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Poll

What are you going to do when istock cut commissions tomorrow?

I have allready left.
14 (6.7%)
I have allready been removing my portfolio.
16 (7.6%)
I will start deleting my portfolio now.
10 (4.8%)
I will just stop uploading.
42 (20%)
I will upload less.
33 (15.7%)
I'm carrying on as normal.
95 (45.2%)

Total Members Voted: 192

Voting closed: January 30, 2011, 04:24

Author Topic: What are you going to do when istock cut commissions tomorrow?  (Read 34974 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

« Reply #150 on: January 06, 2011, 16:41 »
0
Hi alias,

 Just to help Jonathan Klein said it himself when interviewed, so it isn't just based on guessing.

Leaf,

 I have been lucky enough to be involved in two co-ops now that are both making good returns especially for the owner shooters because they get a larger slice than the contributors to their site. I will say I would love to be involved with something of the sort but from my experience it would take a very special group of people to pull it off.
 They are out there but I don't know if they would opt in. It has to stay reasonably small in co-op form or the board has to absolutely be trusted and supported for a certain period of time to make it fly. Niche Micro collections could be a great way to start this. Baby Boomers are going to hit 65 here in about a week and senior images and footage I think are going to sell really well for the next twenty years. So who's in  :)

Cheers,
Jonathan

I am :)


« Reply #151 on: January 06, 2011, 17:15 »
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Hi Elenathewise,

 I think it is a great idea but to make it work takes a lot of trust and a lot of really hard work. There would have to be a board of a few people to represent the company and keep it's business in tact. If you should choose to make this fly I would help in every way possible but my time is so short at this point of my career I surely couldn't be a board member or really help build the company.
 I am always welcome to share any information on the subject and help anyone get it off the ground with what knowledge I have and would be happy to shoot for such an effort but I am to swamped myself to give the time needed to make this kind of opportunity work at the moment. I know it can be done it is just the matter of gathering the right people that are willing to see their income effected for a few years as the company grows to a point of truly supporting it's creators. Just my two cents.

Best,
Jonathan

lisafx

« Reply #152 on: January 06, 2011, 17:20 »
0

 I am always welcome to share any information on the subject and help anyone get it off the ground with what knowledge I have and would be happy to shoot for such an effort but I am to swamped myself to give the time needed to make this kind of opportunity work at the moment.

I think this sums the reason it hasn't happened yet, in spite of being talked about for years.  A number of us have expressed interest in joining a co-op site.  The problem isn't finding members willing to join, but rather that nobody has stepped forward with both the expertise and the time to get it going. 

« Reply #153 on: January 06, 2011, 17:28 »
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I think we may be forced into the co-op option simply because, before too long, the only people making any real money in microstock (or any other sort of stock) will be the agencies themselves.

It won't be a question of having to put up with having our incomes 'affected for a few years' because for most of us it will already have been reduced to virtually nothing anyway.

That's when it will happen and IMHO such a scenario might not be as far away as you might imagine.

« Reply #154 on: January 06, 2011, 17:32 »
0

edit: There we go! I'm b-e-a-utiful!

Sorry, I prefer the real you :)

Thanks Lisa! I changed me back to me.  :)

lisafx

« Reply #155 on: January 06, 2011, 17:45 »
0

Thanks Lisa! I changed me back to me.  :)

I like your new avatar - very clever!   :)

« Reply #156 on: January 06, 2011, 17:47 »
0

Thanks Lisa! I changed me back to me.  :)

I like your new avatar - very clever!   :)

Thanks. It was my reflection in the silver logo on my old soccer ball imac.

« Reply #157 on: January 06, 2011, 18:52 »
0
Hi G,

 I agree, it just takes the right person or people to grow tired enough of the control of the big agencies to start doing it themselves. I know that was the catalyst behind Blend Images was a bunch of us were tired of all our work being rejected at that point in stock so we did it ourselves. This could come sooner than we think, Monkey business is kind of the start of such growth only it is run by individuals instead of being a co-op.
 There are several people I have read here on this site that could start this. Hey, I started an agency and I am just a regular joe, it just takes time, trust and the right people, oh and money, did I mention a lot of time :)
 But I will say that many of the people that start it won't necessarily be friends in the end and that might be the best way to avoid any trouble from the start. Keep it strictly business that follows a tight business outline that keeps anyone from getting to much control or others that don't work but come along for the ride. The document that is written for this group needs to be thoroughly thought out and possibly by an outside source that is not vested in the company, there are good lawyers that will build a business outline for you.  The right group of people can and will eventually do this in Microstock, this industry just keeps recycling itself every few years. My opinion.

