Author Topic: If you had six months... (Read 20005 times)

gostwyck · « **Reply #25 on:** July 28, 2009, 14:45 »

Quote from: PixelBytes on July 22, 2009, 17:51

I guess free time is a relative thing. I don't have a "day job", so I guess that would be considered "free time", but every time I try and up production life and family stuff gets in the way.

About 100 a month, give or take, is what I can get online and mostly accepted. More than that and I end up getting burned out and sloppy.

Same here. I'm pleased if I produce more than 100 new images up in a month.

This thread is all about quantity though whereas the really important factor is quality. There are plenty of folk out there who have produced massive portfolios but have relatively few sales. There's little or no point in that __ just a lot of wasted time and effort for everyone.

pixdeluxe · « **Reply #26 on:** July 28, 2009, 14:49 »

Quote from: clau on July 28, 2009, 12:47

Quote from: pixdeluxe on July 22, 2009, 06:31
I started uploading in January, with maxing out upload limits @ IS. Today i have 950 approved online, with a total collection produced since jan., of 2500. Anything at all is possible, set your sights high.

January 2008 that is. Right? That is not 6 moths but still; your story is really impressive. CONGRATS ! The Q of this post was also nice
Really good work btw. I'd like to be able to do nothing but stock one day.

Now if I'm thinking abut your exclusivity and if that it's really a good move.
After an estimate regarding your earnings you could do a lot more then that if you would not be exclusive, especially looking at what kind of images you have.
Why did you go that way ? Or am i missing something here about the advantages of being exclusive with IS?

The difference is subjective to who you are, what you shoot and how you shoot it. For me, istock exclusive was more advantageous because when you can max out uploads every week and maitain an acceptance rate of at least 90% the numbers are better than non-exclusive. Logistically, spreading your port across 8-15 agencies is a nightmare and difficult to track performance and fluctuations. Also, depending on where you are as a photographer/producer, you may not want to spend all your time retouching or keywording. Hire people to do this, if the images are good this more than pays itself back, and gives you more flexibility to focus on producing great images.

iStock has done an excellent job and their moves since Getty took over have been great. The vetta collection is showing promising signs as well..

With respect to anybody starting off with submissions, istock can be a bit of a steep learning curve and sales are not friendly to new users, at least in the start... in could take too long to even obtain the 250 downloads needed to become exclusive.

Everybody has their own methods and reasons.. Yuri does maintain that non-exclusive is the better solution, and he's reached that conclusion on everything he knows and based on his own performance, so its more than probably the right path for him.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #27 on:** July 28, 2009, 14:54 »

Quote from: gostwyck on July 28, 2009, 14:45

There are plenty of folk out there who have produced massive portfolios but have relatively few sales. There's little or no point in that __ just a lot of wasted time and effort for everyone.

There's a couple of people who have like 12,000 portraits up, and no sales. I'm amazed they can spend the time doing it.

puravida · « **Reply #28 on:** July 28, 2009, 15:11 »

Quote from: sjlocke on July 28, 2009, 14:54

There's a couple of people who have like 12,000 portraits up, and no sales. I'm amazed they can spend the time doing it.

surely you're pulling our legs huh ? Sean?
if I had even 1k images and no sales, I would 've packed it in. never mind 12k.

um, you are serious, aren't you ?...

gostwyck · « **Reply #29 on:** July 28, 2009, 15:34 »

I don't know about the numbers Sean's quoting but there's definitely some folk who seem to have been born without a feedback mechanism wired into their brain. They just keep producing tons of the same sort of stuff apparently oblivious to the fact that no-one's actually buying it. Weird.

Jonathan Ross · « **Reply #30 on:** July 28, 2009, 16:10 »

Hi All,

12,000 portrait images without a sale. I would love to see the work that is being mentioned just out of curiosity. Why does an agency continue to accept images if the contributor isn't making them money. If it were my agency these are the shooters I would be sending a kind " thank you but no thank you " letter to.

Best,
AVAVA

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #31 on:** July 28, 2009, 16:33 »

I can't find the portrait guy I was thinking of, but you can compare uploads and rough downloads compared to start date on the charts site:
http://istockcharts.multimedia.de/

puravida · « **Reply #32 on:** July 28, 2009, 16:50 »

wow seriously gostwyck, sean,

jonathan, i would not be writing a polite "thanks but no thanks " note, i would instead award that unfortunate person with an honourary mention for persistence .

unbelievable.

clau · « **Reply #33 on:** July 28, 2009, 17:38 »

Quote from: pixdeluxe on July 28, 2009, 14:49

Quote from: clau on July 28, 2009, 12:47
Quote from: pixdeluxe on July 22, 2009, 06:31
I started uploading in January, with maxing out upload limits @ IS. Today i have 950 approved online, with a total collection produced since jan., of 2500. Anything at all is possible, set your sights high.

