when i started in photography last year, i was offered credit in exchange for a photo in a calendar of a popular and well known sports co. since i wanted to show solidarity with my new photog brethens and not give something away for nothing, i refused.

now, seeing this calendar full of beautiful photos minus mine own, i'm starting to regret this decision. i think it would have opened the doors to a young photographer and the money would have mattered not. but photographers keep insisting that this would be a detriment to the photo industry...i think in all arts related fields, name recognition is a lot more important than monetary reward, esp at the beginning.

no, they came up as the latest images along with the rest of my portfolio. they looked very good on the black frame background.

Hi there,

i never ever had rejections at IS with the reason "Flat Dull Colors", only at SS. Since i photograph with the Nikon D3X i don't have rejections "Flat Dull Colors" at SS, but now at IS. Do you think that a former SS-Inspector changed to IS or is it just an unhappy coincidence?

i'v never had this rejection at ss. however, if this is the exact wording being used, then, i can see your paranoia. on the bright side, i wouldn't describe your avatar as such. was it taken with your nikon d3x?

i feel your pain. not only that, it's always the same old two photographs even if my acceptance ratio has finally broke the 80% barrier.

I say everyone should quit their jobs and just do what they love.  You get more time with your kids and spouse.  Times will be tough, but you'll be stronger, happier.  Just don't get cancer because the doctors are all on the golf course.  Be careful not to set your house on fire because the firemen are now fly fishermen.  And learn how to hunt for your food and knit your clothing from pelts, because there will be no stores... why would clerks and shelf-stockers toil away in a soul-crushing store when they could be making jewelry or finger-painting?

you know, it may shock the microstock community, but being a fireman or a doctor is a dream job for some people. it may even be something they love or are passionate about. there is certainly more prestige and money. i mean, does anyone want a calendar full of microstocking boys and girls?

however, i agree that if you have full time professional job, to throw it away for microstock is risky if you're not pulling in at least 6 figures. it maybe hard to get back into the workplace later with a hole in your resume because you gave it up to pursue something you love to do.

i justify many of my shopping sprees these days with "that'll be great as a prop for stock". it just kind of hard to not use the item till i actually shoot it (or eat it).

Quote from: ap on May 11, 2010, 13:52

i was surprised that i had a 'partial' failure at alamy once. they approved all photos except the one that failed qc, so i actually knew which one it was. 

It happens very often. The file gets corrupted, or something.

so, it actually didn't fail qc and can be resubmitted? 

They ask for a website, and I don't have anything newsworthy at mine. I guess I have to upload some, I have several sports events photos - the latest was the Red Bull Air Race last weekend.

let us know how it goes!

but my point is that it's better to work to try to resolve the problems on iStock than to shout into an effective vacuum here. (Though I know it's good to vent!).

this is actually the venting thread for all things istock. so, go ahead and vent...if you actually want to get things resolved (which i also highly encourage), maybe someone can start a much more rational thread on "wiki points and keyword wisdoms to guide you around is".

i just don't think it'll be a lot of fun though, unless there are many erudite photographers on board, which i hope one day to be. 

 Alamy pay their contributors a decent commission and put most of their profits in to medical research. 

um, excuse me? i guess i'm not keeping up with alamy news. are they a quasi non-profit or is this just a side thing? or are they really a biotechnology company hiding behind the facade of stock. in any case, not only quite interesting but certainly worth supporting if the former.

I also got some sales in my first month at deposit. I got sales almost every day. But now the sales are gone. Nothing!

I wonder if they give new photographers (not new images) an advantage in search placement to encourage them to upload more images�!?


Stock_Fox

i think buyers have run out of 'free' credits.

Just curious if anyone notices long periods when sales come to a halt. I seem to experience this all the time on Shutterstock. It appears that if I have a good start on a day with a lot of sales in the morning - suddenly they come to a complete halt - no sales for the next few hours. Very strange. I almost feel like someone or a program kicks in and slows down your sales.

since ss have so many buyers from the international community, i think purchases are country related, and therefore time related. my buyers start clicking around midnight for me (asia or europe). by the time i wake up in the mornings, most of the sales have been made. if there are us buyers they must do it very early in the morning or a few later in the day.

as for everything else, coincidence or paranoia. you need a little bit more proof.