I've been rejected twice now, lots of poor composition and not commercial value. Can you submit pictures of people in the first 10?

Oh, yes.  Do (if you have MR).  The seem to be somewhat more lenient if a person is in the photograph.  My second ap was mostly people and 10 were approved.

Just a heads up.  I just got one of those spammy - click here - messages that my moneybookers account has been suspended due to suspicious activity.  No, I didn't click.. but the only place that I can think of that they would have grabbed this specific e-mail address is here on MSG.   Sneaky Buggers.

One note about the amount of time to create...

Vector:  presumably you have an idea and sit down at a computer.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not denying that a lot of time goes into a single file.

Photo:  Have an idea, get a model, make arrangements or rent location, arrange travel for models, prepare shooting list, print up releases, arrange costumes and makeup, check batteries, check backup gear, (then double check everything) pack gear, gas up car, drive to location, setup, clean up clutter, measure light, shoot, change costumes, shoot,  find witnesses, get signatures, pack up gear, scan releases, backup RAW files, edit, clone... from that point the procedures are the same except for the how to compensate the model part, by cd, print, or cash.

Sure a photographer gets more shots from one sitting, (hopefully dozens or hundreds) but it isn't as "simple" as it appears at first glance. 

Unless all your shots are the unplanned type.

I'm Nikon so I don't know about Canon specifics.  600 is the norm for wildlife photographers.  An extender will slow you down by a couple of stops, but is certainly a good option when you begin talking about that kind of money.  If you are shooting birds as you say, it should be enough light because you will see them out in the sun.  Large animals usually stick in the bush until shortly before sunset, and you will really be bumping up your ISO.

How bright is your 100-400?  Can you get by with this an the extender?  A note about extenders - a lot complain that they aren't as sharp, especially at infinity. 

My Nikon extender doesn't fit on all of my Nikon lenses, so before you splurge on the Canon extender, just check that it is compatible with all the lenses you expect to use it with. 

I've never used a flash extender, but supposedly all the nature photographers use them.  Here's one that Moose Peterson recommends.  If you don't visit his site regularly and nature interests you, you should visit.

http://www.moosepeterson.com/gear/betterbeamer.html

Congrats cdwheatley!   Judging from our other conversation, is this Mrs. cdwheatley?  LOL, how does she feel about appearing on a liposuction billboard?

Thanks Steve.  This was a refused file for not enough releases - and I used the ctrl key thinking it worked.  I couldn't seem to add more than one after refusal, but today the ctrl key seems to work again.  Now that I've fixed the problem -  my new question would be that it is still listed as "yellow" and not "pending" .  Am I supposed to upload the photo again?

I was going to buy a photo on the weekend and most of the thumbnails were red x's.  Today I can't get on the site.  Is it gone?

Yes, I agree that it is upsetting seeing this sort of theft occurring. 

But, unfortunately, Contact, a person is often not remembered for the overall good they did in their life, but for their worst moment.  Now I cannot picture Hugh Grant without that prostitute or Mel Gibson without his racial slurs.  In your case, it is your above post. 

I could swear that StockXpert changed things so you could attach multiple releases but I can't seem to remember how to do it.

I dont' have to still stictch them together do I?

I'm pretty sure that if a photgrapher scanned Annie Liebowitz (sp?) photographs and started selling them on (example) Dreamstime, that Dreamstime would wind up in court, and would wind up paying a lot of money to Liebovitz. 

cdwheatley.  I can see why you were invited, I just clicked through to DT and wow, you have some gorgeous stuff.  I even bookmarked you! 

I have a client that is planning for the fall.  She is a travel agent who specializes in destination weddings.  She just LOVES the white sand blue sky look.  But she won't want any of your shots because there is no man in them.    LOL, you poor guy - do you only know gorgeous women?  Isn't there an attractive man you can stick one of them with?  With that just-married kind of look?  (Run out from behind the tipod maybe?)   I think I have purchased more nice couple on the beach photos than anything else.  Just a thought, I bet you could clean up if you can find a hunky guy.

Oh, boy.

I can see some agencies applying a rank to individual photos in the background so that those with a higher ranking appear sooner than the junk.  It's a business.  Why shouldn't they do every possible thing they can to make the end user happy?  BigStock even shares with us how they rank a photo.  I just don't buy into this whole conspiracy theory.  The best editors don't have to be brilliant photographers. Whey would an agency want to elevate their photos if they aren't the best?  It's only bad for business.

If I owned an agency, I would make darn sure that the best of Iofoto or Yuri Arcurs photos float to the top.  I would hate to see some of that total crap that I submitted two years ago rank better than quality photos.  (Doesn't bother me if it does sell though!)

You're right.   I think SNAPPHOTOS would have done much better.