It happens.

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=71428&page=1

My second model showed up smelling of smoke, with awful teeth and stringy hair.  I only uploaded one of that series.

I still shoot with my first model, who is awesome. 

If they were reversed, I might not be here today

For example ... money...? Among a lot others.

Are you sure?  Sales, maybe.  Net, maybe not.

What others?  Downloads?  Pretty easy to get a lot when you're spread across subscription sites where the cost per image is almost nothing.

I'm just saying, don't judge your situation by comparing yourself to anyone else.

While some isolations sell well, overall, they are very simple to do, which is why everyone does them.  People, objects, animals, they've all been done already.  You're just cutting into the pie.

8/25/2008 was the 100% day:
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=75471&page=1

Don't forget taxes, health insurance, retirement, disability, life insurance, overhead, equipment costs, etc... etc...  It can all add up if you don't have a "real" paycheck and benefits.

Because there is no real difference between the images uploaded at any level, anymore.

There is a perceived gain ( and some habitual ) buying, when you buy at a high price from the macros.  You may gain some exclusivity due to price.  Also, some clients like to see purchases from the big houses.

There is no buyer gain at this point from spending $50 on something you could either buy for a higher price for the above reasons, or at a micro due to price.

The micro floor may eventually move upwards a bit more (although not if subs stay strongly in the game).

Dodging is destruction.  Layers can be tweaked later on if there is an issue.

I'm trying to explain to chumley why he got the response he did.

Of course, now that he has edited and cleared out almost every one of his posts:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1492;sa=showPosts
we can't really go back and see what happened, can we?  Now we all look like idiots, talking to ourselves.

I thought this was all about sharing your experience for our benefit.  Why did you clear out your history?

 The rest of you are a super bunch and just to set one thing straight that seemed to really bug RT. If I say I do this or that, or share my experience on a topic it is not too boast or try to look better than the rest of you. I don't have any desire but to help and empower. The sooner you realize that the better we will get along. I am trying to be one of the good guys but I suppose only time will reveal that.

IMO, while you do seem to have a lot of experience and some beautiful work, two of the firsts posts you started were about "sharing your RPI" and "sharing your shot lists".  Now, as part of a group that makes 6 million a year, you may not have much to lose by giving away bits of information to smaller players, but for these smaller guys struggling to keep up their income, they have more to lose by offering up their insight on various things.  Like whose portfolio pays best ( copy their work ) or how they brainstorm and come up with ideas ( copy their workflow ).  You kept pushing "Share your RPI, share your RPI".

This may not have been your intent, but that is how it came across.  A newbie here trying to pump people for information.  Not giving out any information about your identity.  You've stated you're at the end of your career, which is fine, so you may not mind giving out all your "secrets", but don't get your feelings hurt if everyone doesn't feel like returning the favor on every subject.

Here's a subject I'd like to know about.  How do you go about finding middle aged to senior models?  Do you find them all at agencies at high prices, or are there some secrets involved?

No way that is cg.  Really?  Did you do it?  The texture on the cloth doesn't look like it could be.

There is plenty of 3d on iStock.  If you want to back up your argument, you need to post some examples.

I use Maya.

The big money is in laptops, with little lines between them, with globes in the middle and RSS symbols above.