To get a property release:
Go to your upload page.
In the third column from the left under 'mist stats', there are links to downloadable/printable model/property/talent releases. You need to print it out, sign it, and scan or photograph it to upload it.

The funny thing was that I only heard about this site when I came on here this morning and it happened to the the ad which was at the right of the four ads at the top of the page - I clicked on it out of curiosity, then came back here and immediately spotted this thread!

Quote from: ShadySue on March 20, 2010, 08:08

In that scenario, I guess everything would hinge on how many of the Big Sellers 'pulled' their images from iStock in protest.

They don't have to pull their images. They just don't have to opt in the PP.

That was creative cutting.
The scenario I was referring to was the suggestion that Getty might not make 'opting out' of the PP an option for iStock contributers.

I think we might now need to plan for the possibility of IS forcing participation in the PP.  I didn't think it would happen before, but now I'm not so sure.

In that scenario, I guess everything would hinge on how many of the Big Sellers 'pulled' their images from iStock in protest. (currently, for example, neither Lise nor Sean are opted in, though only Sean has posted his reasons and Lise is now heavily involved 'at the top')  What the rest of us small fry do is virtually irrelevant.
Would any of the 'opposition' sites offer them a Golden Hello? Otherwise they might virtually be forced to stay at iStock despite not liking the PP.
Way back when the PP was first proposed, and the OptOut avatars were appeaing, a BigWig (Kelly? JJRD?) made a peevish post that if we didn't opt in they'd populate the program in other ways (implied: so we'd better take the fantastic opportunity or lose it). Whether he meant by forcing us in, or whether he meant they'd trawl Flickr etc, who knows?

I was going through my rejections at Istock when I came to think about all rejected
files they keep in case of reconsideration by scout.  How long they keep them for?

There must be milions of images stored just in case. Seems stupid or am I missing something?

They keep them for ever, as far as I know. At least all my early rejections from Dec 06 are still there.

Quote from: ShadySue on March 19, 2010, 19:40

Quote from: loop on March 19, 2010, 19:25

It is just one.

What is just one what?

Hey, you started it, if anyone should know, it's you. 

One black diamond contributing to TS.

I checked five exclusive BDs and three of them are contributing to TS.

Remember the Partner Program qualifications? I think it's sadder that someone has 4000+ images without a sale in 18 months!

Huh? Exclusives can nominate any or all of their images over 18 months old to the PP, and any newer images to the PP rather than iStock.

Quote from: ShadySue on March 19, 2010, 18:48

Quote from: Allsa on March 19, 2010, 18:27

The best thing we as individuals can do at this point is to refuse to participate in Thinkstock. If they have a small, poor quality collection, buyers will go elsewhere. Don't feed the monster.

Sadly, one of the Black Diamonds has over 4000 images on Thinkstock. 

An exclusive black diamond?

Oh yes.

Kiva may attract 'new' money, as it's fun and interactive - you get to choose exactly whom you benefit. While fun, I didn't like the experience of having to actively 'reject' so many others in the process, so that emotional interactivity backfired me.
I wonder if there's an American organisation which works in the same way as Traidcraft Exchange.
http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/about_traidcraft/how_traidcraft_works/traidcraft_charity
They don't loan money, they use gifts in different ways to help people in business in developing countries. They don't ask for their money back (though you as a donor can get your original capital back at any time), but I've often read how people who have benefitted go on to either employ or train others.
Donations are handled through an umbrella organisation which only charges a 5% fee. It's a UK charity, so taxpayers opt for Gift Aid (so the Govt adds tax to your donation).
"We process donations and reclaim Gift Aid for our member charities, and charge a small fee for our service. It works like this:
       1. When you donate �10 on our site, we send 100% to the charity by the end of the week.
       2. We reclaim Gift Aid from the government, which takes about a month, adding �2.82 to your donation.
       3. It�s only when we receive the Gift Aid that we charge our 5% fee, along with credit/debit card/PayPal charges, and send the rest to the charity. If you are not a UK taxpayer and we can�t reclaim Gift Aid, our fee comes out of your donation. Since over 85% of donations through JustGiving are eligible for Gift Aid, our charities always end up raising more with us.
    So, for every �10 you give as a UK taxpayer, the charity receives almost �12, and they get it much faster than they would otherwise."
http://www.justgiving.com/how-justgiving-works/
As a UK company, I wouldn't think they are geared up for international donations, and Gift Aid wouldn't apply to those, but there may be a US similar company?

Not to defend the presence of photos that shouldn't even be there - but at least they managed to post the earnings (meagre as they may be) that were made since February, 11th - that is more than can be said about IS, who still didn't say anything about the arrival of "Partner Program Earnings" (apart from "probably this week").

Not to defend the partnership program, but posting earnings in the middle of the following month has happened since it started and has repeatedly been what Rob (sylvanworks) has said on the forums.

I'd imagine that if some entrepreneur wanted to equip and train an image factory in a developing country, in the same way as many companies already outsource their customer relations, they could become serious players in microstock, subject only to them having access to multi-ethnic models.

Surely the members of a photo factory could (with some internal reorganisation and rewriting of contracts, presumably) just join as individual members? It could be argued that this is more honest anyway.

Quote from: ShadySue on March 11, 2010, 18:56

Hmmmm
I was thinking of booking a trip to Madagascar (actually, I was booked last year,but they cancelled the trip of FO advice following the coup). I got a 'general information' pdf in today which inter alia said:
"NB: Extortionate camera fees are sometimes charged at the National Parks to those who seem to be taking photographs in a professional capacity (i.e. EU305 per person per park)."
Note that at today's exchange rates that's about US$417 per park. The trip I was looking at includes six national parks.
Looks like it's back to the drawing board. 

Didn't you always want to own a G11? 

Just read about the coup, people cutting the endangered Rosewood in rain forest, corruption up. Tourism down 70% based on warnings. Sounds scary enough that if I won a free trip I might pass it up.

Looks like a pretty place.

I have a G9, but having asked for more info, it seems the rule was made a while ago and applies to anything over - wait for it - 3Mp!!!
USians tend to be more nervous travellers (on average) than Brits, but I think it's because the US advisory is hyper-cautious. On my very first visit to an Internet cafe for my very first foray online I happened to land in the US advisory for Kenya - it was totally horrendous. Based on what I read there, I'd never have gone - but I was only about a fortnight back from a 3-week trip.
So I looked up what they were saying about the UK - I'd never come here having read that either!
Anyway, the UK foreign office says only stay out of the capital; don't vaunt expensive items like cameras in populated areas and travel with an experienced ground agent.
I've wanted to go for years, but most trips are in Oct-early Dec when I have to work.