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Author Topic: 500 px. Now has distributors to sell images  (Read 30193 times)

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« Reply #50 on: November 11, 2015, 13:36 »
0
It sounds really complicated.

I'd say that's an understatement.  Just for starters - is there a single, clear, comprehensive document on the site, explaining all this and giving the big picture?

It actually sounds like 500px might be an opportunity for me, but anytime there's 'curation' there's inevitably a certain style and look that's desired.  The problem for a lot of us is that getting anything up there takes a serious amount of time and effort vs. a completely unknown probability of being 'curated' let alone making a sale, and we've all been down that road before.  Is there an audition process i.e. submitting a portfolio link to at least get a reaction?


The curation is not really important, it seems to me. Basically, 500px accepts virtually everything I submit. Then there is 2 collections: core and prime. The images in the core collection are a little less expansive (35$ versus 50$ for the cheapest licence), that's all. I have sales from both collections.

Then it is not obvious for me why an image is in the core collection or the prime collection. I would say that my images in the prime collection have more an authentic feeling, a "stocksy look", but there is a lot of counter-example.


« Reply #51 on: November 11, 2015, 13:47 »
+1
It sounds really complicated. ...
... There are a few images where I've had to remove keywords - the maximum is 30 - but each removal is one click.

Well there we go.  Most of my images probably have no more than 30, but some might have 50 (which other sites encouraged) so right away I'm faced with going through all of them to be sure the most important keywords weren't deleted.   Like I said, maybe it all makes sense if you have some reasonable expectation of sales, but just going through this as an exercise and then finding out you didn't make the cut... does anyone remember Crated?

I have some good stuff, and I'll do any reasonable amount of work to put it on a new site, IF someone would just tell me up front "we took a quick look at your stuff, it's exactly what we want".  Or "in your portfolio we like the ones like THIS one". Or, "thanks, but no" is also totally acceptable. 

I'm asking for 1 minute of agency time, before I invest an hour of mine.   Isn't that a reasonable position?
« Last Edit: November 11, 2015, 13:57 by stockastic »

« Reply #52 on: November 11, 2015, 14:05 »
+2
Personally I have some photos at 500px and some with other agencies. I've just figured out where each type of photo sells the best.


Nuno, can you give us an insiders view of what type of image sells best on 500px?

Is it "authentic stock" or "fine art"?
Are isolations a no-go?
Since you do have an app: Do mobile images sell?


To be honest, we're selling a lot of different genres except for the isolated on white stuff or the stuff that buyers know they can get at much cheaper prices elsewhere. What's "hot" lately is a lot of travel imagery and candid lifestyle type images.  Every week we send out a newsletter with some samples of the week's top sellers. This short list is actually a thought-out indication of the style and subject matter that sold that week. We also list the top searches and you'll see some trends there week after week.

We have sold mobile photos but they tend to be the ones that you wouldn't know were shot with a mobile until you saw it full-res or someone told you. Phones now are getting pretty great resolutions so it's almost a non-issue and some great "in the moment" type shots are captured with phones. Buyers say that that's the kind of stuff they want and my theory is that it's more about the content and "user generated" feel then the medium used to capture it. I really want to avoid using the word authentic here.  The mobile app, if I can sell it a bit here, is actually pretty cool in the sense that we provide access to your Lightroom Cloud library so you can upload from Creative Cloud right to 500px (with embedded keywords and all). It's no secret that a lot of the top instagrammers are shooting with mirrorless or dslr and not solely their phones (yes, generalization).

It sounds really complicated.

I'd say that's an understatement.  Just for starters - is there a single, clear, comprehensive document on the site, explaining all this and giving the big picture?


We try in product. Especially from the buyer's perspective - lots of dialogs and email exchanges as we walk them through the process. Agree that overall we should improve our contributor documentation beyond in-product and we have just launched the http://licensing.500px.com pages which are a start - but yes, we can do better and we are looking forward to it.

It sounds really complicated.

It actually sounds like 500px might be an opportunity for me, but anytime there's 'curation' there's inevitably a certain style and look that's desired.  The problem for a lot of us is that getting anything up there takes a serious amount of time and effort vs. a completely unknown probability of being 'curated' let alone making a sale, and we've all been down that road before.  Is there an audition process i.e. submitting a portfolio link to at least get a reaction?


