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Author Topic: Vetta Sale at iStock  (Read 65538 times)

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« Reply #250 on: December 10, 2010, 14:58 »
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Sexy!


« Reply #251 on: December 10, 2010, 15:12 »
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SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #252 on: December 10, 2010, 16:57 »
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I'm sure we're all quite different than who we are in forums.

Who I am online is who I am offline. Though offline (or online but off-forum) the language is a lot more colorful and "unladylike". Shocker.

I guess what I mean is it's impossible to come across the way you do in person online. without visual cues and facial expressions etc. and tone is misconstrued all the time. I know whenever I meet istockers in person, we always laugh about how different we are in person. it's hard to be who you are on one forum that is censored and another that has close to no rules. too extreme in either case to just "be" who you are.

Trust me (or don't). I've mastered the art :)

It's all in saying what you mean and meaning what you say, and saying it clearly, as close to the way you'd say it in person. Or, in other words, taking care in what and how you write. You're a writer, right? Being yourself online should be easy-peasy for you.

I am who I am. you'll just have to meet me in person or not :-) forums/email aren't good media when it comes to emotion no matter how careful you are or aren't. have a nice weekend all...peace

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #253 on: December 10, 2010, 17:52 »
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. in fact an admin accused me once of going back and forth. the thing is, every issue is different and I tend to approach each issue individually. I don't think it's black and white.
That's perfectly logical. I'm exactly the same, some things I love about iStock (the CV, though it's not perfect yet, but it would be better if everyone used it correctly) and some things I'm not so keen on.
Glad I don't get phone calls from admins. Emails are quite enough. I guess they know they'd never understand my accent, especially when stroppy.
;-)

« Reply #254 on: December 10, 2010, 18:56 »
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Well well, they're announcing they'll announce a big thing on monday (here...)
Another 'good news' anouncement, im worried now ;)

Pixel-Pizzazz

« Reply #255 on: December 10, 2010, 20:11 »
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I agree with some of this. I don't think it's a sweatshop YET...but it seems to be heading that way, sadly. the analogy I used while chatting with my husband last night about this was that I feel like a Walmart supplier. They brought me in, made me feel important, I decided to sell exclusively through them and jump enthusiastically into all their programs, and now I am bound by my income, I'm over a barrel and they keep modifying the playing field more and more to my (our) detriment. the perks of being exclusive are being whittled away. I guess the income is the main thing holding me on board. the income is good and has doubled for me every year. golden handcuffs.

In Ontario Canada now (since March 2010):

minimum wage for unskilled labour (like say a Walmart ;) portrait photographer) is $10.25 / hr
the typical week is 37.5 hrs of pay
the numbers of hours for the year is 1950
1950 x $10.25/hr = Gross annual income of $19,987.50

Loosly calculating  (considering the minimum was approx 18% less prior to March 2010) 4 years would equate to roughly $69,000.00

Is the exclusive pay of the same 4 years, putting in serious effor and time for 20,000 sales really rivalling the unskilled minimum wage?

Golden handcuffs?

There is no need for perception, when real factual data is available.

« Reply #256 on: December 10, 2010, 20:17 »
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Yes, it is.

Pixel-Pizzazz

« Reply #257 on: December 10, 2010, 20:31 »
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Yes, it is.
For 20,000 sales?   What is the average $ per sale for exclusives not at diamond?

« Reply #258 on: December 10, 2010, 20:41 »
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For 20,000 sales?   What is the average $ per sale for exclusives not at diamond?

Something like $3 per sale __ maybe $3.50 tops with a few Vetta sales.

« Reply #259 on: December 10, 2010, 20:43 »
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Yes, it is.
For 20,000 sales?   What is the average $ per sale for exclusives not at diamond?

Over that four years the $ per download has gone up a lot. This year I got over 4$ per download as a silver exclusive (that's about 25% illustrations,the rest photos) -  and I only have one selling Vetta and very few E+ files which increase earnings per sale dramatically. But about 25 per cent of my sales come from vectors which pay better. (That figure will fall come January as I'm not an active contributor).  But in the first couple of years the prices were much lower so over the last four years I'd average around $2.
 

