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Messages - AM24
1
« on: Yesterday at 09:56 »
Any idea why the adobe sales are so low right now? And how to get them back up? Thanks!
I have a theory but I note from discussions on FB others are reporting slow sales on Adobe with some suggestions of public holidays and special days such as Eid etc happening around the world. We had a public holiday on Monday which definitely affected my sales this week.
My theory is, and I know this is gonna sound bizarre, like I've gone BS crazy even, is Shutterstock are winning back customers from Adobe!  I'm finding higher commission sales are returning on Shutterstock this past two months while those higher commission sales have fallen on Adobe Stock.
How to get them back up on Adobe Stock is a question I couldn't answer but if there's any truth to my theory I think having strong ports on as many agencies as possible is probably the way to combat slow sales on any one agency. I had three consecutive slow months overall in February, March and April and much better results in May and going well so far in June (overall). So some of this could be algorithm changes or time of year. I often read contributors experience a summer slump in the northern hemisphere if that could also be a contributing factor? But otherwise I am reading contributors posts on FB saying sales are slow on Adobe as well.
I agree, Pace. I just checked and can see very similar to you. With some exceptions on AS but similar increase in SS sales. Here a few things that come to mind: 1. AS deleted a lot of files recently. Remember what they used to tell us on the old SS forum? 'Never delete any files because you never know what is going to sell'.  2. SS merged with Getty. 3. There is a huge swing away from Adobe products to more user-friendly platforms. I must admit the only Adobe product I use now is PS for photo editing. Everything else (in particular, all my design work) I can do on Canva. And I have a background in graphic design and was originally trained on Adobe Indesign - but that is all old hat now. Designer's (buyers) don't want that difficulty anymore. Canva is just growing and growing all the time with new features. And if you have a Pro account, you can download any elements (photos, videos, illustrations, etc, etc) you need from there, which (the non-free stuff) come from Getty contributors - so maybe SS now as well? 4. Social media. Did I read somewhere that you have done well on Youtube? I've been following this new agency on social media out of curiosity. Its following has jumped from 20k+ to now 31k in just a couple of weeks. One thing it does is tell their followers Canva hacks. (I must admit I even learnt a few really good things). This agency is pure Millennial market stuff but it demonstrates a potential buyer trend in these directions. The exception I mentioned above with regard to AS sales, is that I have quite a few PNGs on AS that I put up a year or so ago, specifically suitable for Adobe Express (Canva clone) users and they are still selling extremely well. Hope you are well. Cheers!
2
« on: April 24, 2025, 16:53 »
Overall I agree with you all. My concern was that if I upload too early and no ones really looking yet, the image might get buried and wont show up later when people are searching since the algorithm would have deemed it useless.
Maybe Im overthinking it. I usually end up posting too late, so Im just curious what everyone else does.
That's true. I used to specialise in holidays with over 6k photos and 2k videos of holiday stock, which made up a big chunk of my downloads, see SS income attached. I am only showing you this because everyone used to say back on the old SS forum the same thing as here: drip feed, upload early, etc, etc. But I didn't do any of those things. In fact, just the opposite. Because I used to cover most of the holidays throughout the year, I was always running behind schedule to get them up early. But, surprisingly, that worked in my favor. Between Halloween and Easter is the most popular holiday period of the year, and the busiest. And the months that had the most downloads. Sometimes I would only get them up within a few weeks before the holiday - but they hit the main target audience just at the time of the most downloads and buyer interest. Things that I found: 1. A large chunk of holiday buyers would often come in only for holiday stock and purchase them during the month of a particular holiday. They were only seasonal buyers, and did not buy large packs. Therefore, you received higher commissions from Single Downloads (SODs) and small pack buyers. 2. Focus on all the holidays that most people forget. That's where you will get the most downloads. 3. Only do Christmas if you can find a popular niche within Christmas that doesn't have a lot of competition. I once wrote here on the forum how this can still be achieved. Most contributors follow what's already on the database, you need to look beyond that. 4. And yes, according to a lot of algorithms, a large number of downloads on a newly uploaded image will propel it higher than the others, so that's where timing is important - and yes, closer to the holiday. A 1,000 buyers looking for holiday images at the same time has a lot more weight than a few dozen scattered across the rest of the year. 5. I recommend 1 to 3 months before the holiday works best for the algorithm. The main exception to this, I found, was New Year. Best to get those up by at least October. 6. You need high impact or very colorful images with good dynamic range to stand out on crowded search pages. And its not just true for SS but for most microstock agencies. People used to wonder why I used to get so many downloads, but this is the reason why. What started off as a mistake ended up working in my favor.
