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Messages - Uncle Pete
3476
« on: December 30, 2019, 12:42 »
I now officially have the worst earnings since 2014.
Officially, my total is barely better than 2014, which reflects that SS is barely more than 2014, less than any year, 2015-2018. Only portions that kept my annual earnings up to 2015 were FAA, Alamy and more sales on AS. SS dropped 16% from the 2018 total. Overall, I actually earned the same total as the past three years. Keep in mind, I'm small time, three agencies, and some scattered amusement. Now considering adding a real FAA account to see what's up, but I still don't understand Pixels.com ? When I go there it looks identical to FAA?
3477
« on: December 30, 2019, 12:28 »
I would pay for a book written by one of the best microstock photographers. Since they prefer to sell photos than writing books to earn money, I will not... 
Steve is one of the best.
So Mr. Duck needs to back that up, and buy Steve's book? LOL 
3478
« on: December 28, 2019, 10:23 »
1. Build a time machine and go back to 2005
2. Buy a winning lottery ticket instead ;-).
Someone would need to be exceptionally talented and hard working to start from here I think.
I think that's the problem. New people see the past, instead of looking to the true future. People who are already involved, and still make something from years of work, don't want to give up, and keep hoping for positive change. What we seem to be getting, in reality, is lower and lower earnings every year, no matter how hard most people work, there's no keeping up with the competition, and no holding past earning levels, with the many cuts. Personally, there's still room for ideas, growth and some extra income. I wouldn't count on anything at all from Microstock, just something back for what I do and some extra income. Getting Started in Stock Photography, 2020 editing: Don't Do It! Good writing and good reading Steve, I'm just commenting on the situation, not your book or blog.
3479
« on: December 28, 2019, 04:37 »
What is your budget? 
Not so outrageous, there have been people working for reality companies, as a specialty business. I think those days have passed. ITEM #67044 FORD/FRONTLINE ENG VAN - RAISED ROOF, 48' MAST, GENERATOR 2011 FORD E350 - BUILT OUT BY FRONTLINE - RAISED ROOF - GAS ENGINE WITH APPROX 112,000 MILES - MEPS 6.3KW UNDERHOOD GENERATOR - 48' MAST - QUICKSET QPT-90 PAN/TILT W/ MCR ANTENNA (NO MICORWAVE) - RUNS WELL  Television ENG van with mast. Before drones I thought this kind of van would be a nice camper, with the mast for those special photos, on the road. https://mediaconcepts.tv/products/67044?_pos=1&_sid=3539a5625&_ss=r
3480
« on: December 26, 2019, 09:10 »
Sorry, no pics but way back in the day when I was doing real estate I made a rig from a 32' telescopic ladder cut right down one side so all that was left was basically a single telescopic pole. I coupled this with a modified trailer hitch bicycle rack and drove around town with it on the back of my jeep. It was hard wired with a scavenged servo video head and shutter release but the problem was no live view. I basically had to guess at framing, but with a wide angle lens it did the trick. Very stable too. Nowadays I'm sure it would be relatively easy to cobble something together with all the WiFi bells and whistles.
