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Messages - Whiz

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151
I'll take the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III. Oh, the Hasselblad is selling for $7,519.99 on Amazon everyone. Though, it may be an old one or something. There's just one left.

Proof:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009VQF6?smid=A29D7AF0INAGZA&tag=cnet-ce-20&linkCode=asn

152
Something else I just thought of, if I change my user name across all the sites, will my sales be affected? I don't know how this will affect bookmarking and stuff like that.

153
Is there any advantage to having the same user name across all the microstock sites? I was thinking that it might make it a little easier for buyers to find our images. Thanks.

154
You could try this device:

http://www.amazon.com/Lowel-Digital-Imaging-Tabletop-Fluorescent/dp/B0009K50RO/ref=cm_cr_pr_mention_t


I ordered one out of curiosity (haven't received it yet). You can either buy the stand as well, or just use a piece of foam board for the bottom.


From the reviews of the light tent you're looking at, it seems that the tripod is useless and the lights are too weak.

155
I am $5 short so I guess it might be today :-)


You'll receive an $.08 raise. And then you'll be making even more money. Nice pictures. :)

156
iStockPhoto.com / Re: It's not just Alexa.
« on: August 17, 2008, 12:58 »
Don't at least two of these count only those visitors who have installed their proprietary toolbar? And one of the "alternatives" you listed only measure U.S. traffic?

But I'm sure you're right that the end is near. With all the new posts being started about Cutcaster, I bet they are going to take the microstock world by storm.
 :D


Seriously though, my numbers are not correlating with these traffic numbers at all, not by a long shot. I'm not really going to be all that concerned as long as my paycheck is roughly the same (or more) at the end of every month. When THAT number drops off, then I'll be concerned.


I never said the end was near.  ???

157
iStockPhoto.com / It's not just Alexa.
« on: August 16, 2008, 20:31 »
If you go to Alexa's website, you'll see that iStockphoto's ranking has been plummeting for a few months. Some people say that Alexa changed their search methods or something to that effect, which explains the drop. But it's dropping with these other website ranking companies as well. I'm not saying that it's nothing more than summer slowdown, but it's interesting to observe. Time will tell.


Alexa alternatives:

http://www.quantcast.com/
http://www.compete.com/

158
At the iStockphoto forums, people are discussing the usefulness of certain types of keywords. I was just wondering as to how useful these keywords actually are. I try to keep my keywords as focused as possible, so I'm not sure just how useful it is to use these keywords. What do you think? Here's the list:

# Insignificant People - For those blurry folks in the background.
# Nobody - To tag a shot with no humans in it.
# Selective Focus - When the foreground is in focus and the background is not, or vice-versa.
# Blurred Background - Specific type of selective focus (above).
# Blurred Foreground - Same as Blurred Background (above).
# Blurred Motion - Long exposure maps to this.
# Full Frame - When composition encompasses entire viewing area.
# Horizontal - Wide format.
# Vertical - Tall format.
# Waist Up - Top half of human subject only.
# Waist Down - Bottom half of human subject only.
# Isolated - Separated object or person done by color or background.
# Isolated objects - Separated object or person done by color or background.
# Clipping path - Isolation includes a path embedded in the file data.
# Isolated on white - Isolated on a white background.
# isolated on black - Isolated on a black background.
# Square - Square format as the name implies.
# Copy Space (Copyspace) - has designated location for copy text.
# Still Life - For example, a vase of flowers is a still life.
# Single Object - When a single subject is the only thing in the frame.
# Concepts - A photo that tells a specific story. Think metaphor.
# Backgrounds - Photo's primary use is a background, incl. patterns, etc.
# Studio shot - Photo taken in a studio or similar controlled environment.
# Portrait - Head and shoulders shot is typical.
# Head On - Straight on (no angles) from lens to subject.
# From Side - Shot taken from a side angle.
# Profile - Same as From Side (above).
# Low/Down Angle - Taken from beneath the subject or there abouts.
# High/Up Angle - Taken from above the subject or there abouts.
# Full Body - Capture entire human form, from head to toe.
# Perspective - Any unusual angle to include Low and High (above).
# Sepia - Photo given a sepia tone process to make it look old.
# B/W (Black and White) - A black and white image.
# Monochromatic - A single color tint, usually black (with white).
# Grayscale - See B/W and Monochromatic above.
# Color Image - Shot in full color.
# Full Frame - Subject comprises entire exposure area.
# Color Image - Shot in full color.
# Single Object - I guess the name says it all.
# Group of Objects - Ditto, but multiplied.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=73308&page=1


159
My current tripod is a Slik 700DX Pro.  It's a lot larger and heaver than the previous cheapie ones I bought.  I've got a Bogen 390RC2 Jr head on it that takes the quick release plates.  What I like about this combo is that it's very stable.  I use this to support my camera for stock shots, and for studio work.  I'll take it out and about, but I make sure I don't have to lug it very far.  I don't think I would go hiking with this, though, due to the weight.

The only problem I have with the entire setup is fitting a large lens (like the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS) to the tripod.  With the release plate on the lens's "foot", the camera body gets in the way of the release lever.  My quick solution is to loosen the ring on the tripod and rotate everything 90 degrees, click the plate into the tripod, then re-center the camera if needed..


The Slik tripod receives such great reviews that I went ahead and bought it. It should do nicely. Thanks everyone for your help.

160
also more expensive ones are easier to adjust.

