MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: The Mighty Jungle on July 09, 2018, 17:59

Title: Why are illustrations only 1 credit at istockphoto?
Post by: The Mighty Jungle on July 09, 2018, 17:59
Just curious about the thinking behind istockphoto charging only 1 credit for illustrations, which ... as we know ... can often take hours to create?

Why are illustrations considered less valuable than photos?

Title: Re: Why are illustrations only 1 credit at istockphoto?
Post by: ShadySue on July 09, 2018, 18:07
Just curious about the thinking behind istockphoto charging only 1 credit for illustrations, which ... as we know ... can often take hours to create?

Why are illustrations considered less valuable than photos?
No idea, but indie togs get 15%, indie illustrators get 20%, so you could equally ask "Why are photographers considered less valuable than photographers?"*
And in fact, an indie photo is 1 credit, and an exclusive vector is 3 credits. So the files are considered equally valuable, but the producers aren't.

*(I don't remember the details, but somehow the vector producers managed to persuade Getty to keep the indies at 20% at the time commissions were being cut.)
Title: Re: Why are illustrations only 1 credit at istockphoto?
Post by: The Mighty Jungle on July 09, 2018, 19:14
Just curious about the thinking behind istockphoto charging only 1 credit for illustrations, which ... as we know ... can often take hours to create?

Why are illustrations considered less valuable than photos?
No idea, but indie togs get 15%, indie illustrators get 20%, so you could equally ask "Why are photographers considered less valuable than photographers?"*
And in fact, an indie photo is 1 credit, and an exclusive vector is 3 credits. So the files are considered equally valuable, but the producers aren't.

*(I don't remember the details, but somehow the vector producers managed to persuade Getty to keep the indies at 20% at the time commissions were being cut.)

Thanks for the response. Doesn't really make sense to me.

AND, the weird thing was, the image I uploaded was not an illustration ... but they insisted it was and rejected it unless I uploaded as an illustration, which I did and it was accepted.

So, go figure.
Title: Re: Why are illustrations only 1 credit at istockphoto?
Post by: namussi on July 09, 2018, 22:29
Just curious about the thinking behind istockphoto charging only 1 credit for illustrations, which ... as we know ... can often take hours to create?

Why are illustrations considered less valuable than photos?

Market forces, perhaps?

And customers don't care how long something takes to produce.