A couple of years ago I remember a conversation about whether it was worthwhile uploading there in hopes of stock sales.  I believe it was around the time Getty started their Flikr program. 

The consensus at the time seemed to be that paid sales at Flikr were few and far between.   Back then I concluded it wasn't worthwhile uploading to Flikr if you were hoping for stock sales.  Based on the below-referenced conversation, I am wondering if that might have changed...

http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/no-crisis-du-jour-at-istockphoto/msg198604/?topicseen#new


For anyone who uploads to Flikr - do you have your stock portfolio there?  Are you making any sales?  If so, how do they compare percentage-wise to your microstock sales? 

I've never had a sale on Flickr, and the images I put up are sufficiently low resolution that I don't expect they're getting much if any free use.  I do it to share with friends, or to show off to the world at large.  In any event, it's a social rather than a business thing for me.

Lisa got me wondering too on this subject. I have never paid much attention to this Flickr, seams to be quite amateurish really but now when Getty owns it Im sure they find a way to get money from it??

I set up an account there and specifically upload a certain genre, with the idea of pointing certain buyers to it as my "portfolio" (really it's only for local buyers though).  It's a work in progress, and not professional, but it's easy to use.  I leave all family and casual stuff out of it on purpose. 

I too fear that my small copyright watermark is not deterrent enough for a thief.

I get very few views, and I've never had a request for an image, so perhaps I should redo some of my keywords...and images too 

I use Flickr to show my portfolio and direct traffic to my website, placing a link with each image description.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasambydesign/

(I asked the Flickr staff to review my account and they told me it was okay)

Getty doesn't own Flickr; Yahoo does.  Getty just uses Flickr members as a source of supply.

Oh OK,  I actually thought they owned part of it or something like that.

Anyway, so how are they earning any money then?  I mean it cant all be freebies, or cant it?

Quote from: lagereek on May 01, 2011, 03:54

so how are they earning any money then?

Flickr Collection at Getty Images.

Thanks!  just goes to show,  I would never had known.  So thats how they make money out of it but what about the photographers?  are they contracted under Getty then.

I was approached 7 times for usage of my pictures in flickr, 6 of those worked out. Contrary to most of what I read (and that's why I don't beleive it at all, i think its just ppl trying to bash flickr, for some weirdo reason) nobody ever asked to use my pics for free, every time they offered basically the same amount, about 100$, or 80 euro, etc... it was for a sinlge time usage.... so /usage they were helluva better deal than micros.

FAQ

Well, you certainly did your part and got a bunch of links to Getty in there! 

Aside from the Getty collection, I always thought flickr was like deviantArt...people putting up photos to share with others. Not necessarily their own photos, but ones they came across that they thought were cool. A lot of stealing of images. Maybe some sales, but mostly a place to post your pics for sharing with friends and family. In fact, last I read something about it, I thought you weren't allowed to sell pictures directly from flikr, as it is NOT a commercial site. Since Thomas Amby asked, I presume it's ok to link to your personal website. I can see how that might be useful.

I've used flickr primarily just as a promotional venue for just a handful of images. I upload low-res watermarked images there and link to GL or my own personal site. But lately I've been rethinking that strategy. No doubt it's silly to direct any sales to a microstock site. I'm just not sure what my strategy should be for flickr. Link to purchase at my personal store, link to my personal site with licensing info, no link and just hope someone contacts me to license an image, etc.

I use Flickr to show my portfolio and direct traffic to my website, placing a link with each image description.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasambydesign/

(I asked the Flickr staff to review my account and they told me it was okay)

That's what I did but for some reason I never get any inquiries... 

How is your feedback from Flickr visitors? Do you have a consistent stream of buyers from there?

I recently put a dozen or so images on Flikr so I can't talk from my experience. But a friend of mine uses it for his images, mainly landscapes, and he does get the occasional sale from it. It's also pleasant to get requests to add images to someone's Flikr group although I have no idea if there is any benefit doing so other than feeling warm and fuzzy.

It's easy to upload there especially if you send small files optimized for the web. I was disappointed that my view numbers haven't been higher until I realized that, according to a counter during uploading, Flikr as getting 5,000 to 8,000 images PER MINUTE.
 
When you scan through recent shots there you see that there is a huge range of quality from superior to gag-me-with-a-spoon ugly. Some Folks seem to upload every digital shot they every took. Can you imagine being a microstock-style reviewer sifting through all that garbage looking for pearls?