.. at Dreamstime is driving me insane.  Try as I may, they are never good enough.  Like I upload 4 pics of the same model, one gets approved, three rejected because of MR issues.   

I was at a point were I was going to delete all of them and then start fresh but, guess what, that isn't possible (the service guys told me something about possible misuse - how can I misuse my own portfolio??).  They'd have to do it and that just didn't sound like it was ever going to happen.  As always service is uniquely unhelpful. 

Just venting ...

Tina

got one yesterday.  The one that couldn't be "properly processed" had been in the queue since 9/24

12 days for me.  My first batch ever - pretty disheartening!  First impression: not so great.

Hi:  can somebody help me with this question:  I am planning a trip to India next year and read somewhere that a photo permit is required to photograph (especially with tripod).  Does anybody have any experience with that and knows the procedures (where, what, how long and how much!)

Thanks!

best month on Shutterstock so far (well, I only joined in mid-April).  Passed the 1000 download mark today and am therefore halfways to the pay increase - yeah!

no dls in days.  I have a small portfolio but I used to sell slowly but steadily.  Now - nothing in days.  I am at 269 or so dls - am I bronze now or not?  Would that make a (tangible) difference to me?  At this rate I surely won't even think about exclusivity.

I signed up for the NYIP course about 18 months ago and first was really excited about the whole idea and the prospect of being part of a learning community. 

Having said that, it is falling short of expectations. 
The materials are good and I learned a lot by going through the booklets BUT the whole course was developed for an internet-free world and that just doesn't work well anymore (at least for me).  Who really listens to tapes anymore?  I had to scramble to find a tape recorder somewhere in the garage.  In many instances the material seems a bit dated, the pictures clearly depict the style and fashion of decades gone by - which wouldn't be a problem if it was just some, but looking at the booklets I feel stuck in the 70s.  There is a heavy focus on film and a little booklet on digital which doesn't begin to scratch the surface.  Good photography can be had in film and digital but digital is what most people do these days and so a little less focus on developing color film and more on digital tools would be helpful.

The assignments are fun and the feedback very personal (you have your own adviser who sends you a tape with his/her comments).  I enjoy that part a lot but since there are no real deadlines I am always thinking: I'll do it tomorrow, next week - you get the idea (okay, my problem).

Leaves me with the learning community which isn't as active and interactive as I had hoped (haven't checked in a while, though).  the webpage feels very static, sort of first generation brochure webpage rather than fun, creative, interactive.  The best school I ever attended (not photography) was the best for many reasons, an important one being that I learned as much from my classmates as I learned from my professors - or at least very close.

I understand that this doesn't answer your question in a positive way but hopefully helps you somewhat with your decision making process.

Tina

I have tried to upload but so far haven't succeeded - can't find the pics that I uploaded anywhere, like there isn't a "Waiting for approval" link or anything.  Unless its so well hidden that I can't find it (which is possible, I am not the world's greatest searcher for tiny links).
Let's see how it goes.  I figured if Corbis get's into the game I can't ignore them.

Hi:

please endulge me for a minute and answer this question for me:  in one sentence or less how would you define a successful life for yourself.


Thanks!

Nobody has mentioned it yet (I think) so I will:
The new category selection at Istock is sooooo much better than before!  Three categories from a predefined list compared to selecting a random number from a list that I believe contained more than 10,000 entries (I counted them once but forgot the exact number).
Going forward the upload limits will be the issue for me - not the hassle factor with uploading.  Now if disambig.. (can't even remember what it is called) could be made easier .....

Still, I am loving it.

Tina

My experience with BigStock has been very poor.  I don't have that many pictures online (85) but mainly pics that sell fairly well on other sites and after almost a year I am $1 short of my first payout.  That's $34 in 11 months - so I understand hayman12 and will probably do the same once I got that ellusive last Dollar. 

I mean, really, what's my incentive for uploading there again?  I do microstock for the money, sure, but an extra $34?  Living in Silicon Valley $34 won't even buy a nice dinner for my husband and me.  So I do microstock also for the thrill of selling my pics. When I check my account (daily, at least) I want to see some progress, not stagnation.  I get nothing out of uploading at BigStock, not even fun.  So why bother?

Thanks, Lee.  That worked!

Tina 

I'll be off for about four weeks. Taking a trip to Austria, Italy and Germany and hopefully returning with stockworthy grandparents and grandchild pictures  and some romantic Tuscan vineyards in evening light type shots. 
Any last suggestions for the traveling-with-kid-also-trying-to-take-pictures photographer?

"See" you all in June,

Tina