Quote from: Injustice for all on September 26, 2023, 05:35

I'm sure that AS is doing everything possible to adapt to this new situation.

Like what?
Mat specifically said they are not looking for new reviewers. So, the rate of images submitted increases by 50, but they don't increase the reviewer numbe at all, which is the only possible solution. Obviosuly they don't have enough reviewers for the mass of AI images they get and the ones they have seem to work under extreme stress, seeing what kind of wonky images with impossible physics and trademarked items they let through in masses.
As far as I can tell AS is doing exactly nothing to adapt to this new situation.

And I would not mind the long review times, if it wouldn't mean that it became impossible to get time sensitive images approved in time. With seasonal content it is extremely crucial to get the timing exactly right to give the images their best sale potential. And with completely unpredictable review times that has become impossible. I started Halloween images when review times were around 7 days and calculated my submission time according to that. Suddenly the review time is not 7 days anymore, but 7 weeks+. How am I supposed to plan with something like this?

Sorry,but how can you say they aren't doing anything about it?

yes,Mat said they don't hire other reviewers,but maybe here through microstockgroup,maybe they already did it,maybe they will,you don't know.

Of course,it's important to have seasonal content approved on time,and you think they don't know that?

Do you think not having this type of new content ready for sale in time would please AS? Why not? Obviously it would be better for them too!

Don't think that they are naive,I am more than certain that they are doing everything possible to bring the situation back to normal,I don't see why it should be any different than this.

Quote from: Injustice for all on September 22, 2023, 13:26

I had some image sales between 20 and 50 usd,every month until July.
all terrible sales since August,I really can't stand to see these 10c anymore.

Please Shutterstock stop,I can't stand to see 10c anymore,I also spend hours of work for a single piece of content,I can't see all this content go away for 10c anymore.

Please Shutterstock do something,get rid of these 10c,enough!

For the moment I'm forced to suspend uploads,I'll see how it goes in the next few months,but I certainly won't add anything new in the meantime.

be careful what you wish for - 5 cents is pretty exciting in SS land

For now, as mentioned,I have already suspended uploads to SS,yesterday I had a new storm of 10c,if they ever drop to 5c I will delete all my contents.

ok,I assume that your "ELIGIBLE for data licensing" means that the contents are added in any case regardless of whether we are in or out of the data catalog.

A little cryptic,but it could be okay!

Quote from: Injustice for all on September 25, 2023, 08:46

I think,but it is just my guess,that if you have opted out,your images suitable for the data catalog will be added,but they will not be used because you have chosen opt-out.

I say this because I see that someone who has chosen opt-out still sees their images added to the data catalog.

I'm in,I don't see why I shouldn't get some extra money for otherwise rejected images.

are these images submitted after you opted-out?   you'll still get the message "ELIGIBLE for data licensing" after you opt out

Sorry,I'm not sure I understand!

Did you perhaps make a mistake in answering me?
did you want to reply to someone else?

I have never opted-out for the data catalogue,I was replying to the author of the topic,and to others who seem to say that they still have their images added to the data catalog even after choosing opt-out

so can you confirm?Even if I choose not to join the data catalog program,do you still have your content added to the catalog,but it won't be used precisely because you chose to opt-out?

in short,they still add the contents to the data catalog anyway,right?

I think,but it is just my guess,that if you have opted out,your images suitable for the data catalog will be added,but they will not be used because you have chosen opt-out.

I say this because I see that someone who has chosen opt-out still sees their images added to the data catalog.

I'm in,I don't see why I shouldn't get some extra money for otherwise rejected images.

yes,that's right,AIs shouldn't have the proper names of real subjects because they are not real,they may resemble something real,but they are not.

AIs are good for science fiction and fantasy,even interior designs can be considered fantasy when created by AI.

then frankly to me these AI images all seem to have the same visual impact,which I would define as "plasticized"

I'm sure that the technology will improve,but AI content is and will remain a branch of stock,a separate thing that can be useful,but can never completely replace reality.

  these images are really funny,the saxophonist is probably a Jedi who uses the force to play the sax 

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on September 21, 2023, 10:37

They will tank when buyers realise they don't need to use stock photos or illustrations and they can just whack a prompt in to get something "unique". The rest of our sales will tank along with them.

Right. Ultimately, even having a database of AI, it's going in the direction that the new way to find your image is to create it yourself. Right now you have Midjourney, but those type of AI generators will replace a large part of classic stock photography. Many customers won't need to browse a collection at Adobe or other agencies, they can just create their own. And buyers will become accustomed to the art of keywording to generate content they need.  At least that is how I see it going.  I think AI in a large sense obsoletes the stock agencies to a large degree.

I hope you're wrong,and we probably all hope you're wrong,including you!

Instead,in case you are right,I believe that this is why it is important to start creating content that AI can't do now or ever.

Personally,I already started in February to try to create content that AI will never be able to do,and this is also why in my opinion,creating AI content is good now,and maybe it will be good for another couple of years,but I don't think it can be useful for a long time,because AI contents can be copied by everyone.

Then there is always the time factor,not all customers are interested or have time to waste with an AI,and will continue to prefer to browse a library,because buying something already made is always different from creating it yourself.

Hi all. new here.

I just wanted to ask one question: will the stock sites do AI theirselves in the future? If that is the case maybe stock-photo selling is doomed. For now, clients with deadlines of yesterday will pay for generated images if it's what they need.

I'm a one year user of AI generation and it takes a lot of practice to make the prompts well and understand how the AI models work. It's (the majority of the time) not as easy as pushing a button, I'm a traditional artist who embraces technology or tools, but I still have to do 4 or 5 hours for editing things in AI, for example I do paint a lot of hand corrections and feet, eyes, etc. AIs are not perfect yet, but they improve fast.

