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Author Topic: Yuri Arcurs First Public Statement  (Read 144776 times)

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« Reply #75 on: July 25, 2013, 15:40 »
+3
That's a lot of BS for a shotgun wedding.


Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #76 on: July 25, 2013, 15:40 »
0
Is Nikon and Canon going into the phone cameras with sensors as good as those now in DSLRs?

No. But Nokia and Samsung are

« Reply #77 on: July 25, 2013, 15:41 »
+6
Hi Yuri,

thank you very much for the enlightening article. I understand the frustration of trying to push the agencies towards more price variance and encouraging midstock or even higher prices alongside the micro pricing.

There is a huge market out there that is not being tapped.

I am confused though, that you believe Getty is the right partner for you. I certainly hope it works out the way you expect it too. I would have thought you had a better chance with growing your own site peopleimages and maybe in time expanding it to your own agency. It would have been entirely your own thing, your team, your IT, your ideas. Grow it as big as you want.

I am sure many people in the industry would have supported you, if you wanted them too.

In fact, if Getty hired you as CEO, I would really believe the company could make a turnaround.

But the way things are, it looks from outside like you made a probably lucrative deal with a company that is really not known for innovation and has, as you said yourself, been following the market instead of leading it.

I dont quite follow what is the big difference between shooting with a normal digital camera or a phone camera. Maybe it is fractionally faster to upload directly from your phone and for news reportage the advantage is that people usually carry their phone everyhwere, but fewer people have a camera with them at all times. But for shooting stock - will that really make such a difference?

Crowdsourcing with a phone is still crowd sourcing, which means it offers low entry requirements and so talent can enter the market easily. But it can do so now already and it is only the best talent that will rise to the top of a crowd sourcing platform and produce the commercially interesting content.

After all that is the real success of crowd sourced platforms - they are talent incubators.

99% of the crowd will never shoot the valuable content you are looking for. But an open platform lets you discover the gems you might not have encountered otherwise.

Motivation,intelligence and talent can thus be discovered while ignoring the old boys network.

But will the mobile phone really discover more talent than the DSLR? And could those globals "assignments" not be done on a normal stock platform?

Whatever you do - all the best of success!

See you in Berlin






« Last Edit: July 25, 2013, 15:43 by cobalt »

« Reply #78 on: July 25, 2013, 15:42 »
0
Which of the microstock companies have deep enough pockets to survive this price war Yuri ? Which do you predict will be bought out and which do you think will close over, say, the next 18 months ?

« Reply #79 on: July 25, 2013, 15:42 »
+3
Turn that around. What do you think happens at the end of a downward spiral?

the cracks in the system are already there to be seen by those with an eye for the details.
SS going public for instance, in many cases it's the kiss of death for such companies and they launch IPOs only because they know very well they've peaked and they need to sell out soon.


Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #80 on: July 25, 2013, 15:43 »
-1
Jeg hedder nu Jens.
One thing, Yuri, your business decisions seem very sharp, they have always done.

But you are not the best at telling the story, not as good as you could be, just look here, people ask the wrong questions and doubt your motives.

I suggest you take a week off at some tropical island with a good amount of shade providing palm trees and then do ONE WEEK of serious self education.
Simply by reading Winston Churchills books. First he provides a detailled description of many things you did not know, alone that is interesting. But he really could twist a story so it supported his interests. He was a master of spin. Levels and levels of it.

Fair nok. Jeg er ikke en story-teller nej. Og jeg er helt klart for rlig i mine posts. Jeg er enig. Jeg kunne vre meget bedre til spin. Jeg har et par folketingsmedlemmer i min famile og de siger det samme. :)

« Reply #81 on: July 25, 2013, 15:44 »
0
Maybe this is the reason istock has lowered their standards for images....they are preparing for iphone submissions?

« Reply #82 on: July 25, 2013, 15:46 »
+1
Maybe this is the reason istock has lowered their standards for images....they are preparing for iphone submissions?
iStock is accepting mobile phone images since a long time, I think since fall 2012. So this is no news.

