iStock has always been the toughest for me to get my images accepted.  So I usually wait for my photos to get accepted by Shutterstock or others first.  If they pass that test then I submit only those.  Of that I get about 30% accepted at iStock.

With the last 30 or so..... None got accepted at iStock.... ugh.   Several of those are already selling on SS and others.

So I am wondering if there has been a shift in policy or I just got unlucky with the reviewer(s) that are checking my pics.

no shift in policy, post a few here at 100% so you can get some feedback.

Sorry but IMO,  a good agency should be picky not letting images through only because they are technically sound.

I don't upload there anymore but people have been saying reviews are taking longer at the moment.  I am sure there is a correlation between review times and rejection rates with most sites.  The more work the reviewers have, the more they reject.  If the queue is small, they have more time and the acceptance rate goes up.

I haven't noticed any change.

Yes, I've noticed some change on my last batch, review time is very long this week.
Rejection is higher, with, for the first time very big errors on reasons.

So, in the end of 2010, we can say:

-Istock lost his personality with an  uninspired new site design.
- Istock is lying at contributors and lowering royalties.
- istock start to reject pictures with inconsistent reviews.

Quote from: Smithore on October 01, 2010, 12:45
Yes, I've noticed some change on my last batch, review time is very long this week.
Rejection is higher, with, for the first time very big errors on reasons.

So, in the end of 2010, we can say:

-Istock lost his personality with an  uninspired new site design.
- Istock is lying at contributors and lowering royalties.
- istock start to reject pictures with inconsistent reviews.

And despite all that, people are still uploading   They aren't going to change if we put up with everything they do.  I just wish more people would make a stand and at least stop giving them new images.

I've stopped uploading since the announcement, waiting to see what happens

Quote from: bobkeenan on October 01, 2010, 06:13
iStock has always been the toughest for me to get my images accepted.  So I usually wait for my photos to get accepted by Shutterstock or others first.  If they pass that test then I submit only those.  Of that I get about 30% accepted at iStock.

With the last 30 or so..... None got accepted at iStock.... ugh.   Several of those are already selling on SS and others.

So I am wondering if there has been a shift in policy or I just got unlucky with the reviewer(s) that are checking my pics.

You would need to post rejection reasons and samples for us to make a call.  If they are just more steps and rocks like I see as your latest uploads there, I'd imagine they might have thought they have enough walk around type things at this point.

It appears that something has changed, as I have posted in another thread here.  A string of approx. 90% acceptance switched overnight to 90% rejection for me, in the same series of photos taken of similar subjects, lighting and processing.

longer inspecting time but my approval is good. prolly because I am learning and getting better.

We went down from ~60% to about ~25%.
Very annoying !!

Simple solution - stop uploading. I wish everyone would just stop uploading to Getty, especially the independents. You keep uploading and what sort of message does that send to Getty - that it's OK to rip-off their loyal contributors? Do you really want to see the other micros follow Getty's greedy example? Because that's where this is leading to we don't don't find an effective means of protesting the commission cut. Ten cents a download anyone?

Istock seems to be making a big push to move upmarket with higher production value Vetta and Agency stuff.

So like Sean said a lot of walkaround stuff is probably well covered.

I brought my overall acceptance rate up from 35% to 70% this year, I have almost no rejections lately.  So I dunno.

I think they are getting pickier. That's fine as long as they are rejecting for the right reasons. My rejections increased since the start of September, mostly for lighting, so I've just bought  the best monitor that I could afford and a calibrator. Fingers crossed!

Quote from: Allsa on October 01, 2010, 22:30
Simple solution - stop uploading. I wish everyone would just stop uploading to Getty, especially the independents. You keep uploading and what sort of message does that send to Getty - that it's OK to rip-off their loyal contributors? Do you really want to see the other micros follow Getty's greedy example? Because that's where this is leading to we don't don't find an effective means of protesting the commission cut. Ten cents a download anyone?

Can't say it any better myself. Spot on.

Quote from: bobkeenan on October 01, 2010, 06:13
iStock has always been the toughest for me to get my images accepted.  So I usually wait for my photos to get accepted by Shutterstock or others first.  If they pass that test then I submit only those.  Of that I get about 30% accepted at iStock.

With the last 30 or so..... None got accepted at iStock.... ugh.   Several of those are already selling on SS and others.

So I am wondering if there has been a shift in policy or I just got unlucky with the reviewer(s) that are checking my pics.

Glad to hear it, almost like karma for still submitting to a site that pays a 15% commission

Quote from: Allsa on October 01, 2010, 22:30
Simple solution - stop uploading. I wish everyone would just stop uploading to Getty, especially the independents. You keep uploading and what sort of message does that send to Getty - that it's OK to rip-off their loyal contributors? Do you really want to see the other micros follow Getty's greedy example? Because that's where this is leading to we don't don't find an effective means of protesting the commission cut. Ten cents a download anyone?

+1

Quote from: Allsa on October 01, 2010, 22:30
Simple solution - stop uploading. I wish everyone would just stop uploading to Getty, especially the independents. You keep uploading and what sort of message does that send to Getty - that it's OK to rip-off their loyal contributors? Do you really want to see the other micros follow Getty's greedy example? Because that's where this is leading to we don't don't find an effective means of protesting the commission cut. Ten cents a download anyone?

My sentiments exactly...well said

While I know I'm small beans there, I have noted a much longer review time and when talking to a couple other photographers that I know personally, all of us have seen that the rejections are much more than what we have seen in the past. The "walk around" and "isolated objects" are not what they seem to want to look at anymore. 

We have sat down and figured that we would need to have 1-2 shoots per month to get the higher quality theme photos that seem to past mustard there.

Now, past that, I have to see what the new year brings.

Have a great and safe week to you all.

D.

Who knows... it will be interesting to see where it all goes.

Quote from: sharpshot on October 01, 2010, 08:42
The more work the reviewers have, the more they reject.  If the queue is small, they have more time and the acceptance rate goes up.

This is sad but true. I think inconsistency in reviews is one of the biggest problems microstock contributors are facing. SS and IS were the consistent enough, i knew approximately how many they would accept but lately they just reject randomly like the rest of the sites. One week take it all the next week reject all.

I wonder also why non exclusives keep uploading.... Same for those uploading to Crestock...

Quote from: cclapper on October 03, 2010, 20:13

Quote from: Allsa on October 01, 2010, 22:30
Simple solution - stop uploading. I wish everyone would just stop uploading to Getty, especially the independents. You keep uploading and what sort of message does that send to Getty - that it's OK to rip-off their loyal contributors? Do you really want to see the other micros follow Getty's greedy example? Because that's where this is leading to we don't don't find an effective means of protesting the commission cut. Ten cents a download anyone?

+1

+2