3
« on: April 20, 2025, 18:58 »
Looks like they're aiming at the Millennial and Gen Zs market. Kind of a cross between Creative Market and a stock agency. Going through their site, a lot of their images have heavy film grain and ultra millennial-trend aesthetics and filters. Plus a lot of Canva pre-designed stuff, so I am guessing they're targeting that much younger designer market.
At first, I thought they were a brand-new agency, but then I noticed they had 25K followers - compare that to say, Dreamstime on Instagram with 27k followers.
It's not for me because I already upload exclusively to another agency, but I was curious and wanted to know if anyone had heard of them. I don't expect much in regard of commissions from agencies anymore unless you contribute to the higher priced premium ones who target specifically high-quality buyers. It's a sign of the times, I guess. The average buyer is now used to much lower prices and special deals. Or free with AI, and freebie agencies.
So, is this the new type of agency that will be seeing more of? With focus specifically for a younger market? It would be interesting to see how this sort of marketing trend progresses.
4
« on: April 19, 2025, 21:48 »
Has anyone heard of Vault Stock? Just saw their promotion on Instagram. They have 25k followers. https://www.instagram.com/thevaultstock/Here is their website and contributor application: https://www.thevaultstock.com/contact-us-1"Photographers & Videographers
Interested in working with us at The Vault Stock? Submit 5 of your absolute favorite photos or videos below, showcasing your unique style and creativity. If we feel that your aesthetic perfectly aligns with our vibe, well be in touch ASAP with details. Please keep in mind that we receive multiple requests daily, so we kindly ask for your patience while we review your submissions. We cant wait to see your work!"
5
« on: April 15, 2025, 06:41 »
Bought the book!
eta
fantastic book!
"Dont rush into your photography
sessions. Have it all planned out
so that the actual shoot flows
easily."
Yes, I will plan and organize maybe a week before I start making new christmas cards, but when it come to daily food, I just drop it down. I do use a tiny reflector and rustic wood background, but i don't style the food itself.
Overall visually very beautiful book.
Hm. I wanted to write a really simple ebook, with simple visuals...maybe I should put more thinking into the design as well.
Anyway, still need to lose the weight first.
eta2
worksheets are exactly what i want to add to my book for weight loss.
make it really easy for people, just print it out or copy write it down and get going.
life is to short to be unhealthy
Yes, the body needs carbs! If you want to do more research for your blog/book, watch "Live to 100' on Netflix if you can, or research that. Very interesting, and aligned with what you are doing. That's what saved me. (You may have to unmute the home page video below) https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81214929And THANK YOU for buying my book! Its always a great pleasure and honor to know that someone has gone out of their way to read what one has to say. If you have any questions, or feedback, please message me on Instagram. Love to help. And as for "My first "contacts" where sexbots, creepy men and then people looking for partners for their affiliate marketing program."I started like that too. Everything was hit and miss until I found things that people wanted, which for me was photography of yummy food, and photography tips and tricks. I started writing blogs, they got hits, and then eventually I progressed to the book, which I started last December. Just keep going! Cheers, Annie
6
« on: April 15, 2025, 01:45 »
Well done, Jasmine! Following you on Insta and looking forward to watching your progress. Following what I wrote on your post, 'the saying "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" is based on scientific evidence that recommends consuming the bulk of your calories during the day when you are the most active. This approach aligns meal timing with the body's natural rhythms and can offer several health benefits, including improved metabolism, better appetite regulation, enhanced cognitive function, and better weight management.' I don't have a weight problem, but I suffer from non-diabetic Reactive Hypoglycemia, inherited from my mother, which was getting so bad on my former low-carb diet that I was having blood sugar crashes almost every night. So I swapped to the Blue Zones diet which is high carb and high fiber, and low animal fat. I haven't put on any weight, in fact I even lost some, and my hypoglycemia is under control. My body craves Sourdough Bread (which is really good for blood sugar control) so I recently bought a starter kit to make my own and will be blogging about that soon, too. Well done on the blog and looking forward to the book - and hey (!) maybe a little cookbook later. You never know  And yeah, big breakfasts are the key. Its helped me!
7
« on: April 14, 2025, 18:34 »
No 1 in Food Photography on Amazon USA today!
This whole thing started because Terry once said, take all your blogs and wack them into an eBook and put it up on Amazon.
Well, it ended up being a lot more than that, but very enjoyable. And with some wonderful support. I'm surprised it got to No 1 in USA so quickly, but I've updated the book, added another 80 pages (its now 180p), lowered the price a little - and Amazon's been promoting it.