Pixel-Pizzazz

« Reply #260 on: December 10, 2010, 20:47 »
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I'm imagining the Walmart portrait photograpers smirking right about now  :o

« Reply #261 on: December 10, 2010, 20:54 »
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I'm imagining the Walmart portrait photograpers smirking right about now  :o
But I don't have to deal with screaming kids... (or worse still their parents) I've done a little kid portrait photography and you really don't want to do that!
 
Given I uploaded most of my portfolio in 2006 and 2007, and most of my illustrations in 2008, and done stuff-all since, I find that in terms of reward for effort istock exclusivity has been pretty good over time. Not likely to be true in future though!

Pixel-Pizzazz

« Reply #262 on: December 10, 2010, 21:03 »
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I'm imagining the Walmart portrait photograpers smirking right about now  :o
But I don't have to deal with screaming kids... (or worse still their parents) I've done a little kid portrait photography and you really don't want to do that!
 
Given I uploaded most of my portfolio in 2006 and 2007, and most of my illustrations in 2008, and done stuff-all since, I find that in terms of reward for effort istock exclusivity has been pretty good over time. Not likely to be true in future though!

I totally agree with you! I did my modest work on my small folio in the first year and since then I've had modest royalties while literally doing nothing.  I'm happy with that arrangement - it allows me to pursue other stuff.  I like the passive income.  IS is trying to get us to solve a probem that doesn't exist.  Their greed needs to be justified.  There is really no good reason to change things to be based on annual 'performance', except that people like SNP will help them justify it by claiming a problem exists where one does not.  SNP was holding themselves up as the poster child of the rewards for full effort.  I'm just trying to illustrate (since that's my strong suit, apparently ;) that they are only fooling themselves.  I prefer to work smarter, not harder.

« Reply #263 on: December 11, 2010, 01:14 »
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I like the passive income.  IS is trying to get us to solve a problem that doesn't exist.  Their greed needs to be justified.  There is really no good reason to change things to be based on annual 'performance'. I prefer to work smarter, not harder.

Word.

RacePhoto

« Reply #264 on: December 11, 2010, 02:14 »
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I'd love to see concrete numbers to support that, not just anecdotes. [snip] I sometimes think about how nice it would be to sell anywhere I want. unfortunately many people I've talked to say not to go non-exlcusive. that's why real examples would be great.


Make some new friends. Some folks are happy to share concrete numbers.

Bridget's blog might be a good place to start.

http://stockcube-stockcube.blogspot.com/


I hope I remember to watch this as she uploads the rest of the 661 IS images to the rest of the sites. It would be unfair to say, income has dropped to half, without waiting until they have all be reviewed or at least all she tried to submit have been processed. It may be half a year until anything reliable will show the effect of going "non". Also the SS honeymoon will be over by then and things will be getting into a stable situation.

Should be a good indicator.

« Reply #265 on: December 11, 2010, 06:25 »
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Yes, it is.
For 20,000 sales?   What is the average $ per sale for exclusives not at diamond?

Well, I was tinking about my sales.
And well, even with yours, you'll be able to go on getting income of your photos in years to come. Even if you don't add more.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #266 on: December 11, 2010, 07:05 »
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minimum wage for unskilled labour (like say a Walmart ;) portrait photographer) is $10.25 / hr


Really?
Any such deal over here is that the 'tog pays the store a fee (I presume in the above example the tog is a Walmart employee?) than has to drum up all the business for themselves, having paid for all their equipment also. And I often see them chirpily trying to Shanghai every family which comes in with no success all the time I'm in. Must be pretty soul destroying. They seldom last more than a couple of weeks, then there is no photographer for weeks or months, then some other optimistic soul has a go. It seems to be a franchise sort of deal with some photography company which 'trains' you and provides you (for a fee) with the 'boards'. I'm guessing from the rapid turnover that it's a money-losing deal.
I'm guessing that if Walmart actually hires togs at an hourly rate, they're setting them sales targets?
Is it broadly accepted that if you want a photo of your weans you take them to Walmart?