Yeah I think someone can come up with ideas, without spending a big amount. I have one of these also. Same kind of thing, I go to local auctions over the Winter. This was in a stack of "garden tools" Probably paid $15 for the whole cluster.  Mr. LongArm Pro-Lok 8.4-ft to 23.2-ft Telescoping Threaded Extension Pole, $39 at Lowe's. 23 feet is starting to get up there for a decent angle, shooting down. I will make a note that the 40' pole starts to get wavy in the wind, and holding it steady can be an issue. Leaning on a telephone pole, tree or fence makes a big difference. I have a wireless remote, but also have just connected a long remote release, with wires to make it 40 feet long, and finally, set for time, in the case of the GoPro, picture every 1 second, move, wait, move, stitch later from the good shots, thrown the rest away. As long as you have a 1/4 x 20 stud on the end of whatever, you can put a camera on it. Or you could go with a helium filled weather balloon, but I think the cost would be too much unless you had a sale and market for some specific event. $100 for the helium tank rental, with 125 cubic feet of helium. $40 a tank at party stores for 8.9 cu ft tanks. 1 cubic foot of helium can lift 0.067 pounds = .59 pounds lift, not including the weight of the balloons, in a party tank. 4 tanks to lift a small camera and lens, like a T2i. $160 A GoPro and whatever attaches it, is going to be around 120 Grams. Just over a quarter pound. Party Tank you could fly your GoPro twice. Don't forget that string weighs something, add that into you calculations from the weight of the ball of nylon kite string before you try to launch. I have put up a kite so high that it couldn't fly higher, because of the weight of the string. That's when string was string, not the modern lightweight nylon. Also consider the strength of the string, how much can it hold, itself, the camera and a gust of wind. Name and address and phone would be positively something to have on the camera. Actually string and balloons, just a bunch of them, not an expensive weather balloon, could be great fun. The new kites are really controllable, probably the least expensive way to get up with a lightweight camera, if you have open spaces. And for a real adventure, GoPro on a model rocket? https://www.instructables.com/id/GoPro-Model-Rocket/
3481
« on: December 25, 2019, 10:52 »
With that name, I'm surprised he's not going for 14,400...nomen est omen!
Took me a while to figure that one. No habla Latin.
Joe is still going for the 10K I hope he makes it, but I want to make it perfectly clear, I think he's misguided to think that the only import fact of microstock is how many images anyone has. I've watched for long enough to see that the plain and obvious answer is not counting how many images but what are the images.
One of the sales mottoes, back when, was don't work harder, work smarter. In Microstock that means uploading good, useful content and not wasting time trying to make number quotas.
I also believe, to each their own, so as independent business people, anyone can do anything they want. Not my business to tell them how, but I can observe and say for myself and many others, uploading 10,000 nice images will earn no more than 500 carefully planned, designed, thoughtful, market appropriate images.
Nevermind...
That's true. Only a small correction. You described an ideal scenario. It is almost impossible to make a saleable picture without making 10 that don't sell. it is very hard to predict which one would sell from a series, even for seasoned stock photographers.
So, more realistic comparation would be that 10k carefully planned, designed, thoughtful, market appropriate images(from which 500 would sell) earn more 10k nice images
Yes, that's so true, also some that I thought, "this is going to be a great selling image" have no sales, while something, "Oh I snapped this and it could be interesting" has been one of my top ten, forever, on every agency it's been posted. (except Alamy of course, not acceptable camera) Yes, so true, we don't really know. Some parts are predictable, others unknown. I can actually predict what won't sell much easier. [a bunch of quotes and comments removed]
(A) Today, micro just seems like too much effort and cost for the reward. Fine if you're in employment and get to travel, eat exotic food and shoot when a company is paying most of the bills but when things have to be funded from your own future micro licensing, I'm not sure there's a viable future in that (except perhaps when you're young with a load of young friends who hang out/go on vacation together and everyone is prepared to sign model releases for free!).
(B) I suppose you just have to find the 'Next Big Thing' before it becomes the next big thing and milk the fad for all it's worth whilst looking out for the NBT after that!
A - true, and also true, I am the company, I deduct my expenses and get to go places and shoot what I love. I have no expectation at all of making back my expenses, just offsetting part of that, which makes travel possible and enjoyable. I never get anything for food Etc. just gas and room deduction. Yes, to no... there's not much of a viable future, like there used to be. New people might make a note and find something else. But they won't, because the "make money with your photos" is all over as easy money. B - and there are those "things" coming and going, every day. Not as big or popular or market changing, but they are available when someone looks. eBay selling was one of those, now it's finding sales and flipping on Amazon for under market. Some involve more investment, hard work and risk, but there are people making much more than the average Microstock artist. Hey, there's one for the questions? 1 billion in commissions from SS. What does the average person make? L O L Or should that be median income? Some of those agencies, groups and collectives with a million images, must do well, I mean average individuals, the ones with 1,000 or more images. I'd love to see that stat. Years ago, according to the polls here, the members of this forum were in the top 5% of all microstock contributors on iStock. The data is still back there, I wrote it, I'd be at a loss to find the posts. But back when someone had a prob=gram to search the IS data, it was possible to see overall numbers. For example, IS is at 21 right now, that's about $100 a month. Back when the data was visible, only 5% of all the contributors on IS made $100 a month. Anyone looking here and saying, oh look, I can make that, because of the poll on MSG is making a faulty conclusion, based on the top contributors in Microstock, not the AVERAGE or usual. The once annual poles by Leaf were filled with interesting facts and figures also. Bottom line for me, SS does not continue to deteriorate as much as it does for others. Rather income is flat. But down from 2012, has come back a little and I see no growth. That is the way I see Microstock overall at this point. No Growth. The boom is well past for individuals, while the agencies are finding new ways to keep making more money.