In its first month of sales (March), I earned more than I did on SS. Just goes to show that there are other ways to boost your income. Just go through your blogs, guys!
9
« on: April 10, 2025, 14:48 »
It could make good wall art. So would a lot of your photos on Zenfolio and especially those featured on your Hot Chart slideshow. Very outstanding.
Have you uploaded to Fine Art America? Or considered selling direct?
10
« on: April 06, 2025, 02:04 »
The travel expenses look interesting. How much can I deduct from my trip Hawaii? 
From the IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/understanding-business-travel-deductionsDeductible travel expenses include:
- Travel by airplane, train, bus or car between your home and your business destination.
- Fares for taxis or other types of transportation between an airport or train station and a hotel, or from a hotel to a work location.
- Shipping of baggage and sample or display material between regular and temporary work locations.
- Using a personally owned car for business.
- Lodging and meals.
- Dry cleaning and laundry.
- Business calls and communication.
- Tips paid for services related to any of these expenses.
- Other similar ordinary and necessary expenses related to the business travel.
** But only those expenses directly related to your photography business.
11
« on: April 04, 2025, 02:05 »
Also note that in the USA, you have two methods to choose from for calculating Home Business expense: How to calculate your home office tax deduction
You can determine the value of your home office deduction using one of two methods.
Simplified method: With the simplified option, you arent deducting actual expenses. Instead, the square footage of your space is multiplied by a prescribed rate. The rate is $5 per square foot for up to 300 square feet of space.
Actual expenses method: The regular, more difficult method values your home office by measuring actual expenditures against your overall residence expenses. You can deduct mortgage interest, taxes, maintenance and repairs, insurance, utilities and other expenses. You can use Form 8829 to figure out the expenses you can deduct.https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/home-office-tax-deductionAnd yes, as suggested above, see a tax agent or accountant for when you are earning more than your expenses. Ask any photographer friends to recommend someone, because then you will know he/she has knowledge of all the deductions in your field.
12
« on: April 04, 2025, 01:45 »
I am in Australia but its very similar to Canada (above). The criteria is "expenses incurred necessary to earning your income", and yes, it includes software, any IT expenses, travel expenses for any field trips, books and periodicals, props, model fees, depreciation on camera & equipment, new PCs, etc. Plus home office expenses based on what percentage of your home is dedicated to your photography studio and office. I just had a quick look at the USA and for home office, it says: "Home office-related deductions are based on the percentage of your home that you use for business. If you meet IRS guidelines, you can deduct the following home-related expenses: Homeowners insurance. Homeowners association fees. Cleaning services or cleaning supplies used in your business space.""The 'exclusive use' test
To take the home office deduction, you must show that a portion of your home is your principal place of business and that this space is regularly and exclusively used for conducting business. The IRS refers to this as the "exclusive use" test.": https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/finance/home-based-business-tax-deductions#:~:text=Home%20office-related%20deductions%20are%20based%20on%20the%20percentage,or%20cleaning%20supplies%20used%20in%20your%20business%20space.https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/home-office-tax-deductionHowever, if you are just starting to earn some income, then you may find your expenses are greater than your income in the beginning, so you should look at whether you can carry forward that excess expense to the next year.
13
« on: March 27, 2025, 18:27 »
I love blue cheese and it photographs really beautifully. The only thing wrong with your photo, Pete, is the background. The two-tone is too distracting. But a full black background would have been too flat. It's good to have some texture in your backgrounds too sometimes.
Getting the right background is 50% of what makes a good photo. As you know I used to go to salvage places and get a lot of things there. Like those old wooden large trays that I painted and distressed. Or get some sample vinyl floor tiles. I still use the dark slate ones.
Here is a page I left out of the book because it was getting too large. The background of my black forest trifle in the champagne glass are those dark slate vinyl tiles. Used just 4 - 2 behind and 2 on the base.
Oh, and there are my polka dot cups and saucers !! 
Not my photo, just used for an example. However... Good advice on backgrounds and worth remembering. I also have flooring and counter samples for backgrounds. The further advice on side lighting for food is also always something to remember.
Yum, Yum, one of my delicious and attractive food photos.
This is a cute photo. I really like it. Very AUTHENTIC! And yes, this stuff sells as well as the other. My book was no 2 best seller in food photography on Amazon au this morning. I've started writing my next one, Delicious Styling, about 1/3 of the way through, not just for food bloggers but anyone getting into food photography or need styling tips and know-how. That may be of more interest.
14
« on: March 14, 2025, 22:45 »
It's back up now.
Thanks for your help. Works for me now too.
