Author Topic: New image monitoring service (reverse image search) (Read 14870 times)

yvallee · « **on:** November 05, 2016, 19:12 »

Hi Guys,

I am a stock photographer myself and I would like to bring to your attention, a new service that is very useful to stock photographers. It is a reverse image search which monitors constantly to find matches to your images. I am using it myself! Check it out at www.picmatch.ca. I am sure you will find it very useful!

Cheers,

Yanick

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2016, 19:37 »

So, your first post here, and you just joined to tell us about a service you use?

Seriously, it's ok if you own it or work for them to tell us.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2016, 21:39 »

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanickvallee

I'm assuming this is the owner of this new company

Given my portfolio size, your service would cost $19.95 a month and I couldn't possibly justify paying that. Perhaps some of the most successful factory services could make financial sense of this type of service, but for smaller outfits, the cost seems prohibitive (to me)

noodle · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2016, 21:53 »

$20/ mth for a reverse image search?
I dont see the point
If we have to chase up infringments, you can use tineye or google image search for free, ptherwise pixsy and other services do searches and chase up for you ( for a percentage of the chase up settlement)

So i dont see an advantage for this kind of service

yvallee · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2016, 22:37 »

Thanks for your replies. I like to get feedback!

Yes, indeed, I am the owner. This is my linkedin profile, Jo Ann.

As for the $20 plan, I would think it is justified. The reason is that other services that are free, do not offer, an automatic, recurring search of your images. If you have 10,000 images (or even only 1000) you will not be able to do the search for them all, one by one, with TineEye or Google. Let alone other search engines. picMatch does that for you. And the value is really in the fact that it will search for your images, again, and again, and again. And it will (or should) find new matches overtime. Our testing has shown that it in fact does find new matches, as it re-runs the search for the same images again.

picMatch also offers other advantages, like freezing a "memory" of the page where the image was found, in time, by taking a screenshot of the page (where your picture is found), that you can keep in your archives. This is another thing that is great about it. In the future, it will offer other advantages that I will not list here, but, do expect great improvements overtime.

To me, a photographer, it would be worth it to pay (although I get it for free...), because knowing where your pictures are used, is priceless. Giggles guaranteed when you find out your picture is in a book, on a website, on the packaging of a commercial product, or else...Things that stock agencies will never tell you.

Now, I will not promise this to everyone, but only to you Jo Ann, Sean and noodle. If you try it, and are not satisfied, just write to me and I will re-imburse you the fees.

Also, any further feedback is appreciated, would it be positive, or negative. If you want to get a better feel of who I am (in order to built some trust...) feel free to add me to Facebook or any social network.

Cheers,

Yanick

cathyslife · « **Reply #5 on:** November 06, 2016, 05:59 »

So why didnt you post that whole spiel your first post, instead of making it sound like you were just a satisfied customer? I think we are all a little weary (and wary) of deceptive business practices.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 06, 2016, 06:45 »

I am usually the first one to pounce on someone for misrepresenting themselves but it didn't sound like that to me, I thought it was clear that he was the owner of the service. Saying "I am a stock photographer myself" I took to mean I am also a stock photographer not just the designer of this app.

I am not sure how useful this would be. I have learned by having google alerts on my name that 90% of hits are dodgy click bait sites pulling watermarked versions of my images direct from stock sites to bring in viewers for ads. Not really useful for either perusing legally or adding to my list of clients (if I was bothered about either of these)

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #7 on:** November 06, 2016, 06:45 »

cathyslife · « **Reply #8 on:** November 06, 2016, 10:36 »

Quote

I am a stock photographer myself and I would like to bring to your attention a new service that is very useful to stock photographers. It is a reverse image search which monitors constantly to find matches to your images. I am using it myself!

That sounds like something I would write if I, as a photographer, just came across a useful app...not that I owned the app and wanted to introduce the benefits of it. But I agree with what has been said so far about its usefulmess. I barely make enough money these days to warrant $20 per month for another cottage industry spun off of microstock. I suppose larger companies (as Jo Ann already said) might find it useful.

PureArt · « **Reply #9 on:** November 06, 2016, 10:52 »

What I need is an app which finds my pictures at non-microstock websites and if the picture is used in illegal way it sends DMCA request (fills the form and ask me to confirm before sending) and if the website does not remove the picture it sends DMCA to web hosting provider of that website and to Google (to remove the site from search results). This app should detect if the website is an API partner of microstocks or not. It should know if the website owner purchased the picture legally or not. It should know where the image should be purchased with an extended license. It should know that some microstocks allow to show pics for free for credits (you write "image from SS or Getty" and it is legal). It should have a built-in list of "warez" websites. And there are lots of wishes what should it do automatically or with "1 click approval".

