MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: imageegami on January 29, 2012, 15:32

Title: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: imageegami on January 29, 2012, 15:32
Not an exclusive photographer ? That`s the question indies are presented when they upload. Then when you click on it, the answer is "iStockphoto wants to be your exclusive online, royalty-free, stock media agent. We don't want to share you and we'll take very good care of you... "

It`s the we`ll take good care of you part I don`t understand.

- Reneging on promise to grandfather commissions
- Putting Edstock at front of search results
- many other points already covered ad nausium.

The one I really don`t get is now that:
- All indie material (Vast majority of iStock content) on Thinkstock
- Thinkstock significantly less expensive than iStock
- Customers will migrate to Thinkstock - or elsewhere - preferable elsewhere
How is this taking care of exclusives ?
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: luissantos84 on January 29, 2012, 15:35
How is this taking care of exclusives ?

exclusives??
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: imageegami on January 29, 2012, 15:39
Yes, how can any exclusive still believe that iStock has their best interest at heart ? Many must because they are exclusive. Would just need to have it explained to me.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: luissantos84 on January 29, 2012, 15:50
Yes, how can any exclusive still believe that iStock has their best interest at heart ? Many must because they are exclusive. Would just need to have it explained to me.

and the other? there are many exclusives doing good, know a few myself
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: imageegami on January 29, 2012, 15:57
Yes there are many there are many exclusives doing good just as there are many indies that are doing good.

Topic is more, will exclusives keep doing good or are they doomed by Thinkstock migration.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: Equus on January 29, 2012, 15:58
I don't believe anyone has my best interests at heart, except me! I'm still exclusive because all the information posted here by indies makes me believe I am still better off exclusive. I see you are now independent. Perhaps you will keep us posted on how you go, if it turns out you are better off financially, I may join you.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: aeonf on January 29, 2012, 17:35
"Taking care of me" means that IS generates for ME a high revenue in $$$ for my stock portfolio. nothing more nothing less.
And yes, I am willing to bet that probably more then if I was not exclusive.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: lagereek on January 30, 2012, 03:08
Ludicrous!  really. who cares? makes it sound like some stupid war between indies and exclusives. Personally I could NEVER make the same revenues, if I were exclusive, not in a million years, not with my port.
Second:  its not all about the monies, is it? what about sustainabillity, trust, stabillity, etc, etc?  I mean, IS, at the moment is the most unstable and untrustworthy place in the stock-business, nothing! and absoloutely nothing ever goes right there. The place nowdays seems to be run by a bunch of total diletants, walleys, that doesnt know their ellbow from their a..ss. So how can anybody in their right frame of mind put thousands of images their way? their entire search, best match, is a perfect mirror of the future. i.e. an agency for beginners and weekend snappers.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: aluxum on January 30, 2012, 04:30
$$. When this is no longer there I might switch to the "indie" troop.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: BaldricksTrousers on January 30, 2012, 04:36
That message has been there for years, maybe seven years. They are not going to change it, are they?
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: aeonf on January 30, 2012, 08:16
lagereek: you may be right but the $$ blinds me :)
First month over 2,000$ for us.

When you make pocket money out of MS it doesnt realy matter if you are indy or not because you don't lose much if you make a wrong decision.
In our case its quite a lot of money (and rising!) so the risk is simply far to great.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: imageegami on January 30, 2012, 09:12
Ludicrous!  really. who cares? makes it sound like some stupid war between indies and exclusives.

Not at all. I`m going to play the part of Lobo for a moment. The topic is whether or not Thinkstock is going to kill Exclusive`s future revenues (Now that all indie content is there). Point being, I don`t think its going to be sustainable to stay exclusive at some point in the future when enough customers move from iStock to Thinkstock.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: ShadySue on January 30, 2012, 09:30
Ludicrous!  really. who cares? makes it sound like some stupid war between indies and exclusives.

Not at all. I`m going to play the part of Lobo for a moment. The topic is whether or not Thinkstock is going to kill Exclusive`s future revenues (Now that all indie content is there). Point being, I don`t think its going to be sustainable to stay exclusive at some point in the future when enough customers move from iStock to Thinkstock.

Valid point.
And/or  if/when they decide for force Indies into TS.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: Equus on January 30, 2012, 12:28
Ludicrous!  really. who cares? makes it sound like some stupid war between indies and exclusives.

