I can't believe your photo was rejected ...

I'm about ready to give up submitting to FT

I agree that it is ridiculous the apple shot was rejected.  I like it a lot, at least at the resolution we have.

However Mark, I think it is time you stop talking about who you aren't going to upload to anymore because of rejections, and up your game.  I don't mean this to sound harsh.  But a lot of us did our best to persuade you to get a DSLR now rather than later, and offered advice on how to get a cheap set up (used Rebel, plus $79 50mm 1.4 and you are nicely set up).

That you are still receiving mass rejections at Fotolia means it is time to get more serious about the quality of your images and the equipment you use to produce them.  I know you are working hard to get into Shutterstock, and I applaud it.  But leaving Fotolia because of rejections seems bizarre.  Didn't you write you are having the same problems at Dreamstime?  You can join places like MostPhotos and FeaturePics and get images accepted, but 10 of those sites will not replace the sales of 1 Fotolia, or 1 Dreamstime.

You also need to be very careful with your rejection rate at Dreamstime.  The ratio is used as part of the search algorithm, which means the more images you get rejected, the farther down you will be in search results.  It's important you either get a higher acceptance rate, or stop uploading until you have the issues ironed out.

Please use all of us for advice and critique.  My advice right now is to concentrate on your quality, and not uploading to new places.  Best of luck.

Yep, it happens from site to site now and then.  I remember StockXpert going through a similar rejection spree a few months ago when they had that massive backlog.  All they do is alienate submitters when they do stuff like that.

However if you are being rejected at Fotolia, Dreamstime, and Shutterstock, then you aren't talking about 1 reviewer anymore.  I've been there, I know what a horrible feeling it is.  You just have to get better, there is no other way.

Honestly I did not realize how much noise my Panasonic Lumix FZ20 produced until I worked with my 30D for a while, and then went back to use the Lumix for a few shoots.  Even with good exposure, there are still some dark areas with the 30D which need to be cleaned up.  But once you do it enough times, you pretty much know where to find the noise and how to get rid of it.

I think that I will stop uploading to Fotolia for a while. My last batch (7 pics) were accepted 100% at Dreamstime and refused 100% at Fotolia.

In the last few weeks, acceptance ratio is about 15 to 20 % at Fotolia and the same pictures produce an acceptance ratio of about 60 to 75 % at Dreamstime

I'll start uploading to them again when I hear from you that it's better, I did the same thing when StockExpert was rejecting almost everything.

Though I'm yet a beginner, I've run into Atilla from the start.  I still have a 100% acceptance rate at DT going, but only 40% at FT, incidentally every picture but 1 that contains a sky has been rejected (there is no noise however, the one that was accepted it quite unique and has decent application for travel agencies), but every picture that has no sky has been accepted, usually very rapidly (I had one accepted in 30 minutes the other day).  Until the reports of Atilla subside somewhat I'll probably hold off on uploading any shots of any type that contain a sky to FT, might as well wait until the acceptance chance goes up instead of having them be rejected right away.  All have been for the "type of photograph, does not fit customers needs" reason, though some definitely have a use.  Power plants seem to have an application (especially the clean coal power niche that is barely represented) for some customers, another was a shot of the GA state capitol that was definitely better than what they have, seems that there could be a use for that in an election year, another was a shot of an Olympic torch, which they have almost none of, and it is an Olympics year.  Hmmph, oh well, they want isolated objects, they get isolated objects.

Mark - just want to join the chorus that the money spend on a better PnS to hold you over to a DSLR is not a wise investment.  Many bring up how cheaply you can get a DSLR and nifty fifty, unlike a PnS though that isn't nearly enough for most things.  Memory, spare batteries (Canon batteries can run $50 each), filters (need UV and circular polarizers), tripods, flashes, remote shutter releases, pc or hotshoe cables (or pocket wizards  ), bags, sensor cleaning kits, add up to a lot of money, and no other decent lens comes close to a 50 in affordability, the next closest will cost more than the body.  Though a 50 can do a lot, there is a lot that it cannot do.  I'm sure that for most here, aside from the few that have 5D's and greater and small collections of everything else, for the equipment that they use regularly, their body is less than 1/5th the cost of their equipment.  It is 1/5th of mine, and I have serious gaps in my lens coverage and could use a second flash, which would probably bring it closer to 1/8th or less of the cost of my collection, and my setup is still fairly rudimentary, though still pretty capable.  A decent setup with a XT body that has all the shooting capabilities of a 10X PnS will run in the neighborhood of $2000-3000, though it will outperform it in every respect by a mile...but you'll need a flash (250+), a macro lens (300+), a WA lens (400+), a standard lens (80+), a tele lens (600+) and all the other little crap that goes with it, in addition to the body, might as well start building the collection with any money you have now, instead of getting something that pretty much will have no use once you upgrade.

