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Messages - Asthebelltolls
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 ... 14
26
« on: October 13, 2023, 16:55 »
This is a good discussion because there aren't any contributors
in the discussion that are saying forming a union is impossible
but we all acknowledge that it would be difficult. It's a positive discussion that draws the attention of the agencies because it confirms that we're fed-up with the way we're being treated and we're collectively looking at ways of changing the playing field.
Buying a current agency already set-up and online is an excellent starting point, IMO. A minor agency that's raising a small amount of money through sales but capitol nonetheless to keep OUR agency running while the portfolio grows and fewer and fewer contributors deal with the current online agencies.
27
« on: October 12, 2023, 17:36 »
There is no relationship with any agency. All agencies provide a platform to distribute your content and in exchange the platform gives you a small royalty and it's always on their terms. All agencies have a unilateral contract. We are all expendable. Those are the facts.
And the only way we can enjoy fair compensation for our work is to unionize. Period. Otherwise, online agencies will always be in control. Either you accept their terms and continue providing them with your images or you don't. That's the world we currently live in. We set-up our own agency and agree to providing OUR agency with images, clips and illustrations and no one else.
28
« on: September 29, 2023, 06:30 »
I wish contributors would include submission format with their video sales comments. Does your collection comprise all/partly/completely of HD or 4K submissions? HD, IMO, is all but dead and it's up to you to invest in new equipment and start submitting 4K clips if you expect to "enjoy" success in a similar way that you did when HD was popular. Any comments that you're making regarding video sales with any stock agency is useless if we don't know what format your video submissions are comprised of, IMO. Thanks.
29
« on: September 07, 2023, 16:27 »
....and I'm back to September payout total only. This is after two days of August sales included. I'm also noticing "recaptcha" making it almost impossible to enter the site.
30
« on: August 05, 2023, 22:43 »
It is certain that as soon as I have my $100, I close my account.
You do your thing, I do mine. I've been with DT for more than a decade. The first agency I started submitting images to. Never slashing commissions. Always consistent sales and always part of the top MS agencies. And you're going to close your account because the payout is $100? Do you think somehow that's going to punish Dreamstime? At least they didn't try to manipulate you like the SS by lowering their payout and then lowering the commission.
31
« on: July 26, 2023, 21:08 »
An excellent technical discussion. Thanks for starting it dragonblade!
32
« on: July 21, 2023, 08:00 »
123RF is now offering me "free gifts" if I start resubmitting. Sounds like desperation to me....
33
« on: July 19, 2023, 14:11 »
I hope you're wrong.
DepositPhotos has always been one of my best agencies as far as sales and a great starting point for launching submissions for other agencies. Month to month sales have often out preformed the BIG agencies and it's designed to make submitting quick and easy.
If I was to make predictions I'd say Bigstockphoto or Alamy....Success depends on your portfolio and in my case, DP buyers seem to gravitate to my broad selection of categories and themes.....
34
« on: July 03, 2023, 12:49 »
People contribute to SS from all over the world, and in some low-wage countries, the revenue from SS is still enough to feed their families. So good luck convincing them to join your union. Wow! A statement I can image the Boardroom Boys making when justifying cutting commissions by 80%: "Sure, we've got contributors who used their commissions to feed their families. They bought rice, vegetables and maybe even took their families out for dinner once in a while when sales were good...but they can still buy them rice."
35
« on: June 30, 2023, 08:33 »
IMO constant talk about how much less you're making isn't going to draw the attention of the Boardroom Boys. They couldn't give a flipping *. But sharing ideas about resolving the problem of low commissions may draw the attention of agencies.
Ok, a self-run contributor site isn't going to work, in your opinion. But an active, on-going conversation is far more effective than individual contributors complaining about the pennies their now making.
The Boardroom Boys figured as long as they can make their contributors roll over and rub their tummies they can do whatever they * well please. So far it's working, IMO.
