Received a refund notification from IS  but  as far as I know  (might be wrong though) even if the file was refunded  I should still be able to see this among my sale reports. Having checked my sales for the exact date  when the files had been purchased I haven't see it being reported there
Do you think the sale somehow might not have been  reported at all? ( a bug or something??) There is a week between the purchase and the refund btw. a

any ideas?

Thanks

I am an exclusive videographer  on IS and have more than 500 approved footages there, I know that is not a big port , but lately sales have been absolutely terrible  not even getting a single sale over a week or ten days. and even when I get sales somehow it all shrunk to small web size ,which doesn't bring much

I was wondering if it is only me affected by it, I notice footage prices a bit higher on IS now, especially SS and FT offering  subs, I don't know if this has a bad effect on  IS video sales. But these days I am seriously considering  dropping exclusivity ,lately it has been so disappointing,and it all started all of a sudden, things were fine until lately:(

I am experiencing a dramatic decline  in sales on FT. i was wondering if it has something to do with one of these best match shifts again? my 7 day rank was usually around 600 to 700 but for last couple of months I guaranteed a good place below 5000 ,wow!!, all of a sudden customers decided not to my pics any more? I was wondering if it is only me?  BTW I've  got around 2K files there.

I think I lost some of my model relases do  you think soft copy would still be valid ,or had I better ask for new ones? it is not always possible thoguh

Lately I have been getting a lot of rejections from IS for the shoot description on model release not being good (or descriptive )enough .I am quite puzzled.What do you guy write in this section. I usually include the terms like stock photo session xx(number)  but they kept rejection these. As far as understood they want me to include exactly which photos are model released so probably they want me to include detailed info on every single shoot I do of the model. but what they are missing out is  that on the MR I am using it already indicates that all the photos  of the model taken on that date are released. do you have any tip on make the long story short a brief way to describe. because I usually do variety of subject at one session and including them one by one as part of the description is quite t time consuming and boring.

thanks for your input in advance

Long anticipated update seems to have finally arrived:) includes 24 25 30fps no words on 60fps though

http://www.canon-europe.com/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_SLR/EOS_5D_Mark_II/EOS5DMkII_sample_movies/I_love_my_friends_making_of_video/video.asp

New cameras are said to  already come with the new firmware so it should be released any time soon

I know it is not the perfect time  of year to judge but lately I only sale really old files of mine.I was wondering if they changed the best match algorithm somehow?  Any ideas?it that's so I am quite disappointed as I notice a certain decrease in sales but then again may be I should wait and see what will happen after holiday season

Thanks for your input in advance

lately I included the keyword "New year "  for some of my father xmas files .IS reviewers  found these irrelevant and removed  the kws. I wonder if they realise that Santa Claus is the  symbol of new year  for  many non-Christian countries?

I am thinking of  getting a tripod mount ring for my  canon 70 200 f4 IS lens. but the price range for the products in the market are so huge. canon brand rings are sold at  $149 at BHphoto  also there are cheap third party options  on ebay  of which prices about $30-50. but I found this  cheap third party which is roughly  only about $10. http://cgi.ebay.com/Tripod-Mount-Ring-A-W-for-Canon-EF-70-200-300mm-Lens_W0QQitemZ110440813731QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19b6c914a3

I am not considering getting the canon one as I find it too expensive. but how risky do you think it would be to get the cheapest one. at the end of the day it just looks like a piece of simple metal to me but I might be wrong though. so I'd like to hear your opinions.



Thanks in advance

isn't that just great news. Canon just announced that it would release  a new firmware update that will enable the 5d users to shoot at 24 0r 25 frame per second:))) Nice one Canon.Thank you so much!

here are the details
http://www.canon-europe.com/About_Us/Press_Centre/Press_Releases/Consumer/Cameras_Accessories/EOS_5D_MarkII_Media_Alert.asp?source=rss

And of course they also announced the new 1D mark IV

and it will cost almost £5000 in the Uk? wow!
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0909/09090909leicam9.asp#images

Lately I am  experiencing a strange problem while uploading to IS. I was wondering if it was just me?
Some files take ages to upload and sometime they   don't even seem to be  uploaded at all. And then they suddenly appear among my unfinished files in edit page of IS? it drives me mad as it make the slow  uploading process even slower

ETA: it's nothing to do with file size or my internet connection speed.But it might be because IS's servers might be busy don't know!