If the program wants me to do lots of work (consider if the site is legal API partner or not, etc.) I won't pay a penny for that program. Period.

trek · « **Reply #10 on:** November 06, 2016, 11:20 »

I don't see how it would work for RF nonexclusive licensing. Some images have hundreds of downloads. None of which are tracked. Harassing legitimate users is bad business.

Giveme5 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 06, 2016, 20:15 »

Not sure about you folks but I am cutting back on expenses just to pay life's bills (i.e., rent, food) thus track my sales/expenses via excel spreadsheet and using old equipment to keep the cost down. That $20 would pay for about four days worth of food...

yvallee · « **Reply #12 on:** November 06, 2016, 21:37 »

@Giveme5: I understand that life is getting harder financially for everyone...for me too...but we also have a $10 plan (up to 1000 images). We also offer a rebate of $20 for a limited time (Use coupon code: LAUNCH20) on the sign up page. Also pay attention because the 20$ (rebate) applies on the subsequent billing cycles, not on the first (so you will be charged $10, or more, when you sign up, depending on which plan you pick). I am saying this because I don't want to be accused of being dishonest...Like some "almost" said on this thread already...Also, you can cancel the service at any time. So if anything, you would have spent only $10, and you get 3 months of service in total (if you choose the $10 plan...).

You have to see the value in the service! If you don't, don't buy it, but at least you can try it, for 3 months, for only 10 bucks.

Cheers,

Yanick
Owner at www.picmatch.ca

SpaceStockFootage · « **Reply #13 on:** November 06, 2016, 22:05 »

Surely this only does half the job though? On its own, the service results in you being $10 to $20 out of pocket... and depressed at finding out so many people are using your images without licensing them. For there to be any benefit then they then need to do something about it, which your service doesn't help with.

Surely if I offered a service for $5 where I tell people that everything is ok and nobody is using their images incorrectly (whether it's true or not) would result in people being generally happier?

Maybe I've missed something though, and I've got your service wrong.

yvallee · « **Reply #14 on:** November 06, 2016, 22:43 »

@SpaceStockFootage: Do not expect to find stolen images. This doesn't happen a lot. In my case, I found no stolen images, except one that I'm not sure about...and this is actually reassuring. Instead, I found out many places where my images are used (images purchased through stock agencies). For example, I found that one of my pictures is used in a book! This is great! A nice book too! I then made sure that I've actually sold this picture through a stock agency and after confirming this, it just made me happy! Other examples: one of my images found in an article on the Tampa Bay Times website (with the iStockphoto.com mention under the image). So I know it's not stolen and this makes me happy to see my picture is used in a newspaper. One last example: One of my pictures of dandelions is used on a packaging for weed killer...I didn't know that before using picmatch, but now I know, and it is great! This is only 3 examples, I found a bunch more...

Picmatch is a tool to build your client list, not to sue people!

I'm pretty sure you would find mostly nice surprises, which will make you happy, instead of making you depressed.

PureArt · « **Reply #15 on:** November 07, 2016, 04:47 »

Quote from: yvallee on November 06, 2016, 22:43

Picmatch is a tool to build your client list ...

Why? Why do we need to build the list? What is the profit or benefit?

yvallee · « **Reply #16 on:** November 07, 2016, 06:29 »

@PureArt: This sounds like a movie title! "THE LIST". You need to build "the list"! Your list of clients...It is a marketing tool, for a photographer. You need to know where you are published. Otherwise, it's like, being published in a magazine and never knowing about it...What is it good for, if you don't know about it? For You? Nothing!!! But if you know you've been published in that magazine, then you can tell your potential customers that you've been published in this same magazine, which gives you value, as a Photographer! That's it! Knowledge is power!

So, basically, it does bring profit financially, but it also brings a benefit to your self esteem as a photographer...

PureArt · « **Reply #17 on:** November 08, 2016, 05:32 »

Quote from: yvallee on November 07, 2016, 06:29

... But if you know you've been published in that magazine, then you can tell your potential customers that you've been published in this same magazine, which gives you value, as a Photographer! That's it! ...

First of all, your software can not find pictures published in magazines or on packaging. The magazine should have all the pages available online, otherwise your software will look at their cover page only. Someone should make a photo of the packaging and upload it to come website (social network maybe) to make it searchable. Moreover, it should be well lit and with right angle (front view) and not covered (overlaped) by some item. So, the software can find only a few, maybe 0.01% of the packagings and magazines.

But ok, let's say you have found some magazine with your photo. What are the next steps? Will you find contact details of that magazine editor, phone them and ask to buy more your photos? Will you contact the company who placed your vector illustration to their chocolate bar packaging and ask them to buy more your 'vectors'? How are you going to make any profit?