« Reply #83 on: July 25, 2013, 15:48 »
+26
What a narcissist! Sneers at us all over how he won't deal with us, only with "professionals", then can't resist cobbling together some stats that might support the contention that he is god's gift to the universe and can't resist coming to amateursnapperstockgroup.com to brag about his importance.
Sorry, Yuri, didn't you get the message when iStock sacked Sean? Nobody is of any real importance to the stock industry, not Sean and not  you. But don't let that get in the way of your self-esteem.

Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #84 on: July 25, 2013, 15:50 »
0
Hi Yuri,

thank you very much for the enlightening article. I understand the frustration of trying to push the agencies towards more price variance and encouraging midstock or even higher prices alongside the micro pricing.

There is a huge market out there that is not being tapped.

I am confused though, that you believe Getty is the right partner for you. I certainly hope it works out the way you expect it too. I would have thought you had a better chance with growing your own site peopleimages and maybe in time expanding it to your own agency. It would have been entirely your own thing, your team, your IT, your ideas. Grow it as big as you want.

I am sure many people in the industry would have supported you, if you wanted them too.

In fact, if Getty hired you as CEO, I would really believe the company could make a turnaround.

But the way things are, it looks from outside like you made a probably lucrative deal with a company that is really not known for innovation and has, as you said yourself, been following the market instead of leading it.

I dont quite follow what is the big difference between shooting with a normal digital camera or a phone camera. Maybe it is fractionally faster to upload directly from your phone and for news reportage the advantage is that people usually carry their phone everyhwere, but fewer people have a camera with them at all times. But for shooting stock - will that really make such a difference?

Crowdsourcing with a phone is still crowd sourcing, which means it offers low entry requirements and so talent can enter the market easily. But it can do so now already and it is only the best talent that will rise to the top of a crowd sourcing platform and produce the commercially interesting content.

After all that is the real success of crowd sourced platforms - they are talent incubators.

99% of the crowd will never shoot the valuable content you are looking for. But an open platform lets you discover the gems you might not have encountered otherwise.

Motivation,intelligence and talent can thus be discovered while ignoring the old boys network.

But will the mobile phone really discover more talent than the DSLR? And could those globals "assignments" not be done on a normal stock platform?

Whatever you do - all the best of success!

See you in Berlin

Competition has it's antennas out there. Pretty much all microsites that have launched since 2005 have been a duplicate of each other. PeopleImages.com is not.

« Reply #85 on: July 25, 2013, 15:51 »
+5
I hope Yuri hasn't started to believe his own hype?  I don't think one factory leaving is going to make much difference to the SS stock price in the long term.  Stock prices go up and down every day for all sorts of reasons.  Most sensible investors do it for the long term, the small daily or weekly fluctuations mean absolutely nothing.

What about all the Yuri clones that are still with SS?  Then there's all the exclusive content that istock has lost.  If anything, the istock collection has probably suffered more than the SS collection in the last year.  Whenever someone leaves, the sites soon get another million images from lots of new contributors.  One of them will probably be the next Yuri.  I think the king will lose his crown one day, especially if he starts thinking he's much more improtant than he really is.

« Reply #86 on: July 25, 2013, 15:53 »
+2
Yuri, I used to respect you and what you've been able to accomplish in microstock. But the way you've handled this is really disgusting.

Microstock companies gave you the opportunity to become what you are today. Maybe you've outgrown them, but it's really disrespectful to mock these companies on your way out the door, saying things like "professionals work with professionals" and calling your departure "the first substantial setback in microstock history."

You aren't microstock. We all are, and some of us real professionals in microstock wouldn't act like children on our way out the door if we ever opted to move on.

Wait, we are supposed to be classy and dignified when we leave sites? I wish somebody would have told me that.  ;D

Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #87 on: July 25, 2013, 15:54 »
+6
What a narcissist! Sneers at us all over how he won't deal with us, only with "professionals", then can't resist cobbling together some stats that might support the contention that he is god's gift to the universe and can't resist coming to amateursnapperstockgroup.com to brag about his importance.
Sorry, Yuri, didn't you get the message when iStock sacked Sean? Nobody is of any real importance to the stock industry, not Sean and not  you. But don't let that get in the way of your self-esteem.