Hi,
It was long ago that I learned  not to be too concerned about rejections  and move on as it is a part of this business but the reason why opened that thread is  that lately I have been getting  rejections from SS for  some of  my images being out of focus,which is not true as all the files accepted everywhere else including IS. What I suspect is that may be some reviewers  might be checking the focus accuracy by using a software(rather than viewing at %100)  which I think could be very deceptive because for instance I  use DPP (Canon's bundle software( to process my raw files )and there you have the option to check the AF point used for the picture.But this information isn't always accurate.because I use the closest AF point to focus my targeted focus area then I lock the AF by pressing the shutter release half way down  then recompose and shoot. Let's say if I focused on the eyes but used the  AF point that is  closer to  the ear ,and when checked on  the software (like DPP)it will  show the focus point on the hair ,which is  misleading I think as it can only tell which AFpoint was used rather than  where the focus actually is

I was wondering if you had similar experience.

PS: it can't be an optical quality issue as I am using L glasses on my 5d m2 and usually shoot on tripod

my beloved 17 40 seems to have some problems:(
 A while ago I  accidentally knocked  my lens on the door while  the camera was hanging from my shoulder with the strap. just after that when I tried to focus  it didn't work  I un-mounted it and mounted it back  then it seemed to be working  but   after using the lens yesterday I noticed all the images came out blurry .I did a quick test at home using a tripod  and the results were absolutely disappointing.   any ideas what might have  happened and I would like to get it checked but unfortunately it is no longer under warranty. I was wondering if you have  any suggestion on where I should get it fixed in London.   in some forums they recommend  lehmanns and fixation  does any of you have any experience with them? or would it be wiser to send it to a canon repair service?  I hope it is not going to be too expensive to get it done.

thank you very much for your responses in advance?

I have tried to log in to SS but I can't see the security code neither on  firefox nor on IE.I was wondering if it's just me or do you experience the same.?

Can anyone please tell  me what is the tax process is like for (micro) stock photography earnings.I am about to set up a business in the UK as self-employed  and I would like to know how I could prove my microstock  earnings. I use paypal as payment  method and the money will be transferred to a UK bank. Would  it be enough to send the  print outs of my pay-out reports  and paypal transaction print outs to tax people?? ?

I have checked an older thread here but I am not sure if got the answer there.
http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/british-student-loans-nightmare-istock-and-maybe-even-tax!-(/


thank you  very much for your help in advance

it comes with full HD video feature and 15.1 MP
more details are here.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09032504canoneos500d.asp

according to canonrumors.com there are rumors going around that canon would release another firmware upgrade for 5d mark ii in first week of april. and there are also expectations canon would add more manual controls over the video feature. if true ,wouldn't that  be sweeeet! .
http://www.canonrumors.com/2009/03/5d-mark-ii-firmware-cr2/

btw : I finally  got my 5d m2  today and the battery is charging, I can't wait to give it a go:)

I am currenlty looking for an LCD screen to attach to my laptop and use for photo retouching. my budget is around usd 300 ,I'd like to know if you have any suggestions. size isn't of paramount importance  for now so I can do with 19" to 22"

thank you very much for your help in advance. I am going to buy it in the UK so I'd appreciate it if you could post a URL too I did   googled  it but unfortunately I couldn't find what i am looking for

I was wondering if you set "editorial use only" restriction on  your photos that hasn't model release or property release ? obviously while I am preparing an  image for sale (after approval) I clearly indicate that I don't have the releases but   what I wonder is if that is it a must or is it optional to set editorial use only restriction because since the restriction is  not automatically applied and user has to set it manually it kind of looks optional. I have been choosing the restriction option for such files but would it limit chances of sales? and what risks would involve if I didn't set the restriction on files that would normally require  model or property release.


Thank you very much for your input in advance.