Not at all. I`m going to play the part of Lobo for a moment. The topic is whether or not Thinkstock is going to kill Exclusive`s future revenues (Now that all indie content is there). Point being, I don`t think its going to be sustainable to stay exclusive at some point in the future when enough customers move from iStock to Thinkstock.

I think you may be right about the future, but why give up money now? There's lots of things that could happen, think about what's been done with Edstock. Think about what else could be done along the same lines. That would also be a big threat to exclusive income.
What if Getty reduce prices on TS and undercut SS significantly? What if SS then has to reduce commissions?
None of us know what will happen, so my policy is to take the best money in the short term, and do what's necessary when the time is right.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: cthoman on January 30, 2012, 12:48
...IS, at the moment is the most unstable and untrustworthy place in the stock-business...

I guess you've never been to Fotolia.  ;)
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: WarrenPrice on January 30, 2012, 12:53
...IS, at the moment is the most unstable and untrustworthy place in the stock-business...

I guess you've never been to Fotolia.  ;)

Yep.  That gets a plus one.   8)
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: disorderly on January 30, 2012, 13:05
...IS, at the moment is the most unstable and untrustworthy place in the stock-business...

I guess you've never been to Fotolia.  ;)

Yep.  That gets a plus one.   8)

To be fair, iStock claimed to be a community-based, supportive agent for our work and then betrayed us all.  Fotolia never portrayed themselves as anything but greedy mean-spirited *insult removed*.  I'd have to flip a coin to decide which is worse.

(@Insult removed?  For saying b*stard?  Might be literally true for all I know.)
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: lagereek on January 30, 2012, 13:36
...IS, at the moment is the most unstable and untrustworthy place in the stock-business...

I guess you've never been to Fotolia.  ;)

FT, is selling better then ever for me, got no complaints there.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: Equus on January 30, 2012, 13:43


To be fair, iStock claimed to be a community-based, supportive agent for our work and then betrayed us all.  Fotolia never portrayed themselves as anything but greedy mean-spirited *insult removed*.  I'd have to flip a coin to decide which is worse.

(@Insult removed?  For saying b*stard?  Might be literally true for all I know.)
[/quote]


I think they did, in the early days of Chad the Charmer :)
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: cthoman on January 30, 2012, 13:53
FT, is selling better then ever for me, got no complaints there.

Just wait a couple months. It's almost that time of year when they cut royalties.  ;D
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: disorderly on January 30, 2012, 13:57
Quote
To be fair, iStock claimed to be a community-based, supportive agent for our work and then betrayed us all.  Fotolia never portrayed themselves as anything but greedy mean-spirited *insult removed*.  I'd have to flip a coin to decide which is worse.

(@Insult removed?  For saying b*stard?  Might be literally true for all I know.)


I think they did, in the early days of Chad the Charmer :)

Good point.  But that didn't last all that long.  And they needed a friendly face at the start.  Remember the three page long submission interface?
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: lisafx on January 30, 2012, 16:07
...IS, at the moment is the most unstable and untrustworthy place in the stock-business...

I guess you've never been to Fotolia.  ;)

My sales have dropped at Fotolia, definitely, but AFAIK they have not suffered any problems with site instability in years.  Istock holds the undisputed title of most unstable micro site IMO. 
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: KB on January 30, 2012, 17:21
Istock holds the undisputed title of most unstable micro site IMO. 
I'm willing to upgrade that to the most unstable site, period. I'm not aware of any site on the entire internet that goes down as often as iStock.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: lagereek on January 30, 2012, 17:35
...IS, at the moment is the most unstable and untrustworthy place in the stock-business...

I guess you've never been to Fotolia.  ;)

My sales have dropped at Fotolia, definitely, but AFAIK they have not suffered any problems with site instability in years.  Istock holds the undisputed title of most unstable micro site IMO. 

Thats exactly why I cant for the life of me understand how one possibly could even contemplate going exclusive with a site thats more offline then on. Its not the money its the unstabillity of it all.
Title: Re: Not an exclusive photographer ?
Post by: ShadySue on January 31, 2012, 11:02
Istock holds the undisputed title of most unstable micro site IMO. 
I'm willing to upgrade that to the most unstable site, period. I'm not aware of any site on the entire internet that goes down as often as iStock.
White pages and a 503 error right now.
 >:(