15
« on: March 14, 2025, 17:03 »
The last time I used StockSubmitter was at the end of February this year, but today when I tried to open it, I keep getting Network Error and Server Error messages. When I tried to open their website, I get 502 Bad Gateway messages.
I don't upload to microstock anymore but I still use StockSubmitter for adding metadata, and I really like their keywording tools.
If StockSubmitter has closed, can anyone recommend a good similar app?
16
« on: March 13, 2025, 15:04 »
I would also add a few preview pages to your Amazon advertising so that the buyer can see not only the cover, but also what the book looks like visually.
yes, I agree. that's exactly what I want to do too. But I can't make any changes to my listing at the moment. Not sure why? I may have to write to them. It seems to be stuck or something. But my own copy of the paperback arrived yesterday - and I am very happy with it. The glossy cover and premium color pages look really good. It's a bit thin, the book is only 106 pages being a condensed handbook, but otherwise, Amazon has done a great job on the printing.
17
« on: March 09, 2025, 13:59 »
The paperback format is now up and available. It was only just approved. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZDYKX3GThanks for all your info, Stoke. You've been very helpful. Very much appreciated. (You don't have to buy the book, I was just kidding above.)
18
« on: March 09, 2025, 03:58 »
So what format do you have uploaded to Amazon under the name Kindle? If you uploaded a pdf file there, then write that it is a pdf file, and not a format for e-books.
You can probably sell pdf format on Amazon. And perhaps you dont have to sell mobi format for e-books on Amazon. But if you can convert your pdf format to mobi format, then you can also upload mobi format under the category book for e-books (Kindle).
Thus, your ad can consist of three versions of your book:
1. pdf format.
2. mobi format.
3. Paper book.
Actually, I think these are good questions because there may be other members here who might be toying with the idea of publishing, especially if they have some specialty areas. There's nothing better than expanding one's intellectual property! Firstly, I want to add again that I was helped enormously by Steve Heap, stock photographer and published author, who was extremely helpful and supportive all along the way - and still is. OK, this is what I did: I opened an account on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and uploaded via Kindle Create. My book was a special format, so I had to use a 'Print Replica" format - designed for books with lots of photography and/or graphics. (Cookbooks, Photography, Comic Books, etc) I uploaded my PDF to their Kindle Create app, and it turned it into a special format .kpf file that I then uploaded to the Kindle Direct webpage. More about this here: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GUGQ4WDZ92F733GCOnce your books are up on their system, under your 'Bookshelf" tab, you will get this. See attachment. And you enter all the relevant details, proof-check physical books for print, etc. The options they give you are: Kindle eBook, Paperback - and even a Hardcover. They give you a template to design your own covers, and all the printing costs are fully outlined according to book size, cover and color choices. The books are sold as print-on-demand. The commission on physical books are 60% less printing costs. The 2 eBook commission structures are outlined in my early posts. That's it!
19
« on: March 08, 2025, 18:32 »
It has a LOT of full color photos, plus a lot of special formatting, every page is designed for a handbook format - with visual impact - not a textbook. See a couple of sample pages attached. Even just uploading them here I had to shrink them down a LOT.
All e-books are black and white. Kindle, of course, released one color model, but few people have it. Therefore, you do not need to insert color photos into the mobi format, and especially large ones. The size of an e-book is only 6-7 inches, the screen resolution is HD at best.
If you have a regular e-book, see how your book works on it.
Few people are interested in using visual impact on an e-book. I dont even know if this works in the mobi format.
In general, the size of your book for Kindle should be up to 10 MB. You can also sell pdf format and a paper book in the same ad. Each option may have a different price.
The philosophy of e-books is not about quality. E-books are used to quickly obtain information and quickly access information. Also, e-books are very slow, they have little RAM and little disk memory. Your book with a size of 750 MB will open on such e-book for 10 minutes, and leafing through it will be sheer hell.
I have already bought a copy for my own Kindle to check for any issues, and although Amazon puts a warning there that it is a large file, it didn't take that long to download, certainly not as much as 10 minutes, and moving through it wasn't a problem, but thank you so much for all your advice. Very helpful, and I will certainly look at making it smaller. Having that file size warning there might deter some buyers. Thanks Stoke! ETA. Not sure what you mean about all ebooks are in black and white. Mine was in full color. And very good quality. ETA Ahhhhh, I just realised what you were saying. You're talking about the original kindle devices. I am talking about the Kindle App that I have on my tablet (iPad)
20
« on: March 08, 2025, 16:58 »
It has a LOT of full color photos, plus a lot of special formatting, every page is designed for a handbook format - with visual impact - not a textbook. See a couple of sample pages attached. Even just uploading them here I had to shrink them down a LOT. But I will look at how I can reduce it. Oh god, no. Not pirate sites - the bane of a writer's existence (There's enough problems now with AI and intellectual property.)