Just checked IS and noticed some changes especially with thumbs.now zoom thumbs has a black border. I am not sure if I like it or not.it just seems strange to my eyes.I guess I'll have to get used to it?

hold on a minute,it's gotta be something to do with best match 2.0 too.Now I am nervous:(

you might have already noticed this statement on your  StockXpert  profile page:
quoted from StockXpert :
ALERT! SYSTEM UPDATE ON JANUARY 22ND

We'll be upgrading our site on Thursday, Jan. 22nd beginning at 9:00 PM EST. Images will not be available for download for a few hours. We hope this advance notice will help you plan your projects accordingly.

I wonder if there is going to be a major change and if this is related to getty takeover?

those who already own the camera should know this by now but Canon has released updated firmware for canon 5d mark ii to fix the black dot issue and banding problem. according to what I read , those who updated firmware to the latest version are happy with the result. new firmware can be downloaded here
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos5dmk2/firmware.html
I haven't got the camera yet so I couldn't try myself:(

eta:oh well ,there are also some people who are not happy with the solution and they think canon brought white dots instead of the black one with the firmware upgrade and they believe it was the hardware causing the problem not the software  I don't know?

my sales have been significantly slow since  mid dec 2008 and it continues till now  as expected . I hope  sales will start to pick up  soon since the first week of jan is over. I would like to know how your experience  is  and expectations on when sale would get back to normal?

Cheers

I am looking for stock video sites that sells  stock videos  with RM license .I am not talking about the big guys like getty but things like Pond5 if I am not wrong pond5  only sells RF?
your advice  will be much appreciated too.thank you in advance

I got a rejection because one of the parent's of the minor model was  the witness of the release while the other signed the release on behalf of the kid. I am not so sure  if they have a legal  base  to implement such a rule

I can understand why they are being strict about the image quality but I don't see much use why they (most microstock agencies in general) being too fussy about  the paperwork. I like the way alamy works best. they don't even ask you to upload a  model release knowing that it will be  the photographer that is responsible of all the info they provide.

I'd like to hear your opinion too.

thanks

did you hear about this: a Russian businessman now holds the patent for the emoticon wink. ;-) so it  is a trademark now ,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7778767.stm

according to the news on bbc it still controversial though

for the past few days  IS  has failed to read IPTC data of new my files.I had no problem with same files  with other sites. I was wondering it is just me or happening to you too.?

you can  find the download link at the bottom of the page on this lşnk
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-16901-Akiba+Interactive+Review%3A+Cannon%27s+5D+Mark+II+(beta)+RAW+Pictures+by+Night.html

and from what I read you can convert the files by using this software called sharpraw  (awfully slow I must say)
http://www.logicaldesigns.com/Download1.htm

they look cool don't they ,but a bit pricey too
http://flickr.com/photos/zacuto/

I remember somebody here mentioned getting so many view on their files,which normally can't be something bad but I don't  what sort of affect number of views has on IS's best match  but I suspect it could have a negative affect though.

the reason why I mention this here is that two of my latest approved files (with same subject) got exactly same number of views(around 20) just after being approved.I know you might think it could be just fellow photographers checking latest uploads and  and sometimes I do that too but I'd only click on a photo  if it is really something  interesting  but the two photo   mentioned above, to my point of view  would not be necessarily that interesting to someone who is just surfing the site. (although they are technically good and useful stock images --they are picture of isolated objects on  white  to be more precise)So if they were  picture of hot chicks I wouldn't  get so surprised with the number of views:).

Any ideas what could have happened?would it be  possible someone trying to manipulate the result by increasing the number of views(randomly)  or am I being just  paranoid. I'd better go and shoot some new photos:)

you could find the download link of the manual here in the latest entry:
http://www.canonrumors.com/

I don't know it could be just  a coincidence but lately I am getting more sales on crestock then the usual. A very modest improvement I normally sell just a handful of  images a month but this month I started to get occasional sales.(nothing to get too excited about though) I'd  stopped uploading there long ago but I am not sure if I should start uploading again.but the 0.25 cut for subs (which is the  lowest in the market)is what really puts me off(not to mention the reviews and slow sales)

how about your experience ?

