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Messages - Mantis
5276
« on: June 30, 2011, 16:08 »
You never know, but if they go public it will be a disaster for contributors and buyers as the claws of venture capitalists reach inward to nab them for a quick buck. Need I say Istock, Getty & H&F? The pressure to squeeze the coffers juice is pretty much the same for all public companies.
5277
« on: June 29, 2011, 19:59 »
Is anyone even making a plug nickle on FP?
5278
« on: June 29, 2011, 19:11 »
You can't.
5279
« on: June 27, 2011, 07:37 »
I wouldn't get too discouraged about sales at this stage of the game. I see you have 24 images on Dreamstime. When you get 2400 then you will see trends, generally speaking. Collections are growing at monumental proportions and making money is getting harder and harder due to simple supply and demand principals. At IS you really have to have something unique and useful to make any recurring income. Otherwise as an independent you get pushed so far back into the collection once you get images accepted that you are lost and forgotten almost instantly. Most agencies are making getting submissions accepted harder and harder, too. Dreamstime and Shutterstock have both "changed their standards" and most of us regulars are seeing new rejections every time we upload.
This is just a snapshot of reality. If you're getting into this to make a "quick buck" it's probably not for you.
5280
« on: June 27, 2011, 07:23 »
2. Always ask if you can take someone's pic. I was taking a pic of a lady behind a flower stand and she kept shouting at me in her native tongue and pointing her finger at me. Then she came after me with her fist and started pounding on me as I curled to protect my equipment and my face. Police came. They laughed. Then educated me on what not to do.
Heck, I don't think I would have half my port. if I always asked and my port is already small enough! I know people have moral issues about not asking, but we are recorded on a daily basis, cctv cameras etc. and I've never been asked if I can be recorded (plus we don't know who is shown this footage). Some of the best pictures I have and top sellers are when I haven't asked. I'm used to being shouted at and able to diffuse the situation, if things get dicey. The image below is of immigration in Singapore, the image wouldn't exist if I had asked. So far 12 downloads on Dreamstime and 40 downloads on Shutterstock. Shoot fast, smile a lot, if you get caught taking a photo speak to the person, say "Wow, you look great", "I love this country" etc. If ever I'm in any kind of trouble, police, immigration, someone getting angry after I photographed them, praise them, it's virtually the only time I suck up to people, usually the bigger the ego a person has the better it works and if their ego isn't big, they usually don't mind being photographed anyway.
Yea, it's been awhile. The police basically said that if someone tells you to stop you should stop. I too have a pile of people shots I took without asking. Just was educated on the fact that some people have certain beliefs and dislikes, so it they clearly don't want their picture taken then move on.
5281
« on: June 26, 2011, 19:38 »
Anyone had problems shooting in new delhi.I'm hoping to be staying for 5 days in October/november.I will be shooting the tourist hot spots but also would like to shoot some editorial of the poor which begs the question,no pun intended,will i incur any problems ...
I shot there for a month. I had problems even though I researched it. Here's what I found: 1. Guards and such love Polaroids of themselves. If you can still bring an instant print system you will be able to get into otherwise less accessible areas. 2. Always ask if you can take someone's pic. I was taking a pic of a lady behind a flower stand and she kept shouting at me in her native tongue and pointing her finger at me. Then she came after me with her fist and started pounding on me as I curled to protect my equipment and my face. Police came. They laughed. Then educated me on what not to do. 3. Be courteous.
5282
« on: June 26, 2011, 19:32 »
It's stuff like this that keeps pushing me closer to just not bothering to help or share knowledge anymore.
I'm pretty sure that guy is a troll. I don't really think he's an 'innocent newbie'. Admittedly, I was 'defensive' as first; nd still have to check that tendency. Nevertheless, even if Sean's 'tough love' was hard to take at first, it was pretty obvious that someone with his track record for sales gives some advice, or prompts you to think deeper, you need to pay at least some attention. 
If he isn't he certainly needs a class on emotional intelligence.