Hi. Send me an email on [email protected] and let's discus a bit further. I feel somewhat sad that I can make you explode like this and would like to know why. Are you ok with discussing over email?

tab62

« Reply #88 on: July 25, 2013, 15:55 »
0
This post might be a blessing- I am sure the folks at SS and others have read this post by now. Just maybe they will change their 'Game Plan' as well. Will camera phones have a place in this industry- heck, yes! But professionals with their high end camera will have a major place as well.  Google Images was a game changer as well -probably one of the biggest impacts in many years but the game is still a foot...

T

« Reply #89 on: July 25, 2013, 15:56 »
+1
Maybe this is the reason istock has lowered their standards for images....they are preparing for iphone submissions?
iStock is accepting mobile phone images since a long time, I think since fall 2012. So this is no news.
Indeed....but the lowering of quality for acceptance is new....

Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #90 on: July 25, 2013, 15:56 »
0
This post might be a blessing- I am sure the folks at SS and others have read this post by now. Just maybe they will change their 'Game Plan' as well. Will camera phones have a place in this industry- heck, yes! But professionals with their high end camera will have a major place as well.  Google Images was a game changer as well -probably one of the biggest impacts in many years but the game is still a foot...

T

Mindreader!

« Reply #91 on: July 25, 2013, 15:57 »
+4
Maybe this is the reason istock has lowered their standards for images....they are preparing for iphone submissions?

You people always fall for nonsense like this. Soros does this: he tells everyone gold is for idiots, and when the price drops, he buys tons of it. I remember when I read someone's list of what not to shoot, because they are so overdone: anything with laptop, businesswoman, girls with apples and similar... than you look at the guys new uploads: stuff with laptop, businesswoman, girls with apples and similar.... But you can bet the guy was very grateful if you were dumb enough to fall for it and gave him more space on those sellers by shooting some niche junk instead... what a bunch of morons :)


« Reply #92 on: July 25, 2013, 15:57 »
0


Competition has it's antennas out there. Pretty much all microsites that have launched since 2005 have been a duplicate of each other. PeopleImages.com is not.
[/quote]

Which is why I am confused you are working with Getty too. Would they really allow you to grow people images.com and become a competitor?

I mean, I am sure you have a plan, not expecting you to share it. I just am surprised you have so much faith in them if their track record of the last few years is not very encouraging. You must have seen that as well.

« Reply #93 on: July 25, 2013, 15:58 »
-1
Yuri, I cannot believe the resistance you are up against here.
Maybe you should not have come here, and not expresssed anything. But you have, and I like that.

It is obvoius that the mobile market, which so much a market  but as swamp, can be qualified and moneterized on, simply by selling exif data.

Like this picture was taken at this time at this place and shows a train accident.
That is super competitive, press photos have never been better and it works peer to peer also.
There are 10000 billion of pictures out there, in the chaos, if you can put order into chaos and earn money on it, you have a new step forewards.

« Reply #94 on: July 25, 2013, 16:00 »
+3
What about all the Yuri clones that are still with SS?  Then there's all the exclusive content that istock has lost.  If anything, the istock collection has probably suffered more than the SS collection in the last year.  Whenever someone leaves, the sites soon get another million images from lots of new contributors.  One of them will probably be the next Yuri.  I think the king will lose his crown one day, especially if he starts thinking he's much more improtant than he really is.

SS will still be selling the same number of images as before, if not more. The sales that Yuri might have had on SS will simply pass to his 'clones', giving them a greater income and increased motivation to compete yet harder.

Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #95 on: July 25, 2013, 16:01 »
0
Maybe this is the reason istock has lowered their standards for images....they are preparing for iphone submissions?


