price - with no volume on the upside like at SS (which was paying more anyway), I decided I didn't want these sales to undercut better subs commissions elsewhere.

Agree.
Another reason is of a moral nature: I do not want to treat with sites which are not to fair with their contributors. If they don't have our portfolios customers will leave and buy our images for better prices (for us).

sharpshot · « **Reply #13 on:** November 12, 2008, 13:44 »

I only uploaded a few there. Will have to think about uploading more now. Does this get rid of the 25 cents commissions? I am not interested in that price anymore.

madelaide · « **Reply #14 on:** November 12, 2008, 15:18 »

According to the "revised" About page, yes, we still get 25c for sales in CanStockPhoto. The table below is for sales through Fotosearch.

Does anyone have an idea of how much subs Fotosearch sells compared to credits? I'm tired of seeing almost only subs in CS and CanStockPhoto.

Regards,
Adelaide

takestock · « **Reply #15 on:** November 12, 2008, 15:55 »

Quote from: leaf on November 12, 2008, 06:27

will be interesting to see if they get any more customers. They are one of the older sites, but have one of the poorest sales records...

As I have experienced.

Tim Markley · « **Reply #16 on:** November 12, 2008, 16:24 »

I've one payout in four years, not my best site but I am glad I stuck with it. Let hope for better sales

melastmohican · « **Reply #17 on:** November 12, 2008, 16:26 »

These guys got lucky, somebody got money but wants to get into microstock market quickly. It's good cause it means more competitions for market leaders.

hali · « **Reply #18 on:** November 12, 2008, 17:18 »

Quote from: jsnover on November 12, 2008, 12:44

It was the increase in subs sales at a 25 cent commission that did it for me. When I saw half my sales (and it was always the images that sold the best elsewhere) were subs at this rock bottom price - with no volume on the upside like at SS (which was paying more anyway), I decided I didn't want these sales to undercut better subs commissions elsewhere.

and someone once said that buyers don't check out other sites to find the lowest price. obviously they do .
another thing, this time a question: I know you can always opt in if you're opt out.
but if you opt in, can you opt out later, if you find that it actually hurts your sales? or is it once you're in, you're in.

jsnover · « **Reply #19 on:** November 12, 2008, 17:49 »

In spite of many requests to do so, Duncan never was willing to provide an opt-out on subs. No idea if anything will change as a result of the acquisiton, however.

My own form of opt out (between the time I decided this wasn't working for me and made the next payout) was to delete my best sellers from CanStock. It slowed the time to payout, but I didn't feel so bad about the situation.

Nemo1024 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 13, 2008, 01:32 »

Quote

Sharpshot: I only uploaded a few there. Will have to think about uploading more now. Does this get rid of the 25 cents commissions? I am not interested in that price anymore.

Well, Shutterstock pay you 25 cent per image as well, and i see you are a contributor there

rinderart · « **Reply #21 on:** November 13, 2008, 01:43 »

Good . Hope Fotosearch does better.

sharpshot · « **Reply #22 on:** November 13, 2008, 02:58 »

Quote from: Nemo1024 on November 13, 2008, 01:32

Quote
Sharpshot: I only uploaded a few there. Will have to think about uploading more now. Does this get rid of the 25 cents commissions? I am not interested in that price anymore.

Well, Shutterstock pay you 25 cent per image as well, and i see you are a contributor there

No, they pay me 38 cents. That is a huge difference. They increase commission as sales increase. The other sites should do the same.

Kiya · « **Reply #23 on:** December 10, 2008, 13:21 »

Excited to see a sale yesterday for $19.80 through Fotosearch, encouraging

madelaide · « **Reply #24 on:** January 05, 2009, 15:50 »

How have been your results with Fotosearch?

My sales at CanStockPhoto in December were still very poor: 5 subs, four with them and one with Fotosearch. So I am not impressed.

Regards,
Adelaide

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Author Topic: PRESS RELEASE: Canstock Photo Inc. Acquired; Now An Affiliate Of Fotosearch (Read 35147 times)

SStevenson

peep

leaf

leaf

grp_photo

grp_photo

madelaide

jsnover

Kngkyle

lisafx

dbvirago

jsnover

rene

sharpshot

madelaide

takestock

Tim Markley

melastmohican

hali

jsnover

Nemo1024

rinderart

sharpshot

Kiya

madelaide

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