Author Topic: Im ...after 13 years getting the feeling.... (Read 45895 times)

rinderart · « **on:** November 22, 2017, 00:07 »

No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

Deyan Georgiev Photography · « **Reply #1 on:** November 22, 2017, 02:26 »

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07

No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

No!

derek · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2017, 02:30 »

Been doing stock since 88 and micro since 2006! the old Rm agencies are quite stable actually but Micro-agencies are just going down and down. Problem is obvious. They dont care so why should we?? ever since the bean-counters moved into SS its been a matter of just keeping the shareholders happy and screw the contributors and pretty much the same with Adobe/FT.
I dont really care anymore I earn more then enough from my own library and the RM-agencies but its a pity its gone this way. Although not surprised.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2017, 03:01 »

Also been doing this for more than 10 years. This year will be my best. Second best? Last year. Third best? Year before that.
Here's what works for me. Discriminate against the agencies. Don't give your work to the worst paying sites in terms of rpd. Of the rest give your work to the best rpd sites first giving it a few months to bed down in Web searches maximising your chances of getting more high rpd sales while not missing out on buyers that are subscribed to a specific site.
Or just keep saying 2c is the same as 38c and something is better than nothing and keep complaining while you watch your income slide. It's really up to you.

Noedelhap · « **Reply #4 on:** November 22, 2017, 04:25 »

That's why I've always treated it as side income. Although the idea seems nice, I'd hate to be dependent on a couple of agencies who only listen to their shareholders (and not to their contributors). It's an unstable road.

derek · « **Reply #5 on:** November 22, 2017, 04:42 »

Quote from: Noedelhap on November 22, 2017, 04:25

That's why I've always treated it as side income. Although the idea seems nice, I'd hate to be dependent on a couple of agencies who only listen to their shareholders (and not to their contributors). It's an unstable road.

Exactly! spot on! treat it as a side income because thats really what it is! in effect all stock shoots. Add it to commissions and asignments and the total can be very good!

niktol · « **Reply #6 on:** November 22, 2017, 05:02 »

My results get better every year. I use two strategies to ensure that. The first strategy is: don't disclose important information.

Anyka · « **Reply #7 on:** November 22, 2017, 05:07 »

Quote from: derek on November 22, 2017, 02:30

I dont really care anymore I earn more then enough from my own library and the RM-agencies but its a pity its gone this way. Although not surprised.

Derek, can you tell me (if you want to) about your own library? Which images do you put there (your very best exclusively, or the same as microstock?). And how do you get clients to visit your site (or better said : to buy from your site) ? Do they buy licenses or something else (like prints) ? Sorry, but you made me curious. Always thought having your own library would cost a lot in marketing (effort and money).

derek · « **Reply #8 on:** November 22, 2017, 07:18 »

Quote from: Anyka on November 22, 2017, 05:07

Quote from: derek on November 22, 2017, 02:30
I dont really care anymore I earn more then enough from my own library and the RM-agencies but its a pity its gone this way. Although not surprised.

Derek, can you tell me (if you want to) about your own library? Which images do you put there (your very best exclusively, or the same as microstock?). And how do you get clients to visit your site (or better said : to buy from your site) ? Do they buy licenses or something else (like prints) ? Sorry, but you made me curious. Always thought having your own library would cost a lot in marketing (effort and money).

haha! no I cant! I havent got a clue how to make buyers visit. I only supply existing clients from commissioned work with fill-outs etc, etc annual reports company profiles etc and it all happen off-line. Only clients from commissions.

I thought one of the main reasons for joining a stock-agency is to let them stand for all advertising promotion and pay for it. Very expensive. I know the guys starting visco-images and they had one of the best experts helping them and yet got nowhere.

Anyka · « **Reply #9 on:** November 22, 2017, 07:30 »

Quote from: derek on November 22, 2017, 07:18

haha! no I cant! I havent got a clue how to make buyers visit. I only supply existing clients from commissioned work with fill-outs etc, etc annual reports company profiles etc and it all happen off-line. Only clients from commissions.

Oh I see, I thought you had found a way to be a private stock agency all on your own haha! To be honest, I think the only way that would work, is to have a true niche in an area you have access to because of your job or hobby. Like a pilot who sells areal city views, or a zoo keeper who sells birth images of all animal species ... As a Belly&Baby photographer, I don't have a niche, as everybody has access to babies!!!

