When they make a laptop with a 30" Cinema display -- I'm in 

Quote from: oxman on July 10, 2012, 18:43

https://www.stockperformer.com

I signed up with them a while ago and really like the stats. It should give you what you want. Costs about $36 US Dollars a month.

The thought that some people actually make so much money on microstock that they can pay $36 a month just to track the sales... is breathtaking.   

But seriously, I assume that service can't show your past sales, before you signed up for the service.

It shows ALL of my sales from before I signed up with them. Total history of IS. But paying that feee, I don't make any money anymore since I signed up though 

Congrats Warren. I started racing motocross in the 1972 with the first Honda Elsinore. Raced the Florida Winter Nationals for years. Then moved to California in 1985 and raced at Carlsbad Raceway for 10 years. I've seen your awesome photos in MXA Magazine for all those years.

There are so many great memories for me. Watching Tripes beat the Euros at Carlsbad. Taking private lessons with Marty Smith. Experiencing all the pros tearing it up (WFO) at Daytona for many years. Your stories must be extensive.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/photography/2012/07/bad_olympic_photos_how_terrible_shots_of_olympians_went_viral_.single.html

Check out these photos that Getty pushed through of the Olympic athletes. Sure, the photographer was over his head and now has a ruined career. But, Getty? What were you thinking?

Some folks gripe on and on about everything microstock (and probably this poll).  

Others enjoy the whole thing with good results.

Here is a simple blind poll to get to the bottom of how you folks are doing in regards to your microstock experience and return-on-investment. Now you silent success stories can discreetly  cast your vote  

Welcome.

Prepare for an iStock inspector beat down for a few months until you get it figured out. We've all been through it. I hope you have thick skin and determination.

Consider getting an account at http://kelbytraining.com and study the tutorial videos.  It is a good fast track to learning from the pros.

Good luck and stay strong

 

Awesome! 

I got the same email this morning... 

Thanks Oxman for the detailed instructions for the 5D Mark II, I'll try it tonight. Hopefully I can use the custom settings on the dial to switch back and forth (my wife uses my camera every now and then).

You are welcome Kingjon. I think you will like it. And perhaps your wife will as well.

Quote from: oxman on June 16, 2012, 12:39

Anything a company puts in front of your mug represents and conveys their corporate brand persona. Period.

Research, strategy and execution determines tactics. Apple may create a "Think Different" image campaign to refocus their brand. Volkswagon created the "Lemon" campaign to draw unique and memorable self-deprecating humor. These are corporate image ads that define a company's brand.

Direct response ads contain a specific call-to-action to buy something or go somewhere to learn more. They are NOT (or should not be) void of a company's corporate branding standards or overall messaging platform. They should (and will) communicate a company's brand personality and implement their branding strategy.

Some ad's purpose in life will lean more or less toward pithy, metaphoric concepts while others try harder to get the purchasing process started. Regardless of the execution and intent, a brand identity is conveyed to the viewer.  

Yes that's true however using MS images for 'branding' purposes is hardly effective.  Branding is about making an association between a message or an image and a company's brand.  Would a company use Yuri's top selling businessman handshake image for branding?  I've added the link to his image below but probably everyone in this forum knows what image I'm talking about without even looking at it.

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-508163/stock-photo-business-handshake

There's a big difference between advertising and branding.  When a company uses an image for branding they use something unique to associate that image with their brand and only their brand.  If JP Morgan adds Yuri's image on a billboard, would buyers associate the image with JPM or would they associate it with a million other things?  By now they just say "God, not that guy again!"  Sure, JPM might use the image somewhere in a brochure, but it's not there for branding their products and services but rather to help illustrate a message they're conveying about their products or services.

We're not idiots.  We all know what branding is but Microstock is not used, or should not be used for branding.  The local plumber might use an MS image for branding but he probably doesn't know any better.

I have already stated the truth about branding based on my 35 years of real-world experience, owning a successful branding/marketing firm, but you don't believe what I am telling you. Most of your well intended perceptions of branding, advertising and how microstock photos are used are incorrect. And I am sure I will never convince you otherwise.  

I've heard other people rave about using the back button for focusing. Does it continue to track the focus point after the button isn't pressed? If nothing else I think that would suck the battery pretty fast and get confused when you point it down or elsewhere.

I'll have to mess with it to see how I like it. I could see missing a number of shots at first.

Nope. No battery drain. Here is how you set it up on a Canon 5D II:
- MENU >> far right Camera icon for Custom Settings
- C.Fn IV: Operation/Other Sutter button / AF-ON button (menu choice 1)
- Nav down to 3: AE lock/Metering + AF Start and activate (it will now be highlighted in blue)
________________________________
- Put camera in IA SERVO mode
- Lens on Auto Focus

NOW...
Look through viewfinder and place the central focus point  on an object to focus on. (assuming that is the one you have set to focus with)
- Press the AF-ON button on the back of camera and central focus mark will flash RED when focus is achieved.
- NOW TAKE YOUR FINGER OFF THE AF-ON BUTTON
- Your focal plain is now set. You can recompose & shoot all day WITHOUT refocusing as long as you or it does not move forward or backward. Sweet

Now lets say things start moving...
- Hold down the AF-ON button and IA SERVO kicks in so you can focus track and fire the subject in focus as long as  you continue to hold the AF-ON button down.

You can do this on all of the high end Canons and Nikons but I only know the setting for the 5D.

Hope this helps.
OX

Quote from: drugal on June 15, 2012, 15:55

You don't seem to understand (and I don't understand why this is so hard) that any kind of advertising is branding, even your local plumber's.

Um, no.  I've worked in advertising for many years, and regularly discuss with clients whether a given campaign will be branding or direct response.  These are the two primarily types of advertising -- institutional/branding and direct response/product advertising.  They really are distinctly different, with different primary objectives and different tones and messaging.  Branding ads aim to give you warm fuzzies about the company and keep them top of mind, or associate them with something positive.  Direct response or product advertising focuses on a specific product and wants you to take action in a specific way.  A simple Google search on the topic could help clear this up further and give you some good examples of both types, but I'll offer a few...

Think of the Chrysler ad during the Superbowl starring Clint Eastwood.  It barely featured the products, instead focusing on concepts and values Chrysler wanted you to associate with it.  That's institutional/branding advertising.  Then think of local ads for the Chrysler dealership in your town yelling about a cheap lease price on a new Chrysler 200 and urging you to come in for a test drive.  That's direct response/product advertising.  

Of course, these are black and white examples, and sometimes ads will be grey... trying to cover all the bases (perhaps like your local plumber -- though I'd argue that if he's urging you to call him to fix a leaky sink that's call to action rather than branding)... but people in advertising can typically spot the differences a mile away.

Anything a company puts in front of your mug represents and conveys their corporate brand persona. Period.

Research, strategy and execution determines tactics. Apple may create a "Think Different" image campaign to refocus their brand. Volkswagon created the "Lemon" campaign to draw unique and memorable self-deprecating humor. These are corporate image ads that define a company's brand.

Direct response ads contain a specific call-to-action to buy something or go somewhere to learn more. They are NOT (or should not be) void of a company's corporate branding standards or overall messaging platform. They should (and will) communicate a company's brand personality and implement their branding strategy.

Some ad's purpose in life will lean more or less toward pithy, metaphoric concepts while others try harder to get the purchasing process started. Regardless of the execution and intent, a brand identity is conveyed to the viewer. 

Looking at those tweets on the Twitter feed, it feels like 80% of those photo subject requests are MORE than covered. That is often the case with the iStock Request Forum.

It  becomes apparent that the requester has not spent time effectively searching or lacks the knowledge of doing so.