Guys,

Just wanted to let you know about our first annual image contest.

http://www.stockxpert.com/big_contest/

1st Place - Choice of

Canon 1D Mark III
Canon 5D
Nikon D2Xs
15" MacBook Pro

Honorable mention - Choice of

Canon 30D
Nikon D200
Lens of equal value

Theme is environmental awareness.

Good luck, and we look forward to your submissions!

-Steve

Flashless P&S cameras for the consumer.  Sporting events won't be the same.

Bryan,

Look forward to meeting you! Guess I need to pack my boxing gloves and Rocky soundtrack.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the May StockXpert monthly contest! Congratulations to these winners:

1st - Students Graduation Day by solarseven

2nd - Golden Grad Jumping For Joy by LuMaxArt2D

3rd - Graduate Holding Diploma by keeweeboy

All entries: http://www.stockxpert.com/browse.phtml?f=search&txt=graduationcomp

Iko,

please let me know if you are still experiening this problem. No one else has reported this.

Thanks!
-Steve

I'll be interested to see how many images they launch with, the quality of those images, and who supplied those images. There's no way that site goes live with zero or even a couple hundred images. To be competitive off the bat, I'd have to assume Corbis has tapped their existing contributors to supply seed images. Plus, this might be a way to keep the peace with their existing photogs -- to give them first dibs in this "new" and "non-competing" market.

Analyzing studies is not my strong suit, but it appears that this survey is implying that microstock is indeed a threat to macro stock.

~ 865 of the respondents are microstock photographers

~ 788 of the respondents are photographers whose stock income comes primarily from an established commercial stock photo agency

~ 49% of respondents have said their incomes have grown over the past five years

~ 52% of respondents reporting incomes that have stayed the same or fallen

Since microstock is relatively new and growing, I'd have to assume that a large majority of that 49% are the microstock photographers and the majority of that 52% are macro guys.

Perhaps I'm assuming too much or misreading this.

I cannot respond to your specific images, but generally, we are increasing our efforts to crack down on keyword spamming.

We've created keywording guidelines for all contributors:

http://www.stockxpert.com/info.phtml?f=help&s=8_12

The reviewers are evaluating keywords based on this document.

As others have said, the reviewers are human and review literally thousands of images a day, so if you feel they have erred with your images, you should contact them (as you have done).

I still think this new policy will have an overall positive effect for everyone.

Thanks!
-Steve

Yes. I'm jealous. Man. I was jealous before you got the new camera.

What were you using before the Mark III?

Congrats!!!

Heh. When I saw the title, I immediately thought of the Panasonic Lumix. One of our content directors own one of these. What an awesome camera.

Let us know what you go with.

Graduation is here! Thousands of eager and optimistic young scholars will be awarded diplomas and degrees that formally recognize their academic accomplishments. Share with us your images that capture or symbolize this milestone.

http://www.stockxpert.com/forum.phtml?f=showtopic&n=2461

A hearty congratulations to the following winners of the first StockXpert monthly contest:


1st Place - Family having fun by Andres Rodriguez

2nd Place - Soon to be father by Christophe Testi

3rd Place - Mother, floral background by Olga Telnova


All the entries can be found at:

http://www.stockxpert.com/browse.phtml?f=search&txt=parentingcomp

Thanks to everyone who participated. The May contest will be announced tomorrow.

-Steve

We're having the first ever SXParty tonight in London. If you're in the neighborhood, feel free to stop by for some free food, drink, and swag.

Here are the details ...

The Angelic
http://www.theangelic.co.uk
6:30pm
Wednesday, May 9

Looking forward to meeting you and talking shop!

-Steve

Thanks, guys!

I'll try to provide some insight here. Remember, I'm not a reviewer, so, perhaps my insight will be more opinion than anythng else.

Let me address the rejection comment "thanks, but we are not looking for such images now".

I think the majority of these rejections are based on the more subjective aspects of a picture. I think StockXpert is a bit more strict than others when it comes to the compositional or aesthetic aspects of a photo, and reviewers may see these as different images.

I guess what I'm saying is that our reviewers look beyond subject to define the image.

For example, a waterfall shot with a slow shutterspeed could been seen as a different type of image than a waterfall shot with a fast shutterspeed. Yes, they are both shots of a waterfall, but they are still different shots.

I guess now the question is should they just accept both images?