January 2008 that is. Right? That is not 6 moths but still; your story is really impressive. CONGRATS ! The Q of this post was also nice
Really good work btw. I'd like to be able to do nothing but stock one day.

Now if I'm thinking abut your exclusivity and if that it's really a good move.
After an estimate regarding your earnings you could do a lot more then that if you would not be exclusive, especially looking at what kind of images you have.
Why did you go that way ? Or am i missing something here about the advantages of being exclusive with IS?

The difference is subjective to who you are, what you shoot and how you shoot it. For me, istock exclusive was more advantageous because when you can max out uploads every week and maitain an acceptance rate of at least 90% the numbers are better than non-exclusive. Logistically, spreading your port across 8-15 agencies is a nightmare and difficult to track performance and fluctuations. Also, depending on where you are as a photographer/producer, you may not want to spend all your time retouching or keywording. Hire people to do this, if the images are good this more than pays itself back, and gives you more flexibility to focus on producing great images.

iStock has done an excellent job and their moves since Getty took over have been great. The vetta collection is showing promising signs as well..

With respect to anybody starting off with submissions, istock can be a bit of a steep learning curve and sales are not friendly to new users, at least in the start... in could take too long to even obtain the 250 downloads needed to become exclusive.

Everybody has their own methods and reasons.. Yuri does maintain that non-exclusive is the better solution, and he's reached that conclusion on everything he knows and based on his own performance, so its more than probably the right path for him.

The prices are not that higher for exclusive so I still don't see the reason. About Getty sales I have no idea at the moment because I only opted in today sooo I'm only guessing that you sell now around 500 files per month and I'm sure your files would sale like crazy on SS. I don't do so much stock and I would not upload at more then 4 agencies and only slowly at other 4 agencies so that's not that hard to do or keep track off. If I would be exclusive (so higher prices and all) even with double sales then before I would still be in disadvantage as exclusive by a lot.

newbielink:http://istockcharts.multimedia.de/ [nonactive]
this chart is interesting but is kind of funny why the reviews are mentioned at all !?!
DLDs per last month would be something

)

pixdeluxe · « **Reply #34 on:** July 29, 2009, 02:42 »

Quote from: clau on July 28, 2009, 17:38

The prices are not that higher for exclusive so I still don't see the reason. About Getty sales I have no idea at the moment because I only opted in today sooo I'm only guessing that you sell now around 500 files per month and I'm sure your files would sale like crazy on SS. I don't do so much stock and I would not upload at more then 4 agencies and only slowly at other 4 agencies so that's not that hard to do or keep track off. If I would be exclusive (so higher prices and all) even with double sales then before I would still be in disadvantage as exclusive by a lot.

Maybe PM me a port link, if you'd like some direct advice..

SS has a very short half-time (like a radioactive element that degrades quickly). SS is a quick fix, and quickly files are lost in a swirling vortex.. IS has a much much longer half time so there is more bang for buck over a longer period of time.

Thanks for the interesting discussion.

PS. my downloads (a forum is not the place to start talking about this) are much higher.. i don't know what istock does but sales for exclusives, there is a certain x factor there. another x factor is the vetta collection, my earnings per image has doubled in a month.

clau · « **Reply #35 on:** July 29, 2009, 09:16 »

Quote from: pixdeluxe on July 29, 2009, 02:42

Quote from: clau on July 28, 2009, 17:38

The prices are not that higher for exclusive so I still don't see the reason. About Getty sales I have no idea at the moment because I only opted in today sooo I'm only guessing that you sell now around 500 files per month and I'm sure your files would sale like crazy on SS. I don't do so much stock and I would not upload at more then 4 agencies and only slowly at other 4 agencies so that's not that hard to do or keep track off. If I would be exclusive (so higher prices and all) even with double sales then before I would still be in disadvantage as exclusive by a lot.

Maybe PM me a port link, if you'd like some direct advice..

SS has a very short half-time (like a radioactive element that degrades quickly). SS is a quick fix, and quickly files are lost in a swirling vortex.. IS has a much much longer half time so there is more bang for buck over a longer period of time.

Thanks for the interesting discussion.

