green colour! conceptual images. I think more and more established people will move away from micro and try their luck with the traditional smaller agencies or even the larger ones.
I think Getty and SS will bump into hard times.

beacause of the Trump surprise and Brexit there will be a good time for photo journalism during 2017.

Well thats my 2 cents. Happy new year!

The artists here are creative and working towards their business and earnings, many times, watch and see what's really going on in the industry better then the people in the big offices and agencies.

I'd be surprised. That would be like one guy who just sells fries, in one McDonald's franchise, being able to predict how all the different McDonald's products do across all the different outlets. Surely Ronald and Hamburgler would have a better handle on the way the market is going, even if their sat in their big offices? Sure, historical data doesn't always predict the future, but I'd rather put my trust in somebody who knows exactly what's selling, at what price, what's being uploaded, with what keywords, and what search terms are used resulting in what sales... compared to all of that from previous periods... than a handful of dudes in a forum who represent less than 1% of the market. 

Don't get me wrong, there's a bunch of talented and intelligent people around here, that have been around long enough to know a thing or two... but I really don't think any of us have a large enough portfolio, with high enough sales, and portfolio diversity (compared to any one site as a whole, or the entire market for that matter) to make any meaningful predictions.

Quote from: YadaYadaYada on December 31, 2016, 13:07

The artists here are creative and working towards their business and earnings, many times, watch and see what's really going on in the industry better then the people in the big offices and agencies.

I'd be surprised. That would be like one guy who just sells fries, in one McDonald's franchise, being able to predict how all the different McDonald's products do across all the different outlets. Surely Ronald and Hamburgler would have a better handle on the way the market is going, even if their sat in their big offices? Sure, historical data doesn't always predict the future, but I'd rather put my trust in somebody who knows exactly what's selling, at what price, what's being uploaded, with what keywords, and what search terms are used resulting in what sales... compared to all of that from previous periods... than a handful of dudes in a forum who represent less than 1% of the market. 

Don't get me wrong, there's a bunch of talented and intelligent people around here, that have been around long enough to know a thing or two... but I really don't think any of us have a large enough portfolio, with high enough sales, and portfolio diversity (compared to any one site as a whole, or the entire market for that matter) to make any meaningful predictions.

In the main I agree but its often people "on the ground" who first notice changes. History is littered with big corporations who didn't see the obvious coming because they were too busy believing their own hype. You can be sure most predictions turn out wrong.

Quote from: YadaYadaYada on December 31, 2016, 13:07

The artists here are creative and working towards their business and earnings, many times, watch and see what's really going on in the industry better then the people in the big offices and agencies.

I'd be surprised. That would be like one guy who just sells fries, in one McDonald's franchise, being able to predict how all the different McDonald's products do across all the different outlets. Surely Ronald and Hamburgler would have a better handle on the way the market is going, even if their sat in their big offices? Sure, historical data doesn't always predict the future, but I'd rather put my trust in somebody who knows exactly what's selling, at what price, what's being uploaded, with what keywords, and what search terms are used resulting in what sales... compared to all of that from previous periods... than a handful of dudes in a forum who represent less than 1% of the market. 

Don't get me wrong, there's a bunch of talented and intelligent people around here, that have been around long enough to know a thing or two... but I really don't think any of us have a large enough portfolio, with high enough sales, and portfolio diversity (compared to any one site as a whole, or the entire market for that matter) to make any meaningful predictions.

Yes and no. I think the people here are closer then some of the meatheads with suits that run businesses by profit and loss, instead of from the creative side.

It would be nice if agencies gave us good data to work with, like what keywords are selling the most. If they put up their version some of them are what they think are popular keywords, not what's actually being downloaded. And most searched words is like asking somebody what did they look at, before they bought what they had for lunch. No sale doesn't interest me. I have some files on IS with the most views of anything I have. Ten years, not one download. I'll guess, interesting subject and poor photo.

Anyway predictions are fun and yes I trust the people here who watch and study or plan to have better ideas then somebody being interviewed who's talking about their individual work and direction, not the market for all of us. I don't expect much of either to be right.

The secret to success is determining how to best & quickly capitalize on changing conditions, before the competition does.

A lot more images taken in the real world, with real people, real food with harsh sunlight and shadows, natural colors and no artificial compositioning or post processing.

Lots of content for virtual reality and 360 photos and videos.

More images taken in messy crowded spaces. Real city lifestyle not fake sanitized 70's.

Very political content, suitable for discussing the real world, not distraction for escapism.

Artificial intelligence, self driving cars, drones, home automation, elderly people connecting with doctors and carers online, remote learning, especially young people in growing economies teaching themselves.

3d printing allows more local creation and production, together with small automated food production and locally produced renewable energy, people will be more independent.

more variety in modern family life, patchwork families, gay families with children,

Digital culturisation, feeling at home with a group of peers internationally, borders have little importance

etc...

These are very exciting times, there is an endless amount of modern content needed.

The question is how to get this data. There was Yuri's keyword tool, there are the popular image pages for all sites, forums to know what's selling. Thats about it, not much else can be found

If you are looking at what's selling for what to do, you might be too late. Kind of like going fishing where they were biting yesterday. This is what's wrong with many people, they copy what's most popular and wonder why no sales. If somebody else already has most popular and others make the same, what do you get?

Most of the future trends from site, blogs and agency are guessing. Look at last year and year before. How many were right, how many ideas were right. Might as well read the 2015 predictions as 2017 predictions because they are all the same.

Look at the ideas and trends and go for what yourself see as the future. Then you are ahead not missing the train that already left the station. That's how to see the future.

If you have such a horrible attitude towards our customers, why did you decide to work in the stock industry?

Lots of people don�t understand that stock is a genre on itˋs own, with itˋ s own rules.

If you prefer to shoot arthouse, go and make full time living in art. Lotś of people do.

If you meet a wedding photographer who keeps complaining about weddings...and all they ever want is "romantic,romantic,romantic"...nobody understands me...customers don�t appreciate my creative and sensitive soul...

...would you feel sorry for them...or suggest they get out of the wedding business?

The customers are not out to get you, they just want useful media for their projects. That is what they pay money for.

I work in the stock industry, because I love creating useful content for businesses, not because I didn�t make it in arthouse.

If you create useful content, you can still make lots of money in stock. But you have to approach it as a professional business and keep your pulse on the market.