@cthoman: if I were independent and had a small port at iStock, I'd agree....but what about a major independent who misses the RC cut? I think it would be madness to delete a chunk of income like that. I think the purpose was more to push non-exclusives to become exclusive. but good luck with that iStock. it just comes across as punitive and petty more than anything else, even to exclusives.

Quote from: SNP on January 01, 2011, 22:08

Marisa - by taking off I meant dropping your crown. I'm sorry if you disagree with that statement and when you paraphrased me you changed what I said. I wasn't talking about just those who are removing images, I was actually referring to all exclusives dumping the crown.

I have no idea how many have dropped exclusivity and are deactivating images. I only know of three who are actively removing images, one of whom has deleted his entire port, which we all know because he started a thread here about his departure. there are a lot of exclusives 'taking off' or 'dropping the crown', however you want to word it. and as an exclusive, since as far as we know exclusive files are given some best match preference, remaining exclusive when a good number of people are leaving exclusivity presents a best match advantage if you agree that iStock is pushing exclusivity, which I believe they are. no comment on whether it's right or wrong, but just the way it is. it also doesn't mean that the hit I'm taking doesn't still hurt. I don't get a raise even though I was counting on it when I hit diamond. I lose out on Vetta and ELs. I'm not attaching any nobility to staying exclusive, nor do I buy into the notion of nobility on the part of those leaving the crown behind.

What I said I thought you meant by taking off, to refresh: "was that as more exclusive contributors cancel their contract and go independent, the more pie there is for remaining iStock exclusives."

So Jamie misunderstood your initial comment (as I suspected) and I clarified - correctly guessing at what you *really* meant. You're welcome  

And thank you for quoting the number of contributors you know of who are actively removing their images. I *knew* it was less than five!

well, at least we can laugh....ironically I misread your rephrase of what you thought I was saying. I took it opposite to what I now see you were saying. I apologize.

Marisa - by taking off I meant dropping your crown. I'm sorry if you disagree with that statement and when you paraphrased me you changed what I said. I wasn't talking about just those who are removing images, I was actually referring to all exclusives dumping the crown.

I have no idea how many have dropped exclusivity and are deactivating images. I only know of three who are actively removing images, one of whom has deleted his entire port, which we all know because he started a thread here about his departure. there are a lot of exclusives 'taking off' or 'dropping the crown', however you want to word it. and as an exclusive, since as far as we know exclusive files are given some best match preference, remaining exclusive when a good number of people are leaving exclusivity presents a best match advantage if you agree that iStock is pushing exclusivity, which I believe they are. no comment on whether it's right or wrong, but just the way it is. it also doesn't mean that the hit I'm taking doesn't still hurt. I don't get a raise even though I was counting on it when I hit diamond. I lose out on Vetta and ELs. I'm not attaching any nobility to staying exclusive, nor do I buy into the notion of nobility on the part of those leaving the crown behind.

@Baldrick: KK never should have stated about rebuilding trust. it set the bar and now look where we are. they need to banish all that touchy feely crap from their communications.

Quote from: SNP on January 01, 2011, 20:24

Marisa - I don't need you to paraphrase for me. thank you though. I meant what I said. I don't wish any ill will on any contributor. despite disagreements, we all work for our sales and we're all different people with different frames of reference. so please don't speak for me when it's just a thinly veiled insinuation anyways. I'm not surprised your dropped your crown and all the best to you, sincerely.

Just trying to help you out (as your words are so often "misunderstood" or "twisted" by your own account, are they not). Because if you do sincerely mean what you said then, well - it makes no sense, as contributors are not "taking off". On the contrary, what we're seeing is exclusive contributors canceling said IS contract (taking off their crowns then, so to speak - but that's not what you said/meant, as I was trying to suggest, eh) in order that they can freely contribute to other agencies as independents. While a handful may in fact be closing out their iStock portfolios altogether or (more) no longer uploading, it seems (from reading the IS forums) that most are leaving their IS portfolios intact and fully intend (and hope) to continue to earn money there.

