They want a release if only a body part is visible.  I had an image of a hand holding a pair of chopsticks.  After a year or so they came back and said it was a "people" shot and had to have a MR.  I told them to take it down as it was selling well elsewhere as RF with no release required and I wasn't about to supply one for something as idiotic as this.

If they didn't like the image, why would they be downloading it?

BUYER:  This image has poor composition and color balance.  It looks like something my grandchild made in Kindergarten.  However it's exactly what I need so I'm downloading it anyway.

Quote from: w7lwi on October 16, 2013, 12:09

On Shutterstock, you need a scan of the model's drivers license if the images are nude or show partial nudity.  That is required in order to prove the model is of legal age for that type of image.  I don't know if other sites require it or not.  On some sites, I've had to embed an image of the model on the release itself.  Not a driver's license, just the model's image on the MR.

so we can only snap naked models if they have drivers license

Only if you want to put them up on Shutterstock (and possibly elsewhere).  Otherwise, do as you will.

On Shutterstock, you need a scan of the model's drivers license if the images are nude or show partial nudity.  That is required in order to prove the model is of legal age for that type of image.  I don't know if other sites require it or not.  On some sites, I've had to embed an image of the model on the release itself.  Not a driver's license, just the model's image on the MR.

Ron, one thing I'm not clear on is how many people will be in each shot.  If it's only one at a a time, that will require much less lighting than if you will be shooting multiple subjects.  Also, you mention that you need continuous lighting as people will be coming and going.  If you just have some soft ambient lights, then with the strobes set at a relative high output, aperture of f8 or f11 and shutter speeds of 1/200 or so, the ambient lighting will never show up.  I once used my 550EX speedlite to optically trigger two strobes.  I was concerned the speedlite would add additional light to the subject, but when I took a test shot with the camera settings that I would be using with the strobes, but with only the speedlite as a source, the image came out black.  The strobes are so much more powerful than the speedlite (or most ambients) that they really don't have all that much of an impact.  Also, most good strobes come with modeling lights that allow you to properly position your subject(s).

Hot homemade buttermilk pancakes with real butter and Knott's Boysenberry syrup.
Deep dish macaroni and cheese.
Grandmother's drop dumplings with chicken gravy (last had back in the 1950's before she passed away).

Back when I first started with microstock, on the SS forum I had the misfortune to describe an EL as an "Extended License", rather than the proper term "Enhanced License."  I was immediately jumped on by an SS admin who corrected me in no uncertain terms that it was not to be referred to as an Extended License.  They apparently take their terminology quite seriously, so I wouldn't be surprised if they wouldn't take umbrage at the use of the initials ED when referring to their EL term.  May seem silly to most of us, but stranger things have happened before and likely will again.

I couldnt find the right words to explain it. A motor powers a cogwheel and the chain transfers the power to another part of the machine. This can only be done with a cogwheel and a chain, it cant be done with a ball bearing and a chain, unless the chain is welded on the ball bearing.

I came to this thread because I got annoyed by someone saying his/her niche is too specialised for Shutterstock. I guess the niche is impossible physics.

Actually if the chain were welded to the ball bearing, that wouldn't work either as you can't transmit torque through a ball bearing unless the balls themselves were rigidly attached to both the inner and outer races.  But then it wouldn't be a ball bearing and, besides, the chain would only rotate until it got to the end of the weld at which point it would try to continue around the outer race, pulling backwards on the driven load, locking up the motor, likely causing it to overheat and fail in any of a number of possible failure modes.

Quote from: Alessandro0770 on October 01, 2013, 07:32

The higher the database of the agencies, the lower the sales that a photographer will make.

Considering the effort that each contributor have to spend now to produce extra high quality images, I think that in a year's time the gain obtained will be so unprofitable that many will stop producing images.

can't wait for that

If you can't wait, then I have good news for you.  You don't have to.  Just stop right now and enjoy the benefits of not having to worry about falling royalties, corrupt agencies and think about all that stress you will forgo.   

Quote from: gostwyck on September 24, 2013, 19:46

Don't talk nonsense. SS are in a different league, compared to your bizarrely beloved Istock, when it comes to contributor respect and relations. As an Istock exclusive muppet, having had your TOS changed multiple times in their favour, you don't even know what that means.

What does that even mean?  If iStock does something you don't like then anything Shutterstock does is great?  I think this has nothing to do with keeping secrets from competitors since the important information is already public or kept secret from the contributors, what's left to tell?

If you don't know, that means we have been doing our jobs keeping this information away from the competition and their apologists.   

I'll just renew my wish that the sites would return their search results to more of a meritocracy.  (for all the good that wish will do me )

Wish in one hand and spit in the other.  See which gets full first.   

These numbers are all well and good and indicate what SS is doing as a company.  So long as they remain solvent and show no sign of going out of business what really matters to me is what is my financial position.  How much money do I make and are my RPD numbers in line with the average or do I do worse (or better).

Q2 came in at $0.698, slightly better than average.  However this was due to an exceptional month in May ($0.901).  April and June were below average at $0.608 and $0.584 respectively.  So far, July and August are looking better.  July at $0.710.  Really too soon to judge how August will turn out but I'm at $0.877 through today.  August sales are starting out significantly better than July, but it really depends on the mix over the next three weeks.