Best,
J
« Last Edit: January 06, 2011, 19:28 by Jonathan Ross »

« Reply #158 on: January 06, 2011, 20:00 »
0
Hi everyone,
The last time we talked about this issue, a few of us said that we are for a Co-op site and some of us are even willing to put some money into that project, if necessary. Talk is cheap. I don't think we are ready yet for such a business. At that time, I thought about Jonathan and I thought that he is the best person to set such a company up, but now I can see that he is very busy with his business. Also, why would he go against himself?
Gostwick and Lisa have some good points, but again who is going to step forward?
Regards
Kone

« Reply #159 on: January 06, 2011, 20:02 »
0
who is going to step forward?

No one.  End of thread till next one starts up. ;)

« Reply #160 on: January 06, 2011, 20:55 »
0
No one.  End of thread till next one starts up. ;)

For now. At the moment those of us who earn our livings from microstock cannot realistically proceed. But if and when that changes ... there may simply be nothing to lose.

« Reply #161 on: January 06, 2011, 21:12 »
0
For now. At the moment those of us who earn our livings from microstock cannot realistically proceed. But if and when that changes ... there may simply be nothing to lose.

Makes sense. I think there would be a risk to getting booted from some of the microstock sites for starting a site with multiple artists. I would think the natural progression would be more realistic for individual artist sites to promote each other or have a loose partnership. I could see doing something like that when my store grows a little more. I always think of the old webring concept.

« Reply #162 on: January 06, 2011, 21:32 »
0
For now. At the moment those of us who earn our livings from microstock cannot realistically proceed. But if and when that changes ... there may simply be nothing to lose.

Except at that point people will be too panicky, and will go off to find other jobs.  They won't just be sitting around making 1/50th of what they were making saying, "hey, lets start something from scratch - I can eat cat food for a couple years".

« Reply #163 on: January 06, 2011, 22:13 »
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Except at that point people will be too panicky, and will go off to find other jobs.  They won't just be sitting around making 1/50th of what they were making saying, "hey, lets start something from scratch - I can eat cat food for a couple years".

Many of us that got to the position of earning our living through microstock did so by doing other work whilst we built our portfolios. I did it by driving a taxi as much or as little as I needed to for example. At no point did I eat cat food. Actually I eat rather well, all tax-deductible, being as I was mainly shooting food.

I've been thinking about this for some time. There is actually a way of accelerating "the plan" massively __ but you'll only find out about it when it happens. Suffice to say that the some of the various agencies will only be able to exploit and take the piss out of us for so long.

It is my contention that microstock as we know it, via the agencies, has already peaked. If so, the power of the agencies over us will gradually diminish and then, eventually, the game will start anew.

« Reply #164 on: January 06, 2011, 23:10 »
0
It is my contention that microstock as we know it, via the agencies, has already peaked. If so, the power of the agencies over us will gradually diminish and then, eventually, the game will start anew.

I don't think so, but I'll guess we'll see.

« Reply #165 on: January 06, 2011, 23:20 »
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^^^ To be honest I hope you're right and not me. I much prefer playing golf than doing all that pesky 'working for a living' thing. Alas, my own data and most of what I read from others suggests otherwise.

As you say "We'll see".

lisafx

« Reply #166 on: January 07, 2011, 16:10 »
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Except at that point people will be too panicky, and will go off to find other jobs.  They won't just be sitting around making 1/50th of what they were making saying, "hey, lets start something from scratch - I can eat cat food for a couple years".

Many of us that got to the position of earning our living through microstock did so by doing other work whilst we built our portfolios. I did it by driving a taxi as much or as little as I needed to for example. At no point did I eat cat food. Actually I eat rather well, all tax-deductible, being as I was mainly shooting food.


^^Agreed.  I would really HATE to have to start over, but it wouldn't be impossible for me.  We lived off my husband's salary for more than a decade when my daughter was little. I later supplemented our income by shooting some weddings and portraits   Going back to that would mean a reduction in lifestyle at this point, but it would be doable.  Lots of people have faced worse in the past couple of years.  

But, as Gostwyck says, I hope you are right Sean.  I would much prefer to continue to make my living through the microstock agencies.  If the economy pics up, and if the greedier agencies reign themselves in a bit, it should continue to be possible to work with them for many years to come.  
« Last Edit: January 07, 2011, 16:58 by lisafx »

lagereek

« Reply #167 on: January 07, 2011, 16:54 »
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Judging by past history of the entire photo-agency business, yes, it should peak right about now. Ten years is normaly what you get and that involves the Trad-agencies, RM, RF, etc. With Micro Im not too sure, its pictures off the peg and dirt cheap really, it might just hang in there a few more years.

I can only see a new agency-type work if it offers something differant then the existing ones, Pretty pointless housing all the same stuff that is already available in billions, isnt it.
Theres got to be something new.


 

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