5283
« on: June 26, 2011, 10:01 »
best you could do abrac" is start again. Get a new user name , be polite, read more before putting your foot in your mouth and consider carefully how much you have to learn. You unfortunately are at the stage where you still do not know what you don't know. You are only be rude to get what you think you need to know.
^^This is probably the most sensible advice at this point.
5284
« on: June 26, 2011, 07:56 »
I am not an never have been a reviewer..
However, how else will sites find people willing and able to conduct reviews for the return they get?
Probably the biggest benefit for a reviewer is the education that comes with the job.
Beg to differ but the biggest benefit for a reviewer is getting payed to work from home, sat on there bums and looking at there computer.Nice work if you can get it !
Not a lot different from what we do, is it? I know a couple of ex-inspectors. The impression they gave me was that the pay is pitiful and the work mind-numbing.
^^yep. I hear stories as recent as last month when we were shooting together about the constant flow of isolated tomatoes and apples on white, the constant flood of the same subject matter day after day, and simple self review prior to submitting of out of focus images, white balance way off, etc. And it's day after day after day. I definitely got the impression that it's a monotonous machine. Once comment that was made, however, is that every now and then they see something really refreshing and new, which gives them shooting ideas of their own, hence the self value they can get from the job.
5285
« on: June 26, 2011, 07:44 »
I am now approaching June as another data point where my sales are about 50% off (lower) that prior to their best match change. Can't wait to see what happens when Europe shuts down for six weeks.
5286
« on: June 26, 2011, 07:42 »
Are you sure that inspector are also contributors? On Shutterstock too? I don't like this idea, I think that it's not serious because there's a big conflict of interest. Who are the inspectors on Fotolia? I find them not so enlightened in their choices....  
Yes, the once I know are anyways. Not sure if Mat is asking me that questions, but if so, I don't know any Fotolia inspectors at all and the ones I know happen to be shooting partners of mine so I know them through our friendship. But nobody's providing me any list of inspectors and such. At IS there is really "no secret who their inspectors are" and most of them are also contributors. So in my case it's pure coincidence that I happen to shoot with some, that's all.
5287
« on: June 25, 2011, 21:52 »
http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=107596There is a thread over at Shutterstock talking about how much people have made off a homeless model. My personal feeling is that you should not be promoting how much money you've made simply because you've convinced a desperate, homeless person, who is starving for booze and/or food, to bow to your photographic and financial needs. Is this a keep it on the low low, or does it mean crap to you once they sign the form?
5288
« on: June 25, 2011, 20:53 »
I wonder, I just wonder how Duane will take a rejection. That could be fun to watch.
"F_ck you inspector, you don't know what the f_k your' talking about. Did you get your experience from shooting a 110 instamatic or what? I have a Polaroid you can borrow. It's my dad's from 1950. Maybe you can learn something from that like I have. You are useless. Get me another inspector you fool!!"
Oh wow, another troll... with another useless post. Time to hit the ignore button again.
Duane
You're presenting yourself as someone who doesn't want any advice other than your own. Take the high road. Listen, ask, learn, have thick skin. You've from post #2 exposed yourself as what you are. You gotta have some tough skin here. In any critique or request forum you have to be capable of articulating the right question and accepting the group feedback. Saying thank you and showing some appreciation can get you some respect ....that helps with longevity, too.
5289
« on: June 25, 2011, 20:29 »
Lately, my RF sales on Alamy are almost the same royalties as on the Micros.
Regardless of what Alamy pricing is, for my images they ALWAYS offer steep discounts (up to 80%), so even for medium sized RF sales, I get $10.
So true! Makes the rest of this discussion pretty much moot.
Normally I would jump on the "concur" bandwagon but this month has generated a lot of money for me (June=$1400). Most months are less...sigh!
5290
« on: June 25, 2011, 20:23 »
Nice stick figure.
5291
« on: June 25, 2011, 20:07 »
Sean definitely gave you the best answer.
Imagine if I went onto a pro tennis forum and, arriving completely out of thin air, I posted, "I want to be a pro tennis player, which raquet and shoes should I get?"
Wilson and Nike, respectively of course:)
5292
« on: June 25, 2011, 20:01 »
I wonder, I just wonder how Duane will take a rejection. That could be fun to watch.
