OK, let�s face the facts: the game is pretty much over for ALL contributors at iStock. Even before the Getty scam, iStock sales had been nosediving.
If people continue to deactivate images (which seems a reasonable thing to do), buyers won�t be able to buy images that they have in their lightboxes, even more buyers will leave, there will be a stink, sales will continue to plunge and the trend will probably accelerate. iStock, once Getty�s jewel may crumble like a house of cards in mid-term or at least their position will be much worse than it is today.

I have never been exclusive and never intented to become one, but I must say that in 2008/09 I really liked iStock. When i started they had the most professional reviewers who sometimes took their time to write a note about what should be improved in an image, they were truly a community. Also the balance of power between Shutterstock and Istock was very healthy for the market and the contributors.

iStock�s identity and part of its success was that it WAS NOT Getty, that it was cool.
Obviously this has not been the case anymore for some time.
But even the iStock as we know it from 2008-11 is gone. It is no more, it�s ceased to be, it's kicked the bucket, it's shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!

The main issues are:
-   Plunging sales
-   Significant risk that our portfolios suddenly become worthless due to a new scam
-   Getty has a serious problem with contributors making any money whatsover.
If you make 1 cent per year, they will hire a lawyer who is able to round it down to 0.

Normally a person proposing a new agency or a co-operative gets stoned here but I believe the latest scam is a game-changer.
I am not even going to propose any co-op, I am just going to write what I think is possible.

I believe an iStock replacement site founded by about 10 respected exclusives from the Top 50 would have significant chances for success. I don�t mean  a co-op or anything similar. I mean a commercial enterprise. The founders would invest their time and money so they should reap the rewards in the future. I suppose the top exclusives would have enough financial resources to survive at least some time without iStock earnings.

I believe around 10 respected exclusives would be able to achieve a snowball effect. Build a good site, offer 60-70 % for exclusives, 30-35% for non-exclusives and hundreds of contributors will follow.
Use your networks, build a community of buyers and sellers around the site, as it was on iStock before. Try to convince Rob Sylvan to moderate the forums, call rogermexico. iStock is dead, but the iStock community is not dead yet, it�s just bleeding itself to death. Time to move on and start again. You have enough talent and great content to succeed.

Why should exclusives should create an iStock replacement site? I�m afraid you don�t have a choice, at least if you  still want to make money in this business. Face the music. If you do nothing, soon you will be earning a very small fraction of what you earned before.

I think the one person rubbing his hands right now is Jason from PicturEngine. What would stop all exclusives to move content to their server and keep it exclusive and take 100% of the sale. As soon as word got out that everyone moved to PE, buyers will flock and everybody happy.

This is exactly how Blend images got started.  A group of photographers (20 I believe) were really tired of the crappy deals they were getting (I think it was Getty again who inspired it) and started their own agency.  If Jonathan Ross is reading, he can fill you in on the details.. he was one of the founders.

Unfortunately, through their distribution with Getty, they're part of this too.

I'll just add that my idea is basically migrating iStock files, buyers and contributors to a new, better location. At least to an extent that is possible.

If your house has burned down, do you linger in the charred remains or do you build yourself a new home?

Seems like Sean has the insight on a lot of stuff- I wonder if he was a detective before turning pro  photographer 

Now you mention it ... I've never seen Sean and Columbo in the same room

Quote from: Sheridan on January 14, 2013, 18:43

Quote from: tab62 on January 14, 2013, 18:26

Seems like Sean has the insight on a lot of stuff- I wonder if he was a detective before turning pro  photographer 

Now you mention it ... I've never seen Sean and Columbo in the same room

Thats because Colombo is dead

Bummer! Maybe Sean can find out whodunnit!

I guess I'm of the opinion that if you have a network of buyers, are a top contributor, and have the knowledge and skill to run a successful site, why would you want to share that with everyone in the microstock world? Keep it for yourself, earn all the money and save yourself some headaches.

I guess I'm of the opinion that if you have a network of buyers, are a top contributor, and have the knowledge and skill to run a successful site, why would you want to share that with everyone in the microstock world? Keep it for yourself, earn all the money and save yourself some headaches.

One reason that may not work on a large scale is the amount of $ it would take to get if off the ground such as advertising, storage, etc.

I'd like to see a photographer owned and run agency.  Something along the lines of one with a few board members who made the executive decisions based on their experience and contributor feedback.  One in which contributors would donate cash up front to get things started and keep them going until the agency got to the point where it was self-sustaining.  Probably next to impossible to organize but I'll live in my own little fantasy world for awhile longer.

I think the one person rubbing his hands right now is Jason from PicturEngine. What would stop all exclusives to move content to their server and keep it exclusive and take 100% of the sale. As soon as word got out that everyone moved to PE, buyers will flock and everybody happy.

This is perfect timing for Justin, as I believe he's very close to full launch.

Why not invite the former founder of Istock to extablish a new agency? Take all the good things that made Istock successful and make it better by not repeating past mistakes.   I would think any non-competition clause would have run its course by now.

Quote from: Poncke on January 14, 2013, 17:47

I think the one person rubbing his hands right now is Jason from PicturEngine. What would stop all exclusives to move content to their server and keep it exclusive and take 100% of the sale. As soon as word got out that everyone moved to PE, buyers will flock and everybody happy.

This is perfect timing for Justin, as I believe he's very close to full launch.

Wasn't he very close to full launch last April?  I signed up to the free 90 day trial but then thought what's the point of that when the sites not launched?  It looks like that would of been a big waste of my time.  I've lost all confidence in PE, I still hope it works but I'm very wary now.

There's this site that's going to be very familiar to istockers but I've had no sales there http://www.stockami.com

I highly recommend GLStockimages, especially for those more in to illustrations. It's great getting 52% commission non-exclusive.  And they have a good referral scheme, any excuse to crowbar in my referral link
http://graphicleftovers.com/?ref=sharpshot