Adobe do it in the most correct way possible.

Very much agreed.  I was skeptical about Adobe in the beginning;  On the surface concept of giving images for free, and compensating contributors $5 / year doesn't seem to make sense. But they know what they are doing and results are proving it.   Sometimes in April I requested payment on both Dreamstime and Adobe, which set my balance to 0 on both agencies.  DT port is ~2300,  Adobe ~1900.   Now in May  DT balance is 6.65,   Adobe 170.09  - 25x more, with smaller port. Enough said

...
It would be interesting experiment to deselect say 5 images from nominated pool you believe have highest potential, keep track of sales and after a year see if any exceeded $5 they would earn in free pool.  My guesstimate is none would, or maybe just 1.   

Free pool is in some ways like Bank GIC.  Low return, but guaranteed

i agree with the last, but the experiment forgets that the images you remove may not have been accepted if you left them in. 

Quote from: sgoodwin4813 on May 23, 2024, 09:45

Quote from: ravens on May 23, 2024, 06:14

Not going to nominate any of my selected images.
Some of them are already good sellers on Adobe and others even more so on other agencies.
Also, I value my work enough not to give any "free photos".
I respect other photographers enough not to endorse free photos.

I understand and respect your viewpoint.  It is a tough call.  I don't nominate any that have sold well in the past or on other sites.  Adobe is spending money on this and not getting anything in return so they must think the additional traffic justifies the expense.  If some of my images that haven't sold well can get me five bucks apiece and help drive users to the site that results in increased sales later on then it is all good.  Of course it people just take the free images and use them instead of buying anything from Adobe or anywhere else then we are just shooting ourselves in the foot for a short-term gain.  If the free images cause people to buy Adobe subscriptions but not download any paid images then Adobe gains and we lose (except for the five bucks).  Without full information it is impossible to know what is best for us.

doesnt matter what these earned in the fabled days of yore - the question is whether these images that havent sold recently are going to suddenly make $5 in the next year.

I've had images that had not sold in years or never sold and then one day you get like a $40 sale on that image. I've heard of folks removing images from their portfolio if they haven't sold in a few years. I never do that since they could sell or even be nominated for $5 at worst case.

the experiment forgets that the images you remove may not have been accepted if you left them in.

Good point, specially considering acceptance rate is around 20% or 1 in 5;  didn't cross my mind.   

I have one image that's in nominated pool.  It was uploaded Feb 1 '24 and got its second download today.   It's newest image in my pool;  it's a good one and one I'm considering denominating.   See attached.  It's panorama from Guy Fleming Hiking Trail in San Diego Torrey Pines, where I often get downloads.  Opinions?

The trick for me is I have a bunch of eligible images that are part of a series. While individually it might be great to get $5 for one, I greatly fear it would cannibalize sales from the others. Why buy the image you really want if you can get a super close one for nothing?

The trick for me is I have a bunch of eligible images that are part of a series. While individually it might be great to get $5 for one, I greatly fear it would cannibalize sales from the others. Why buy the image you really want if you can get a super close one for nothing?

I agree with you but from my experience and research most buyers don't bother to search around for similars/cheaper options. There are time restraints involved, particularly for corporate clients.

Also with the huge subscriptions available these days, last time I checked 250 images a month for $99 on SS or something like that or even cheaper at Freepik without limits, the savings are negligible.

is only PHOTOS and not AI-Photos?

Quote from: PigsInSpace on May 24, 2024, 21:52

The trick for me is I have a bunch of eligible images that are part of a series. While individually it might be great to get $5 for one, I greatly fear it would cannibalize sales from the others. Why buy the image you really want if you can get a super close one for nothing?

Noting to Fear but Fear itself?  I have never seen sales change for anything, after years of allowing, almost all images into the free collection.

$5 for the accepted images, last year, is more than the lifetime for those same images, across all platforms and agencies.

Percentages just because someone asked.
Around 5% are nominated by Adobe, of those 20-25% when I click all (except one, for one round) are accepted and I got paid. Easier numbers, if it's at all relevant, 1% of my total images, have appeared in the Free and Other use collection. $5 each, in my pocket is more than all except that one, has made and I can't say what might happen, but if an image hasn't earned $5 in seven years, I'm not going to assume it will suddenly just leap off the page and grab $5 in the next year?