Regards, AL.

hi welcome,there are already agencies that make AI available to customers,and also that produce images themselves.
But precisely as you have already seen for yourself,it requires time and attempts with AI.

Anything that takes time is money.

I plant basil,dry it,package it and sell it,it's something that anyone can do,but I sell it anyway because it takes time!

yes ok that's fine! continue to think badly and attack the only agency that treats us well,but then I will see you all here again in line asking for the software for the 2023 contributor bonus program!

when it comes to having you are all here in line to ask,then when it comes to making some fair renunciation,you immediately go on the attack!

sorry guys,I respect many of you because you have helped me a lot in the past in my Microstock adventure,I have been following you since 2018.

I say what I think,but I understand you, because too many times many agencies have behaved badly in the past,in fact I am more worried about the other agencies,because if they lower prices further,Adobe will have to adapt.

Buonanotte!

Quote from: Injustice for all on September 20, 2023, 05:54

@goober:

at least we agree on something:Istock.

people complain about Adobe and then contribute on Istock for a paltry 15% as non-exclusive,and I can guarantee you that I have sold many vectors on Istock at 15% when it should be 20%,It makes me think that perhaps the customer purchased the raster version of the vector,but I have serious doubts about this.

I created with my hands without taking inspiration from anyone and without stealing any ideas,content that I sold up to 30 times a day on Istock,yes,the same illustration sold 1 to 30 times a day,every day.

so Istock earned tens of thousands of dollars thanks to my work,I have been a contributor with them for 5 years,and do you know what the thanks were?

At the first problem that arose,instead of trying to contact me and ask for clarification regarding an issue that apparently they didn't understand due to the lack of knowledge of the creative software of those who make these decisions,instead of talking to me,they sent an email that effectively communicated that years of work and thousands of contents would be destroyed in one click.

so yes I support Adobe,because it is the best agency out there,and it is also the most present on this forum.

so if you also want to close with Adobe,where should you contribute?

Then you also have your reasons,perhaps there could have been an opt-out,but Adobe is still the best agency,it is perhaps not perfect but the most honest.

then why do you have to leave the forum?
we are here for a constructive exchange of opinions,trying to understand something in this strange world of microstock. Sometimes I will be right and other times wrong,like everyone else here,no one is always right,we all have our ideas.

We will probably continue to sell on Adobe and Istock because there is nothing else to do - there is nowhere else to sell and survive on.
And Adobe and others know this and are taking advantage of it. But bowing down to someone who takes advantage of our weakness and treats us unfairly, just because there are worse ones out there, is not really a reason to do so.
Feel free to kiss their boots and hope your work is niche enough.

Now,however,try not to spread yourself too thin,and try to maintain a minimum amount of respect for other people's opinions.

Here no one is kissing anyone's boots and no one is bowing down to anyone.

Even if there had been the opt-out option I would have agreed to give all my content to train Firefly with a payment as it was, just as I agree to all-in in the free collections for 5 usd for each content selected.

these are my ideas and opinions about it,if you don't agree fine,but try not to exceed or disrespect other people.

Quote from: Injustice for all on September 18, 2023, 17:05

you're here complaining that Adobe used the content to train Firefly,instead of thanking them for thinking of a compensation model,because it wasn't written anywhere that Adobe was obliged to issue this Firefly bonus,as well as the contributor bonus for software,as well as the bonus for free collections�..I'm almost starting to forget all the bonuses that Adobe is continuing to give to support artists!

You must be a pleasure to do business with.
Adobe and others have twisted our agreement and used our copyrighted work for their business that will compete with our business, and in compensation they paid us a ridiculous amount that we certainly did not agree to. If you see anything there to thank them for, I'm surprised no one has yet to foreclose on your home and the rest of your possessions. If I take your $10,000 car and give you $20 for it, I assume you'll thank me for finding a way to compensate you for the loss of your property.

I don't agree with this,I absolutely don't believe that using my content to train an AI means competing with myself,since the content generated by AI has no reference in any way to my original content,and I don't think not even that AIs are the end of the microstock.

You talk as if Adobe's use of your content to train Firefly is a violation of your copyright,but that's not the case.

I respect your point of view,but I don't agree with it.

Quote from: Injustice for all on September 18, 2023, 17:05

I don't believe that AI will make contributors obsolete,rather I believe it's up to us to make sure we don't become obsolete.

The whole point of AI is that it learns and gets better and better at a much faster rate than humans. Right now most of it looks like the worst clipart you can imagine but over time and not too much time it will surpass humans in every way. What you're proposing is that we can find some tiny niche in the AI world. The only way we can control AI is by using the law to stop it from using our images. I saw an article on TV where a prominent illustrator with a distinctive style was involved in a class action law suit against one of the big AI companies to force them to stop it from producing images in her style. If they win, then there is a small hope for some of us who don't go along with this. Stop thanking AS for their generous contribution (cough) to our current bank account based on some equation created by them.
[/quote]

I wish the best wishes to the illustrator who is in law suit with AI,I hope she wins.

maybe you're getting a little confused,I'm not in favor of AI,but I try to adapt and continue to work even more than before AI.

The little niche you think is actually a bottomless abyss,there are so many things that can be created that an AI cannot do.

you're here complaining that Adobe used the content to train Firefly,instead of thanking them for thinking of a compensation model,because it wasn't written anywhere that Adobe was obliged to issue this Firefly bonus,as well as the contributor bonus for software,as well as the bonus for free collections�..I'm almost starting to forget all the bonuses that Adobe is continuing to give to support artists!

Of course it is also in their interest and it must be so,because if the ship sinks we sink with them,don't forget it!

in my opinion you are trying to pull a large ship towards the port with a rope,a ship that has already set sail!

Thank you again Adobe!Keep it up!