Hello,

I am a USC graduate student conducting research on iStockphoto users. If you are an iStockphoto contributor and would like to be entered into a drawing to win a $20 Amazon gift card, please take this survey:

https://usc.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bfq5OXfNAouvDMw

Thank you in advance! I appreciate your participation.

Uhhh am I missing something here? How can you win a Amazon gift card if no personal data is recorded? Sounds rather fishy to me.

"Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey. The following questions are related to crowdsourcing communities and the individuals who participate in crowdsourcing projects and activities. Your participation is entirely voluntary and no personal data will be recorded. The survey should take between 5-10 minutes to complete. "

I haven't sold but two photos on Veer, wish it were more and hope it will be more in the future, but what I have sold I can't figure out how to find out what I actually made one just one of them.
That statistics page is way to confusing. This new sale has the date of July on the photo. Is that the actual sale date or the upload date because it's way past July for it to be suddenly showing up under sales.

Thanks Scott for explaining.....you gotta admit it says a lot about a company that will come here and answers our concerns. Thanks

I'm referring to who would sign the model release based on the age of the photo. I'm assuming you are related to the individual. I also assume you took the photo. If you did not take the photo then you need a property release as well as a model release.

The cut off period for a model release would be determined by the stock agency. They have the right to request a model release on a photo that is 10 yrs old or 100 yrs old. So I guess the answer to your question would be no there is no cutoff date for a model release.

But since we are also talking about old photographs - is there some cut off meaning that photographs taken before some date do not need to be model released (or some period of time after a person has died) ? I do see old stuff from various stock sites which is available to licence either RF or RM (apparently released - not editorial) and I cannot believe that all of the surviving relatives have signed.

(Focusing on model releases here if possible rather than property releases or issues of copyright).

Shutterstock and Bigstock will accept them as long as your have a property release showing you are the owner of the pictures. iStock and Dreamstime require both property release as well as model release signed by next of kin. I'm referring to photo's from the 1800's, not recent ones. You can also submit them under editorial at the sites that accept them as such and not have to worry about it.

If they are 100 year old photos the copyright would be expired, but the stock agencies still require a property release and some require model releases if you don't submit as editorial.

I have also wondered about this question. I have a lot of 100+ years old pictures of my relatives. As far as I can tell, the photographers rights expire 70 years after his death in my country. But if I have to get written permission from all the living relatives, I can just put the pictures back in the drawer. My ancestors were prolific, I'm sure I have several hundred cousins who are direct ascendents from the people in the pics. (Not counting the ones outside marriages).

Shutterstock and Bigstock will accept them as long as your have a property release showing you are the owner of the pictures. iStock and Dreamstime require both property release as well as model release signed by next of kin. I'm referring to photo's from the 1800's, not recent ones. You can also submit them under editorial at the sites that accept them as such and not have to worry about it.

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on October 03, 2010, 17:00

Quote from: Anyka on October 03, 2010, 12:00

I just became a diamond contributor at Istock (a few minutes ago).
I knew this would happen somewhere in Autumn, and I was looking forward to this milestone for months.
Now why am I not celebrating

errr .... because you still get 20% regardless?

Nope. If you don't make 1.4 million in RC's then you drop below 20%

I think Baldricks Trousers was referring to the current 20%. It still would be 20% regardless of what canister level

Just noticed the inspection queue is over 79000, the biggest I've ever seen it.
Wonder if the inspectors are tied up with getting to grips with Agency requirements or on a go-slow as a protest against the changing royalty structure. Or maybe they're just all on holiday. Don't remember ever seeing the queue that big.

Maybe they all quit....

Pixart....I don't have the answer you need...but you bring up a good point I never even thought about. I do wear glasses and tried progressive contact lens a few years back...but because of stigmitism I couldn't get use to them. I never tried shooting with them in so I don't know how that would effect it. Let us know what the eye doctor has to say about it. I usually take my glasses off when I shoot and just have to hope the auto focus is doing it's job.

Sounds like another act of deceit and unkept promises by a forked tongued serpent with the name of iStock.!

I've wondered if there was much of a market for portraits. I've done a few for friends and family and looking into more commercial work. Found that I am competing with the Targets and Walmart photo studios which charge peanuts. Most folks are happy with those generic studios with their lame backgrounds and cheap set prices. And there are established portrait studios for high schools that get the entire contract and run students through like cattle.

I've talked to a few photographers that do a more customized type of portrait photography. They don't have a big expensive studio so they go to the customer. Their shots are different because they do the shots in a more natural setting...meaning parks....outdoor shots. The customer chooses where they want to go and they go there. I don't do this but have considered it. A lot of people prefer a natural setting rather than the staged studio shot so that may be an option for you.

Amazing, all these months and never reached the limit yet. So here's a bump for all the people who have posted links here. Thanks if you can use the free storage, for sharing and giving one of us, some more storage.

https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg3NTUwMjA5

Thanks for bumping up the thread....I wondered how in the world someone joined through me when I only posted it that one time on here which was back in July. Hope you reach yours soon.

I'll take it one step further.
If we know the value of a redeemed credit at each level, you can work out the royalties needed in order to maintain your commission level. You can calculate what royalties you'll need to jump up a level, too. Here's another handy dandy chart:

Level          Commission   Redeemed    Royalties Needed    Royalties Needed
                                       Credits Req'd      to Maintain              to Promote
IndyBase                15%               -                       -                               $398
IndyBronze             16%           2,000                 $424                         $2,650
IndySilver               17%         12,500               $2,816                         $9,010
IndyGold                18%         40,000               $9,540                       $35,775
IndyDiamond          19%       150,000              $37,763                     $352,450
IndyBlackDiamond  20%     1,400,000            $371,000                             -

Bronze                   25%           2,000                    -                              $4,141
Silver                     30%         12,500                $4,969                       $15,900   
Gold                      35%         40,000              $18,550                        $69,563
Diamond                40%       150,000              $79,500                      $742,000         
Black Diamond        45%    1,400,000            $834,750                              -


So if you're currently at Gold level, you'll need to earn $18,550 per year to maintain that commission rate - if you earn $69,553 you'll jump up to Diamond level. If you're an independent and iStock comprises 40% of your total microstock revenue, then you'll have to be earning about $94k to "earn" a 19% commission, and about 928k to get 20%.

Thanks Sharply_Done for that chart, that really puts a better perspective on things....so if I'm understanding right....the most you can make being an independent is 20% correct? The canister's are pretty much tossed out the window because the future pay structure based on sales $$$ and the credits and not the canister level. Correct me if I'm wrong because the way those figures look...there would be no reason for anyone to stay as an independent.

Oh and no need for anyone to point out I've only had 483 downloads in 4 years....I'm already very aware of that. I do have somewhat of a life outside of microstock.