Mantis · « **Reply #10 on:** November 22, 2017, 08:21 »

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07

No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

I do care because I have a lot of skin in the game. 10 years of work, opening accounts, closing accounts, seeing where my work gets traction, moving to video to boost sales.....just a lot of time invested. I think a lot of us are certainly disappointed, but I bet we all care what happens. Frustration is driven by the vast amount of work we've all put in, and to see it go down is indeed disappointing. I would say a better way of phrasing this is frustration.

derek · « **Reply #11 on:** November 22, 2017, 08:54 »

Quote from: Anyka on November 22, 2017, 07:30

Quote from: derek on November 22, 2017, 07:18
haha! no I cant! I havent got a clue how to make buyers visit. I only supply existing clients from commissioned work with fill-outs etc, etc annual reports company profiles etc and it all happen off-line. Only clients from commissions.

Oh I see, I thought you had found a way to be a private stock agency all on your own haha! To be honest, I think the only way that would work, is to have a true niche in an area you have access to because of your job or hobby. Like a pilot who sells areal city views, or a zoo keeper who sells birth images of all animal species ... As a Belly&Baby photographer, I don't have a niche, as everybody has access to babies!!!

Forming your own stock-agency? its been tried here over the years and its failed every time. Setting up your own platform have also been tried here and also failed. Now we have supplied established agencies for almost 15 years since Istock first came about and I recon its all too late to go on your own.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #12 on:** November 22, 2017, 10:33 »

We always knew supply growth was going to outstrip demand growth in the end, we talked about it way back. 14 years is a pretty good run and it still delivers a significant return but it's no longer possible for me to upload and know that it's going to deliver a worthwhile return on effort. I do still upload some stuff but only when I've nothing better to do.

MicroVet · « **Reply #13 on:** November 22, 2017, 10:33 »

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07

No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

Oh, I do care! And I'm pissed as hell!

Chichikov · « **Reply #14 on:** November 22, 2017, 11:05 »

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07

No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

“If you place a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will immediately try to
scramble out. But if you place the frog in room temperature water, and don't
scare him, he'll stay put. Now, if the pot sits on a heat source, and if you
gradually turn up the temperature, something very interesting happens. As
the temperature rises from 70 to 80 degrees F., the frog will do nothing. In
fact, he will show every sign of enjoying himself. As the temperature
gradually increases, the frog will become groggier and groggier, until he is
unable to climb out of the pot. Though there is nothing restraining him, the
frog will sit there and boil. Why? Because the frog's internal apparatus for
sensing threats to survival is geared to sudden changes in his environment,
not to slow, gradual changes”.

We are frogs!

stockastic · « **Reply #15 on:** November 22, 2017, 12:21 »

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07

No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

Certainly many of us are in that category. I no longer have any interest in microstock and don't even bother to read about new sites - they'll either be clones of existing ones or they'll die.

What I care about now is POD, although that's deteriorating too, for some of the same basic reasons: a handful of middlemen control the market and are relentlessly driving down the contributor's share, and the market is being flooded by big corporate sellers. It is somewhat harder, though, to force 'art' into one-size-fits-all pricing model. People still understand that some work is worth more than others.

niktol · « **Reply #16 on:** November 22, 2017, 12:51 »

Quote from: MicroVet on November 22, 2017, 10:33

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07
No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

Oh, I do care! And I'm pissed as hell!

and we're back in 1976

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMVMbmQBug

JimP · « **Reply #17 on:** November 22, 2017, 13:19 »

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07

No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

What took you so long to figure this out. We might care about ourselves, but the future of stock art is going to be more disappointing forever. There are no rapidly expanding markets like there were in 2007. Now the business is contracting, declining and becoming unprofitable for most of us. That's not doom and gloom, that's facing the facts.

Change and adjust or find something else, don't think that what worked before will work now, that goes for you and Derek and the rest who are stuck in the old days instead of looking for new opportunity in the future, that means change and adjusting.

derek · « **Reply #18 on:** November 22, 2017, 13:30 »

Same here uploading when nothing else to do and no more high commercial content with releases and everything just ordinary mediocre stuff.

Clair Voyant · « **Reply #19 on:** November 22, 2017, 13:31 »

Quote from: JimP on November 22, 2017, 13:19

Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07
No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

What took you so long to figure this out. We might care about ourselves, but the future of stock art is going to be more disappointing forever. There are no rapidly expanding markets like there were in 2007. Now the business is contracting, declining and becoming unprofitable for most of us. That's not doom and gloom, that's facing the facts.

Change and adjust or find something else, don't think that what worked before will work now, that goes for you and Derek and the rest who are stuck in the old days instead of looking for new opportunity in the future, that means change and adjusting.

Looks like you too are stuck in the old days... the business is expanding hugely, the demand for images is expanding at a rapid pace and will continue to do so in the future.