I think keeping your port there is the smart thing to do. I don't know why anyone would delete their images altogether as a number of contributors are claiming to be doing. that makes no sense. anyways, in one way I envy the freedom you have. but the potential loss of income is too risky as far as I'm concerned. I've weighed that option heavily and since putting it to bed, I haven't considered dropping the crown again. doesn't mean I won't at some point.

@ gostwyck: what does it matter who 'likes' whom? couldn't care less. I've not met any iStock admins, but frankly I make as many snap judgments about who they are in the forums as they've (according to you) done about me. I hear all the gossip about admins and other contributors too. who cares? I like or dislike people for real when I meet them. not based on stupid forum comments and I'm certainly not going to spread that kind of BS about people I don't really know. hell, I'm sure there are lots of people who even like you in real life.

Marisa - I don't need you to paraphrase for me. thank you though. I meant what I said. I don't wish any ill will on any contributor. despite disagreements, we all work for our sales and we're all different people with different frames of reference. so please don't speak for me when it's just a thinly veiled insinuation anyways. I'm not surprised your dropped your crown and all the best to you, sincerely.

@nrubroc: I'm not about to discuss the details of my income so make whatever determinations you want from my 'stats'....lol. I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not sure what you're talking about nor does it matter.

I began shooting sRGB. I switched to aRGB and continue to upload aRGB. I process in Camera RAW as 16-bit and only convert to 8-bit to save my final jpeg. In my opinion, this delivers the best quality to the print customer. If your color profile in shooting matches your color profile in processing and final image, I don't think your thumbnails should appear flat. Websites will convert the thumbnails to sRGB, but this shouldn't effect image quality if your embedded color profile matches each step in your capture/processing. as far as I know anyways. I haven't had any problems since switching to aRGB.

another fabulous statistician. snappy...

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. you seem to be though. you spend more time in iStock threads than anyone else.

well, I certainly wish you luck and success. nothing to do with being right, but I suspect you might be kicking yourself or breaking even with double the work. but hey, if someone finds the golden key to independence other than Yuri and proves it to be more lucrative...good on them and that's an open door to the rest of us.

^ do you often make business decisions based on a few posts by one pathologically cranky guy? good luck with that...iStock is a mess, as Vlad said above, right now. disreputable....ha. listen, the more other contributors take off, the more of the pie there is for the rest of us.

I think you made that same bet about me two years ago. the crown holds no emotional value to me. but until there's a good reason to blow it off, I won't be losing it. if there is a good reason, I would drop it without regret.

Quote from: NitorPhoto on January 01, 2011, 06:08

There is a short term effect and a long term effect in that.
If many ex are leaving IS while they leave their images there Getty will have to pay less commission for the same images - I am sure they love it.

They pay less commissions but they are also grossing less money on the sale.  Since the price change last year, non-exclusive images sell for less than exclusive images do. iStock makes more money from exclusive sales even though they are taking less commission.  I'm guessing they would prefer everyone to be exclusive.

I think this is precisely the case. What iStock has done over the last two years has been designed to encourage exclusivity. I wrestled with exclusivity two years ago. it took me a year to decide whether or not to stay exclusive. I dropped the crown once but after a week or so mulling it over, I contacted CR and asked if I could reinstate my crown. it wasn't panic at dropping the crown. to be honest, it was refreshing and exciting to get ready to upload to other sites. in particular SS, where I thought I would do well. what changed things for me was canvassing independents and contributors who had gone independent. there is freedom and stability in one sense, because everything isn't riding on one agency.

on the other hand, the workload and the management of multiple portfolios. not to mention the time it takes on FT and DT to rank--the difference in potential income didn't justify it. I don't regret staying exclusive. from what I continue to hear, as much as people love to hate iS...the grass isn't greener at all on the other side, with the exception of not being tied down.