We have this article here: https://iso.500px.com/introducing-the-next-evolution-of-the-500px-marketplace/
It is quite subjective and an organic process. We need humans to make these determinations so setting some kind of formula will always disappoint and since it's humans there may be calls we don't all agree with but are open to changing as market trends and context evolve. My job as Director of Content is try to keep some kind of consistency and make sure that the volume of sales is increasing for everyone participating. Sometimes it just makes sense to have your content in a lower priced collection in order to get the volume or that type of buyer. I have photos in both collections myself. The curations are somewhat anonymous in the sense that the editors do not know the photographer's name when they are reviewing the content.

If you'd like to submit a portfolio for me to review, I'd be open to it but please give me some time to get to it. I've found this community and even our groups are great places for peer review and dialog. My opinion may be no better than some of the pros on this site but like them I'd be into checking out some nice photos.

« Reply #53 on: November 11, 2015, 14:21 »
0
It sounds really complicated. ...

I'm very new at 500px (last week!) so there are probably a number of things I don't understand, but I have found it to be pretty simple to upload work - and everything is marked for Marketplace sales. I didn't realize that things could be rejected for Core (but that's good to know) and I upload once, request a watermark, request Marketplace, pick from a stored release if that's appropriate, set a Category and I'm done.

...


I'm participating in the watermarking interviews because I am concerned about having rudimentary theft protection. Given the state of agencies right now, and my recent departure from Canva, I wanted to find a new approach to try and 500px is my pick. Too soon to say how it will be as an agency.

Thank you. Lets see what your experiences are.

I dont mind supplying another niche agency...just have to find a theme that fits. And you cant really predict what sells, have to upload 300 files and different styles to see what sells...

So, it looks like everyone in the industry wants to be the niche right now. I can understand it in some ways, but as an artist and as a customer it makes for a very confusing landscape. I still believe customers appreciate an all in one option, saves so much time.

What happened to the concept of offering high quality edited collections with different styles and themes? Curating is such a powerful tool and you need enough choice to come up with something new every week.

Is 500pix connected to stockperformer?? Please say yes...

« Reply #54 on: November 11, 2015, 14:50 »
+1
Nuno, maybe you can answer this question:
Are the pulse, the number of likes, favorites of the images etc. are taken into account in the search ranking for the market? It was cleary the case at the beginning (it was a marketing argument) but it less obvious today.
I like the fact that the community side matters for the market side, it is a specificity of 500px. Most pro microstocker will not share my opinion I think. I guess it is a question of position for 500px.

Nuno, could you please answer the question above?

I hope that likes and favorites don't play a part in the marketplace search results because I've found it to be a very fickle thing. I can upload an image and get no "likes" or "favorites" then delete the image and upload it again a couple hours later and get a bunch of "likes" within a few minutes. With likes/favorites timing is everything and I'd hate to think some of my best images fall through the cracks in the marketplace because I'd uploaded them at the wrong time.

Thanks!

« Reply #55 on: November 11, 2015, 15:11 »
+2

Nuno, could you please answer the question above?

I hope that likes and favorites don't play a part in the marketplace search results because I've found it to be a very fickle thing. I can upload an image and get no "likes" or "favorites" then delete the image and upload it again a couple hours later and get a bunch of "likes" within a few minutes. With likes/favorites timing is everything and I'd hate to think some of my best images fall through the cracks in the marketplace because I'd uploaded them at the wrong time.

Thanks!

I've been on 500px for a long time, well before the market, and now I have a lot of followers (the selection on an image in the editor choices brings a lot of followers for example), and now the timing does not matter anymore for me. But it is true that at the beginning it mattered a lot, and it was much better to submit images the sunday...
It's a question of point of view, and for 500px to decide whether they want to be a community that also sells images or a classical "professional" stock agency. It seems to me that the recent evolution is toward the latter, but it is not that clear.
In any case, no matter our opinions, it is useful for everybody to know the rules of the game, especially for someone who consider to begin today.

« Reply #56 on: November 11, 2015, 15:22 »
+2
Nuno, maybe you can answer this question:
Are the pulse, the number of likes, favorites of the images etc. are taken into account in the search ranking for the market? It was cleary the case at the beginning (it was a marketing argument) but it less obvious today.
I like the fact that the community side matters for the market side, it is a specificity of 500px. Most pro microstocker will not share my opinion I think. I guess it is a question of position for 500px.

Nuno, could you please answer the question above?

I hope that likes and favorites don't play a part in the marketplace search results because I've found it to be a very fickle thing. I can upload an image and get no "likes" or "favorites" then delete the image and upload it again a couple hours later and get a bunch of "likes" within a few minutes. With likes/favorites timing is everything and I'd hate to think some of my best images fall through the cracks in the marketplace because I'd uploaded them at the wrong time.

Thanks!

