So not only are they taking 80%, but people actually pay for that honor? Who falls for that?

Anyone can sign up for Photographer's Choice, you don't have to be on iSTock or Flickr to do it. You just have to think your investment of $50 per image will deliver a return on whatever percentage they are paying out for that (which might be more than 20% or might not, I don't know).

right.  the option is that if you want to be with Getty, you can now simply apply through their other/regular channels.  one of these options is the Photographer's Choice program where you pay $50 per image to sell it through that program.  So you're not being forced to do anything, they are just canceling the original Getty "Quit Your Day Job" program with iStock and replacing it with the Vetta/Agency link.  If you want to continue to contribute to Getty and were not selected as an active, participating photographer to stay in the existing program, your choice is to use the new Vetta/Agency exchange program or sign up to become a Getty contributor using one of the Getty programs.

one of these options is the Photographer's Choice program where you pay $50 per image to sell it through that program. 

OMG, what a scam. The only reason they can get away with this is because they are "ooooo" Getty. 

Or you could look at it that they are making people self-moderate their uploads.  Yes, the price is a bit high, but if you upload just the best, instead of another tree, you might show success.

Keyword - MIGHT.

If some smaller, less well-known agency tried to do such a thing everyone would be screaming "SCAM", but because it's Getty...well...

Quote from: sjlocke on December 09, 2010, 11:10

Or you could look at it that they are making people self-moderate their uploads.  Yes, the price is a bit high, but if you upload just the best, instead of another tree, you might show success.

Keyword - MIGHT.

If some smaller, less well-known agency tried to do such a thing everyone would be screaming "SCAM", but because it's Getty...well...

not that I'm sticking up for this program, nor do I plan on joining it, but if you pay to place your product there it seems to me that you are paying for the buyer market that Getty has and promotion of your product.  albeit, $50 per image is a bit steep - I'd think taking a portion of the sales price would be sufficient enough.  but eh. whatever. 

In the beginning I had high hopes for Getty.  They opened up the program to Golds right after I became one. I applied right away and was accepted.  I was going to start planning Getty-specific shoots but then they raised the size limit and I was going to have to up-size all my images just to get them accepted.  (yeah, I shoot with a Canon 5D - still produces too small of an image for what they required).  I'm busy enough that I didn't get around to adding that extra step into my image processing so I never uploaded again to Getty.  (well, there was that and the 67 cent royalties which was completely demotivational to me. "Quit my day job" --- bah!) 

I'm not losing sleep over the whole Getty thing. It was a nice thought and I would have liked to make it work, but there comes a time when I have to balance the work with the returns, and that just didn't seem to cut it for me personally.

Maybe a little off topic but I don't know where else to post this.  I thought of Istock and their expectations for growth when I saw a little 60 second mentor spot on a news program.  The mentor was Tom Stemberg who founded staples (a supermarket guy who couldn't find ribbons for his printer decides there needs to be a supermarket for office supplies).  He is now a financial advisor.  Anyhow, these guys have an Internet printing biz.  They make 50K/month or $600K/year.  They grew 100% last year.  Stemberg tells them that 100% growth or more per year is totally attainable UNTIL they hit about $10M - then 40% growth would be exceptional.  Once you hit these higher marks, overall growth slows.

Isn't that exactly the state Istock is in?  They have grown like a garden of weeds and now there is only so much room left in the patch for more growth?

...I the first 10 files are free to Photographer's Choice. Each FIRST download thereafter gets you a new file slot. so there's no $50 fee unless you wish to upload more than that. again, as I understand the language used.

Does that apply to everyone, or just those who were already actively submitting?

I'm guessing it applies to those of who were actively submitting. but I don't know.

That's what I assumed, but it certainly isn't clear. As always.

I am one of the demoted to Photographer's Choice even though I have uploaded almost 50 images to the Photodisc collection.

Work hard, and they'll still kick your a*se.

I see that the email which was sent out to the 'chosen sample' had to be replied to within a week. Are they so lacking in imagination that they can't foresee people being away from the internet for a week or more? (e.g. travelling, in hospital, too busy...)

That's just bonkers.

I am *so* glad I never got tangled up in the Getty offering to iStockers. Based on the experience of others from the outset, it seemed a senseless headache.

I can't really say. I dont know if the $50 Photographer's Choice program has a different royalty/payment structure.  I would guess that it does.  the 67cent royalties I got were through the iStock Photodisc program.  I did, however, occasionally get some larger $20 to $60 royalties.   But, again, I did not actively work at the Getty program.  I only have 12 photos up there.  By the way, the deactivated my account, but my portfolio is still live.  I guess I can still get sales but I cannot add anymore to it.  Of course, I guess I'll have to contact them to find out since they are obviously not going to be actively offering this information.

I wouldn't put it past them to deactivate your account, keep your photos there for sale and not pay you the royalties. I mean, how can you really keep track? And if you ever found out, well, it would be a "glitch", right?

I don't want to reopen this, but fwiw jbarber, I completely agree and I'm constantly aware of how much I have to learn. That's one of the reasons I read here. You quoted my post but didn't quote bookitty's initial post to me, which is unfair. But there's no point in derailing the thread.

As for this latest Getty move, I'm as unhappy as others so you won't get any argument.

Quote from: SNP on December 09, 2010, 11:50

I am one of the demoted to Photographer's Choice even though I have uploaded almost 50 images to the Photodisc collection.

Work hard, and they'll still kick your a*se.

Yes, seems so. Though my theory, which I'm literally sitting here discussing