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Author Topic: I am a happy Contributor  (Read 10256 times)

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« on: February 21, 2017, 14:14 »
+6
I am a happy Contributor and I got two simple reasons for that:

First: My income and wellbeing totally depends on illustrations. Compare it with a physically disabled person who totally depends on his wheelchair to move from one place to another.

Second: I am a creativity junky, I am an addict. If I dont create something new continually, I feel like being dried out like an alcoholic. I feel bad. I accept the challenge, that I have to compete with a million contributors out there. I must activate all my brain cells to be better, day by day. This is just like with any other business.

Are there more junkies out there?


« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2017, 14:44 »
+8
I enjoy the work. From a business perspective though, it doesn't make a ton of sense to spend copious amounts of time creating new images.

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2017, 16:08 »
+15
I was a happy contributor until my income started dropping. Not so happy now. It's cute to see one of my newbie friends gushing on Facebook that he got ten sales on SS a couple of days ago. All subs. Lowest tier. $2.50 makes him giddy. Doesn't really notice the new dashboard because he still sees all his sales on one page, so what's the big diff?

I remember when I was excited to get ten sales too. Now my index finger hurts from the annoying click, click, clicking to see what I once saw at a glance. And ten sales in one day would make me cry.

All depends on your POV.

dpimborough

« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2017, 17:41 »
+3
I am a happy Contributor and I got two simple reasons for that:

First: My income and wellbeing totally depends on illustrations. Compare it with a physically disabled person who totally depends on his wheelchair to move from one place to another.

Second: I am a creativity junky, I am an addict. If I dont create something new continually, I feel like being dried out like an alcoholic. I feel bad. I accept the challenge, that I have to compete with a million contributors out there. I must activate all my brain cells to be better, day by day. This is just like with any other business.

Are there more junkies out there?

First: I have a relative who has to rely on a wheel chair your comparison is facetious

Second: I have know and have worked with real addicts and alcoholics your second comparision is also facetious



fritz

  • I love Tom and Jerry music

« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2017, 18:02 »
+1
I'm safe and sound! I'm happy  :)

« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2017, 18:43 »
+12
Most contributors who are happy with microstock either started out recently, or have no financial dependence on microstock.
You should consider the amount of time needed to create your work and then figure out how much your return per image is. If it makes you more money than the average job at the office, good for you. Hopefully it will be stable income for several years. But most people are working for (less than) minimum wage, happily spending way too much time on creating and uploading with little or no return on their investment.

« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2017, 19:07 »
+2
I was a happy contributor until my income started dropping. Not so happy now. It's cute to see one of my newbie friends gushing on Facebook that he got ten sales on SS a couple of days ago. All subs. Lowest tier. $2.50 makes him giddy. Doesn't really notice the new dashboard because he still sees all his sales on one page, so what's the big diff?

I remember when I was excited to get ten sales too. Now my index finger hurts from the annoying click, click, clicking to see what I once saw at a glance. And ten sales in one day would make me cry.

All depends on your POV.

Everyone has to start somewhere. If he's new and he's getting 10 sales a day, it's a good start. I remember I had 3 sales in my first month and I became super motivated to do better. Today, he may have 10 sales a day. In a couple years, it could become 100.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2017, 19:09 by Minsc »

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2017, 21:02 »
+9
...and a couple of years later he could be back down to ten again.

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2017, 22:00 »
+10
My income and wellbeing totally depends on illustrations. Compare it with a physically disabled person who totally depends on his wheelchair to move from one place to another.

You can't compare it because they're completely unrelated... one is a way to support yourself financially, and the other is a way to get from A to B without having to drag yourself along the floor.

I'm sure there are plenty of disabled people out there who also create illustrations to generate an income. So they totally depend on illustrations as well, just as you do... it just happens that they have a wheelchair.

You can compare being able to walk to having a wheelchair. Or you could compare selling furniture to selling illustrations... but you can't compare having a wheelchair to selling illustrations.

« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2017, 22:03 »
+6
I was a happy contributor until my income started dropping. Not so happy now. It's cute to see one of my newbie friends gushing on Facebook that he got ten sales on SS a couple of days ago. All subs. Lowest tier. $2.50 makes him giddy. Doesn't really notice the new dashboard because he still sees all his sales on one page, so what's the big diff?

I remember when I was excited to get ten sales too. Now my index finger hurts from the annoying click, click, clicking to see what I once saw at a glance. And ten sales in one day would make me cry.

All depends on your POV.