36
« on: June 29, 2023, 13:26 »
The SS and their treatment of contributors is a prime example of how unions are born. It's no different than the "boardroom boys" of a company mulling over how they can squeeze their employees out of more money before the employees finally are fed up and unionize.
From my perspective that would entail contributors creating their own microstock site and contributors signing an agreement that this site would be the only one that they will contribute to.
It's a complicated scenario. How can the microstock group ensure that contributors are adhering to the agreement they signed and not continuing to feed the SS and other agencies with their images and clips using another erroneous name? And how can contributors initiate the site? Can enough money be raised to create and maintain the exclusive site? Will enough contributors sign up and build an agency that reaches the top 5?
50% for the contributor's exclusive agency and 50% of the buyer's money for the photographer/Videographer would be incentive to get things moving.
The SS boardroom boys and their trained monkeys. How can we, as photographers and videographers, change the current industry standards? Unionization. IMO.
I am not someone who has ever depended on commissions. I'm concerned about the contributors who used their earnings to
feed their families. In the pre-SS days when commissions were a
lot higher, the money was a part of the essential need for those of
us who really depended on commissions to move forward. Those are the people I think most about and why I feel the SS and other agencies are immoral and corrupt.
37
« on: December 20, 2022, 09:03 »
My bird feeders are full but the birds still haven't discovered them  And just like Mimi the Cat it's freezing cold and the snow is piling up! I'm thinking of setting up a sign beside the bird feeders: "Welcome to Asthebelltoll's Diner"! 
38
« on: November 06, 2022, 07:56 »
Very creative and the kind of contribution to this forum I wish more people would provide instead of "income/earning" topics. Thanks for sharing!
39
« on: August 31, 2022, 14:22 »
Has anyone noticed that new images don't sell like the old ones. I have almost no sales for images that I uploaded after march 31 2021.
The opposite is true for me. The images I uploaded this year have sold a lot more than images from before.
Sounds like a comment from an SS troller. Personally, my sales are almost always images from years ago that have always been popular. Anything recent rarely sees the light of day. I'm thinking that's the same situation for most SS contributors and the problem when an agency is tanking.
40
« on: May 22, 2022, 17:09 »
Glad to have you back 
Just here for a little. But thank you.
Annie. I've been a Type 1 since 1964. Just me and Neil Young still around. You and me share the Zen mode when looking through the viewfinder. Thanks for sharing!
41
« on: April 28, 2022, 07:56 »
"Share your work and start earning. Join the SS's global community of contributors and earn pennies doing what you love."
42
« on: April 04, 2022, 19:02 »
Very creative and informative presentation, fotoroad. Thanks very much for sharing. Are your clips sales a combination of HD and 4K? Do you work with Pond5?
All my clips are HD. I was working with Pond5 and Shutterstock. Very disheartening lately because sales were once frequent and now sales are almost non-existent. My income is derived exclusively from images now. My agencies that I still work with are Depositphoto and Dreamstime. They work well together when submitting. I still have images with 123RF......
Thanks again fotoroad! Well done!
43
« on: February 18, 2022, 10:09 »
Interesting but strange he starts with Dreamstime....
My guess is that Yuri is attracted to Dreamstime rates. The agency has always plodded along for me although this month sales have dropped off the cliff....
44
« on: February 12, 2022, 10:09 »
The original question prompts another question. What do you want to achieve?
There is nothing in my camera bag that's going to impress anyone. I started with
a Canon T3i and its' original lens before graduating, 6 years later, to a T6i. I
bought an additional Canon 55mm-250mm and decent tripod. I'll continue to use
it until it (or me) gives out.....I've earned approx. $75,000us over the past 12 years so earnings have far surpassed equipment expenses and reached my personal expectations.
I submit regularly to Dreamstime and Depositphoto. I have 5000+ images with
Studdershock and 123rf. All images were captured while cycling. A nice way of
keeping in semi-decent shape and being creative. The Canon equipment held up
well despite rough handling on a bicycle.
