Author Topic: Exciting News! We've launched FocalPool (Read 23529 times)

Semmick Photo · « **Reply #75 on:** February 08, 2015, 07:46 »

Quote from: NorArt on February 07, 2015, 13:26

USP for Sellers:
FocalPool is a self-service platform where you sell your photos in the marketplace while maintaining complete control over pricing, licensing, management.

USP for Buyers:
Search the FocalPool marketplace to buy the photos you’re looking for. If it doesn’t exist, request it directly from photographers.

Both USP are already out there.

USP for Sellers. FAA
USP for buyers. Image brief. Envato. Etc.

You haven't researched this at all.

r2d2 · « **Reply #76 on:** February 08, 2015, 14:46 »

Quote from: NorArt on February 05, 2015, 15:15

you guys have a great question regarding VAT.

Until this point most of our focus has been to work closely with photographers and other creative professionals to develop our platform. To be honest, we still need to do a lot of research to see what is the best approach when it comes to handling VAT. As someone who deals with this in Europe with different marketplaces, can you give me some examples of companies that handle it the correct way?

Which is difficult when the contracts come about directly between the authors and buyers.
The administrative burden for EU contributors be very high.
An example of a bad solution is Envato.

Kernowp · « **Reply #77 on:** February 09, 2015, 04:30 »

I like a lot of what I see here.

EU VAT is a key issue and actually represents an opportunity for you. Self hosting in EU countries has become unattractive owing to the need for sellers to become tax collectors. I, for one, would happily pay your percentage if you are able to take on that role.

To do this successfully, I have to trust you to do it as I would retain liability. Similarly, you need to be able to evidence to me that the tax has been accounted for.

Your proposal is unattractive until you sort this out.

Ariene · « **Reply #78 on:** February 10, 2015, 06:32 »

One more thing that I can't leave out, I'm confused - if it's up to photographers to set their own license term for clients (agreement or whatever we call it in english), where do we (authors) upload it and where/ when client can get it? I'm worry if it's not to much for them (clients) to read all different agreements for every image/ author... $:-\$
Can you give us details and tell in few easy words how does it work there? I'm sorry if this info is on the site already, I can't find it

NorArt · « **Reply #79 on:** February 10, 2015, 21:50 »

Hi Ariene,

We have standard license agreements RF/RM which most photographers use to license their own images and it's recognizable to most clients. But if for some reason a photographer wants to use their unique license agreement they will be able to.

Ariene · « **Reply #80 on:** February 11, 2015, 02:27 »

I must be blind as I can't find it... Please tell me where is it

I'm talking about client license agreement and not terms for contributor

NorArt · « **Reply #81 on:** February 11, 2015, 14:15 »

Ariene, I just realized that with our last few site updates, the links to the licensing agreements got hidden and we never noticed it. We're working to bring it back up. I'll email you the links as soon as possible.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

jaguarblanco · « **Reply #82 on:** February 17, 2015, 22:53 »

I like the concept…just join and now waiting for that invitation email.

Hope this will success and make the change that the micro stock and creative market needs.

KnowYourOnions · « **Reply #83 on:** February 18, 2015, 01:03 »

+10 for NorArt who is patiently replying to all the Qs.
That's promising... go FocalPool!

Ariene · « **Reply #84 on:** April 25, 2015, 15:48 »

It's so quiet here lately...
Btw. How can I upload image now? I just can't find UPLOAD button anymore...

michaeldb · « **Reply #85 on:** April 25, 2015, 17:01 »

Quote from: jaguarblanco on February 17, 2015, 22:53

I like the concept…just join and now waiting for that invitation email.

Hope this will success and make the change that the micro stock and creative market needs.

Regarding the USP and 'no middleman issues' consider this from an article Reason magazine today,
"...a self-branded "decentralization' movement coalescing around the idea that recent breakthroughs in computer science have made it possible for individuals to exchange goods and services without the involvement of any third party.

Some of the highest profile firms in tech—including Uber, Lyft, eBay, Etsy, and Airbnb—are essentially marketplace operators that facilitate trade between independent buyers and sellers. In return, they extract fees, put limits on who can participate in the market..."