Everyone has to start somewhere. If he's new and he's getting 10 sales a day, it's a good start. I remember I had 3 sales in my first month and I became super motivated to do better. Today, he may have 10 sales a day. In a couple years, it could become 100.

I'm glad for Josephine that she is happy.  I remember when I felt exactly the same way.  Sorry to have lost that enthusiasm,  but I doubt I'll be getting it back.  Enjoy yourself Josephine! 

« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2017, 00:26 »
+1
I am 8 years into Microstock and financial dependent on it. pretty content with the return so far.

derek

    This user is banned.
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2017, 02:50 »
+1
I am financially dependent and fulltime on stock photography for the last 18-20 years. Its ok but I can't say I am too happy about the micro industry at present. SS down from around $.80 per day to a meager $.30-40.
Adobe going up around 30%. DT is showing signs of coming alive.

My what some call Macro agencies are steady going up not by much but at leat moving upwards.

On the whole and all things considered competition this and that one has to be reasonably content.

« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2017, 03:05 »
+2
My income and wellbeing totally depends on illustrations. Compare it with a physically disabled person who totally depends on his wheelchair to move from one place to another.

You can't compare it because they're completely unrelated... one is a way to support yourself financially, and the other is a way to get from A to B without having to drag yourself along the floor.

I'm sure there are plenty of disabled people out there who also create illustrations to generate an income. So they totally depend on illustrations as well, just as you do... it just happens that they have a wheelchair.

You can compare being able to walk to having a wheelchair. Or you could compare selling furniture to selling illustrations... but you can't compare having a wheelchair to selling illustrations.
Actually I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few disabled people do Mstock it offers a "career" for many who might find getting to and from work etc very challenging.

« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2017, 03:18 »
0
Sorry, I forgot to tell you, that I am living in so-called "poor" country. With a thousand bugs a month you are a millionaire. Wheelchairs are rather simple...

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2017, 03:22 »
0
Actually I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few disabled people do Mstock it offers a "career" for many who might find getting to and from work etc very challenging.

Absolutely. There's a guy on the Envato forums (cue the boos) that had Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis which resulted in him being 95% physically challenged. He recently bought himself a new wheelchair using his earnings from Envato. I mean, he obviously doesn't value his work, but still ;)

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #15 on: February 22, 2017, 03:31 »
+1
Sorry, I forgot to tell you, that I am living in so-called "poor" country. With a thousand bugs a month you are a millionaire. Wheelchairs are rather simple...

It's great that you're happy, and it's great that you can live like a millionaire on (what I'm assuming is) a thousand bucks. The point, that you still seem to be missing, is that whether a wheelchair is pretty simple or not, the person sitting in it rarely is. Their very existence isn't defined by their disability, even though for most, it's still obviously a big part of their life.

Disabled people still need money to survive, just like you and I, and many of them have careers and some are artists that sell their work online, just like you and I. It just comes across as you saying that selling artwork online is what defines you, and selling artwork online can't define disabled people... because being disabled and having to use a wheelchair is the only thing that can possibly define a disabled person.

« Reply #16 on: February 22, 2017, 04:02 »
+6
I was addicted for the first 2 years.  Now, I'm happy with Alamy.  The rest of the sites either pay me too small a percentage or have done something to make it harder for me to increase my earnings.  I have no idea how people can be happy with istock taking 85% or other sites selling video clips for almost nothing?  Working harder and harder to make other people rich while my earnings erode has no appeal to me.  I'm still looking for alternatives and I'm sure my next addiction will be nothing to do with microstock.


SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #17 on: February 22, 2017, 04:31 »
0
I was addicted for the first 2 years.  Now, I'm happy with Alamy.  The rest of the sites either pay me too small a percentage or have done something to make it harder for me to increase my earnings.  I have no idea how people can be happy with istock taking 85% or other sites selling video clips for almost nothing?  Working harder and harder to make other people rich while my earnings erode has no appeal to me.  I'm still looking for alternatives and I'm sure my next addiction will be nothing to do with microstock.

Not having a dig or anything, just generally interested in your answer.... if you got more money from iStock than you did Alamy, would you be less bothered about them taking 85%?

« Reply #18 on: February 22, 2017, 04:33 »
0
I am financially dependent and fulltime on stock photography for the last 18-20 years. Its ok but I can't say I am too happy about the micro industry at present. SS down from around $.80 per day to a meager $.30-40.
Adobe going up around 30%. DT is showing signs of coming alive.

My what some call Macro agencies are steady going up not by much but at leat moving upwards.

On the whole and all things considered competition this and that one has to be reasonably content.