3482
« on: December 25, 2019, 10:27 »
I have been with Getty since almost day 1. I was in two very well known and respected agencies that got bought out by Getty and one regional well know and respected agency, and just like that all of my work was represented by Getty via three 'brands' as they used to call it. That was when Getty was respected and it was a badge of honor. True, Getty through their greed started turning this industry upside down and reducing commissions. I joined IS in 2007 with rejected images by none other than Getty Images cause I could see the writing on the wall back then, and was chastised heavily by all the cool kids who apparently thought stock was a closed door activity and/or thought they had invented stock and had new stock shooting idols. Speed up the truck to 2020 and the writing on the wall has come to full fruition.
It is what it is. But if I was a newbie at this in today's climate, and reading the writing on the wall for the next generation, I would not give anything to Getty Images at all. Knowing what I know now I also don't think I would have the dream of being a stock photographer for a sustainable career. I have been full time stock shooter long before IS and any of the micros, the business has been very good to me, and continues to be 'okay' albiet barely 'okay'.
The industry has changed, so be it. There is no going back, and it it not going to get any better moving forward.
3483
« on: December 25, 2019, 10:11 »
Yes kite photography which was popular before drones
https://fstoppers.com/aerial/beginners-guide-kite-aerial-photography-272868
or camera masts
https://www.cameragrip.com/aerial-mast-photography-filming-sport-analysis/
Leaf had a nice kite photo of farm machinery, before drones. I'm not sure I'd want to fly a 5D on a string, maybe a balloon, but that's been done. Finding elevated locations works, as some other noted. It's surprising how little one needs to make an elevated shot. Camera mast, that's what it's called? Heck I didn't know that, I made my own. Stuck a camera threaded stud on top and I've had some interesting results. I'll say I haven't worked it enough, but I see potential. Something like this: Extended Length: 40 Feet Closed Length: 65" Weight: 13 lbs 8 oz Base Diameter: 2 7/8" Number of Sections: 9 Running in the hundreds of dollars and no tripod on the bottom, like the masts. Works really nice with a lighter camera like a gopro. 35 foot, refurbished, about $350 including shipping on eBay. Mine was much less, found in a dumpster. Here's what mine looks like with a DSLR on it, as a remote, at the races:  Here's the result. An impossible angle? Maybe not a world beater, but the point is, no drone. No license, no crashes, no batteries...  Drones are everywhere, how many 40 foot monopods have you seen? 
3484
« on: December 25, 2019, 09:04 »
Interesting reading, thanks for sharing.
About Alamy: "They are by far the most inconsistent of agencies." Maybe good that anyone considering them, gets that well known fact into their head. Alamy is not Microstock, it's not going to have many repeat sales or consistent sales volume month to month. (I've never had the same image sell twice that I can recall, others might have more diverse subjects)
I still like the better returns when there is a license.
3485
« on: December 24, 2019, 11:34 »
With that name, I'm surprised he's not going for 14,400...nomen est omen!
