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Author Topic: Arrogance abounds at istock  (Read 46600 times)

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« Reply #200 on: June 03, 2011, 07:44 »
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On the other side, i would never sell patterns and backgrounds on RM, never sold one so far
Well, clearly you can't have sold one RM if you don't offer them RM. QED.

I've a few hundreds patterns on Alamy, they never made a sale nor a single zoom so far, wasted time, or maybe it's just Alamy.
You've made two statements:
"I would never sell patterns and backgrounds on RM, never sold one"
and
"I've a few hundred patterns on Alamy, never made a sale."
So, are your Alamy patterns RF?

the old ones are all RM, the new ones are all RF, but so far no luck in both cases, buyers rightfully buy patterns for 1$ on microstock
nowadays and i don't blame them.

on IS and SS they all sell decently and i'm ok with it, in 99% of the cases they are patterns taken on the street, production cost
very very low, i should put more energy about patterns considering sometimes they're selling better than other more expensive subjects.


helix7

« Reply #201 on: June 03, 2011, 08:36 »
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I'm pretty sure Photographers Direct wouldn't want anything to do with you if they knew you were also selling anything in microstock.

« Reply #202 on: June 03, 2011, 09:05 »
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I'm pretty sure Photographers Direct wouldn't want anything to do with you if they knew you were also selling anything in microstock.

they mostly sell editorial, nothing to with patterns or backgrounds.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #203 on: June 03, 2011, 09:34 »
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I'm pretty sure Photographers Direct wouldn't want anything to do with you if they knew you were also selling anything in microstock.

they mostly sell editorial, nothing to with patterns or backgrounds.


In their conditions for sellers, they say,
"Because you will always deal direct with clients when selling images through Photographers Direct, we are non-exclusive. This means we have no restrictions on photographers selling the same images through other agencies. The only exceptions are microstock sites such as istockphoto, canstockphoto, shutterstock, dreamstime, bigstockphoto, crestock - we cannot represent photographers who market any of their images on these sites." Their explanation is here:
http://www.photographersdirect.com/sellers/microstock_sites.asp
I actually agree with what they're saying.
"Why will Photographers Direct not represent photographers who have images on microstock / micropayment sites?
Because they are the antithesis of Fair Trade Photography. Microstock sites (which sell Royalty Free images for 1 to 50 dollars) prey on the lack of industry-experience of amateur photographers.
The only people who benefit from these sites are:
    The site owners, because they make money from the images and do not care about the damage they are doing to professional photographers' livelihoods.
    The buyers, who cannot believe their luck at being able to get images for a few dollars, and being able to use them as often as they like, for as long as they like, wherever they like."
Unfortunately, word is that sales there are even slower than on Alamy. I'd post a link, but direct links to the Alamy forum don't work. Try Googling "Photographers Direct" Alamy.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2011, 09:36 by ShadySue »

helix7

« Reply #204 on: June 03, 2011, 09:47 »
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I'm pretty sure Photographers Direct wouldn't want anything to do with you if they knew you were also selling anything in microstock.

they mostly sell editorial, nothing to with patterns or backgrounds.

As Sue pointed out, they don't want anything to do with anyone who deals with microstock at all.

« Reply #205 on: June 03, 2011, 11:20 »
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As Sue pointed out, they don't want anything to do with anyone who deals with microstock at all.

they're over reacting.
most of their sales would never pass istock's QC nor you can find any of those obscure subjects
their clients request every day, i just received a couple new emails from them today, look at this
for instance :

Date         : 2nd June 2011
Deadline     : 21st June 2011
Request No.10382
Request Title: CHRISTIAN PILGRIM MAN WITH PILGRIM COAT
Request:
For a page opener in our book by Grayson Perry (the artist) we are looking for a black and white image (before 1960's) of a Christian pilgrim man wearing a pilgrim coat and on his way to a sacred place (Compostela, Lourdes or any other). It can be a group shot or not.
- Black and White images ONLY

