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Messages - cypher
51
« on: January 17, 2013, 23:29 »
If you want honnest information from all micro sites you come here at microstockgroup.com. Individual stock forums understandably will not entertain their competitor's problems or successes as this could affect their own business.
Yes, but there are many photographers and illustrators who know nothing of MSG. Posting about this having happened at those sites may help as well. Perhaps those posts should link back to some of the threads on this site, and more people will learn that MSG exists.
52
« on: January 17, 2013, 23:16 »
Has this been mentioned on each of the stock site forums? I didn't know about this until I stopped by here today and saw this thread. I know that bringing up things happening at other stock sites is difficult to do on some forums, but we should be able to mention the Google "deal".
I'd be interested in reading the threads (even on sites I'm not a member). If you have seen this mentioned on other stock forums, could you post the links?
Sorry. I just found the thread for this.
53
« on: January 17, 2013, 23:05 »
Has this been mentioned on each of the stock site forums? I didn't know about this until I stopped by here today and saw this thread. I know that bringing up things happening at other stock sites is difficult to do on some forums, but we should be able to mention the Google "deal".
I'd be interested in reading the threads (even on sites I'm not a member). If you have seen this mentioned on other stock forums, could you post the links?
54
« on: January 15, 2013, 10:54 »
Dan, has your light tent arrived yet? If so, have you played with it, and what do you think so far?
55
« on: December 12, 2012, 11:15 »
Okay, they're back up again.
56
« on: December 12, 2012, 10:47 »
DT is 404ing -- again. Has anyone run a study on their uptime? I'd be curious to see the numbers. It seems to be a lot lower than most websites. It's definitely lower than most commercial sites.
57
« on: December 11, 2012, 18:19 »
I've been on the boards for awhile, but I read a lot more than I post here. In fact, only today did I finally lose my "newbie" status by having at least 10 posts. Anyway, I thought I'd at least give a late hello others here at MSG (or is it MG?).
58
« on: December 11, 2012, 11:26 »
I've often wondered why so many photographers take clients to the local railway tracks for the classic "family walking away holding hands along the tracks" shot. If the tracks are no longer used, that's one thing (although even this flies in the face of teaching kids to stay away from train tracks). But why take clients (with KIDS) to tracks that are still used? The more people involved in the shot, the more time the shot will take, and the longer it will take to get everyone moved if a train does come.
59
« on: December 11, 2012, 10:56 »
Dan, how are the uploads coming? Have you had more since you posted this thread?
60
« on: December 08, 2012, 15:41 »
Over the past year I've observed that some things at DT operate based upon the amount of community response. It seems that in order for certain things to happen, some threshold of user feedback or involvement must first be reached. For example, take a look at the milestone awards: http://www.dreamstime.com/contest.php. The contributor winners have all been announced, but many of the images do not yet have winners for the designer prize. It looks like these prizes are only awarded after an image receives enough downloads. Another example is the holiday season culinary contest: http://www.dreamstime.com/thread_29418. Very few people have actively participated, and so the contest seems to have just been put aside and not awarded (it was started over a year ago). When the same prize (a full portfolio review) was offered for music suggestions, the thread was VERY active, and prize was quickly awarded. Changes seem to happen when enough people make enough noise (remember the Pinterest thread that Cathy stayed on top of?). But if people don't say anything, the ideas and prizes are put aside quietly. Has anyone else noticed this about DT?
61
« on: December 04, 2012, 12:01 »
RPD what is that? Return Per Day? or what?
Revenue per download
62
« on: December 04, 2012, 11:46 »
I see lots of complaints of DT being a low earner and the desire of punishing them for it. However, from what I can tell the RPD at DT is generally much higher than at most other mid and top tier sites. Sure, sales are greater at SS, but the RPD is generally MUCH lower. It seems to me that DT is compensating us more than some of these other sites, but they just aren't getting enough buyers. Why aren't we trying to bring more people to DT to increase sales rather than trying to punish them?
63
« on: November 13, 2012, 22:25 »
Tavi,
Out of curiosity, which are selling better -- your isolated shots or your non-isolated shots? For the non-isolated, I notice that you typically center your subject rather than using the "rule of thirds". Have you looked at your stats and seen if there is a difference in sales for both ways of composing? As JPSDK said, "Impact in thumbnail size plays a bigger role than we like to think." Most people find images that use the rule of thirds more interesting and eye-catching. Your mileage on this may vary, but it might be worth looking at your stats to see if there is a pattern. Again, this is only for non-isolated shots.
65
« on: August 03, 2012, 10:58 »
... and certainly agree that other people's work should not be copied, but better used as reference and inspiration. Copying is boring and creating new is cool...
Actually, you shouldn't use other people's work as reference material. If you're creating something for stock that is based on another work, such as a reference photo, illustration, or any other visual reference, that reference material must be your own creation as well. In fact, some companies like istock require you to show your reference material when uploading an image that appears to have been derived from another image.
Copying isn't just boring. It's illegal. And in this business, it will get you shut down quickly.
EmberMike, whether you meant to or not, you've got me thinking. I'm sure this has been debated and argued before courts many times, but how much referencing is too much? I think most photographers look at the works of others and glean ideas and inspiration from them. When does it become copying? In the realm of stock, is there a difference when the subject is a simple object (eg., the infamous isolated tomato) and when the subject portrays a concept in a particular way (an isolated apple wrapped with measuring tape to illustrate the idea of dieting)? These questions are currently bothering me quite a bit as I find myself in that exact situation. Awhile back, I saw a photo in a magazine which illustrated a concept in a way that I really liked (for discussion sake, let's pretend it was the apple wrapped in measuring tape -- the actual concept is roughly that simple). At that point, I marked that as an idea I would to try. Several months have passed, and just this week I got around to shooting the image. I've mostly completed the editing, and I've taken a quick look to see how saturated the market is with similar images. There are not a whole lot, but there are definitely a handful of other photographers who have also implemented the concept in the same or very similar way (okay, the apple concept has many more occurrences than the image I have taken). Now, I read your comment, and I pause. I hadn't considered uploading this image to be a violation of anyone else's work, but I am no longer entirely sure. The idea definitely came from the work of someone else. In that since it is copying. However, it most definitely is not unique. I could have come up with the idea on my own, and it would have been fine then. But, I didn't. Anyway, I am not trying to detract from the OP's topic, but your comment has me thinking. I certainly do not want to be stealing anyone else's creative work, and I definitely want my work to be ethically created. I may hold off on uploading this image until I have thought through where the boundaries are a bit more.
66
« on: February 17, 2012, 18:02 »
When you don't understand a rejection, send a polite email to support asking about that specific rejection. On the few occasions that I've tried this, I have been extremely impressed with the responses I've gotten. A lot can be learned about what is being looked for this way.
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