It's my understanding that you have to buy a new license for each website if you would like to use the same image for more than one project.

I could be wrong though.

Well naturally the agency will let you download the image which is all you pretty much get, besides a receipt for your purchase of credits/a subscription.

Don't tell me there is no "paper trail" to confirm that a buyer actually registered, paid and downloaded the image.

That would be more than concerning...

Quote from: lagereek on May 17, 2010, 12:39

Images should get a best match position based ONLY on merit, the more commercial, the better and the more DLs,  only then does an image deserve to jump in best match. Never because it exclusive or non-exclusive, ...

That is what I have always thought and I think it's bad business that exclusives get rewarded just because they are exclusive, not because their files are any better. Which to me seems so totally ridiculous because Getty makes more profit on independent best-selling photos than they do mediocre-selling exclusive photos. But hey whatever, they have all the big bucks and they know what they are doing. <cough>

I think with $200 a day you can give it a go - but this depends on a lot of "if"s.
If you do not have debts to pay, if you do not have mortgage, if you do not have big family, etc. etc.
Microstock seems to be working for you - but it does not work for everyone, and in truth this is a slave's work (considering the cut the microstock sites take). Of course you will hear different from couple of people who like it and who are sufficiently talented and working hard enough to place themselves among those couple of % who can support themselves from microstock.

It is not a business or a job - it is a competition. I am sure that someone will point out immediately that business IS competition - but I am afraid that we would be talking about different things. There are tens of thousands of athletes - but very few of them make living out of sport. Simply - there are many competitors, but winners are few. If you are happy with this - go for it.

My point is that if 100% of people currently submitting to microstock work hard, shoot a lot and produce sellable images - still only a small percentage will succeed. In my books this is not business - but a cross between competition and lottery.

A plumber runs a business - he does a job, he charges you, he collects his money, and moves to another job. He does not perform work at any place which may be in need of his services - in the hope that someone maybe will pay him.

Quote from: PowerDroid on May 12, 2010, 13:53

Quote from: Digital66 on May 12, 2010, 13:39

I don't mean to offend anyone but, some people will just never make the jump to be independent. They just don't have the spirit to go that way.  They have been educated to have a boss and need to feel they are "safe".

On the contrary, I need to feel that my family is "safe."  
...

Or it may be that, like a few others here, you're risk averse; you value financial security more than a healthier family lifestyle. I'm at the opposite end of the scale: As a single father with a college-bound teenager, the freedom I have now when taken together with the time I've been able to spend with my son far outweigh the benefits I had when pursuing a traditional career. Like you, I truly enjoyed my well-paying job, but it's absurd to compare where I would still be to where I am now if I hadn't accepted the risk. And I'm not alone in this - there are many who tell a similar tale. Like they say: no pain, no gain.

Quote from: elvinstar on May 10, 2010, 09:06

When I started shooting stills, I used hot-lights and still have some of them around. I've been playing with video and those old CFL's are working out just fine.

I started with hot lights too, and still have them around.  For static objects they were just fine if you have a steady hand or are willing to use a tripod, but for people they were pretty cumbersome.  

First off, people get hot under "hot" lights - particularly here in Florida.  Secondly, and more important, you just can't get the shutter speeds to stop action and camera shake as well as with strobes.  You either have to shoot at higher ISO and deal with noise, or you have to be tethered to a tripod and pray your models don't move a muscle.  

I used to have to take dozens more shots of each pose when I was using hot lights, just to make sure I had enough usable sharp ones.  This equaled hundreds more images to sort through from each day of shooting. Time wasted on both ends - shooting and processing.  

I can't see ever going back to shooting model stills with hot lights.  Shudder...

Quote from: hqimages on May 06, 2010, 17:57

Wouldn't you be tempted to do still shots after going to all the trouble of model/styling/make-up etc for a video shoot?

I'm still not sure why you think it is so simple.

I'll elaborate, once again.  You said "a usual shoot".  A usual shoot involves strobe lights, and, for most, shooting handheld, going solo.  A video shoot involves hot lights, numerous pieces of hardware, like a tripod and a glider or a boom, plus, possibly people to do follow focus and audio.  As well as talent who can not only smile and look good for 1/125, but can successfully act to convey a message.  And other things.  

So, you said "since you have the studio/model set up anyway, what's the biggie to shoot some video as part of a usual shoot".  There, I told you "the biggie".  I'm sharing information.  That should make you happy, right?

Quote from: cclapper on May 04, 2010, 16:03

this whole topic is udderly ridiculous

ahah sorry but my first post was nice and need to know if anyone got this before.. then it just went nuts with the MILK thing

Quote from: click_click on April 29, 2010, 08:46

I'm happy because they are in AND because I made more than I anticipated  

If I made a million dollars with Thinkstock that would mean I'd make 10 million with Shutterstock - then I would not be here posting this...

Most likely some of your sales at SS (or elsewhere) got transferred to TS where they earned a much lower commission. Does volunteering your portfolio for lower commissions make you happy too?

Quote from: stockastic on April 16, 2010, 16:18

It is probably now possible to run an entire microstock on Amazon hosting and storage infrastructure - for a price of course.

It's just about the only service they don't offer - for the moment!