My T6i will be reaching maximum shutter actuations soon. I'll be sticking with
Canon and graduate to a professional level Canon 18-250mm and sell off the old
lenses knowing my earnings will far exceed the cost and the equipment holds up well with my lifestyle.
45
« on: January 11, 2022, 09:50 »
I don't submit to thieves so I couldn't care less what level I am on!
I was reviewing my earnings with the SS and came across something that I thought was an image. I " earned" $0.50. A little more than the paltry $0.10 that I usually get. Further investigation revealed that it was a clip that sold for a minimum $65us. I think jjneff's " thieves" description is understated.
46
« on: December 29, 2021, 09:26 »
It would be interesting to pole contributors and find out how many are dependent on SS earnings and how many are not. A drop in commission does not effect me but how many contributors in small eastern European countries or African countries or South American countries depend on extra income in US dollars from the SS to feed their families, pay their rent or help their extended families? Did dropping the basic commission from $0.35us to $0.10us have a direct effect on photographers relying and dependent on stock photo income? Is this a moral issue as well?
47
« on: December 27, 2021, 09:38 »
What I find surprising in this post is that some contributors
appear to have no problem allowing the SS to manipulate and
change the original agreement you had with the agency when
you first signed up with them.
I signed up with the SS in 2009. The signed agreement stated
that I would receive a minimum of $0.35us and I would start as a
Level 1 contributor. If I sold more than 10,000 images I would
move up to Level 2 and earn a minimum $0.38us per image, etc.
HD videos, at the time, started at a minimum $23us per clip and,
like images, increased when you achieved a certain amount of
sales.
There was nothing in that agreement that stated the SS could
lower commissions or do whatever they * well pleased. It may be
in your agreement if you signed up more recently but in my
original agreement there is nothing stating that the SS would lower
my commission or drop me back to Level 1 whenever they * well
pleased.
This was a binding agreement. Changing that agreement arbitrarily
is illegal and unethical.
My hopes that we would launch a Class Action lawsuit against the SS
will not happen based on this post. My apologies if I upset a few
contributors.
I've learned a lot in this particular post.
48
« on: December 26, 2021, 11:17 »
My highest this year: 72$, 66$, 64$, 48$ and plenty in the 15-25$ range (level 4)
My highest ever: 98$
Highest for video: 120$ (this month, level 2)
What a complete and totally useless topic and response. Share with us Dumc, how much would you have made pre-2018 before the SS slashed commissions? Are you an agent working for the SS? When you cuddle up to them do you thank them each time for being so generous? You have no idea how all of us collectively are delighted to learn your SS story and success. Just goes to show it doesn't matter how much the industry slashes commissions when you're a brilliant photographer and videographer. You'll still make 72$, 66$, 64$, 48$, 15-25$, 98$ and 120$.
49
« on: December 19, 2021, 10:42 »
I'm a bike photographer. All my images are taken while cycling.
It's an excellent way of getting some much needed exercise and seeing
everything on a far larger scale. I cycle about 30 kms. a day and have
moved locally 7 times since the mid 1990s. Everywhere locally from big cities
to small towns so the subject range is very, very wide. Everything from
paramedics working on drug addicts on the street to Hereford cows grazing
in the field and everything in between. The changing seasons and weather
can also add dramatic changes to the same thing you photographed 4 months ago!
Every day I come home with about 150 snapshots and pick, what I think,
are my five best before submitting. A fun routine that I love!
50
« on: December 14, 2021, 10:54 »
Does anyone know what "pre-roll" is? Do you pan or tilt up or down simply because you can or is there a reason for the movement? Do you use a good tri-pod
for smooth panning and tilting or is everything handheld? I-phone or a camera that shoots HD and higher? What's your basic pricing with Pond5 when submitting? How many clips are with specific agencies? Nothing here to criticize. I just want to learn.
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