« Reply #267 on: December 11, 2010, 11:24 »
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minimum wage for unskilled labour (like say a Walmart ;) portrait photographer) is $10.25 / hr


Really?
Any such deal over here is that the 'tog pays the store a fee (I presume in the above example the tog is a Walmart employee?) than has to drum up all the business for themselves, having paid for all their equipment also. And I often see them chirpily trying to Shanghai every family which comes in with no success all the time I'm in. Must be pretty soul destroying. They seldom last more than a couple of weeks, then there is no photographer for weeks or months, then some other optimistic soul has a go. It seems to be a franchise sort of deal with some photography company which 'trains' you and provides you (for a fee) with the 'boards'. I'm guessing from the rapid turnover that it's a money-losing deal.
I'm guessing that if Walmart actually hires togs at an hourly rate, they're setting them sales targets?
Is it broadly accepted that if you want a photo of your weans you take them to Walmart?
Large market in the U.S. for this type of run and gun family photos. Income levels for people using this service is between 20,000-30,000 US. Yep photographer is a Walmart/ Sears employee with little to no photo skills other then 1-2 hours of training on how the company does business. I've seen in some places where the camera was bolted to the floor!! Sit the Kid down, turn him to the left, say cheeses, hit the shutter, sell them a package for 29,95US, done next!

« Reply #268 on: December 11, 2010, 11:29 »
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...Is it broadly accepted that if you want a photo of your weans you take them to Walmart?


The US is huge and diverse. I wouldn't say that Walmart photos are universal. There are chain photo studios - some national like Olan Mills (I think that was big a decade or two ago); in our area there's a local chain, Yuen Lui. They do an OK job at the basic studio stuff.

Walmart is probably cheaper. There are some areas of the country - like the Seattle area - where there are very few Walmarts (fights to keep them out in lots of places.

Then there's people like me who just loathe the canned look of studio shots and won't take their kids even though their in-laws keep dropping hints :)

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #269 on: December 11, 2010, 12:18 »
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Large market in the U.S. for this type of run and gun family photos. Income levels for people using this service is between 20,000-30,000 US. Yep photographer is a Walmart/ Sears employee with little to no photo skills other then 1-2 hours of training on how the company does business. I've seen in some places where the camera was bolted to the floor!! Sit the Kid down, turn him to the left, say cheeses, hit the shutter, sell them a package for 29,95US, done next!
OK, fair enough, your area is totally different from mine. My camera club decided that they were going to try to sell photos of that nature (studio already set up, quick hair comb and primp, shoot and out - one pic 5) at a craft fair a couple of weeks ago. Not a great success - the only people who 'bought' were friends/family of club members, who sort-of 'couldn't say no'. We probably needed some 'hard sellers' pulling in the punters. The general response was along the lines of, "I've got a camera, why would I pay 5?", which is what I'd have expected. Generally there is almost no market for family photographers around here except for weddings and graduations; I hear the latter is falling too, as people just photograph each other at the graduation ceremony.

SNP

  • Canadian Photographer
« Reply #270 on: December 11, 2010, 14:03 »
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I really didn't think they were required to even be photographers at Sears/Walmart/etc. I've never actually gone to one of those portrait studios but I know someone who worked at one and they were just a regular cashier that was pulled into the photo studio.

lisafx

« Reply #271 on: December 11, 2010, 14:12 »
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Interesting.  Here in Florida pretty much everyone I know gets their family portraits done at one of those cheapo in-store-studio places.  Either WalMart, Sears, JCPenney, etc.  They also use Olan Mills, but if they do, they think they are splurging ;)

When I was trying to get my portrait business off the ground around 2002 - 2004, the rejection reason I got most often was "why should I pay you a couple of hundred dollars when I can get 100 portraits (prints) at WalMart for $12?"  ::) 

BooKitty

« Reply #272 on: December 11, 2010, 16:11 »
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Lisa... A tad off topic, but where in Florida are you?

 I live in Miami and the moms I know with youngsters always go to JC Penny or Sears for their kids photos. They have coupons all the time, especially around the holidays.

And even more OT... I enjoy reading your posts (here and at IS). Straightforward, direct and often informative with a dash of humbleness and a strong sense of reality. Very refreshing.
« Last Edit: December 11, 2010, 16:12 by BooKitty »

« Reply #273 on: December 11, 2010, 16:32 »
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When I was trying to get my portrait business off the ground around 2002 - 2004, the rejection reason I got most often was "why should I pay you a couple of hundred dollars when I can get 100 portraits (prints) at WalMart for $12?"  ::) 

Yep, I call this group the "I buy pictures by the pound".

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #274 on: December 11, 2010, 20:13 »
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Hey, back on topic for a minute:
Has anyone noticed an increase in Vetta sales this week?


 

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