Took me a while to figure that one. No habla Latin. Joe is still going for the 10K I hope he makes it, but I want to make it perfectly clear, I think he's misguided to think that the only import fact of microstock is how many images anyone has. I've watched for long enough to see that the plain and obvious answer is not counting how many images but what are the images. One of the sales mottoes, back when, was don't work harder, work smarter. In Microstock that means uploading good, useful content and not wasting time trying to make number quotas. I also believe, to each their own, so as independent business people, anyone can do anything they want. Not my business to tell them how, but I can observe and say for myself and many others, uploading 10,000 nice images will earn no more than 500 carefully planned, designed, thoughtful, market appropriate images. Nevermind...
3486
« on: December 24, 2019, 11:20 »
Ah forgot to update on the issue. So they consider the individual circulation of the magazine per publication so only about 7,000 copies which is well below the 500,000 limit. Nevertheless, always good to keep them on their toes!
I think someone else said that. It's views not circulation? Must be a sign of the times...30 cent subs...
Sold to Belavia airlines who claim on their website they have an audience of 4 million a year...
4 million views a year is not 4 million copies a year. The magazine is a monthly (although I can't read a word on that page in Russian?)
Hypothetical, 4 million views / 12 = 333,333 a month. That's under 500,000, even if every passenger gets a copy.
But it's also online, I can't recall if the digital version counts for any specific use or if that's included?
3487
« on: December 24, 2019, 11:16 »
I don't do as well as some of the people answering, (income or downloads) but I'd agree that passive income is "free money" and what you do get, you've done the work. I'd also agree that the income per download has dropped. Not unexpected. Aside from lowering their prices, many people don't have exclusive, which means 40% instead of 50%. Myself I get a small number of distributor sales, which are even less, in real numbers. Not the best overlay, I was using some old screen captures that aren't identical size. But it's fairly representative. Sales increased for me, to an all time high, while income doesn't match the first year. Times have changed. I get on average, lifetime, $50 a download. But there's no average on Alamy. One might be $12 and the next $212. That's the spike for 2019 a $124 and then a $125 gross sale at 50%. Two others are $3.63 for just over a dollar, as they were distributor sales. Good and not so good, but considering the numbers, those low sales are still more than I get on average from anyplace else. Like someone else said, one Alamy sale can equal a month of Adobe. SS wins on volume. I must add an important detail. I do not have the same images, anywhere. Alamy has many exclusive, SS has many that no place else will accept/Editorial and Adobe has many that SS will not accept. Comparing different images, subjects and types of images.  Income is Red, sales blue Just not the same as anyplace else, I don't really have a fair way to compare. RPD on SS is flat, with downloads dropping. RPD on Adobe is going up, and so are downloads. That's the three that matter to me.
3488
« on: December 24, 2019, 10:44 »
Best to all from both of us, our house in the country... 
3489
« on: December 23, 2019, 11:47 »
 Almost Forgot!
3490
« on: December 23, 2019, 09:08 »
I've had an 'remittance advice' email which presumably is my poor-ish earnings for November, though they're not showing on my ESP page (just the apology message) and it hasn't actually appeared in PayPal yet.
Later: Now in PayPal (1830 GMT)
Same as Hoodie: "Were experiencing an unexpected delay in reporting your statement(s) and are working hard to resolve the issue. This does not impact our ability to issue payments. We apologize for the inconvenience." Nice that you got paid, I don't think I've accumulated enough, so my next will be 2020.
I'm still getting the apology message in ESP.
No way they can apologize for this. My bottom five for this reporting month. ILLUSTRATION iStockphoto 0.18$ ILLUSTRATION iStockphoto 0.18$ ILLUSTRATION iStock Essentials 0.15$ PHOTO iStockphoto 0.08$ PHOTO iStock Essentials 0.04$ 4 download? And it's sure good that I get those valuable higher commissions for Illustrations.  I think that's said it all for me, and I'm going with my new plan, which is, no comment on the issue of returns or income from iStock until next month. No use beating this situation, nothing is going to change or get better. Only reason I will consider uploading anything, ever again would be: 1) to make an even number for my dormant collection or 2) Complete and total boredom, nothing else to do anyplace else that's more profitable. (slim chance of that) I'm also sticking with the bottle of scotch plan, as there's still enough imcome coming in for my enjoyment, while I do nothing. Looking forward to more sales, so next Fall I can buy more high end single malts for the collection. Consider this, the years reward from iStock/Getty 
3491
« on: December 22, 2019, 06:57 »
Another 10 million new images, sometime early in December. the tracking is getting ridiculous as every couple months, there are another 10 million new images.
