MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: tommroch on May 03, 2008, 13:45
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I am brand new to Istockphoto and there is a uniquely different feel to it compared to the other microstock sites. I have a few questions.
The upload and keywording process seems SO SLOOOWWWW.
Am I missing something or can I really only upload ONE image at a time, i.e. is FTP posssible?
And would I be right in saying that on upload to Istockphoto, the IPTC data is stripped away - or have I prepared the file wrong and somehow the IPTC data has been left out?
Once the image is uploaded. it seems I have to keyword there and then. Or can I close the window and key word later, once I have a batch of images for instance, in a pending box?
Does anyone know if uploaded files go serially into a queue with everyone elses, and each individual file is checked depending on its position in the whole queue OR does the reviewer eventually get round to you and check all the images you have in your pending at that particular time?
Also, are there any other 'quirks' of Istockphoto I need to know about?
Thanks for your help.
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You can upload one image at a time. Although by using multiple tabs in a browser you can upload several. As a new contributor you can only submit 15 files a week anyway, so FTP really wouldn't be worth it.
IPTC data is kept.
You don't have to keyword it there and then, but you DO have to keyword it before it goes into the review queue. The longer you leave a file pending without being in the queue will affect it's position in the search rankings, because it becomes an old file.
The files go into a queue with everyone elses. You don't get all your images reviewed at once.
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Hi there are a couple of applications where you can prepare your files keywords etc:
Just for Istock you have http://www.deepmeta.com/ (http://www.deepmeta.com/) this will also test the keywords and gives you the categories, from the application upload then just finish the uploads off on istock, deepmeta is just for Istock and is free.
If you upload to other sites then there is http://www.prostockmaster.com/ (http://www.prostockmaster.com/) this will suggest keywords and return statistics, and you can embed the IPTC data with this application.
Both applications use the embedded IPTC data, and when starting out prostockmaster can be used with the free limited version, and later when you are earning it is not that much money $49 to register.
David
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Yep, that's Istock :) Many times they need the keywords "disambiguated," probably so they keep their meaning in another language. I find the DeepMeta (http://www.deepmeta.com) program to be a very valuable tool for working with my istock portfolio. One thing I like about DeepMeta is that you can tinker with keywords and categories on your online photos, especially if you miss something (or think of another relevant keyword). It also makes uploading very easy, provided that there's room left in your upload limit.
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You cut the process to 1/4 with deepmeta. First I was, what the.."#¤"#¤!"##"