You people always fall for nonsense like this. Soros does this: he tells everyone gold is for idiots, and when the price drops, he buys tons of it. I remember when I read someone's list of what not to shoot, because they are so overdone: anything with laptop, businesswoman, girls with apples and similar... than you look at the guys new uploads: stuff with laptop, businesswoman, girls with apples and similar.... But you can bet the guy was very grateful if you were dumb enough to fall for it and gave him more space on those sellers by shooting some niche junk instead... what a bunch of morons :)


hehe. He is refereing to this post: http://arcurs.com/2008/05/what-should-i-shoot-and-what-sells-well/
Not quite true dough. RPI on concepts outside the "sofa, laptop, cell-phone"-sphere are much higher. The problem is that to nail them you need to think and not just duplicate. The advice in the article is true. Actually is.

« Reply #96 on: July 25, 2013, 16:02 »
+1
iStock is accepting mobile phone images since a long time, I think since fall 2012. So this is no news.

it's a bad news for photography anyway.

the trend is more and more about cr-ap snapshots taken with iphone being now considered "good enough".
well sorry, they're not.

but go tell it to the sacked photo editors or the newspapers closing down, soon people will read news on facebook or twitter rather than on BBC or Reuters and i can't see how this is any positive to mankind and to us considering the average reader will be more than happy with those iphone snaps and a few lines of text.

similar and acceptable quality between an iphone snapshot and a carefully edited image shot on a nikon D4 with a F2.8 lens and all ? well i beg to differ but then again i might be an old fart ... and indeed photojournalism is dead if the future is all about Instagram or Scoopshot !

and by the way we should better advice Getty as well and their Reportage by Getty division, next thing they will know is that expensive reportages will be shot on iphones by random punks and drunks for a credit line or a case of beers.

i'm so sick of these "mobile revolution", the world was such a better place before the advent of these useless dumb-phones and one day people will realize it.


Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #97 on: July 25, 2013, 16:03 »
+2
Yuri, I cannot believe the resistance you are up against here.
Maybe you should not have come here, and not expresssed anything. But you have, and I like that.

It is obvoius that the mobile market, which so much a market  but as swamp, can be qualified and moneterized on, simply by selling exif data.

Like this picture was taken at this time at this place and shows a train accident.
That is super competitive, press photos have never been better and it works peer to peer also.
There are 10000 billion of pictures out there, in the chaos, if you can put order into chaos and earn money on it, you have a new step forewards.

Jens. It is ok. You should try to be on the panel with me in some XX country, where XX% hates microstock. This is what to expect. MSG posters are biased yes, but they are brutal and sometimes that is ok. :)

Yuri_Arcurs

  • One Crazy PhotoManic MadPerson
« Reply #98 on: July 25, 2013, 16:08 »
0
 I'm here for the next hour or so call me if you really want to discuss this and I will post an update on the call. I will be here for another hour or so.
+27 71 6111 245

« Reply #99 on: July 25, 2013, 16:09 »
+14
What a narcissist! Sneers at us all over how he won't deal with us, only with "professionals", then can't resist cobbling together some stats that might support the contention that he is god's gift to the universe and can't resist coming to amateursnapperstockgroup.com to brag about his importance.
Sorry, Yuri, didn't you get the message when iStock sacked Sean? Nobody is of any real importance to the stock industry, not Sean and not  you. But don't let that get in the way of your self-esteem.

Hi. Send me an email on [email protected] and let's discus a bit further. I feel somewhat sad that I can make you explode like this and would like to know why. Are you ok with discussing over email?

I've observed  you over the years. My opinion of you went down the drain in an SS thread a long time ago when someone pointed out that one of your people line-ups was ridiculous with the fake reflections not matching the line, so the whole effect was absurd. Instead of admitting you had screwed up and pulling the failed picture, you said it was all the fault of a trainee photoshop worker (who I think you named) and that while the picture was rubbish, that might be the sort of thing customers wanted.
In a couple of replies you showed 1) a complete failure to accept that anything you published could be wrong, even though it clearly was; 2) a desire to blame your staff instead of accepting responsibility when things go wrong, however minor the issue might be, and 3) complete contempt for buyers and a willingness to leave them looking like idiots by buying your mistakes.
I've wasted very little time on your pronouncements since then, though I understand you have provided a lot of useful information to people as a part of your self-promotion drive.
No need to do it in private communication, dude. Your latest "microstock fails because I leave" is just part of the observed pattern.


 

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