Clair Voyant · « **Reply #20 on:** November 22, 2017, 13:32 »

Quote from: derek on November 22, 2017, 13:30

just ordinary mediocre stuff.

And microstock was born

dpimborough · « **Reply #21 on:** November 22, 2017, 15:08 »

Quote from: Clair Voyant on November 22, 2017, 13:31

Quote from: JimP on November 22, 2017, 13:19
Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07
No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

What took you so long to figure this out. We might care about ourselves, but the future of stock art is going to be more disappointing forever. There are no rapidly expanding markets like there were in 2007. Now the business is contracting, declining and becoming unprofitable for most of us. That's not doom and gloom, that's facing the facts.

Change and adjust or find something else, don't think that what worked before will work now, that goes for you and Derek and the rest who are stuck in the old days instead of looking for new opportunity in the future, that means change and adjusting.

Looks like you too are stuck in the old days... the business is expanding hugely, the demand for images is expanding at a rapid pace and will continue to do so in the future.

Really? You know this how?

Stock market (shares) analysis reports that supply of stock images by the likes of SS are in fact outstripping demand and they have over saturated the market.

Clair Voyant · « **Reply #22 on:** November 22, 2017, 15:41 »

Quote from: Sammy the Cat on November 22, 2017, 15:08

Quote from: Clair Voyant on November 22, 2017, 13:31
Quote from: JimP on November 22, 2017, 13:19
Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07
No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

What took you so long to figure this out. We might care about ourselves, but the future of stock art is going to be more disappointing forever. There are no rapidly expanding markets like there were in 2007. Now the business is contracting, declining and becoming unprofitable for most of us. That's not doom and gloom, that's facing the facts.

Change and adjust or find something else, don't think that what worked before will work now, that goes for you and Derek and the rest who are stuck in the old days instead of looking for new opportunity in the future, that means change and adjusting.

Looks like you too are stuck in the old days... the business is expanding hugely, the demand for images is expanding at a rapid pace and will continue to do so in the future.

Really? You know this how?s

I know this because it is common sense, if you have an understanding of the industry.

For example the SS annual report states their paid downloads increased 14%. I am presuming this is fairly standard industry wide.

I am clear the usage of visual content will only increase. Also the market will be further saturated with content thereby reducing the overall sustainability and profitability to the individual contributor.

The winner here is the "agency" and the loser is the "contributor". Sales are expanding for the agency and sales at the same time are contracting for the supplier.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #23 on:** November 22, 2017, 15:49 »

obj owl · « **Reply #24 on:** November 22, 2017, 15:57 »

Quote from: Clair Voyant on November 22, 2017, 15:41

Quote from: Sammy the Cat on November 22, 2017, 15:08
Quote from: Clair Voyant on November 22, 2017, 13:31
Quote from: JimP on November 22, 2017, 13:19
Quote from: rinderart on November 22, 2017, 00:07
No one cares anymore what happens or where this is going because it's so disappointing. Am i right???

What took you so long to figure this out. We might care about ourselves, but the future of stock art is going to be more disappointing forever. There are no rapidly expanding markets like there were in 2007. Now the business is contracting, declining and becoming unprofitable for most of us. That's not doom and gloom, that's facing the facts.

Change and adjust or find something else, don't think that what worked before will work now, that goes for you and Derek and the rest who are stuck in the old days instead of looking for new opportunity in the future, that means change and adjusting.

Looks like you too are stuck in the old days... the business is expanding hugely, the demand for images is expanding at a rapid pace and will continue to do so in the future.

Really? You know this how?s

I know this because it is common sense, if you have an understanding of the industry.

For example the SS annual report states their paid downloads increased 14%. I am presuming this is fairly standard industry wide.

I am clear the usage of visual content will only increase. Also the market will be further saturated with content thereby reducing the overall sustainability and profitability to the individual contributor.

The winner here is the "agency" and the loser is the "contributor". Sales are expanding for the agency and sales at the same time are contracting for the supplier.

You might want to look at the last two SS quarterly reports, the first said downloads had declined for the first time the latter was a small increase, all in all stagnant. On the other hand it looks like there is increasing demand for premium content.

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Author Topic: Im ...after 13 years getting the feeling.... (Read 45895 times)

rinderart

Deyan Georgiev Photography

derek

Justanotherphotographer

Noedelhap

derek

niktol

Anyka

derek

Anyka

Mantis

derek

BaldricksTrousers

MicroVet

Chichikov

stockastic

niktol

JimP

derek

Clair Voyant

Clair Voyant

dpimborough

Clair Voyant

BaldricksTrousers

obj owl

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