It does play some part in it, but so do curations, relevancy, exact matching, etc.. We also have some other secret formulas but I will say that the community affection does play a part but it's only a part and not the entire formula. 

« Reply #57 on: November 11, 2015, 19:49 »
0
well as far for the likes you mentioned,one of my pics on 500px had many likes,went into popular catagory,and after a little while it was sold as a prime.so i guess the too many likes and favs and comments helped a bit. 

« Reply #58 on: November 12, 2015, 22:47 »
0
Is the work automatically enrolled in prime or is it somehow specially selected? I am contemplating trying them for a second time since they offer an opt out and are working on a better watermark.

You can upload anything to 500px ... think of it kind of like a classy instagram ... with a marketplace ...

It's kinda been my test route with photography, as my skill improves it seems I've had better success and have a whole 2 images for sale. lol. No sales yet obviously but, when I get so many "likes" or whatever 500px sends an email kind of suggesting that you should put it on the marketplace, so I just go in and toggle the box to put it up for sale, re-upload if I need to and I'm done ...

Mostly because I don't want to sort a terabyte of files now and figure out what CAN even sell because I'm kind of lazy ... but, I'm looking more into getting a fire started and uploading more now, seems that between the Adobe deal and 500px I could actually make this work.

Tror

« Reply #59 on: November 13, 2015, 07:38 »
+5
Well, first and foremost: thank you guys from 500px to jump in here! Very helpful to achieve best results for both, the contribs and you :-)

The veryvery good news is that I sell well on 500px.

But my personal problem I have with 500px and Prime is that I sense some sort of conflict every now and then between what the commercial licensing market requires and on the other side what is suitable for a community / well curated site like 500px.

For the community on the site I would curate and edit the material I upload quite well. The licensing market requires different material which is not necessarily the stuff that brings you likes and favs. I am sure when it comes to landscapes or travel the two aims combine quite well, but not when you do "artsy" stuff and fashion, nude etc. on one side and typical lifestyle or still life stock on the other side.

Or to make it short: I almost never sell the images which get popular, but very well so commercial subjects which get mostly ignored by the community.

Every now and then I feel like I alienate my followers by uploading stock and indeed get "unfollowed" by some after uploading commercial subjects....then I usually chose to upload again a bunch of artsy stuff and regain followers, get popular images etc.... a situation I do not like at all.

Maybe it could be helpful to have a feature to "hide" or make prime submissions less "relevant" or "visible" to the community site?
« Last Edit: November 13, 2015, 07:42 by Tror »

« Reply #60 on: November 13, 2015, 08:04 »
+2
Uf, like if you were reading my mind. I too find it kind of weird to upload, for example typical stock stuff (like food or medical stuff or whatever), when 500px is more about likes and favs and the most popular photos there are landscape and travel and thing like that.

Now, most of my photos on 500px are animals and some other nature stuff, and I have about 300 followers. It would be kind of weird if I started uploading typical stock/commercial photos.


« Reply #62 on: November 13, 2015, 10:01 »
0
Completely understand that. What I've done, personally, is just create sets and upload the whole series in to that set. Then I move maybe 1 or 2 photos in to my "Public Profile". The photos are still searchable but not visible on my profile page unless you visit my sets.

Good to know, but don't forget to say that an "upgrade" and a minimum $25/year subscription is needed in order to create sets.

« Reply #63 on: November 13, 2015, 11:17 »
+3
Completely understand that. What I've done, personally, is just create sets and upload the whole series in to that set. Then I move maybe 1 or 2 photos in to my "Public Profile". The photos are still searchable but not visible on my profile page unless you visit my sets.

Good to know, but don't forget to say that an "upgrade" and a minimum $25/year subscription is needed in order to create sets.

True. We have discounts and promos all the time. Heck, if anyone here wants 6 free months of Plus email me at [email protected] and mention this forum.  I'll have to limit this to the first 10 people so I don't get in too much trouble, but I'd like to remove any obstacles for people who just want to give 500px a try.

« Reply #64 on: November 14, 2015, 06:03 »
+1
Ok, so I created a set, un-clicked "public" and uploaded a photo to that set. Now if I go to my main page, that photo doesn't show. But people are still liking it. How can that be? How did they found it?

Also, if I go to my main photo page and click "sets" it says You haven't created any sets yet, which is not true because I did create two sets.

This site is so complictaed....
« Last Edit: November 14, 2015, 06:09 by Dumc »

« Reply #65 on: November 14, 2015, 06:54 »
+3
And that thing, when you get to the bottom of the page and starts loading the next set of photos, and when you again get to the bottom of the page with this newly loaded sets of photos again starts to load new sets of photos..... It SO ANNOYING.... Why can't just be Page 1, 2, 3 ..... it would be much more transparent and easier to browse through large ports...