I'll try to remember to note the total on December 31st 2019 and possibly July 1st 2020. That will cover the general idea of how many millions of images are being added.
3492
« on: December 22, 2019, 06:51 »
Just for information, I should have included this originally. These are screen shots from the Wayback Machine website. I couldn't find anything before 2012 or I would have included that.
Some months have a number of captures, some only two. The data isn't really scientific because, if I wanted to be fair, I should have used the same day of the same month for all years. That isn't available.
Also I picked Sept. as a generally average month. I wouldn't want January, June or July, as those can bet the lowest. I just picked one that had reports in all the years, except one. So I wouldn't call this scientific, or significant, but just for interest.
3493
« on: December 22, 2019, 06:42 »
How many QC stars have you got? If you are 5*, your files are accepted and you can manage them within seconds/minutes depending on batch size, and they go live at the next database update.
I believe the max number of stars is 3.
It's 5.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5sjltxqgo32rupg/FiveStar.jpg?dl=0
Yes I've read that and on the Alamy forum, but apparently not for everyone. Maybe it's a rolling update?
Maybe someone can explain why I have different numbers of images, 82 more, when I look at Image Manager than when I look at the total on Contributor Dashboard or my portfolio?
If you haven't deleted them yourself, have you ever had a rejection? Say you uploaded a batch of 82 and had one rejection, you'd have to upload them all again, and forever more you'd have 82 more pics in IM, as they'd show in your rejected batch and in your reuploaded and accepted batch. (or more rejections/smaller batches).
Interesting, if I understand you right. A rejection counts as an image in my portfolio? I can't see any way to remove them, so forever, I'll have rejected batches and images, counting in my total in Image Manager? Well that would explain the different numbers. Back to the stars thing. I'd expect that five stars would show and then how many, will be filled in, depending on anyone's rank. As that's the way it was for three stars. Not that the button icon grows as anyone gets another star level. Just an assumption because coding it would make more sense that way. Good news if I can move up and have less delays, because like everyone else, my work and images are all so important and amazing, they need to be activated as soon as possible.  Honestly for News that would be nice.
3494
« on: December 21, 2019, 09:36 »
How many QC stars have you got? If you are 5*, your files are accepted and you can manage them within seconds/minutes depending on batch size, and they go live at the next database update.
I believe the max number of stars is 3.
It's 5.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5sjltxqgo32rupg/FiveStar.jpg?dl=0
Yes I've read that and on the Alamy forum, but apparently not for everyone. Maybe it's a rolling update? Maybe someone can explain why I have different numbers of images, 82 more, when I look at Image Manager than when I look at the total on Contributor Dashboard or my portfolio?
3495
« on: December 21, 2019, 09:27 »
Interesting....the conclusion I'd draw is that over the years there has been surprisingly little change in the overall order of things.
True, except you see where AS passed IS, and how some have dropped a bit. Pond5 came from nowhere, while DT and BS have sunken to nowhere. The most obvious conclusion for me was, how many agencies are not viable anymore, compared to the old times when someone could make $30 to $40 a month on each of the little ones. Not that $40 means much, but a year, that's $500 and times the number of small sites, Canstock on down, that could be $5,000 a year. Now? The little ones maybe make $5 a month and using ten as an example, that's $500 a year. But true, the major order with SS on top, IS near and Adobe/FT running close to each other, is pretty much the same big three, with AS taking over 2nd by growth.
3496
« on: December 20, 2019, 14:03 »
Ibeleive they announced that reviewers would be on break for the holeidays so that review times would take longer than normal.
