I feel so sorry for myself.
I've attempted 6 times to apply as a contributor at iStock and been rejected every time.
I'm pretty certain I can sell well there, and I'm so disheartened by my constant rejections.
Not a single photo of mine has been accepted.
I've tried so many different styles, ideas, photos etc

I don't seem to be doing too badly on all the other 8 stock agencies I'm registered with - I just CANNOT seem to crack into iStock at all.

I'm at a loss. I've followed advice from previous posts here, I've tried what I can.
Now I have to wait another 180 days before applying again for contributor status.
I'm bummed. What next?

Nope. Not even one

I'll provide a link shortly to the images for the last 2 applications (that will be 6 images),
as soon as I can upload them to my site.

like whitechild said post some of your previous rejected files and the three your planning to submit next time so people can comment

The camel one is the only one I would go with.  Did that get rejected?

Here we go (link to an online album).
Let me know if you can't access this.
http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.rafale/IStockApplications?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzVrK7L_82-Bw#
I'll be the first to admit that, in retrospect, some of these images aren't actually that great.
However, I also think there are some great ones.
In fact, some of these have sold well at other agencies.

In terms of the next images to submit - it's 180 days away (that's 6 months).
So I really can't tell what I'm going to be submitting next...

First off I would shoot everything at no more than ISO 100 to give yourself the best change
I don't know whether it is Piccaso or not but the white balance looks off in lots of them and the colours are washed out in a good few of them.

Quote from: michealo on August 21, 2009, 05:40

Quote from: Chris.Alleaume on August 21, 2009, 04:46

Here we go (link to an online album).
Let me know if you can't access this.
http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.rafale/IStockApplications?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzVrK7L_82-Bw#
I'll be the first to admit that, in retrospect, some of these images aren't actually that great.
However, I also think there are some great ones.
In fact, some of these have sold well at other agencies.

In terms of the next images to submit - it's 180 days away (that's 6 months).
So I really can't tell what I'm going to be submitting next...

First off I would shoot everything at no more than ISO 100 to give yourself the best change
I don't know whether it is Piccaso or not but the white balance looks off in lots of them and the colours are washed out in a good few of them.

Yeah - you're right.
The one with the baby is not the correct white balance - for sure.
So ISO 100 would help me achieve less graining and noise, yeah?

Yep, less grain & noise for sure

As it was mention before, the colors look yellowish also washed out, and I could not see them at 100% but some of them also look a little soft, try working on the sharpness of the photos too.

I'm sorry about your rejections. I remember your thread from some time ago. I think you should really try to post your pictures on this forum, or even better, to get someone to post your pictures on the IS forum BEFORE the application. I would submit another application only after receiving positive reviews on the IS forum.

Quote from: sjlocke on August 21, 2009, 04:57

The camel one is the only one I would go with.  Did that get rejected?

Thanks.
Yup -Everything was rejected with the same old reason. Every time.

All of them with the same reason? Well, at least you're consistent.  
Care to share?
And the other Good News is that you've maybe only got one problem to overcome.  

I also support the view that after getting feedback here, you should also submit to the iStock critique forum. There's a well-known denizen of the forums who posted many times before he was accepted, and several people on the critique group thought he should give up, and he's doing just fine now - well on his way to becoming Silver.

PS: if you put your images up in the iStock critique forum, wear your strongest Big Boy/girl pants. In general, people won't be gentle and say "It's a great pic but if you could just ..." - they'll just tear right in and say what's wrong. This isn't rude: iStock isn't BetterPhoto. Some of the people who give advice are top sellers, so pay attention and don't get defensive (my mistake :-( )

For your application, your have to send your most impressive pictures. They want to see the best you can do. Forget what sells elsewhere, it won't help you. The application must show your photographic skills, and to a certain point your photoshop skills.

Isn't it three images per application?

Well, obviously you need to select wisely which three out of your portfolio you upload.

The most important thing to me was to upload something that not most of the photographers have access to.

Therefore I would say:

Forget shots of money. Anyone (who has money) can take a picture of it. Not challenging at all.

Same as for the baby. While they might be harder to find than money (in most countries) you are trying to measure yourself with excellent shots that are already in their collection.

Be more creative with your composition. The matches are just a pile of matches - what's your message? What does it sell?

The camel shot isn't too bad but why wouldn't you try to make a step or two to the right so that the one camel you take a picture of is isolated over the blue sky without the other camels' heads in the background. They are quite distracting. It's the details.

Same thing with the clip. Straight forward shot over white - what are you selling with that image?

Furthermore, don't look at other people's images or what has been approved recently. If you do that, you won't start creating your own style but copying just other people's work instead.

Also don't forget. No matter if other people's piles of matches got accepted - will they sell - that is the question you have to ask.

Create images that most buyers want if you're in the game of making a lot of money in a short time That means that the images have be technically fine AND you need to approach it in a way that hasn't been done already so many times.

I have to quote Yuri on that one. He said:

"The more effort it takes you to get a certain shot the higher the chances are that you create an image that hasn't been done before or at least not many times. This gives you much higher chances to achieve sales."

Or along those lines. Check www.arcurs.com it's somewhere in his video blogs I believe.

Don't point your camera just at a cigarette and click away. Use an ashtray, a lighter in your composition and if you can, a pretty woman out of focus in the background wouldn't hurt either You get my drift. Keep going.

Good luck!

180 days. Ohhh that hurts    Don�t rush into it. Take the time you have and make sure you have good enough images. Proven by majority of people here first.

Or maybe you could borrow a few from Rinder

Hi Chris,

Judging by your DT port you are definitely improving. If I had to pick 3 shots from there to submit they would be the 'ASSORTED 9MM BULLETS WITH LOADED MAG', your best-selling welding image and (struggling a bit for the 3rd) maybe the 'ELECTRIC PLASMA SPHERE & BLURRED FLARES '. All three are quite well composed and lit but certainly technically difficult subjects to shoot for inexperienced photographers, especially when subjected to 100% inspection. I've got over 3K images on-line but I'd consider those to be far more of a challenge to get right (even with a high failure rate) than most of what I do shoot. You're certainly making life difficult for yourself with your choice of subjects.

Six months is a long time to get some better stuff together though and you'll learn a lot in the meantime. If I were you I'd get out in the sunshine with a friend, relative or a TFP model and take a few lifestyle shots (playing sport, having a drink, hiking the trail, whatever ...) in perfect conditions where all you have to think about is the composition and when to click the shutter. Whenever you get the chance flick through magazines, newspapers, etc and note the stock images in use. You are bound to see images that make you think 'I could do that'.

I'd really suggest you have a go at DT's ranking game too;

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-rank

It's a good tool for understanding what stock is all about and that is actually your greatest difficulty __ as it was for most of us when we started do this. Good luck!