That idiot thing actually discourages me, to check all photos. I only check 1 or 2 "loads" and then close the page. Like, who wants to scroll down forever to find what you're looking for.

« Reply #66 on: November 14, 2015, 12:29 »
+1
And that thing, when you get to the bottom of the page and starts loading the next set of photos, and when you again get to the bottom of the page with this newly loaded sets of photos again starts to load new sets of photos..... It SO ANNOYING.... Why can't just be Page 1, 2, 3 ..... it would be much more transparent and easier to browse through large ports...

That idiot thing actually discourages me, to check all photos. I only check 1 or 2 "loads" and then close the page. Like, who wants to scroll down forever to find what you're looking for.

I just uploaded a few photos to try out the site.  I agree, there are currently some performance issues, images take time to load.  But overall the site has a nice clean look.   I don't know yet whether I'll really get involved, but I see the promise.  It's a fresh start anyway.

  The things I do often cross the border between 'stock' and 'art' and I'd like to sell into both markets, prints and licenses.  I have no marketing of my own, so I need keyword search; I want a modern looking gallery to refer people to when I sell a print or card at a craft show.  As things are now, there isn't any one site that does it all.

I'm done with microstocks.   I sell some prints on FAA, but the site looks like the 90s, lacks many needed features, and is full of junk.  SmugMug has no built-in search and no licensing.   Crated.com has a good looking gallery, sells framed prints, but so far they haven't 'curated' me, so I don't show up in there search; and I question whether they'll be around long.   And now 500px has a good presentation, reasonable royalties for licenses, some possibility of showing up in a search; but no print sales.

There is an opportunity here because I'm sure many photographers like myself are looking for that next generation platform.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2015, 13:39 by stockastic »


« Reply #67 on: November 15, 2015, 03:40 »
+1
The only issue is whether there are actually any sales on 500px. I've been here for some time and haven't seen any activity yet

Other than that I'd love for this to take off...  Its amazing

« Reply #68 on: November 15, 2015, 04:15 »
0
According to some users in this thread, they have regular sales. Whether it's true or not I don't know. I didn't have any sales so far. I'm with them about 1,5 year.

« Reply #69 on: November 15, 2015, 06:15 »
0
Well i guess it makes sense to put more files up and try for myself. Will keep you all posted

StefC

  • www.royaltyfreevault.com
« Reply #70 on: November 15, 2015, 07:43 »
+5
If only they finally decided to PROTECT OUR WORK with a decent watermark!
At least in the Marketplace album.

But no, the "previews" are really huge (more than enough for most online uses) and the watermark is a tiny logo in a corner.
It's like saying "Hey, come here, the images are fully searchable, with tags and full descriptions and when you find it... you can steal it, it's so easy!"


« Reply #71 on: November 15, 2015, 10:51 »
+1
If only they finally decided to PROTECT OUR WORK with a decent watermark!
At least in the Marketplace album.

But no, the "previews" are really huge (more than enough for most online uses) and the watermark is a tiny logo in a corner.
It's like saying "Hey, come here, the images are fully searchable, with tags and full descriptions and when you find it... you can steal it, it's so easy!"

The previews don't need to be this big - they'll be stolen right and left. 

And since we're picking on nits:  I really wish it didn't say "AWESOME" under my avatar photo.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2015, 14:42 by stockastic »

Tror

« Reply #72 on: November 15, 2015, 12:12 »
0
What I've done, personally, is just create sets and upload the whole series in to that set. Then I move maybe 1 or 2 photos in to my "Public Profile". The photos are still searchable but not visible on my profile page unless you visit my sets.


Thanks for the great tip! Can you set a "Set" as non-public as well but publish the material on Prime or do the sets have to be public?

I second the watermark issue: It is a REAL problem for many of us and holding me back to upload some pieces.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2015, 12:21 by Tror »

« Reply #73 on: November 15, 2015, 14:53 »
+6
According to some users in this thread, they have regular sales. Whether it's true or not I don't know. I didn't have any sales so far. I'm with them about 1,5 year.

Why would someone lie about this?
Here is a screenshot of my 1st sales page:

« Reply #74 on: November 15, 2015, 15:01 »
+3
According to some users in this thread, they have regular sales. Whether it's true or not I don't know. I didn't have any sales so far. I'm with them about 1,5 year.

Why would someone lie about this?
Here is a screenshot of my 1st sales page:
Thats pretty cool...  Hope more agencies like 500px make it. It's amazing for the contributors


 

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