Tasty looking fish

I wish the green leaves didn't look quite as limp, apart from the over tight composition.

I did a quick random check by BDs list (thanks for that), and did not find my images on these sites.  Also do not find them on Shotshop any longer.  Looking at all these sites, its a bit scary how far and wide DP had managed to spread our content - its as if we had been no longer in control of our work!  And to top it all, we were probably being paid a lowly sub rate while the sales may have been made at much higher prices, according to the experience reported by those making test purchase from Shotshop.

I have accordingly started to review all partnership options on different sites.  Opted out at 123RF last week. Will look closer at other ones.  And possibly stop contributing to any sites that wont allow opt out or wont give a full disclosure about partners and sales.  I think that may finally be the way to go to be able to keep some reasonable control of the work.

A few home truths that we should probably come to grips with.

Microstock will never be a source of reasonable income (time/ effort invested to returns made) for most of us - at least I can speak for myself.

Just in the last month we have had 2 issues that go to show how the agencies view contributors.  This Getty embed deal - good or bad - contributors were neither consulted nor given opt out.  And just before that the DP - Shotshop deal that paid contributors lowly sub rates while the eventual sale was for hugely greater amounts.  And if you scan over the last year or two, almost every other agency has unilaterally decreased our commissions, to increase their share.  Furthermore many have forced us into accepting the sub model with absolutely no justification if one sees the volume generated for an individual contributor. Some agency wont let you opt out of the partner programs or give you take it all or leave it all, opt-in ultimatums.  And while all this is going on there are more and more contributors and uploads, that have now taken the larger agencies to 20 million+ images - further strengthening them to act willfully backed by large and growing reserves of images.

What does all of this tell me?  That most of us (microstock contributors) are seen by the agencies as a large photography- interest group of some sort, perhaps not too different from Flickr, and we need to get our 'kicks' because our work gets featured somewhere and rejoice if a few pennies get thrown in our direction.  Its maybe not how we see ourselves.  Its how the agencies appear to see us.

I like Shutterstock.  Sure its sub based. That is their model from the outset and one can take it or leave it.  They justify it with regular, consistent volume month over month, in most months.  But Shutterstock cant be the one answer for all of us for all time.  Anyway with time we are likely to see sales spread thinner over more and more contributors.  Simply because the market is not growing at the rate of supply to all indications.

It seems clear that we are not a cohesive group of any sort that can influence the microstock business chain in a meaningful way.

We see this again and again.

So I think its time to clean up my little microstock house - get out of all dysfuntional type agencies and deals.  Be happy with whatever microstock income I make every month from a few 'good' and carefully selected agencies.  And focus lots more positive energy into more productive avenues of photography.  Nothing else I do can get as bad as all this.  That's the point.

Meanwhile I, and I hope most other contributors, should actively STOP contributing to agencies that willfully act contrary to our interest.  That is the one thing we can do which will make a difference - and may change the writing on the wall.

Same here.

I guess deactivation is the only option.

Yes and I have already deactivated about one-third of my port from DP by this time.

Its somewhat clumsy and I cant get more than one image uploaded at a time.  Even two images would not get on after 5 or 6 attempts. Then I had to upload one by one.

Agree! My 123RF review times seemed to have increased significantly in recent months.  Wonder what's going on there..

Deactivated couple hundred more images from DP yesterday .. then my finger got tired

On the contrary, perhaps its time for SS to increase prices at least to keep up with inflation ...

Today I got a personal message. It seems that what I wrote about a quality label for agencies can be misunderstood, so I�ll try to explain a bit:

What I meant with �quality label� was a list with basic information about every specific agency and info added about problems contributors had with them.
No personal opinions, only facts.

I think its a great idea.  Over time we would get a historical build up with factual info on the agencies, that would help microstockers new and old.  Realtime factual data is information and information is everything!  As long as we can keep emotions out of it and keep to facts, it would serve all contributors and even agencies (or some of them).

I will write and ask them.  Actually some of the batches I sent in were reviewed very quickly, within a day or two .. and then a batch got stuck in 'pending review' and is still standing there. Maybe something's wrong!

Stock photography usually comes with a big learning curve.  Style, theme, sharpness, lighting and subject matter are all part of it.  If you've done your research well you would have seen what sells on some of the sites (if not try, Bestsellers), as it will give you an idea, as a general reference.  Not to imitate but to invoke your creativity in the right direction.

Then I would say, go for Shutterstock and Dreamstime to begin your microstock journey.  Once you've got in to both these, you should have your bar raised to the right spot for all other microstock. Then look around for other sites that may suit your work.  Microstock is tough to make money from these days - you need lots of patience and tons of content, so be ready for that!

Try to know which agencies to avoid too! For instance, I for one wish I had never signed up with Depositphotos - which I unfortunately did against my instinct and better judgement and am regretting it ever since their Shotshop dealings came out in the open..   

Still find my DP images selling on Shotshop this morning ... 

Hi Robert, ok thanks very much.  I shall go through the contributor terms and agreement and may contact shortly as I have >2000 images.

Regarding the optional rights, will need to read through the terms esp. regarding sub rates and partner programs.  There have been issues with partners/ API resellers involving another agency (not yours) but it just makes one cautious - and in future I want to be very clear of the terms before signing to these.