After Getty introducing new sizes for electronic use, Alamy is following:
"Royalty Free (RF) images will be available at the following sizes and price points:-

    * Up to 170 pixels: $5 / �5 / �5
    * Up to 280 pixels: $15 / �15 / �15
    * Up to 450 pixels: $49 / �39 / �39

Rights Managed (L or RP) images will be available as low resolution files for electronic use..

Electronic uses:-

    * Corporate website
    * Editorial website
    * Electronic presentation
    * Promotional email
    * One web advertisement

Price points for all the above electronic uses:-

    * Up to 170 pixels: $15 / �15 / �15
    * Up to 280 pixels: $35 / �35 / �35
    * Up to 450 pixels: $49 / �39 / �39
"
The rest of the remaining macro world for sure will follow!
so for very small sizes the difference between macro and micro becomes marginal. If I would have to look for such a small image for sure I would go to Getty first, if I have to pay 1$ or 5$ for an image this really doesn't matter.

Yeah, it was inevitable.  Too bad though.   Those bigger commissions at Alamy sure have been nice (though relatively rare for me). 

Guess we aren't likely to see any more of those discussions bemoaning the "ethics" of selling the same pics micro and macro.  The line continues to blur.

Hi Card Maverick,

 You wouldn't think a national brand would risk that chance to save a couple of dollars on a photo but I have just had many of my Micro images just used to launch a new Glidden paint campaign. I think they used 5 different shots. On their cans and paint swatches. I was pretty surprised. Still, our RM images are still our best returners, so far.

Best,
Jonathan

I am not shocked at all the writing has been on the wall for a while, all the stocksites growth has either stopped or declined as the new markets are no longer there, the only new markets are the digital ones.

It just looks like preperation for newspapers and magazines moving to online subscriptions, you will notice the limitations on use, so it might be warning shot to the media giants that they will not be getting thier content so cheap.

To make this attractive to online users they need two more things, pay-as-you-go and a direct delivery, online users will not go looking for an image or pay for 10 if they need just one, but they might buy one if it was delivered to their blog, browser or application.

David  

I am not shocked at all the writing has been on the wall for a while, all the stocksites growth has either stopped or declined as the new markets are no longer there, the only new markets are the digital ones.

It just looks like preperation for newspapers and magazines moving to online subscriptions, you will notice the limitations on use, so it might be warning shot to the media giants that they will not be getting thier content so cheap.

To make this attractive to online users they need two more things, pay-as-you-go and a direct delivery, online users will not go looking for an image or pay for 10 if they need just one, but they might buy one if it was delivered to their blog, browser or application.

David  

That's a really really really interesting idea...

Quote from: Jonathan Ross on August 25, 2009, 14:30

Hi Card Maverick,

 You wouldn't think a national brand would risk that chance to save a couple of dollars on a photo but I have just had many of my Micro images just used to launch a new Glidden paint campaign. I think they used 5 different shots. On their cans and paint swatches. I was pretty surprised. Still, our RM images are still our best returners, so far.

Best,
Jonathan

Wow, thats interesting. Maybe they thought the usage risk was low enough. I still wonder about the more "super niche" subjects though, stuff that would require buying from an RM agency in order to find what they really need. Lots of stuff in microstock is technically good enough, but all to often the content isn't right or the supply is just to small to choose from. Many images are hard to find due to amateur keywording, etc...

There's all kinds of micro content on the Glidden stuff, including lisafx from here.  I don't see that as particularly branding oneself around an image.  More just "happy painter examples".  There are different images on every can.  It isn't like every can has the exact same image.  So, if you see it somewhere else besides the paint can, I doubt people are going to be confused about anything, no big deal.

Quote from: cardmaverick on August 25, 2009, 14:39

Quote from: Jonathan Ross on August 25, 2009, 14:30

Hi Card Maverick,

 You wouldn't think a national brand would risk that chance to save a couple of dollars on a photo but I have just had many of my Micro images just used to launch a new Glidden paint campaign. I think they used 5 different shots. On their cans and paint swatches. I was pretty surprised. Still, our RM images are still our best returners, so far.

Best,
Jonathan

Wow, thats interesting. Maybe they thought the usage risk was low enough. I still wonder about the more "super niche" subjects though, stuff that would require buying from an RM agency in order to find what they really need. Lots of stuff in microstock is technically good enough, but all to often the content isn't right or the supply is just to small to choose from. Many images are hard to find due to amateur keywording, etc...

There's all kinds of micro content on the Glidden stuff, including lisafx from here.  I don't see that as particularly branding oneself around an image.  More just "happy painter examples".  There are different images on every can.  It isn't like every can has the exact same image.  So, if you see it somewhere else besides the paint can, I doubt people are going to be confused about anything, no big deal.

Thats a great observation. What I originally was referring too was more like the "coke bears" - that type of usage.

Quote from: lisafx on August 25, 2009, 18:10

Although I am delighted they used one of mine, I still haven't found it.  Maybe I should branch out from H. Depot and go check at Lowes, etc... ? 

I'm pretty sure it was HD.

Thanks Sean.  Maybe that particular campaign hasn't reached FL yet?  I will keep looking.  Gotta feed the ego of my most long-suffering model

Boy, Alamy is shutting down the talk in the forum quick...

http://www.alamy.com/forums/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=6141&p=3

The constant complainers can always go to the Yahoo site and write the same arguments over and over, until they are happy whiners.

As with a number of recent topics, the activity is no longer in the spirit of 'Ask the Forum' so we are closing this topic down. We will continue to provide clarification through the blog.

It's the Alamy forum, they can make any rules they want, and when they shut down the forums in April, restricting the postings to two subjects, Ask The Forum and QC Questions, that was the end of the line for some threads about pricing, collections, distribution, Etc. Also you will see that responses on the Blog are no longer shown. Same people would post message after message in both places whenever they got a bug up their butt about some new program. Most of the time, before it was instituted or explained. In other words, some people made their day by complaining about any change.

The threads about the new photo editor have the fair share of detractors. Those haven't been shut down.

Another thread that was nipped in the bud   was titled Micro Fails and they shut it down. Locked - we don't need another thread arguing about micro.

Self moderation didn't work, (for the six people who do nothing but complain and start revolutions) now Alamy has to watch the forum and keep the monkeys in the barrel.   You don't see people having their accounts locked or collections removed like some other sites. Do we?

On Topic, I like the new plan. Smaller prices for Websites is opening the door for more sales. Look at the sizes, $49 for 450 pixels? What's that? .33 megapixels? I'm all for it!

Just like the Getty web images Alamy have updated the blog for RM 'L' and aded time restrictions:

Quote from: Alamy Blog

Electronic uses:-

Corporate website (single placement / one design - duration up to 1 year)
Editorial website (single placement / one design - duration up to 1 year)
Electronic presentation (single placement / one design - duration up to 1 year)
Promotional email (up to 10,000 recipients, single placement / one design) � duration 3 months)
One web advertisement (single placement / one design) � duration 3 months)

David  

They should have done this for RF images as well, to keep their contributors happy.