Your daily earnings on SS are $0.30-0.40 or $30-40?

« Reply #19 on: February 22, 2017, 10:23 »
+1
I was addicted for the first 2 years.  Now, I'm happy with Alamy.  The rest of the sites either pay me too small a percentage or have done something to make it harder for me to increase my earnings.  I have no idea how people can be happy with istock taking 85% or other sites selling video clips for almost nothing?  Working harder and harder to make other people rich while my earnings erode has no appeal to me.  I'm still looking for alternatives and I'm sure my next addiction will be nothing to do with microstock.

Not having a dig or anything, just generally interested in your answer.... if you got more money from iStock than you did Alamy, would you be less bothered about them taking 85%?
It would help but I still think they were paying us too little at 20% and going below that was a huge mistake.  If they had increased my earnings, I might of put up with it for longer but that didn't happen.

« Reply #20 on: February 22, 2017, 10:29 »
0
They say that happiness is a state of mind and it is.


Brasilnut

  • Author Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock & Blog

« Reply #21 on: February 22, 2017, 11:52 »
+2
We have to accept that any earnings for content is a huge step up for those photographers who spent years posting on social media in return for worthless likes.

It's too bad that feeling that a business is willing to pay for your media quickly wears off once they realise it takes a hell lot of work to make it worthwhile.

SpaceStockFootage

  • Space, Sci-Fi and Astronomy Related Stock Footage

« Reply #22 on: February 22, 2017, 12:00 »
0
They say that happiness is a state of mind and it is.

Of course it is. But it's heavily linked to things that aren't a state of mind. Like if I lived on a bench, eating one meal every other day, was tortured on a daily basis, and forced to endure ridicule and humiliation every day of my life.... I might still be able to find happiness within that. I might be able to influence my state of mind to be happy.

« Reply #23 on: February 22, 2017, 12:52 »
+1
They say that happiness is a state of mind and it is.

Of course it is. But it's heavily linked to things that aren't a state of mind. Like if I lived on a bench, eating one meal every other day, was tortured on a daily basis, and forced to endure ridicule and humiliation every day of my life.... I might still be able to find happiness within that. I might be able to influence my state of mind to be happy.

I believe holocaust survivor, the recently deceased Eli Weisel wrote pretty extensively on exactly that subject.  Keeping your humanity and peace of mind in inhuman circumstances.   The ability to do that is quite remarkable.  Most of us lack the psychological makeup to achieve positivity in the face of persistent abuse.

Not that being a microstock photographer remotely compares to enduring the Holocaust,  but I was responding to your analogy of being homeless, starving, and tortiured, not merely underpaid by some stock agencies.

« Reply #24 on: February 22, 2017, 14:00 »
+11
I really can't believe what I am reading in this thread from one positive post Josephine made.
First of all I think it is great that you are so happy creating illustrations whether for yourself or for sale. It's great to see the sale counter click. You can't compare yourself to others, just keep doing what makes you happy.

I started stock in 2007 when I was in a very bad car accident. I was in the Mayo Clinic brain trauma center for 6 months. My camera was the only thing that kept me going. I had to learn to walk, talk and use the camera all over again. If it wasn't for that camera, I would have quit life. I used wheelchairs and mobility scooters to get around for 7 years. I still use the scooter when needed. My body overheats and doesn't regulate blood pressure so it can fall to 52/40 in a minute.
Like Josephine taking pictures is still one of the only things that makes me really happy. I am disabled but looking at me you wouldn't know it. I am only able to shoot for 10 to 15 min at a time.  Whoever said being in a wheelchair defines you as disabled is wrong. There are a lot of disabled people that aren't in wheelchairs.
10 years later, I still love taking pictures and by a lot of hard work happen to be one of Istocks high performers. I am a happy contributor.
All that really should have been said to Josephine was Great, glad you are happy...but no, this forum has to turn everything negative.

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #25 on: February 22, 2017, 16:01 »
+11
Good for you! Unfortunately many of us who are also successful Microstockers are seeing a decrease in income, and that's reality. When you start a thread about being happy about microstock, you can expect others to be not so happy. And vice versa. When I started I was thrilled that people were willing to license my work. Now I've watched billionaire company owners chip away at the incomes of the people who made them their billions. I suppose if I lived in a "poor" country i'd still be happy with my micro income, but I live in the USA, where the guy at the top becomes a billionaire and the little Americans under him slowly lose their shirts.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #26 on: February 22, 2017, 16:05 »
+1
I live in the USA, where the guy at the top becomes a billionaire ...
or vice versa.