It seems like a really good site which does what Etsy does could succeed, and even possibly unseat SS some day. Just because a (loser) site like FAA does something seemingly similar does not mean that a really good peer-to-peer site could not succeed big time.

I stopped doing microstock because it doesn't pay enough any more. I read MSG to keep up on the business, and I will watch FocalPool to see what it happens, and wish it good luck.

memakephoto · « **Reply #86 on:** April 26, 2015, 10:47 »

I watched the video for focalpool and found this site to be the worst kind of crowd sourcing.

The video claims they put buyers in direct contact with photographers, implying the buyer looks at a photographer's port, contacts them and hires them to shoot a specific image, but that's not really true.

Instead a buyer posts a request in which they can be very specific about what they need, a bowl of pasta in a white bowl to start, then adding an illustration to show the specific angle they want, type of pasta, background, type of file etc. This request is open to multiple photographers to submit work but the more specific the details get, the less likely a photographer already has such an image in their collection, meaning if they want to participate they would have to create the shot following the specs given, possibly incurring costs out of pocket. Fine, except that maybe 100+ other photographers are doing the same thing. Everyone uploads their images and hopes for the best. Problem is the buyer doesn't need 100 shots, they need only 1. If it's not yours, you lose. You get nothing.

Reminds me of Hunger Games, or Battle Royal. Focalpool pits photographers against each other and whoever wins gets a reward, for everyone else, well it sucks to be you. They don't care who gets paid because no matter what, they get their 20%.

Not interested.

Ariene · « **Reply #87 on:** April 26, 2015, 10:56 »

Quote from: memakephoto on April 26, 2015, 10:47

... Focalpool pits photographers against each other and whoever wins gets a reward, for everyone else, well it sucks to be you. They don't care who gets paid because no matter what, they get their 20%.

Isn't it the standard way with any other agency? Does SS or Alamy care whose image will be sold? As far as I know, they don't. They get their % and that's happy end. Just like with Focal Pool. And here as well client won't buy 100 images, he comes to any agency for the one that he's looking for. Or not? Am I wrong?

PhotoBomb · « **Reply #88 on:** April 26, 2015, 11:06 »

Quote from: Ariene on April 26, 2015, 10:56

Quote from: memakephoto on April 26, 2015, 10:47
... Focalpool pits photographers against each other and whoever wins gets a reward, for everyone else, well it sucks to be you. They don't care who gets paid because no matter what, they get their 20%.

Isn't it the standard way with any other agency? Does SS or Alamy care whose image will be sold? As far as I know, they don't. They get their % and that's happy end. Just like with Focal Pool. And here as well client won't buy 100 images, he comes to any agency for the one that he's looking for. Or not? Am I wrong?

I imagine that buyers with subscription plans are downloading more than one image for a project. They pick some they think will work - run them past the client and ultimately end up using just one. I can't imagine that all the downloaded images SS has every day,in the end all get used in projects.

memakephoto · « **Reply #89 on:** April 26, 2015, 11:13 »

Quote from: Ariene on April 26, 2015, 10:56

Quote from: memakephoto on April 26, 2015, 10:47
... Focalpool pits photographers against each other and whoever wins gets a reward, for everyone else, well it sucks to be you. They don't care who gets paid because no matter what, they get their 20%.

Isn't it the standard way with any other agency? Does SS or Alamy care whose image will be sold? As far as I know, they don't. They get their % and that's happy end. Just like with Focal Pool. And here as well client won't buy 100 images, he comes to any agency for the one that he's looking for. Or not? Am I wrong?

With Stock Photography, I shoot what I want, how I want. I upload and if a buyer likes it they buy it, if they don't, they don't. Sometimes I make a lot of money from what I choose to shoot, sometimes I make very little, but it's on my terms.

When a buyer has very specific directions, it's no longer stock photography. In that case they would ordinarily hire a photographer, give them their very, very specific instructions and the photographer produces the work, knowing they're going to be paid, probably even getting a deposit up front to cover expenses.