It depends. If we are in need of waterfall shots, then we probably should accept both. My point is I think the reviewers are a bit less strict about images we are in need of.

Landscapes, sunsets, flowers are going to be judged much more critically at an aesthetic level than perhaps, medical, business, health, isolated objects, etc.

As for rejecting images that have proven to sell on other sites, all I can say is each site is different and customers expect different things from each site.

I know some of you hold StockXpert to the same or similar standard as some of the other sites that perform better for you, but in order to separate ourselves from the competition, we can't always follow in their footsteps.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Chellyar,

In hindsight, we probably should have had something like this. With that said, the admin crew was definitely not expecting any problems with the migration, and they thought once it was brought to their attention, they could have it fixed ASAP.

So once a problem is noticed, the question is is it the best use of time to try and fix it ASAP, or let everyone know somehow that there is a problem first and then fix it?

I will suggest that they have something prepared for next time, so in case a problem exists, they can post something immediately without sacrificing too much time.

Thanks!
-Steve

Guys,

Sorry I didn't post a warning about the migration. I posted one in the StockXpert forums but not here.

I know Peter and team are working their butts off as we speak tightening up any loose ends.

Thanks for your patience, and this move will certainly help site performance.

-Steve

Yeah. I think Canon is banking on the Mark III (1.3x)  long term.

It will be very hard to create a 35mm frame digital at an affordable price, since the majority of a camera's cost is the sensor. It was explained to me that the cost of a sensor rise exponentially as it gets bigger because it becomes harder to produce a defect-free sensor. Any defect at all on a sensor ruins it completely.

I was in my local camera shop the other day, and the sales guy said Canon is thinking about ditching the 5D. He said sales of it have been pretty bad for the company. He said a 35mm frame hasn't proved to be too appealing at that price point to enough photographers.

Now, this is just what the sales guy said (nothing more), but it's something to investigate before comitting to.

Good luck and have a great trip!

-Steve

Just want to remind you that the April contest comes to a close in a few days. To ensure that your entries are reviewed before the May 4 deadline, please make sure "CONTEST" is the last word in the title of your image.

Also, all entries are required to have "parentingcomp" as a keyword.

More info ... http://www.stockxpert.com/forum.phtml?f=showtopic&n=2190

Thanks and good luck!

-Steve

Guys,

Just wanted to let you know that the Japanese version of StockXpert has launched at http://www.stockxpert.jp/

This is a potentially huge market for your images, and we are proud to be one of the first micro sites to offer a Japanese-language version.

-Steve

I definitely echo this. I also have a singh-ray Neutral Grad filter for my Canon EF-S 10-22mm. Top of the line filter. However, I got it for my Cokin P holder, which isn't wide enough for the lens. You can see the holder frame at anything shorter than 17mm. they also make it for the Lee system, which is wider.

For waterfall shots I'd also suggest experimenting with a circular polarizer.

Quote from: wysiwyg_foto on April 24, 2007, 13:42
A neutral density filter (or two combined) will allow you to use a slower shutter speed so that you can get the depth of field you need as well as the "silkiness" that you're looking for in the water at any time of the day (not just on cloudy overcast days).  Use a tripod.

Singh-Ray filters are the equivalent of L-Glass and they make one filter that works like a circular polarizer (darkens and lightens when you turn the second glass).

http://www.singh-ray.com/grndgrads.html

I really do recommend signing up for the newsetter. We are coordinating the contests around the newsletter schedule. Plus the newsletter sometimes has new developments and site news that even I don't know about.

If you are not already signed up, go to My Account --> Profile --> and click on the newsletter box under "5. E-mail and message settings."

Thanks!
-Steve

I've told them to go easy on that rejection reason for the contest.

Just make sure your entries have "parentingcomp" as a keyword, and the word "CONTEST" is the last word in the title.

If anyone has any questions, just let me know.

Thanks and good luck!

-Steve

maunger,

Are you an StockXpert newsletter subscriber? I plan on announcing it in the newsletter, which goes out this week.

I also thought about other ways to get the word out. We could definitely blast the contributors with an e-mail. I will talk to Peter about it.

Thanks!
-Steve

Ok. For real now ... I promise


Almost every culture, country, and family has its own way of honoring and celebrating motherhood and fatherhood. We would like you to share with us images that represent some of these traditions and customs or capture some of these moments.

http://www.stockxpert.com/forum.phtml?f=showtopic&n=2190