I have had cheap ones in the past and well, you can't get any more still than still, so they DO hold the camera.. if that is all you want / need, but they don't hold it still in a wind as karimala pointed out, and it can get VERY annoying very quick if you need to be very picky about how it is positioned (like for photography real estate for example)

Also having one with a quick release plate is a nice feature,

when buying an 'expensive' tripod, you generally buy the legs seperate from the head, so you can pick and choose what suites you best.

How much are you wanting to spend?

Here is a pile of nice tripods from Manfrotto
manfrotto tripod systems

I think most (or all) of those are allready a head and legs put together as a package.




I'm willing to spend $100 to $300. I may buy this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Bogen-Manfrotto-728B-Compact-Integrated-Carrying/dp/B00011X0X2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1218728446&sr=8-7


But I'm still researching.

161
And if they are, can anyone recommend one? Currently, I'm just using some $30 tripod I bought at Walmart. Thanks in advance.

162
iStockPhoto.com / Re: declining downloads
« on: August 12, 2008, 22:17 »
Mine isn't as horrible as I thought it was going to be in July, but overall, it's still down since January.




I'd like to submit my graph but highlighting and  copying does not work. How it is done ?



I use the print key to take a picture of the iStockphoto page where the graph is, and then I use Photoshop to crop the graph. Then I upload it to my website. After this, you use the "insert image button" and insert a link.

Like this: {img}http://yourpage.com{/img}

Replace {} with [].

163
iStockPhoto.com / Re: declining downloads
« on: August 12, 2008, 11:52 »
Mine isn't as horrible as I thought it was going to be in July, but overall, it's still down since January.


164
iStockPhoto.com / Re: declining downloads
« on: August 11, 2008, 20:16 »
Quite a few people seem to be having problems with iStockphoto. Some of the buyers are complaining about the pricing, there's the summer slowdown to deal with, and iStockphoto seems to still be having technical difficulties. The technical difficulties have ranged from a slow site, to search problems, lightbox issues; etc.

165
General Stock Discussion / Re: Uploading for Peas!
« on: August 10, 2008, 21:47 »
"...hard work is what really pays off..."

"Be a part of shaping the direction this industry is moving in and don't just be another sheep allowing the big names to herd you in whatever direction they want."

Mate - I respect your views, but this is an awfully naive approach.
The fact is that hard work does not pay off - not in the long run.  You pay for working hard with your health, both mental and physical, and with other things - like family time, rest, vacations - you name it.

And you make someone else rich in the process. Every bit of money you earn is just a small portion of what you really earn.  Do not believe me ?  Before even you are paid, there is payroll tax, then superannuation contribution (taxed again, and from the remainder you pay fees, and cover the losses your super fund incurred by playing fast and loose). Then there is personal tax, then GST/VAT, then levies, duties, fees, excise, etc. etc.  Not too dissimiliar from getting 20% of the monies earned by each download.

Yep, hard work pays off LOL.

Regarding the big names ? Big names always did what they wanted, and always will. We are all slowly being turned into a society of slaves, pity that most people does not even notice.  I would write some more on the subject - but I gotta run to take some pics... ::)


I think that it's better to say that hard work "rarely" pays off. If you manage to work your way to the top, then you'll be making a lot of money. Of course, you will usually have to make serious sacrifices to get there. For some people, it seems to be worth it. And for others, it doesn't. At least with stock imagery, it's a form of passive income. That's one of the main reasons why I enjoy it so much. And of course, I obviously enjoy creating photographic works and illustrations as well (other main reason).

166
General Stock Discussion / Re: What's causing more anxiety?
« on: August 07, 2008, 10:37 »
Just one? I had quite a few days without sales at iStockphoto in July. So don't worry about it too much. It's not just you.

167
Thanks for the replies. I ended up selling the Canon 20mm f/2.8 wide angle lens on eBay (couldn't return it). I bought the Canon 17-40mm F/4L instead. It's much better.

168
StockXpert.com / Re: StockXpert Images on Photos.com
« on: July 25, 2008, 22:37 »
I wonder what will happen when some customer that has paid 200 $ for a XL photo discovers that was available in another site of the same brad for 10$. ANgry customers are bad for business.


Well, if they offer the customer more rights for that image then the customer will probably not care. As long as they understand the difference. Though, I don't know what those "rights" would be.

169
Is it just me, or is iStockphoto's site still kind of sluggish? Sometimes it's just fine, but at other times it's pretty lousy. I know it's not my connection because I'm not having trouble elsewhere.

170
True. But if they ever are caught somehow, you could possibly sue them into oblivion. Maybe.

171
Having a horrible month on IstockPhoto so far.  I normally go with the ebb and flow of stock earnings, but in this case I am on pace to have my lowest earnings in 2 years on that site!    Making it even stranger, I had my 2nd BME on ISP last month.

SS is doing rather well, but not enough to make up for it.

Also, the traffic based on Alexa seems to have crashed for ISP beginning in mid-June.

Anyone noticing the same thing?







Feel better?  :)

172
it would be nice to have something more specific.


Vector icons, backgrounds, cartoons, flowers; etc. Manga? Or maps?

173
Leaf, you might want to add an Illustration Lightbox eventually. Just a thought. :)

good idea. 
Got any suggestions for a subject?

Hm, I guess you could just title it vector illustrations or something. Maybe make another one titled raster illustrations.

174
Leaf, you might want to add an Illustration Lightbox eventually. Just a thought. :)

175
I'm using XP, so it must be a problem for both.

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