It may take some time for them to get cauht up and to normal speed after new years
Yes I know, old thread alert, but the Subject fit so I'm continuing. 1PM Eastern time USA, note posted, gone for the weekend, back Monday. Until last week, I didn't know they took a break from reviewing on weekends. And now the holidays are coming, I'd expect more vacation/holiday time off. Good news, my last submission passed, before they left. I don't have to spend days wondering if I got a batch rejection. Not that I get that often, or maybe never, but I have uploaded singles as a test, which got rejected. That always takes days and days. An Alamy way to give us a time out, to think about self review and standards.
3497
« on: December 20, 2019, 13:53 »
I've had an 'remittance advice' email which presumably is my poor-ish earnings for November, though they're not showing on my ESP page (just the apology message) and it hasn't actually appeared in PayPal yet.
Later: Now in PayPal (1830 GMT)
Same as Hoodie: "Were experiencing an unexpected delay in reporting your statement(s) and are working hard to resolve the issue. This does not impact our ability to issue payments. We apologize for the inconvenience." Nice that you got paid, I don't think I've accumulated enough, so my next will be 2020.
3498
« on: December 20, 2019, 13:50 »
So now you're telling me, owning http://www.Crapstock.com wasn't a good move?
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Thanks for explaining, I'm not up to date on all the terms and analytics for websites.
Stuff like: Off-page optimization is the process of optimizing the off-page elements of your site. This usually includes building links to your site, conducting outreach to influencers, and guest blogging.
Probably not your best idea.
Just wait, it's a game changer, the next big thing, and will disrupt the market... True, far from my worst ideas also, (one of the latest is a 25 foot sailboat), but positively done intentionally as humor, sarcasm and potentially wit. It could even be a commentary on Microstock. The first + on your comment came from me.
3499
« on: December 20, 2019, 11:07 »
I have received someone else's statement. What a bunch of loooosers!
Wow, now it really is 100% a lottery! Hope I get someone good.
You know what this makes me think of? I go to SS, like right now, and I see that someone in Cebu City, Philippines, just downloaded one of my images. I go to Adobe and I see that (date:time) someone downloaded one of my images. I go to Alamy and I see, my most recent sale, the date, the license and how much it sold for. I go to DT and I see the sale, the date, the type of license, and the buyer. (and all of these above have additional information, I'm just saying, the landing page and the obvious) I go to iStock by Getty and I see, nothing. I look on the app and I see two years of stats, I look at earnings and see October 1st data or an error message. And it's past the middle of December. Even if the system was working, the information is delayed and pretty crappy or difficult to decipher. The IS exception is Deep Meta which is outstanding! Or today is 20 where someone created a page to decode the IS jumble. But then I think, big agency, major world player, and we get drips and dribbles, delayed data, sales for cents, mystery corrections. And I ask myself, why do I subject myself to this? Am I that needy that I need the spare change that the almighty Getty tosses at me, now and then. My income and commissions, being they are at 15% and a toad couldn't live off them, are pathetic. I've come up with a plan for 2020 for myself: 1) Stop Looking, or thinking that IS/Getty is going to report anything, that I'll want to see. Wait for the email saying the data is online. (which comes from someone else) Then look at the sad pennies that I just earned. 2) Take the money and keep buying my annual bottle of expensive, Single Malt Scotch, but avoid eye contact or any contact or caring to try to locate information from iStock. Drink the scotch and stop torturing myself trying to drag information or data out of a black hole. What I mean is, stop uploading, stop caring, stop looking, and if I get the urge to see what's going on, think of something else, like hitting my thumb with a hammer, or dropping a rock onto my foot. Either is less painful.
3500
« on: December 20, 2019, 10:39 »
Having to go back afterwards is probably the biggest complaint. It's much smoother if you can get it done all at the same time and not have to remember to go back and finish things up.
Over the last couple of weeks, they've been upgrading the quality 'stars' system. If you've gone up to 5*, your uploads go straight in and you can 'manage' them within a few seconds/minutes.
As a three star, no more show as filled or otherwise, I just can't wait to see if that changes anytime for me. I'll need to be more cautious if that makes a difference. While it's not that critical or important, the waiting and watching 32 images that I uploaded Monday, hanging there in QC, is kind of like wondering, did I pass or fail, when do the grades come out?
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