PS. my downloads (a forum is not the place to start talking about this) are much higher.. i don't know what istock does but sales for exclusives, there is a certain x factor there. another x factor is the vetta collection, my earnings per image has doubled in a month.

I see. Is true what you say about IS.

This short life that all talk about is not what it happened to me considering I have not uploaded much and I don't upload often at all (weeks and more often a few months of not uploading) but still SS is consistently bringing sales.

I just think is a hard decision to make. But I understand now and I guess you can become non exclusive at any time. Or not really

??!! Hmm

Any way thank you too for the reply. I'll send you a PM then

willie · « **Reply #36 on:** July 30, 2009, 14:09 »

Quote from: sjlocke on July 28, 2009, 16:33

I can't find the portrait guy I was thinking of, but you can compare uploads and rough downloads compared to start date on the charts site:
http://istockcharts.multimedia.de/

I can relate to that. I just came out of a stock site where the first 10 pages are from the same dude.
Identical images, only slightly different colour here and there. Another dude has nothing but signs, with different wordings.

Now I can understand why some people can upload 1000 images a week.
This would be like me setting my camera to continuous 6 fps and shooting some clouds passing by,
or a weather balloon floating in the air. And uploading every single one.

Maybe I should do that, so my portfolio with be a hefty 10,000 images of nothing much.
Huh?? What dya think ? Sean

puravida · « **Reply #37 on:** July 30, 2009, 14:23 »

i have a sneaky feeling i know which site you just visited, P. it has to be one where your submissions are not reviewed. or else, if rejected, the wording would be, "too many of the same image" , and ya, 100% rejection

here's an idea, if you want to do the same thing P.
make an illustration or image of a map, topograph,etc... and keep using a different city , state, or continent, until you run out of names.
you should be able to upload at least 200, 000 images by the end of August.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #38 on:** July 30, 2009, 22:39 »

Wellllllllllllllll from a guy who hasn't been at the day job more than 7 weeks this year.....
It all depends on how you got that 6 months off.... here's a sob story for ya...
1. My 31 year old daughter died end of January... throws the whole family in a tailspin
2. March 4th, I bust my leg, outta work until July 15th
3. June 8th,(still out on workmans comp with the leg) I get diagnosed with stage one lymphoma (no biggie, looking at 100% cure barring getting hit by a truck). Looking like only 3 chemos and a couple weeks of isolated radiation to kill it (not me). I was fortunate to find it at the start. Lymph gland on the back of my tongue, felt it right away.

Sooooo if everything goes well, I might be back to work by mid October...

needless to say... I've not got much shooting done. Hard to hike around on crutches and hold up a 5D with long glass on the front.
Fortunately,I've got two legs again and the chemo thing is going extremely well and I've been able to get out and back to burning flashcards.
This year I've uploaded less than several dozen pix. I just started last week on keywording what I had sitting around on hard drives. Hope in the next 2 months to FINALLY get caught up and back on top of all my stock work.
Havent done an lick of work on our company website... it's in a shambles.
Fortunately, I just got handed another decent free lance gig for a regional mag article. That'll help pay some bills that the less than 50% that New Jersey disability pays.. yikes!!!! Might help with the 6% increase on the tax bill I got yesterday.... shoot me now...LOL

So, to answer your question...

all depends how you got the 6 months off. LOL

=tom

can tell you this....2009 has been a suck year for this kid. wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy......

markstout · « **Reply #39 on:** August 01, 2009, 03:31 »

I've done it, not for six months, but I am a full time photographer and there have been months when the majority of the time was devoted to microstock due to other business falling off... the most I have been able to produce and upload is about 300 images per month and that was a KILLER! Difficult to do, difficult to sustain and keep coming up with fresh ideas, and not really worth in terms of the return on the amount of work!

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #40 on:** August 01, 2009, 12:27 »

Tom - sorry to hear about all the bad times. I can't imagine losing one of my kids so I'm at a loss for what to say. I hope things start getting better for you.

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #41 on:** August 01, 2009, 12:40 »

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on August 01, 2009, 12:27

Tom - sorry to hear about all the bad times. I can't imagine losing one of my kids so I'm at a loss for what to say. I hope things start getting better for you.