« Reply #27 on: February 22, 2017, 17:53 »
+3
I'm seeing figures going down, just not complaining about it in a happy person's thread.

« Reply #28 on: February 22, 2017, 19:28 »
+2
I think this thread isn't just about being happy. It's also about creativity, daily challenges, competition and totally depending on microstock income. Contribution isn't my only source of income and I can only imagine how frustrating it can be today, for all those whose are. I really believe it's normal for things to change with time. It doesn't necessarily have to be for the right reasons and it doesn't have to be a good change. Microstock sites growing so fast in the last years could only lead to one thing - too many images - big mess. The quality of images on almost every microstock site today is pretty questionable. Don't get me wrong, I still believe there are many great artists on microstock sites. It's just so sad that they often get lost in that big messy competition.

Josephine, so nice to hear you're happy and creative. Stay happy and good luck with your future work ;)

« Reply #29 on: February 22, 2017, 20:50 »
+5
Josephine, I wish you all the best and if you're happy doing what you're doing, then it is great.

Personally, last year, I reduced significantly the amount of money spent creating new photos and clips.
This year so far, the income drop seems to have accelerated, so I decided not to spend any meaningful money on new images. I will focus on recycling my existing work and finding new ways of monetizing it, outside of microstock and stock in general.

The trend is very clear to me and the writing is on the wall, in fact it's been there all the time. I only hoped that this moment would come a few years later. But it has come now, at the worst possible time for me.

Enjoy it while you can, Josephine, I hope it will continue to work for you for a long time. My only advice is: don't make big future plans relying on (micro)stock.

« Reply #30 on: February 22, 2017, 22:51 »
+1
Josephine, I wish you all the best and if you're happy doing what you're doing, then it is great.

Personally, last year, I reduced significantly the amount of money spent creating new photos and clips.
This year so far, the income drop seems to have accelerated, so I decided not to spend any meaningful money on new images. I will focus on recycling my existing work and finding new ways of monetizing it, outside of microstock and stock in general.

The trend is very clear to me and the writing is on the wall, in fact it's been there all the time. I only hoped that this moment would come a few years later. But it has come now, at the worst possible time for me.

Enjoy it while you can, Josephine, I hope it will continue to work for you for a long time. My only advice is: don't make big future plans relying on (micro)stock.

Agree 100% with everything you posted.  Well put!

Shelma1

  • stockcoalition.org
« Reply #31 on: February 23, 2017, 06:05 »
+3
I'm seeing figures going down, just not complaining about it in a happy person's thread.

So where ARE you complaining about it? The only posts I've seen from you recently are a couple where you pop in to tell other people what they shouldn't be saying and where they shouldn't be saying it.

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #32 on: February 23, 2017, 06:25 »
+6
This isn't really a thread about being happy, it's about having a go at people complaining.

It is put in a nicer way than the OPs previous posts:

"Many contributors talk about their wonderful photos or illustrations and cry because they dont sell. I am sure they are wonderful, but maybe only for the museum or National Geographic. If they are purposely made for the net and they do not sell they are worthless. If so, its better to say bye bye to SS or so"

"What . is this discussion all about? If somebody does not like peanuts any longer, he or she should just stop eating them. Thats all. Why do spend all this time to explain the hundred reasons for???
What is Shutterstock all about? God Father for microstockers?"


"Employees who condemn or insult their bosses in public or on the net get dismissed or even taken to court since they damage to the interests of their company. What will happen to contributors who do the same to their stock agencies here in this forum? What will be the consequence referring to their sales?
I suppose they just lose."


"If you dont increase your income year by year and you still continue to upload you must be a fool and better look for another job and stop crying."

"...produce better images or leave the business and not to waste valuable time with complaints, petitions or weird accusations."

But same thing. It's basically trolling people who are unhappy about the s**t agencies (particular IStock) are pulling. I believe it's referred to as metacomplaining or something.

« Reply #33 on: February 23, 2017, 06:48 »
+2
I'm highly depending on my stock income in a western country. I had a big drop since November on SS but recovering already with new images and the growth from sales in iStock and Fotolia are making up for losses on SS that I had. So I'm still positive and also a happy contributor! :)

I love doing stock and it changed my life. I started in 2011.

Keep doing what you love Josephine!

Justanotherphotographer

« Reply #34 on: February 23, 2017, 07:26 »
+3
I really can't believe what I am reading in this thread from one positive post Josephine made.
First of all I think it is great that you are so happy creating illustrations whether for yourself or for sale. It's great to see the sale counter click. You can't compare yourself to others, just keep doing what makes you happy.

