I just got an email this morning saying I had 17 images awaiting keywords. I must have tried out alamy then forgot I had the application process going...

Looking at Alamy, it seems like what a stock photo site would have been if the 1980's had the internet.

That, and I could not find the FTP. I did however find an image that looked like it was taken from a "How did you get rid of the ring around the collar commercial" way back.

So whats the deal? Do they take images like mine? Should I put legwarmers on all of my characters? Are sales ok?

They've been Ok for me lately.. perhaps around Dreamstime levels or a little worse.  I got the email too   Gotta get to that submission cue.  It's just so much work processing the files there.

As far as I know, you have to use their uploader. Be grateful for that: five or six years ago you had to send them TIFF files in Adobe RGB on CDs.

There is an FTP upload for newsworthy images - you have to apply for it.

I just got an email this morning saying I had 17 images awaiting keywords. I must have tried out alamy then forgot I had the application process going...

Looking at Alamy, it seems like what a stock photo site would have been if the 1980's had the internet.

That, and I could not find the FTP. I did however find an image that looked like it was taken from a "How did you get rid of the ring around the collar commercial" way back.

So whats the deal? Do they take images like mine? Should I put legwarmers on all of my characters? Are sales ok?

Bingo!  to the 80s style. They are in a tough situation since they have to satisfy lots and lots of old timers with massive portfolios of travel and landscapes and these people simply detest any form of micro styles.
Alamy in itself is not the problem, its the buyers, very limited type of buyers.

I was looking through Alamy's tools to see who searches on what and this months hot item was.......batteries, and with over 15 sales.

The sales seldom correspond to the searches. The searches recorded are only recorded from the most regular large customers; and a sale is only recorded if it results directly from the search in that visit. So e.g. if they put a file in a lightbox to make a final selection from later, it's not recorded as a sale from that search. And if someone other than the 'top buyer's list' buys a file, it isn't recorded on Measures as a search or a sale.

E.g. in my own case, a good proportion of my (meagre) sales seem not to have been searched on (i.e. by the site's top buyers), and of those which were searched on, not one sale is recorded for the search.

Added: Measures is currently not working as previously, and unlike some sites, they don't want to risk breaking other parts of the site while fixing Measures.
http://www.alamy.com/forums/default.aspx?g=posts&t=13925

they seemed to be a micro around in the early days that have recognised the benefit of RM.  That and they have 32 million images searchable.

What is alamy?

Probably the best agency around in terms of communication, respect for contributors and liberty on the forums even if you are criticizing it.

It's also my highest selling agency despite the abrupt fall on prices in the last years. A top source of income if you know what you're doing.

Beats me. I have been selling Rm and RF for over 15 years and Alamy is simply the one and only agency that surprises me still being in business.