Hi All,

 I have just heard word that Istock is discontinuing their TAC Collection. I am trying to find out more info on it can anyone steer me to some details.

Thanks,
Jonathan

Hi Sean,

 Yes, I have some friends that put tons of energy into TAC and I haven't spoken to them yet but this has got to be a real killer for people that invested so much time and effort. Thanks for the confirmation.

Cheers,
J

Sounds like it could be helpful with E+ moving to Signature+. I've licensed my E+ photos more frequently than others and made substantially more with them. It's too bad they won't let any non-exclusive's work into Vetta. I'd consider adding stuff I now put on Alamy on iStock instead if I had the option that it could be at a higher price point.
I have a very tiny port there so it won't affect me too much but the changes all sound very positive.

Hi Sean,

 Yes, I have some friends that put tons of energy into TAC and I haven't spoken to them yet but this has got to be a real killer for people that invested so much time and effort. Thanks for the confirmation.

Cheers,
J

To expand on what I said last night, yes, they are merging Agency and Vetta, which makes a joke of their claim that Vetta is "Hand picked by our top #photo editors for exquisite art direction, intelligently executed concepts and rarity".  What Vetta will become is just a pricing level, the most expensive, that they will drop anything into that they think they can get the extra money for, which will automatically include anything from Getty.  Then, when it doesn't perform, like the infamous Agency bathroom shot here, they will drop it several pricing levels.  There is a claim the current images will be placed in appropriate levels, but going by their history of being able to competently place images, the idea that they can go through millions of images doing that is somewhat of another joke. 

It's too bad, since Vetta was initially pushed as a benefit of being exclusive, a place you could put those images that took more time or love, but would sell less.  It's another step towards tossing exclusivity into the bucket.

So yes, get ready to lose about %40 of your Agency royalties from IS.

Excellent explanation or the most recent confusion Sean. Lets see, price levels adjusting, TS become front page on Getty? IS vetta is now becoming something else. (or part of it) Price slider is changed. All kinds of collections, names, locations and pricing options. Is this a plan to make the site so obscure and confusing that no one can understand how it's working? LOL

To expand on what I said last night, yes, they are merging Agency and Vetta, which makes a joke of their claim that Vetta is "Hand picked by our top #photo editors for exquisite art direction, intelligently executed concepts and rarity".  What Vetta will become is just a pricing level, the most expensive, that they will drop anything into that they think they can get the extra money for, which will automatically include anything from Getty.  Then, when it doesn't perform, like the infamous Agency bathroom shot here, they will drop it several pricing levels.  There is a claim the current images will be placed in appropriate levels, but going by their history of being able to competently place images, the idea that they can go through millions of images doing that is somewhat of another joke. 

It's too bad, since Vetta was initially pushed as a benefit of being exclusive, a place you could put those images that took more time or love, but would sell less.  It's another step towards tossing exclusivity into the bucket.

So yes, get ready to lose about %40 of your Agency royalties from IS.

Excellent explanation or the most recent confusion Sean. Lets see, price levels adjusting, TS become front page on Getty? IS vetta is now becoming something else. (or part of it) Price slider is changed. All kinds of collections, names, locations and pricing options. Is this a plan to make the site so obscure and confusing that no one can understand how it's working? LOL

No, now is easier, with less collections and less prices. If better or worse, I don't know. Rigth now I'm having some less total sales, but more than doubling my E+ (S+) sales, that's where all my best and mid sellers went.

I find it remarkable that contributors defending IS never get hit by ANY of the changes IS makes, yet tons of people always end up with less $$$. Remarkable.

Different changes through these years have affected me some times positively and some times  negatively. That since yesterday most of the images I sell are S+ is just a fact, and I'm sorry if the facts do not match other people's desires or agendas.

Well I'm forced to say, I didn't even know what the TAC collection was, so obviously it didn't hurt me?  And I still don't know what it was?

Pretty soon IS will have the collection of the month club and they will have a lucky wheel for prices. Spin and see what price level you get at what rate. Nothing like a game of chance? I think it's all too confusing for buyers and sometimes the same images are priced at various levels, depending upon where you look.

Maybe this is something good, dropping the fluff and wasted flourishes?

I find it remarkable that contributors defending IS never get hit by ANY of the changes IS makes, yet tons of people always end up with less $$$. Remarkable.

Aw shucks, I've heard of that, I didn't know it was called TAC? Sounded like some military thing. STRAC or STAC or you know.

I would have thought AC or something. That would be "cool"?

The Agency Collection, which was only open to exclusives (I didn't know what it was either, had to dig around).