I'll stick with the sure thing.

I agree with you Pete.

A sparrow in the hand is better than the pigeon on the roof.

Adobe's remuneration for moderately performing images is fair, real and ends up as tangible money in your bank account.

Everything else is speculation for which you can't buy anything.

Quote from: Uncle Pete on May 27, 2024, 11:36

Quote from: PigsInSpace on May 24, 2024, 21:52

The trick for me is I have a bunch of eligible images that are part of a series. While individually it might be great to get $5 for one, I greatly fear it would cannibalize sales from the others. Why buy the image you really want if you can get a super close one for nothing?

Noting to Fear but Fear itself?  I have never seen sales change for anything, after years of allowing, almost all images into the free collection.

$5 for the accepted images, last year, is more than the lifetime for those same images, across all platforms and agencies.

Percentages just because someone asked.
Around 5% are nominated by Adobe, of those 20-25% when I click all (except one, for one round) are accepted and I got paid. Easier numbers, if it's at all relevant, 1% of my total images, have appeared in the Free and Other use collection. $5 each, in my pocket is more than all except that one, has made and I can't say what might happen, but if an image hasn't earned $5 in seven years, I'm not going to assume it will suddenly just leap off the page and grab $5 in the next year?

I'll stick with the sure thing.

I agree with you Pete.

A sparrow in the hand is better than the pigeon on the roof.

Adobe's remuneration for moderately performing images is fair, real and ends up as tangible money in your bank account.

Everything else is speculation for which you can't buy anything.

I only approve for possible inclusion, any image that hasn't earned $5 total, across all sites, in the last year. Most of what Adobe says are eligible have 1-2 sales, lifetime. This isn't rocket science. If the image makes more than $5 a year, or earns over the long term, don't include it. 

Kind of you to call them moderately preforming images. (at least mine) These are dormant dogs, which will not suddenly wake up and start running. However I will take the money and run.

Quote from: hellou on May 27, 2024, 12:47

is only PHOTOS and not AI-Photos?

There is NO such thing as AI-Photos.

Sure there is, uploading AI you select illustration or photos = ai-photos

Quote from: RalfLiebhold on May 27, 2024, 16:07

A sparrow in the hand is better than the pigeon on the roof.

Adobe's remuneration for moderately performing images is fair, real and ends up as tangible money in your bank account.

Everything else is speculation for which you can't buy anything.

I would concur with this in general.  Specially in these times when entire microstock industry is in freefall.   

But there are other factors, some even depend on type of person.  Some like to play it safe, some like risks.   (i.e.  "This is good image, I'll take a gamble it will take more than $5").   Some like to rely on intuition ("I just have a hunch, really good feel about this one" - or "This one just won't do anything - grab my $5 if I can").   Etc etc

There are many other variables, outside Adobe - do I make this image RM Alamy exclusive, where it can sit for years making nothing, but then 4-digit sale tops all 10-or-whatever cents it would accumulate in the meantime elsewhere?  Bottom line is, ports are assets that need to be managed in best possible way and there is no universal answer that applies equally to all.

It's possible to have a best seller on some other site, that hasn't sold 4 times on AS. There's no absolute answer, but as I pointed out... click all, and review individually, for anything that already makes more elsewhere or could next year. If it's not a good choice, don't do it. For all the rest, take the money!

But if anyone believes that buyers don't shop sites for images and free people, aren't going to buy these, no matter what, there's no loss. These free images at Adobe, are not competing against our own identical images on iStock or Shutterstock.

I think some people worry that "oh no, my image is getting used for free" which if $5 for a year, vs not getting used at all, or making 35� to 99� for the year.

And my view is, $5 is more than $.99, more than maybe more, more than what if, and I know, more than nothing at all.

Good luck everyone, I hope selections take place this week.

I opted it all in, 47 files.

Last year they only took one, I hope this year they take a few more.

i'm also all-in!

217 files selected. hope the best for all of us 

360 nominated,i removed those that were already in the free collection for last year.

i believe that we will all have 5 to 10% selected,perhaps someone can reach 20% selected among those nominated,but i think it will be difficult.

If they accept all 360,that's fine with me,there is a lot of equipment I would like to buy!