Author Topic: Microstock Poll looks worse than ever (Read 15053 times)

Miguel Calo · « **on:** October 01, 2013, 02:54 »

Hi, all!

Is it me or something happens to this industry? The sales are at half comparing to last year, the poll results look also negative...

I also wonder how are they calculated. ? $:-\$

Bang-images · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2013, 05:36 »

i wish they would show more than a 12 month period, say two or three years to help looks and treads.

But yes i does look dire!!

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #2 on:** October 01, 2013, 06:05 »

Dilution

Millionstock.com · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2013, 07:32 »

The higher the database of the agencies, the lower the sales that a photographer will make.

Considering the effort that each contributor have to spend now to produce extra high quality images, I think that in a year's time the gain obtained will be so unprofitable that many will stop producing images.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2013, 07:36 »

Quote from: Alessandro0770 on October 01, 2013, 07:32

The higher the database of the agencies, the lower the sales that a photographer will make.

Considering the effort that each contributor have to spend now to produce extra high quality images, I think that in a year's time the gain obtained will be so unprofitable that many will stop producing images.

can't wait for that

Millionstock.com · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2013, 07:46 »

This perspective it is bad for each contributor. No one will spend hours and hours of their time and gain few bucks.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2013, 07:58 »

Quote from: Alessandro0770 on October 01, 2013, 07:46

This perspective it is bad for each contributor. No one will spend hours and hours of their time and gain few bucks.

its very bad indeed and I think we should spread the word just like you are doing

but in fact I haven't been producing that much (comparing to factories/other) and my earnings are pretty stable so 200k new files / week doesn't seem to do any damage (at least for now), apart from that you are also forgetting "newbies", that said there will be always supply because for some it will be always a "nice" hobby that can make a few quid

Uncle Pete · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2013, 12:39 »

Really, or is that a general conclusion. Have some graphs or data? Which agencies? Top Ten or

I'd be interested in the graph from the numbers on the right? Anyone have data going back more than one year?

Or maybe it's because I'm only on SS and IS? And for some odd reason, IS almost at 2011 total commissions, but don't throw a party, 2012 was half of 2011, and 2011 was half of 2010, and I have more images and more audio than I did four years ago.

What that is saying in short is, IS is half of what it was in 2010. Small wonder people are disappointed.

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on October 01, 2013, 06:05

Dilution

Plain and simple, yes. Competition is up, new image volume is up and the market is watered down. I can't understand why new people are jumping in, except those with collections that can easily be added. I mean new, fresh, starting just now. It's go to be disappointing to find out, you will work for two years to build a collection and it will lose value, not grow, during that time.

Quote from: Miguel Calo on October 01, 2013, 02:54

Hi, all!

Is it me or something happens to this industry? The sales are at half comparing to last year, the poll results look also negative...

I also wonder how are they calculated. ? $:-\$

w7lwi · « **Reply #8 on:** October 01, 2013, 15:46 »

Quote from: luissantos84 on October 01, 2013, 07:36

Quote from: Alessandro0770 on October 01, 2013, 07:32
The higher the database of the agencies, the lower the sales that a photographer will make.

Considering the effort that each contributor have to spend now to produce extra high quality images, I think that in a year's time the gain obtained will be so unprofitable that many will stop producing images.

can't wait for that

If you can't wait, then I have good news for you. You don't have to. Just stop right now and enjoy the benefits of not having to worry about falling royalties, corrupt agencies and think about all that stress you will forgo.

topol · « **Reply #9 on:** October 01, 2013, 17:19 »

this is a nice and often useful forum but that poll is worthless. a handful of ppl and they click in whatever they want. represents just 'bout nothing.

oldsalt19 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 01, 2013, 20:19 »

If the newest poll is disheartening, it may really be that it is just more accurate the previous polls, which may have been overly optimistic. Perhaps things may not be going downhill as much as y'all fear.

A few years ago, I posted a reply questioning the annual poll because the data and the results coming from it didn't look right. There were obvious problems with the understanding of basic terms such as "median", no use of requisite standard deviations, one shooter who claimed an income of nearly half a million USD annually with a portfolio of one thousand images, etc etc. The income per image of the of the average shooter, as reported by this poll, was about 3 times what I would have expected from my informal anecdotal networking with other stock photographers. My comments on the poll were countered with great and negative vigor by a number of the members of this forum. Statistics very much like these were among my principal duties during my 36 year tenure as a clinical microbiologist in a metropolitan health laboratory and such calculations were checked very closely by the state laboratory inspector during yearly unannounced inspections. So, I was confident in my assertion about the forum poll and it was obvious I was not going to convince anyone, so I chose not to continue the discussion, confident that eventually there would be others also with doubts.

gostwyck · « **Reply #11 on:** October 01, 2013, 20:45 »

Quote from: topol on October 01, 2013, 17:19

this is a nice and often useful forum but that poll is worthless. a handful of ppl and they click in whatever they want. represents just 'bout nothing.

Nope. You can take from it want you want ... but there is undoubtedly a measure of truth in the relative incomes from each agency.

michaeldb · « **Reply #12 on:** October 01, 2013, 21:25 »

I suspect that ppl are more likely to vote in the poll when their results for the month are better than expected. But when results are disappointing ppl don't feel like voting. This could cause swings in the results to be more drastic, but the poll would still reflect the up and down trends.

cascoly · « **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2013, 21:42 »

my sales as a running average over the last 6 years showed a steady increase of 15-20%

this year it's leveled off, with little gain

Xanox · « **Reply #14 on:** October 02, 2013, 01:47 »

i think the fall in sales is mostly in some market niches, the so called "low hanging fruits".

in any case before or later sales will go down for everybody due to oversupply.

only people doing it as a hobby and the image factories will still supply micros.

topol · « **Reply #15 on:** October 02, 2013, 02:06 »

Quote from: gostwyck on October 01, 2013, 20:45

Quote from: topol on October 01, 2013, 17:19
this is a nice and often useful forum but that poll is worthless. a handful of ppl and they click in whatever they want. represents just 'bout nothing.