Here a buyer has very specific instruction for what they want but they forgo hiring a photographer. Instead they post their project and It becomes more like a contest, you take part on their terms but at your expense and you hope to get something from it. There's a big difference.

Ariene · « **Reply #90 on:** April 26, 2015, 11:33 »

Ok, I get it, but I believe it's not every time the same? I mean, it happens that I already have the image that client wants so all I do is upload? Just like it works on Imagebrief, I don't have to make new images (the offered price is usually to small to take the photo session costs especially for this order)?

memakephoto · « **Reply #91 on:** April 26, 2015, 11:58 »

Quote from: Ariene on April 26, 2015, 11:33

Ok, I get it, but I believe it's not every time the same? I mean, it happens that I already have the image that client wants so all I do is upload? Just like it works on Imagebrief, I don't have to make new images (the offered price is usually to small to take the photo session costs especially for this order)?

Yeah exactly. If the buyer just wants a bowl of pasta and you have shots like that already then it works. Just like with imagebrief. But like I said, the more specific the request, the less likely you have exactly what they want in which case if you want to submit you have to go shoot it following the directions posted. I know people go out and shoot things specifically to suit briefs on Imagebrief even though they market themselves as a place for photographers to submit preexisting material from their catalogs. I don't do that and never will. I've only submitted to about 8 briefs in the last year. Never made a sale. In fact all of the briefs I've ever submitted to remained pending for months and never closed. Probably because the buyer didn't get exactly what they wanted.

Lizard · « **Reply #92 on:** April 26, 2015, 15:18 »

Quote from: Ariene on April 25, 2015, 15:48

It's so quiet here lately...
Btw. How can I upload image now? I just can't find UPLOAD button anymore...

Was wondering the same but actually its even more simple now, just go to library, open media folder and drag and drop images on it. If you created any collection you just open that folder and you can upload directly to the collection folder now.

I really like the whole concept, the look and options of this site and I have already uploaded majority of my portfolio so I hope they will start their business soon.

About that buyers request option from the video that someone mentioned, well I look at that just as an single option that the site offers ( it really doesn't interest me much personally) but not at all as a main force of their concept.

Ariene · « **Reply #93 on:** April 26, 2015, 16:08 »

Nevermind.

Ariene · « **Reply #94 on:** July 14, 2017, 10:03 »

Sad to see FocalPool closing down, and it was so nice and promising place...

Another agency which ends before their start...

namussi · « **Reply #95 on:** July 14, 2017, 10:09 »

From the website

While we have made great progress, mostly thanks to your invaluable feedback, we realized that we are getting too far away from our original mission. Therefore, we have decided to take what we have learned from FocalPool and start fresh under new branding and a laser focus mission. Once we are ready to publicly launch our new company, we'll notify all of you via email.

StanRohrer · « **Reply #96 on:** July 14, 2017, 10:13 »

OLD THREAD ALERT!!!

increasingdifficulty · « **Reply #97 on:** July 14, 2017, 10:53 »

Quote from: StanRohrer on July 14, 2017, 10:13

OLD THREAD ALERT!!!

It's called a follow-up. It's actually quite interesting to see what happens to new start-ups after a few years.

increasingdifficulty · « **Reply #98 on:** July 14, 2017, 10:54 »

Quote from: namussi on July 14, 2017, 10:09

From the website

While we have made great progress, mostly thanks to your invaluable feedback, we realized that we are getting too far away from our original mission. Therefore, we have decided to take what we have learned from FocalPool and start fresh under new branding and a laser focus mission. Once we are ready to publicly launch our new company, we'll notify all of you via email.

Far away from the mission of making money...

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Author Topic: Exciting News! We've launched FocalPool (Read 23529 times)

Semmick Photo

r2d2

Kernowp

Ariene

NorArt

Ariene

NorArt

jaguarblanco

KnowYourOnions

Ariene

michaeldb

memakephoto

Ariene

PhotoBomb

memakephoto

Ariene

memakephoto

Lizard

Ariene

Ariene

namussi

StanRohrer

increasingdifficulty

increasingdifficulty

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