Let me see if I understand you correctly....

You want to submit photographs to professional image agencies who spend millions of dollars every year developing their businesses, promoting and marketing to professional design agencies worldwide and giving you the opportunity to earn tens, hundreds or perhaps thousands of dollars....

.... and yet you are not prepared to give them any form of ID?

Then what I suggest you do instead is go out and buy a wig, a false beard and a pair of dark glasses, make up a few prints and try to sell them on a street corner.

No offence, but our industry doesn't need people like you.

I was a bit concerned with the ID requirement before too. I asked the support at istock about this and they said, they need to see on your id the things they are asking for. You can black out the rest (like pass id number). So knowing that I was fine sending this all in. Maybe that helps.

If I remember correctly, when I sent my ID to 123 RF I blurred out my ID number and even part of my address and it was still accepted.

You have to give your real address anyway in your profile, so how would that help? I agree about privacy on forums and picture-sharing sites, not to mention the Nigerian bankers and the UK lottery sites, - but Microstock is business. If you have a professional attitude, then you should provide your agents (legitimate businesses) with your ID info of course.

And what if you upload a MRF? Your address should be on there and that of the Model. You can fake that, but in case you are being sued by the Model, the fake will explode in your face.

I am much more concerned with giving away my credit card info, yet I buy online.

As someone suggested a while ago, I uploaded my passport with a text on it (like a watermark) stating that it was for that site only (123RF and IS, as far as I can remember, where the only ones to ask for it).

Regards,
Adelaide

Let me see if I understand you correctly....

You want to submit photographs to professional image agencies who spend millions of dollars every year developing their businesses, promoting and marketing to professional design agencies worldwide and giving you the opportunity to earn tens, hundreds or perhaps thousands of dollars....

.... and yet you are not prepared to give them any form of ID?

Then what I suggest you do instead is go out and buy a wig, a false beard and a pair of dark glasses, make up a few prints and try to sell them on a street corner.

No offence, but our industry doesn't need people like you.

Hello hateman

Hey that is some welcome, considering you know jack about me.

Tell you what, instead of having an adult discussion with me (and the rest of the forum) about the pros and cons of providing copies of very important and personal documents to an exploitable computer/internet system, in a climate of widespread computer hacking and identity theft, why don't you just jump in with a know-all attitude and try to second guess: what 'sort of person' I am and. whether the microstock community and industry, which is bigger than YOU, needs me.

BTW no offence was taken at your post, but Jeez, it does sound offensive and stinks of elitism.

nice to meet you.

Tommroch,
In spite of Hatman's hard-hitting, I think he's expressing a valid concern that many of us microstockers share---the desire for this business to be taken much more seriously than it is by many people.  Micro has the potential to earn you a good chunk of money, far more than just some extra spending cash each month.  It depends on your work ethic, business sense, and desire, along with your measure of talent.  Some of the sites are at best questionable in their security of our personal information (Fotolia).  However, others (including IS & SS, which are most folks' 1 & 2 top earners) take security seriously.  Perhaps we can start a thread about which sites seem to have the best security measures.  I don't know how it works in the UK, but in the US, when you are applying for a job you are required to give nearly ALL of your personal information, including scans of your driver's license, which is then stored on computer hard-drives to be used for background checks, tax data, etc.  You can refuse to give that info, but of course you most likely won't be hired.
So, why should microstock be any different with the potential earnings that can be made there?  As Hatman said, these sites are making millions but also making payouts (some small and some very large) to their contributors.  With the potential for fraud, image theft and reselling, etc., the sites who are trying to be as legitimate as possible want to make sure we are who we say we are.

Hatman,
About that last line??  I think you meant to say that Nigerians are definitely welcomed here, just not those who try to weasel their way into our bank accounts!??

when i submitted my DL i remove the dl number for id theft (already a victim once) and not one of the agencies have complained.

Thanks folks for your input on the pros and cons of providing a JPG of personal information. but can we start another thread on that subject.

Like I said originally, I am not at all comfortable with this idea, and really need to go with companies who don't need this info.

Perhaps I will go with the companies who do need this info, when their MDs, CEOs etc don't mind sending ME a copy of their passport and driver's licence.

so to start again...

Hello everyone.

This is my first post here.

I have a small portfolio on FOT and DT.

I would like to widen my portfolio across a number of other microstock websites, however most of them seem to require that you send a JPG of your driving licence or passport or similar.

I am not comfortable with this idea.

Can anyone tell me which microstock sites DON'T require any ID.

Thank you.

Any comments other than this feel free to start another thread, along the lines of:

"What are the pros and cons of providing an online company with a copy of your passport or driving licence"

where I will be glad to listen to concrete evidence as to why it is necessary and to say why I think it is pointless

thanks

Thank you Leaf, it is appreciated

 

Quote from: leaf on September 13, 2007, 14:43

but in answer to your question, i don't think bigstock, or stockxpert require ID - perhaps not dreamstime either.  And you could always check out lucky oliver

in case you missed it - this is what i said earlier.

you can also try canstockphoto, 123Royalty free and creestock - although they don't have as good earnings.

Contrary to what has been said, I think 123RF requires ID.  As far as I remember, only they and IS do, and DT, StockXpert, FT, CanStockPhoto, BigStock, FP, CS, IV, LO don't.

shutterstock wants ID as well.