Nope. You can take from it want you want ... but there is undoubtedly a measure of truth in the relative incomes from each agency.

undoubtedly

It undoubtedly doesn't match my data at all, at two more stockers I know IRL and seen their stats. Facts

luissantos84 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 02, 2013, 07:47 »

it doesn't match mine also but I still believe it is a nice feature

Pauws99 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 02, 2013, 09:32 »

I find it useful as a guide but lets not pretend its statistically robust

Ron · « **Reply #18 on:** October 02, 2013, 09:40 »

Quote from: luissantos84 on October 02, 2013, 07:47

it doesn't match mine also but I still believe it is a nice feature

+1

Quote from: Pauws99 on October 02, 2013, 09:32

I find it useful as a guide but lets not pretend its statistically robust

+1

hjalmeida · « **Reply #19 on:** October 02, 2013, 09:59 »

Quote from: luissantos84 on October 01, 2013, 07:58

Quote from: Alessandro0770 on October 01, 2013, 07:46
This perspective it is bad for each contributor. No one will spend hours and hours of their time and gain few bucks.

its very bad indeed and I think we should spread the word just like you are doing

but in fact I haven't been producing that much (comparing to factories/other) and my earnings are pretty stable so 200k new files / week doesn't seem to do any damage (at least for now), apart from that you are also forgetting "newbies", that said there will be always supply because for some it will be always a "nice" hobby that can make a few quid

Most of the contributors will grow theire income until some amount, then they will stable, and after that they will decrease theire income. I believe that most of the contributors who have earn more than $2000 month are now (at least since the beginning of 2013) seeing a fast drop in all big agencies.
But, of course it all depends of quantity/quality of your work.

My income have drop since a year ago, and still dropping ... and I will stop producing for microstock if I stop having profit there for my new photos.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 02, 2013, 10:43 »

I wonder why Deposit photos seem much more variable than anyone else? Smaller sample size maybe? It would be useful to know the no contributors

lisafx · « **Reply #21 on:** October 02, 2013, 10:57 »

Quote from: michaeldb on October 01, 2013, 21:25

I suspect that ppl are more likely to vote in the poll when their results for the month are better than expected. But when results are disappointing ppl don't feel like voting. This could cause swings in the results to be more drastic, but the poll would still reflect the up and down trends.

You may be right, but I pretty much thought most of us on this forum voted whether we had a good month or a bad one. Tyler's poll may be criticized by some, but his year end summary is the most useful gauge of the trends and health of the industry that currently exists.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's a bit of a civic duty to vote each month.

lisafx · « **Reply #22 on:** October 02, 2013, 11:00 »

Quote from: hjalmeida on October 02, 2013, 09:59

Most of the contributors will grow theire income until some amount, then they will stable, and after that they will decrease theire income. I believe that most of the contributors who have earn more than $2000 month are now (at least since the beginning of 2013) seeing a fast drop in all big agencies.
But, of course it all depends of quantity/quality of your work.

My income have drop since a year ago, and still dropping ... and I will stop producing for microstock if I stop having profit there for my new photos.

I agree with the point you are making, with the exception that I don't think it ALL depends on the quality and quantity of your work. That is only one factor among many that is impacting contributors.

leaf · « **Reply #23 on:** October 02, 2013, 11:04 »

Quote from: lisafx on October 02, 2013, 10:57

Quote from: michaeldb on October 01, 2013, 21:25
I suspect that ppl are more likely to vote in the poll when their results for the month are better than expected. But when results are disappointing ppl don't feel like voting. This could cause swings in the results to be more drastic, but the poll would still reflect the up and down trends.

You may be right, but I pretty much thought most of us on this forum voted whether we had a good month or a bad one. Tyler's poll may be criticized by some, but his year end summary is the most useful gauge of the trends and health of the industry that currently exists.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's a bit of a civic duty to vote each month.

another point is that even if it was only the people who had good months that voted, it would still rank the sites according to each other.

cthoman · « **Reply #24 on:** October 02, 2013, 11:10 »

Quote from: lisafx on October 02, 2013, 10:57

Quote from: michaeldb on October 01, 2013, 21:25
I suspect that ppl are more likely to vote in the poll when their results for the month are better than expected. But when results are disappointing ppl don't feel like voting. This could cause swings in the results to be more drastic, but the poll would still reflect the up and down trends.

You may be right, but I pretty much thought most of us on this forum voted whether we had a good month or a bad one. Tyler's poll may be criticized by some, but his year end summary is the most useful gauge of the trends and health of the industry that currently exists.

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's a bit of a civic duty to vote each month.

Yeah, I vote despite whether it is a good or bad month. I still don't see how all those Symbiostock people don't push the Self-Hosted into the numbered area. I guess a lot of people don't vote at all.

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Author Topic: Microstock Poll looks worse than ever (Read 15053 times)

Miguel Calo

Bang-images

BaldricksTrousers

Millionstock.com

luissantos84

Millionstock.com

luissantos84

Uncle Pete

w7lwi

topol

oldsalt19

gostwyck

michaeldb

cascoly

Xanox

topol

luissantos84

Pauws99

Ron

hjalmeida

Pauws99

lisafx

lisafx

leaf

cthoman

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