Format       : either landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical)
Use          : editorial
Budget
Other Usage       : UK50.00
Notes on Budget   : 50 for 1/4 page 75 for half 100 for full page English Language 20,000 copies. Size TBC

Buyer Rating : (no rating)
Country      : United Kingdom

« Reply #206 on: June 03, 2011, 11:30 »
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so i repeat : would i become rich selling RM patterns on photographers direct ? never ever, and they never request patterns from what i see so what can i do ? throw my patterns away ? try with alamy getty etc ? been there done that and sorry they never sold once in years ... there's a place for anything in this world, RM in RM agencies, RF patterns in microstock, sorry.

helix7

« Reply #207 on: June 03, 2011, 11:34 »
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so i repeat : would i become rich selling RM patterns on photographers direct ? never ever, and they never request patterns from what i see so what can i do ? throw my patterns away ? try with alamy getty etc ? been there done that and sorry they never sold once in years ... there's a place for anything in this world, RM in RM agencies, RF patterns in microstock, sorry.

I agree, there's a place for everything. I'm just saying that PD doesn't feel the same way, and if they know you're involved in microstock in any way they'll likely cut you loose.

« Reply #208 on: June 03, 2011, 12:28 »
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so i repeat : would i become rich selling RM patterns on photographers direct ? never ever, and they never request patterns from what i see so what can i do ? throw my patterns away ? try with alamy getty etc ? been there done that and sorry they never sold once in years ... there's a place for anything in this world, RM in RM agencies, RF patterns in microstock, sorry.

I agree, there's a place for everything. I'm just saying that PD doesn't feel the same way, and if they know you're involved in microstock in any way they'll likely cut you loose.

well i don't give a sh-it what they say, but i certainlty like their business model :

20% cut for them, 80% for the photographer, exactly the opposite of istock !

Slovenian

« Reply #209 on: June 03, 2011, 12:37 »
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well i don't give a sh-it what they say, but i certainlty like their business model :

20% cut for them, 80% for the photographer, exactly the opposite of istock !

mess splitting the profit fairly if there's no traffic. All that I care about is the sum I get from a certain agency, not the prices or royalty cut. Sure, generally I'm all for it, just like anybody else, also for raising the prices, but if I (still) get less money at the end, than there's no use for all of that.

« Reply #210 on: June 03, 2011, 12:56 »
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well i don't give a sh-it what they say, but i certainlty like their business model :

20% cut for them, 80% for the photographer, exactly the opposite of istock !

mess splitting the profit fairly if there's no traffic. All that I care about is the sum I get from a certain agency, not the prices or royalty cut. Sure, generally I'm all for it, just like anybody else, also for raising the prices, but if I (still) get less money at the end, than there's no use for all of that.

wait until istock lowers your royalties to 10% for you and 90% for them...

donding

  • Think before you speak
« Reply #211 on: June 03, 2011, 13:35 »
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I'm pretty sure Photographers Direct wouldn't want anything to do with you if they knew you were also selling anything in microstock.

they mostly sell editorial, nothing to with patterns or backgrounds.

As Sue pointed out, they don't want anything to do with anyone who deals with microstock at all.

I seem to recall someone on here talking about Photographers Direct and they ended up getting canned by PD and it wasn't me.

I use to do PD many years ago before microstock...as a matter of fact the first picture I ever sold was through them....BUT the requests you get...ALL members get...not just you. So you're not getting special treatment. You are competing against all of them and the ones who pay for the unlimited website membership gets first dibs on the requests. You can get 1000 e-mails and if you are lucky you might sell a photo to one of them. After 3 years with them submitting to request after request...I only sold three pictures.....for the total of $380.00 then you have to deal with the customers on top of that and hope they pay...which I had two more requests that the people never payed.  I make more on microstock in a year than I did on there in 3 years. Just so you know....

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #212 on: June 03, 2011, 13:48 »
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donding

  • Think before you speak
« Reply #213 on: June 03, 2011, 14:15 »
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