I just came across a member selling very same images (uploaded twice) with two different licenses on alamy RF and L  (I don't think it be appropriate  publicly  link his folio but how odd  is that I am sure sooner or later he would be in trouble. should I report it?may be it's just a pure mistake and he is not aware of licenses.
but uploading very same file twice doesn't sound right to me  to begin with.

eta: only reason I can think of he may have wanted to change licenses of the files but (if the files hasn't been sold)and he might  have requested files to be deleted (which takes six months and he might have re uploaded the files with differnet licens before the initial ones were removed ,oh well you never know.

 finally it has been   officially announced :
http://www.zeiss.com/c12567a8003b58b9/Contents-Frame/01e4dfb8c6534d01c12574c2003568ee


PS:I got the link from http://www.canonrumors.com/

as we know especially with the release of latest cameras (24,6 mp sony a900 ie)number of pixels that dslr's produces increased significantly. But does that make you feel some how your earlier created images with less MPs devaluated  with the introduction of the newer cameras with lots of pixels. lets put it this way do think  your 6 or 8mp (may be even 12mp images will receive less demand)

ok I know it is the quality what matters first but I think there will be some kind of  impact of the pixel counts on  the industry (oh good news is if I get one of those pixel monsters I won't have to interpolate for Alamy anymore:)

 I may sound a bit impatient but it usually is paid in the first week of the month and the new payment should be me made anytime soon but I am asking  just out of curiosity  has anybody received the payments for august yet?

I am thinking of getting my first personal website done but I have no clue at all how these things work. So I know first I need to buy a domain name so any ideas and suggestions will be appreciated same goes for hosting services too.
I found go  daddy.com  to buy  domain ,would you recommend it?


Thank you very much in advance.

I got some my last batch rejected by alamy due to some editing errors,which I fully agree with.
but the question is (as I am still rather new there and didn't have many rejections so far) should I correct the files and re-upload? 
next to rejection notice it says:resubmit media,does that mean you can resubmit it ,like in IS's rejected images page?
I know lately they have new strict rules on re-uploading rejected files so I don't want risk anything ,what would you suggest?

Thanks in advance.

here is the hypothetical question:
I just took some pictures of silhouetted people.
imagine I sold this files as RF on a site and the buyer edited the photo to make the faces visible by pushing the image with curves and levels etc. and that persons in the picture  found out their images was used on a commercial project and sued the buyer.  who would be responsible?photographer or the buyer?

to be on the safe side I am going to burn the silhouettes until it is impossible to make them recognizable but that involves awful a lot of work may be I'll just do the faces.

edited to shorten the first post.

I finally got my first sale there ,which was sweet.I have not been there for  that  long so I'd like to raise some questions to those who are more experienced:

is alamy payment automated? or do I need to make a payment request.

I know there is a certain period of time before the payment  would be made(was it three months??)

lastly my image was sold with a traditional license,which is a new concept for me so here is the question the license covers a certain period of time (3years ie) does that mean I can not re-sell that image until the period is over and if the answer for that  is yes than do I need to do something about it.I mean do I need to  put restriction to the file for that period or is it automatically done??

Thank you very much for your reply in advance

what do you think of that?it sounds promising doesn't it?
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/nikond700/

first week of august is almost over now,and I notice a dramatic drop in my sales all over.( especially on IS)I know it's summer time but I didn't expect it to be so bad  in  august as it usually is when my sales start to recover from summer slowdown.
I hope it'll pick up  later on and hope you guy and girls are doing better then me?

just tried to upload some photos to Alamy today but some,how I couldn't. I chose the files to be uploaded but "upload jpgs" tab anyhow won't show up?
is it just me? any ideas what might be going on?

my sales getting really slow all around,is it the notorious summer slow down or is it just me?how are you guys and girls doing?

I just got a sub sale there,anyone else?

I thought they were going to take of in sept or something.but among recently added files (if I am not wrong) there are also audio files as well.
first I thought they were missing thumbnails,I mean that boring grey icons.

if you search for Canon on IS it comes up with 627 matching  file while Nikon with 457 files. So canon wins:) funnily enough  some of the photos contains both as keywords.

wow that was quick!

do you think it is safe  to buy from them?

I was going to buy a new lens from BHphoto  but they don't accept PP payments from countries other than US UK Canada so I need to find  an alternative?

or are there any other reputable online retailer that accept Paypal payments?

Thank you very much for your input in advance.