Not just satisfy your ego, but make some $?

Pauws99 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 08, 2016, 09:23 »

I suppose its interesting but I honestly find it hard to see any serious return on investment. In these times when I imagine most people are looking to minimise costs I seriously doubt there's a market at anything like that price point. But good luck with it

yvallee · « **Reply #19 on:** November 08, 2016, 23:06 »

@PureArt:

Quote

First of all, your software can not find pictures published in magazines or on packaging.

Yes, indeed, it does find pictures on packagings. If a picture of the packaging is online, it will find it, even if the picture is cropped, or altered. Even if the image has some text on it.

Please read the FAQ on picmatch.ca for details...there is an example of a packaging: http://www.picmatch.ca/Home/FAQ/EN

It can also find magazines and books. In my case, it found a book. See here, this is is the book: http://thehappinessshop.com.au/shop/the-little-book-of-families/ and the picture that the system was searching for was the one of the chipmunk with a peanut in it's mouth...

Quote

let's say you have found some magazine with your photo. What are the next steps?

The next step, if you found out that your picture is in a magazine, and you have confirmed that you "have" sold that picture, then you simply update you client list. And update your website, or everywhere where you client list shows. This adds value to you as a photographer. Unless it's a crappy magazine off course, in which case, just don't mention it... $:-\$

It also found a picture I own in a pdf document. In the US spca's annual report, a couple of years ago.

yvallee · « **Reply #20 on:** November 08, 2016, 23:13 »

@Pauws99:

Quote

But good luck with it

Thank You!

PureArt · « **Reply #21 on:** November 09, 2016, 05:27 »

Quote from: yvallee on November 08, 2016, 23:06

This adds value to you as a photographer.

How do you convert that value to some cash?

Newsfocus1 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 09, 2016, 15:40 »

On the subject of finding your images in use you might want to try the new See In Action feature at Dreamstime (I don't think this has been mentioned on MSG as yet). Just go to your sales page and hover to the right of the thumbnail of the sold image. Click the See In Action box and it does an immediate Google search for that image on the internet. The great advantage is that you don't have to faff around uploading the image first like you do with a reverse image search. My very first search threw up an Ebook cover featuring my Avatar cat http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23414251-figaro-the-cat-detective-and-the-great-dog-pooh-mystery which was quite fun to see. Note, it's not showing you where Dreamstime sold that particular image -just internet matches in general.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 09, 2016, 17:26 »

Quote from: Newsfocus1 on November 09, 2016, 15:40

On the subject of finding your images in use you might want to try the new See In Action feature at Dreamstime (I don't think this has been mentioned on MSG as yet). Just go to your sales page and hover to the right of the thumbnail of the sold image. Click the See In Action box and it does an immediate Google search for that image on the internet. The great advantage is that you don't have to faff around uploading the image first like you do with a reverse image search. My very first search threw up an Ebook cover featuring my Avatar cat http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23414251-figaro-the-cat-detective-and-the-great-dog-pooh-mystery which was quite fun to see. Note, it's not showing you where Dreamstime sold that particular image -just internet matches in general.

Thanks for that seems to be throwing up some odd stuff too though with my image thrown in a random document...strange

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #24 on:** November 10, 2016, 00:01 »

Quote from: Pauws99 on November 09, 2016, 17:26

Quote from: Newsfocus1 on November 09, 2016, 15:40
On the subject of finding your images in use you might want to try the new See In Action feature at Dreamstime (I don't think this has been mentioned on MSG as yet). Just go to your sales page and hover to the right of the thumbnail of the sold image. Click the See In Action box and it does an immediate Google search for that image on the internet. The great advantage is that you don't have to faff around uploading the image first like you do with a reverse image search. My very first search threw up an Ebook cover featuring my Avatar cat http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23414251-figaro-the-cat-detective-and-the-great-dog-pooh-mystery which was quite fun to see. Note, it's not showing you where Dreamstime sold that particular image -just internet matches in general.
Thanks for that seems to be throwing up some odd stuff too though with my image thrown in a random document...strange

This is Google Image Search. It's a function which has by been available by Google for a few years, it's not specific to Dreamstime. When searching in the image section on Google you can drag any image on the net to the search bar, once you drop the image there it shows where the image is used online.

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Author Topic: New image monitoring service (reverse image search) (Read 14870 times)

yvallee

Sean Locke Photography

Jo Ann Snover

noodle

yvallee

cathyslife

Justanotherphotographer

Justanotherphotographer

cathyslife

PureArt

trek

Giveme5

yvallee

SpaceStockFootage

yvallee

PureArt

yvallee

PureArt

Pauws99

yvallee

yvallee

PureArt

Newsfocus1

Pauws99

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