"F_ck you inspector, you don't know what the f_k your' talking about. Did you get your experience from shooting a 110 instamatic or what? I have a Polaroid you can borrow. It's my dad's from 1950. Maybe you can learn something from that like I have. You are useless. Get me another inspector you fool!!"
5293
« on: June 25, 2011, 07:58 »
I would like your 2 cents
In Shutterstock I don't know because rev. are a bit of hidden, but in Fotolia and Dreamstime, the most of them are also contributors with its images online. Do you think that they have preferential treatment in approvals and get their images rather approved than normal contributors?
Not only that, but are they more likely to refuse images that are in direct competition with their own work?
^^ That is the key in my opinion. I know several big microstockers who claim this is a serious issue for them. True or not, it sure gets suspicious at times when you know that they have a reviewer who is in direct competition with you...did they just review your batch? You will never know. BTW the two specific people I know are reviewers for one of the top five agencies. But they WON'T discuss much about their job due to their contract or I'd share more with you if I could.
5294
« on: June 24, 2011, 22:00 »
I like learning, and I like teaching. In another life I might well have been a teacher, and I might even have been good at it. I also refuse to see photography as some kind of zero sum game, even this little microcosm of microstock. Helping others to get better won't hurt my own skills and isn't likely to have much of an effect on my revenue.
That's part of what I hate about iStock's tier scheme; they've turned us into competitors who only win when someone else loses. I'd rather enjoy my work, and learning and experimenting and teaching others is a very real part of that enjoyment. And if others do better with what I teach them than I do, well, I'm sure lots of teachers have had that experience too.
^^ Excellent post.
5295
« on: June 24, 2011, 21:25 »
I guess it depends on what kind of knowledge you share. Many share model lighting techniques or something along these lines but when you actually try to use it, failure. That's because there's so much more to nailing that image, including equipment, settings, "the touch" and other intangible visual aides that are likely not to be shared. Even if they are shared, he uses Canon and you use Nikon. He uses Photomax and you use Elichrome. He has an all white studio you have a garage. Just a few reasons why sharing is safe under many conditions.
5296
« on: June 24, 2011, 20:02 »
He told LOBO (Pieman) to go eat a cow pie.
5297
« on: June 24, 2011, 19:46 »
Why should I assist Getty in taking business from Shutterstock which pays me a better rate?
Because Getty will always have customers no matter how well Shutterstock does. And because of the critical mass concept there will always be enough contributors at Getty to support their collection. So why not have your images there? I know the idealogs will tell contributors not to sell their stuff there because it is a disservice to the whole industry but, like I said, that critical mass momentum will simply crush that ideology. It can't be stopped or greatly influenced by a few pulling out. You will never convince everyone to pull out. Human nature (money) dictates that. So knowing that one can make $50 or $100 or $200 a month extra in a system where ideology will never mean squat is incentive enough in my opinion.
5298
« on: June 24, 2011, 18:13 »
DT has picked up a lot for me. I am getting a lot of $4-$11 dls the last couple of months. But it is still behind IS by a bit, say $50-$100 a month. But if I count partner program sales IS is way more.
5299
« on: June 24, 2011, 18:02 »
It'll be interesting to see how sales change, if at all. I know that since the day they turned it on my sales DL's are 50% compared to the last couple of months. So I've gone from 20 a day pre-best match tweak, to 12 after and now 4-6 each day over the last three days. Not enough data I know but just sayin. Give it a month then we'll start a DL discussion
5300
« on: June 19, 2011, 13:13 »
Had a chuckle at the title.So contributors are having less sales and assume that's because the buyers are leaving..What bollocks !
More contributors ,more choice of content =Less sales.Simple.
The title is a fact. The best match changes are a fact. Adding best match hierarchies (Agency, Vetta, E+, E) also is a fact. While your example is a fundamental truth (supply and demand), to claim that this is the sole cause of an essentially over night drop in sales for many contributors (not just a few) isn't accurate. Also, here's some free education: Demand and the number of buyers isn't mutually exclusive, so when buyers bail so does demand.
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