Thanks for the post
this is one of the most informative and business-like assessments I have seen in a long time. His statement that"change is the only thing that remains constant" is so true. I have been in the aerial photo and Mapping business off and on for many years and I know it sure has changed. I can now do with my digital camera and my home computer what use to take a room full of large plotters and a 50lb 9"X9" aerial camera.
While Ron's approach is to go the expensive high tec. end of the business,mine is to be at the low tec end of a high tec. business. I think the term is KISS (keep it simple stupid).Not that Ron is stupid- we are just not playing in the same court.
Also microstock for me was always a fill in for my main aerial photo business.I don't think there is enough demand for aerial photos in microstock to make it a full time business.
Smiling Jack

Thanks everbody for the help understanding the rejections. I misread the "or". What they are saying is "both". This how i learn.Since some body asked the last photo that Shutterstock rejected for those reasons is in DT under jackA.
Smiling Jack

Hi-I was not questioning the rejection. I was just wondering why they could not say "the focus was not where we think it should be"or "the white balance was off".It just seems to me those are two different reasons. I would even understand if they said the the focus and the balance weren't right.
Smiling Jack

Hi-a little bit off the subject -  But I get a lot of rejections for " focus not wher we think it should be or the white balance is off" Now I can understand a "either or" rejection but not both together. If they can't tell which is which how can I? 

thanks for any help
Smiling Jack

Thanks - very good article.
Smiling Jack

I am a big boy- I can make my own decisions.Just state your opinions,observations and fact as you see them. Then I can make up my own mind.You don,t prove your point by running each other down.
Smiling Jack

sharply_done:
Your use of the term "portfolio management" spiked my interest.I don't want your trade secrets or business strategies. But if you could  give a general statement that would start me thinking in the right direction I would appreciate it.
P.S.-Since you are exclusive and I am not a contributor to IStock I would not be competition and I have a thing about Getty from the old days. I swore I would never let them stick it to me again.
Smiling Jack

WarrenPrice- don't let a little cold and snow keep you out of Montana.We don't get bad blizzards till Nov. or Dec.. I will try to bribe the weather man for you.
Smiling Jack

FD_regular:
  Some times you make a lot of good sense. Its time for every body to move on. Let Istock chips fall where they may. I never join Istock because I knew from past experiences, I wanted nothing to do with any company that was owned by Getty.
Smiling Jack

Hawk_Eye is right-Buyers buy from a microsite for one or more of the following reasons:

1-It provide a product  at the cheapest price with the quality  needed.
2-The product is readily available with great support.
3-The product is only available at this location.
But Istock does not produce the product-the contributors do.
So if for what ever reason ,the contributors do not provide Istock with products that buyers need and meets the above conditions-Istock will fail.
Now I don't know if the reactions to Istock latest rule changes will be a tipping point or not- but it might be.
Smiling Jack
miling

Thanks Tyler- very informative. I guess i am going to have to work on keywording.Most of the oldtimers seem to get a least 30-50 keywords. i am lucky to come up with 10-15.
Smiling Jack

Have a wonderful trip Warren. I will try to keep out all bad weather while you are in Montana.

Smiling Jack

I am always shocked when i see photos of myself and realise I am old. In my minds eye I am still young. Darn -I guess I will have to start acting my age .

Smiling Jack

Thank you Leaf.
Smiling Jack

Tom-When you get to Montana be sure and stop at Moose's Saloon in  Kalispell. Great local "
watering hole".
Smiling Jack

Congrats-you deserve it.By the way- you give some of  best advice
on this fourm.
Smiling Jack

Robert & Lori Gebbie:

May the wind be always at your back
Smiling Jack

For aerial photos which is what most of my photos are-I use the old straght 50mm. For obliques and mapping to scale that the would require too high an altitude I sometime use a 35mm.
Smiling Jack
P.S.- my camera is a Pentax K10D

Whitechild you are right. If a glider pilot or a vuture can't see a "thermal" he isn't going "soaring"
Smiling Jack

thanks Tyler-very useful tutorial
Smiling Jack

Hi Ivan
I have logged 16,000+ hrs on 5 continents but never have flown a paraglider. Looks like great fun!
Smiling Jack

I would never put you on "ignore", Macrosaur - I can always use a good laugh

Smiling Jack

Hi Larry -You are right about Montana. but don't tell everbody.Then it will be like microstock-OVER CROWDED.
Smiling Jack

Hi-Cclapper
While i have been doing aerial photography for 30 yrs,I am new to micrstock,so I to am trying learnning
what sells on microstock. What i have been doing is "piggy backing" microstock photos while doing mapping or oblique photos for clients. I believe that is the only way you can justify the production cost.Of course flying with you brother is another way to do it. I have a lot of down time in the winter-so i do my photoshoping and unloading then. As Sharply_done said there are some rather common subjects that seem to jump out at you when seen from the air- that might be usefull to designers. I have a very small presents (105 on dreamstime and 70 on bigstock) so its hard to pick a trend. One subject that has done good for me is new housing developments- to give an example.If you want to look at my photos the are under "jackA".
Smiling Jack

Good reply Sharply_done. Good advice. O f course he didn't include iStock -his mother didn't raise a dumny.
Smiling jack