I have had 3 refused out of my last 250 uploads.  I never upload more than a few at a time.  Maybe that is the answer, don't overwhelm them with huge batches. Reviewing is usually done in a couple of hours so it's easy to hold the images back until the first batch is reviewed.

Quote from: mwp1969 on February 03, 2008, 00:27

I can't believe your photo was rejected ...

I'm about ready to give up submitting to FT

I agree that it is ridiculous the apple shot was rejected.  I like it a lot, at least at the resolution we have.

However Mark, I think it is time you stop talking about who you aren't going to upload to anymore because of rejections, and up your game.  I don't mean this to sound harsh.  But a lot of us did our best to persuade you to get a DSLR now rather than later, and offered advice on how to get a cheap set up (used Rebel, plus $79 50mm 1.4 and you are nicely set up).

That you are still receiving mass rejections at Fotolia means it is time to get more serious about the quality of your images and the equipment you use to produce them.  I know you are working hard to get into Shutterstock, and I applaud it.  But leaving Fotolia because of rejections seems bizarre.  Didn't you write you are having the same problems at Dreamstime?  You can join places like MostPhotos and FeaturePics and get images accepted, but 10 of those sites will not replace the sales of 1 Fotolia, or 1 Dreamstime.

You also need to be very careful with your rejection rate at Dreamstime.  The ratio is used as part of the search algorithm, which means the more images you get rejected, the farther down you will be in search results.  It's important you either get a higher acceptance rate, or stop uploading until you have the issues ironed out.

Please use all of us for advice and critique.  My advice right now is to concentrate on your quality, and not uploading to new places.  Best of luck.

DanP68,

As always, I do appreciate your input. I have been concentrating on quality. The DSLR will come, as previously stated at the link graciously provided by NAZ, by hopefully May. By my waiting I hope to buy a level up above the low end DSLRs.

Regarding your comments regarding my approval rate: It has increased signifiantly at DT since that last discussion. DT continues to be one of my favorite sites and I am doing well there

I've merely been commenting on the rejections at FT since it seemed really strange for me to start getting "mass rejections" when my skills and photos have only been getting better.


Mark

You also need to be very careful with your rejection rate at Dreamstime.  The ratio is used as part of the search algorithm, which means the more images you get rejected, the farther down you will be in search results.  It's important you either get a higher acceptance rate, or stop uploading until you have the issues ironed out.

WOW! I must have missed some important memo DanP68, could you please provide more info on this??? ... please please please...

Is this from DT's official statement? Wow, if this is so - then to what extent does the ratio matter, and ... wow... then it'd mean a whole different upload approach for DT ...

Though I'm yet a beginner, I've run into Atilla from the start.  I still have a 100% acceptance rate at DT going, but only 40% at FT, incidentally every picture but 1 that contains a sky has been rejected (there is no noise however, the one that was accepted it quite unique and has decent application for travel agencies), but every picture that has no sky has been accepted, usually very rapidly (I had one accepted in 30 minutes the other day).  Until the reports of Atilla subside somewhat I'll probably hold off on uploading any shots of any type that contain a sky to FT, might as well wait until the acceptance chance goes up instead of having them be rejected right away.  All have been for the "type of photograph, does not fit customers needs" reason, though some definitely have a use.  Power plants seem to have an application (especially the clean coal power niche that is barely represented) for some customers, another was a shot of the GA state capitol that was definitely better than what they have, seems that there could be a use for that in an election year, another was a shot of an Olympic torch, which they have almost none of, and it is an Olympics year.  Hmmph, oh well, they want isolated objects, they get isolated objects.