21
« on: March 08, 2025, 16:20 »
Sell your book on Amazon, I read it sells well there.
Ok, it's now up on Kindle. Plus a glossy cover Paperback format coming soon. The paperback is taking a bit longer because of some extra formatting changes I had to make to convert it but should be up in a day or two. For those who don't have Kindle, the eBook is still available in pdf sold through Payhip via my website. But the price has gone up - for all the reasons I mentioned above. All the details are here: https://milleflore.com/booksSo, Stoke, are you going to buy a copy - seeing you put me through all that trouble?
22
« on: February 24, 2025, 13:41 »
Well done, guys. Next week, we can move on to Styling. (just kidding)
23
« on: February 23, 2025, 14:49 »
@Tom. If you're still experimenting with lighting, I thought I would add a summary of my section on lighting.
Backlighting adds light to the back and casts shadows in the front, and can flood the image with light. This is used for: adding halos to objects, shooting high-key images, shiny objects, rising steam or transparent glassware. Side lighting, either slightly to the front or slightly behind, is used to highlight food from the side and casts shadows on the other side. This is used to capture shadows and highlights necessary for a dynamic photo. Your image will look three dimensional and, therefore, more authentic and appealing. This is the most popular for food photographers because it works for many layouts.
If you photograph food from the front, it will look smooth. There will be no shadows to capture beautiful textures and no highlights to accentuate the natural contrasts of your subject. Your image will look two-dimensional and unappealing, and should be avoided.
It takes a while to master all of this, so keep practising and experimenting.
All over lighting works for stock photography but has its limitations for food photography. Premium food photography buyers buy images for magazine covers, cookbooks, social media advertising, web banners, blog hero headers, wall art, and even billboards, and need delicious looking food. Textures, highlights and shadows make your food look 3-dimensional, authentic and therefor more delicious.
24
« on: February 21, 2025, 15:10 »
Anyway, I have to go now. If anyone would like to join me on Instagram, that would be great! I have lots of tips and tricks there. Cheers, Annie https://www.instagram.com/millefloredesigns/
25
« on: February 21, 2025, 14:46 »
wow! Thank you Annie! Amazing! Thanks
Tom
Everyone who knows anything, knows you never serve food or take food photos, on a BLUE PLATE! For everyone else, who doesn't understand that, it's a running joke that's been going on for over ten years. And we also know, that the best food photos, are made on polka dot plates!
hahahahaha - omg, I almost forgot about that!
I better explain so that Tom doesn't throw out his plates. Years ago, yes over 10 yrs as Pete said, we used to have a food competition on the old SS forum. We would pick a topic, for example, 'raw food' and anyone who wanted to participate would go away and shoot raw food that week, and the most innovative photo was the winner, and the winner would pick the next week's topic. That thread went for a long time. A few fights but not too many, considering it was a competition. A lot of people joined in along the way.
There was a guy called Barry who would shoot all his food on these awful plastic blue plates, which Pete said turned him off his food - but I think that's all Barry had. lol. As for polka dots - I have an old dinner setting of different colour polka dot plates. I love quirkiness. I used to shoot red food on red polka dot plates, green food on green polka dot, etc. I still do sometimes.
I don't know if they were awful old blue plates, but eggs for breakfast on a nasty blue plate? At least you guys have some taste in colors. I have generic, kind of white, restaurant and cafeteria plates, so I won't get rejected for the pattern being trademarked. Boring! And I can't defend baked cod dinner, isolated on black. But that's the color of the table top at the hotel.
While you wrote the how to book, I could write the how NOT to, from experience and using my own images. I think the positives and how to do things right, is a better approach.
This is my kind of blue... 
I love blue cheese and it photographs really beautifully. The only thing wrong with your photo, Pete, is the background. The two-tone is too distracting. But a full black background would have been too flat. It's good to have some texture in your backgrounds too sometimes. Getting the right background is 50% of what makes a good photo. As you know I used to go to salvage places and get a lot of things there. Like those old wooden large trays that I painted and distressed. Or get some sample vinyl floor tiles. I still use the dark slate ones. Here is a page I left out of the book because it was getting too large. The background of my black forest trifle in the champagne glass are those dark slate vinyl tiles. Used just 4 - 2 behind and 2 on the base. Oh, and there are my polka dot cups and saucers !!
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