I started stock in 2007 when I was in a very bad car accident. I was in the Mayo Clinic brain trauma center for 6 months. My camera was the only thing that kept me going. I had to learn to walk, talk and use the camera all over again. If it wasn't for that camera, I would have quit life. I used wheelchairs and mobility scooters to get around for 7 years. I still use the scooter when needed. My body overheats and doesn't regulate blood pressure so it can fall to 52/40 in a minute.
Like Josephine taking pictures is still one of the only things that makes me really happy. I am disabled but looking at me you wouldn't know it. I am only able to shoot for 10 to 15 min at a time.  Whoever said being in a wheelchair defines you as disabled is wrong. There are a lot of disabled people that aren't in wheelchairs.
10 years later, I still love taking pictures and by a lot of hard work happen to be one of Istocks high performers. I am a happy contributor.
All that really should have been said to Josephine was Great, glad you are happy...but no, this forum has to turn everything negative.

Jodi, I am not saying this to be cruel because you seem like a really nice person disagreements aside.

You are misplacing your gratitude. IStock now bears not even a passing resemblance to the supportive community friendly site it was back when we started this game. As much support and opportunities IStock gave to you (and the rest of us) back in the early to mid 2000s that isn't the IStock of today. Getty saw all that good will as a branding opportunity, bought it up and scattered it to the wind.

I feel really bad for the community of exclusives still on the site supporting each other, because you are getting no love from the new IStock corporate and the longer you cling to the idea that things can change the more invested you will be and the harder the plaster will be to tear off.

One solution could be to form links with other old time exclusives away from the site and work together to explore other opportunities? I don't know, but it is really unpleasant to see you so tied to an abusive relationship.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2017, 08:30 by Justanotherphotographer »

« Reply #35 on: February 23, 2017, 09:55 »
+1
There are people making fun here. Apart from some well-known members here, we don't know if they are real and their intentions. Remember someone named gyllens  ::) ?

« Reply #36 on: February 23, 2017, 13:07 »
+5
I'm seeing figures going down, just not complaining about it in a happy person's thread.

So where ARE you complaining about it? The only posts I've seen from you recently are a couple where you pop in to tell other people what they shouldn't be saying and where they shouldn't be saying it.
Actually, yesterday she was complaining at the iStock/Getty forum.  And she didn't sound like the happy contributor she said she is.


« Reply #37 on: February 25, 2017, 20:35 »
0
I'm seeing figures going down, just not complaining about it in a happy person's thread.

So where ARE you complaining about it? The only posts I've seen from you recently are a couple where you pop in to tell other people what they shouldn't be saying and where they shouldn't be saying it.

Haha... busted!
Actually, yesterday she was complaining at the iStock/Getty forum.  And she didn't sound like the happy contributor she said she is.

substancep

  • Medical, science, nature, and macro photography

« Reply #38 on: February 25, 2017, 23:04 »
0
I really can't believe what I am reading in this thread from one positive post Josephine made.
First of all I think it is great that you are so happy creating illustrations whether for yourself or for sale. It's great to see the sale counter click. You can't compare yourself to others, just keep doing what makes you happy.

I started stock in 2007 when I was in a very bad car accident. I was in the Mayo Clinic brain trauma center for 6 months. My camera was the only thing that kept me going. I had to learn to walk, talk and use the camera all over again. If it wasn't for that camera, I would have quit life. I used wheelchairs and mobility scooters to get around for 7 years. I still use the scooter when needed. My body overheats and doesn't regulate blood pressure so it can fall to 52/40 in a minute.
Like Josephine taking pictures is still one of the only things that makes me really happy. I am disabled but looking at me you wouldn't know it. I am only able to shoot for 10 to 15 min at a time.  Whoever said being in a wheelchair defines you as disabled is wrong. There are a lot of disabled people that aren't in wheelchairs.
10 years later, I still love taking pictures and by a lot of hard work happen to be one of Istocks high performers. I am a happy contributor.
All that really should have been said to Josephine was Great, glad you are happy...but no, this forum has to turn everything negative.

A very inspiring story indeed. Glad to see that you are happy with what you are doing!

« Reply #39 on: February 26, 2017, 04:10 »
+3
Decided not to post. Sun out. Going for walk with dog.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2017, 04:14 by sarah2 »

« Reply #40 on: February 27, 2017, 07:49 »
0
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« Last Edit: June 30, 2017, 11:07 by Spinfield »


 

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