Mark - just want to join the chorus that the money spend on a better PnS to hold you over to a DSLR is not a wise investment.  Many bring up how cheaply you can get a DSLR and nifty fifty, unlike a PnS though that isn't nearly enough for most things.  Memory, spare batteries (Canon batteries can run $50 each), filters (need UV and circular polarizers), tripods, flashes, remote shutter releases, pc or hotshoe cables (or pocket wizards  ), bags, sensor cleaning kits, add up to a lot of money, and no other decent lens comes close to a 50 in affordability, the next closest will cost more than the body.  Though a 50 can do a lot, there is a lot that it cannot do.  I'm sure that for most here, aside from the few that have 5D's and greater and small collections of everything else, for the equipment that they use regularly, their body is less than 1/5th the cost of their equipment.  It is 1/5th of mine, and I have serious gaps in my lens coverage and could use a second flash, which would probably bring it closer to 1/8th or less of the cost of my collection, and my setup is still fairly rudimentary, though still pretty capable.  A decent setup with a XT body that has all the shooting capabilities of a 10X PnS will run in the neighborhood of $2000-3000, though it will outperform it in every respect by a mile...but you'll need a flash (250+), a macro lens (300+), a WA lens (400+), a standard lens (80+), a tele lens (600+) and all the other little crap that goes with it, in addition to the body, might as well start building the collection with any money you have now, instead of getting something that pretty much will have no use once you upgrade.

Waldo4,

I appreciate your time and effort for all of the very valuable pricing and cost advice. As I stated on a different thread ...  I will ALWAYS have a need for quality pocket-size camera. I captured a shot of an overturned diesel truck the other day just by making sure I have a coat pocket size camera with me all the time.

My next step is DSLR Body + Lenses and I'm leaning towards Canon. I am very grateful for all of the suggestions about body's and lenses as I have never shot that type of camera. Obviously it is the next logical step for me with equipment.

The money and costs of being a great stock photographer are only a minor concern of mine at the moment ...

Its more about developing my skills to the point of where I feel I deserve it. So that being said ... I've been putting in my time and efforts into learning everything I can through books, manual, tutorials, forums. I've been learning about composition, lighting, manual controls, exposure, equipment, what sells, what doesn't, why it sells, why it doesn't ... everything.

This was a bit off topic for this thread but I wanted to respond to your response in the lower half of your post above ... Thanks !



Back on Thread Topic

Wasn't FT running some sort of contest that started when the hit 3 million images ... I think it was based on getting the most images approved in a certain amount of time. This may have created part of the problem with getting approvals that we've been seeing lately.

Mark

I have had 3 refused out of my last 250 uploads.  I never upload more than a few at a time.  Maybe that is the answer, don't overwhelm them with huge batches. Reviewing is usually done in a couple of hours so it's easy to hold the images back until the first batch is reviewed.

I like this idea of trying small batches to them ... I will give it a try as they do usually review within twelve hours ...

Mark

fotolia has the most easiest criteria. they accept almost anything. I think they should be even more strict in terms of image quality such as - no acceptance for images taken by compact camera, due to poor lens quality, especialy purple fringing. Like istock.

Most easiest criteria ?
Why then does the majority of people report their worst acceptance ratio with fotolia ?
They reject canon 5d mk II images so don't worry about the compact cameras I'm sure not many get through.

Either you are a fantastic photographer that's cracked the fotolia code or your a fisherman looking for bites (looks like you got a few) 

A few things:

1) As far as speed, I have OLD images uploaded to FT so I think they must work like Dreamstime in a way - where your reviews can be lightning quick if you upload them and don't push them through for a week or two.  If you upload and then 2 hrs later push them, you may wait a day or two.

2) As far as the actual reviews, FT was KILLING me last year.  I stopped pushing there entirely with about 500 images online.  Well new year, new push so I tried.  I submitted 1100 images last month and just over 900 were accepted!  So I'm pleased with that - but the images were also better as I went along so ... I hope that had something to do with it.

I also just had 4 photos rejected for "None Conformity" and one for "Artistic Photograph"