What was said was more than enough and comforting, sincerely,Thanks much!!
Yeah, it's the worst, but life moves on... it is certainly different than losing all other loved ones... in fact, it is 'alien'. It's not 'supposed to happen'.
None the less, it happens to many many on the planet daily and perhaps even at this very minute somewhere. It has certainly made me appreciate my other two children and grandchildren all the more.
Time heals, but in this case... my life has been changed forever. There will always be a hole in my heart. But, yes, things will get better.
Thanks for your words of comfort, PW. tom

alan b traehern · « **Reply #42 on:** July 30, 2018, 12:21 »

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on July 21, 2009, 19:54

of total free time to shoot, process, and upload, how many images do you think you could create?

Some of you probably already have that free time but what if you could take a six month break from your day job?

6,000 being new the forum shows me related messages and some are very old.

ShadySue · « **Reply #43 on:** July 30, 2018, 12:27 »

Quote from: alan b traehern on July 30, 2018, 12:21

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on July 21, 2009, 19:54
of total free time to shoot, process, and upload, how many images do you think you could create?

Some of you probably already have that free time but what if you could take a six month break from your day job?

6,000 being new the forum shows me related messages and some are very old.

There is NO point in replying to a nine-year old post.
Apart from anything else, a LOT has changed in nine years, and not for the better.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #44 on:** July 30, 2018, 13:08 »

Wow, blast from the past. So many greyed out names and even active ones that don't seem to post much anymore.

One thing that hasn't changed is I still haven't had six dedicated months in the past ten years to build my portfolio.

cthoman · « **Reply #45 on:** July 30, 2018, 15:03 »

Back 2009, I'd take that 6 months off to produce images. Not so much now.

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #46 on:** July 31, 2018, 08:29 »

Quote from: gostwyck on July 28, 2009, 14:45

Quote from: PixelBytes on July 22, 2009, 17:51
I guess free time is a relative thing. I don't have a "day job", so I guess that would be considered "free time", but every time I try and up production life and family stuff gets in the way.

About 100 a month, give or take, is what I can get online and mostly accepted. More than that and I end up getting burned out and sloppy.

Same here. I'm pleased if I produce more than 100 new images up in a month.

This thread is all about quantity though whereas the really important factor is quality. There are plenty of folk out there who have produced massive portfolios but have relatively few sales. There's little or no point in that __ just a lot of wasted time and effort for everyone.

Wow almost ten years, and I'd still agree. This thread is all about quantity though whereas the really important factor is quality. true back then and true now. There are also people now with under 2,000 images, here on the forum, who wonder why their sales are slow. I always want to write the same simple answer... it's not how many, it's all about WHAT ARE THEY.

Back years ago, there were exclusives on IS with a couple hundred great photos, who made more than people with 2,000. That was back when we could read the page that tracked the data. And I mean a guy with one year, 200 files, who had higher earnings than some "old timer" with 2,000 accepted images.

How do we get the message out, that what you upload is more important than how many? Oh sure let the spammers dream that their flock of inch by inch shots will make more money. That ship has sailed. I still try to hold down to just the best of a shoot, when I get inspired to do something

when I have gotten a good idea (rare but true) things still seem to be, one shot gets most of the attention and downloads.

Enjoyable thread, nice look back.

derek · « **Reply #47 on:** July 31, 2018, 08:37 »

Quote from: gostwyck on July 28, 2009, 14:45

Quote from: PixelBytes on July 22, 2009, 17:51
I guess free time is a relative thing. I don't have a "day job", so I guess that would be considered "free time", but every time I try and up production life and family stuff gets in the way.

About 100 a month, give or take, is what I can get online and mostly accepted. More than that and I end up getting burned out and sloppy.

Same here. I'm pleased if I produce more than 100 new images up in a month.

This thread is all about quantity though whereas the really important factor is quality. There are plenty of folk out there who have produced massive portfolios but have relatively few sales. There's little or no point in that __ just a lot of wasted time and effort for everyone.

Joe!! 10 years back you said this, I remember it well and things havent changed much at all. people still think its a quantity factor!. so where are you now mate? still around?

nobody · « **Reply #48 on:** July 31, 2018, 19:22 »

If I had six months to waste the last thing I would do is spend my time on doing MS full time!

Too many places to see and so many different types of beer/wine to consume...

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Author Topic: If you had six months... (Read 20005 times)

gostwyck

pixdeluxe

Sean Locke Photography

puravida

gostwyck

Jonathan Ross

Sean Locke Photography

puravida

clau

pixdeluxe

clau

willie

puravida

a.k.a.-tom

markstout

PaulieWalnuts

a.k.a.-tom

alan b traehern

ShadySue

PaulieWalnuts

cthoman

Uncle Pete

derek

nobody

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