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Messages - FRooGZ
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1
« on: September 15, 2011, 07:32 »
Trying to figure out stock is not going to work. I can't even describe the absolute ridiculous things I've needed to buy as images for concepts I've come up with. In other words, anything goes.
However, I have some nice images related to banking and finance that used to sell pretty well and are not dated. Certainly in the present economic conditions they are very relevant but they no longer sell. They don't sell because they're 5 years old. I believe that the search engine algorithm favours newer, fresher images which is why pics of flowers and fish still get accepted. Buyers are always looking for fresh images of the same subject.
I also have 5 images on dreamstime that are the only images on the site of that subject. If you do a search for that, my 5 are the only ones that come up. Out of 12 million photos. You might think wow I've got the market cornered. Maybe so, but if something hasn't been covered yet there's a reason. It's just not a subject people look for. In a year I've had 2 sales on those 5 images. If you look to cover subjects that haven't been covered to death you will end up with a small portfolio that nets you enough money to buy coffee 2 or 3 times a year.
Shoot what you want, try to so it in a fresh and interesting way and then cross your fingers.
That is some nice thoughts! I am extreamely new to stock image market, just start uploading for stock as recent as a month and a half, so far i have just 28 images approved at DT, that is the only agency that i am at. I am doing it for fun and hobby, don't want to be on all agencies there are out ther. I like images and i like to know that some of my images are in use around the world. So far i have 9 sales and when i look portifolios that are way much bigger than my with as low as 5 sales, i can tell that i can be useful at this market. Something about my way to look at things fits at it. I do know that i have to learn and adapt my shooting for stock. I am always willing to aquire new knowledge and pretty open to new ideas. I really like to interact and beeing able to share experience with people, in my opinion there is not a better way to gather know-how. And really appreciatte to hear thruful and nice thoughts like you have given. Thank you digitalexpressionimages.
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« on: September 14, 2011, 19:08 »
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
Okay, sry, but here's may take on this: you just have to go on any site that can list pictures ordered by popularity, downloads, etc... Search for keywords of things that are available for you to shoot ('dog woman house' in this case f.e.), check out the best sellers, thats what you need to emulate. Asking around in forums is pretty much useless compared to that for several reasons, and a picture is worth a thousand words anyway...
lets make it serious ok? if you are going to search every single picture you plan to do, you better get another job, there isnt a picture that the market actually needs it, there are more than enough and done in perfection! so you better not shoot or just shoot family stuff!
BUT as you know and you havent said here is that stock agencies still approve apples, fishes, architecture, people and all other stuff even flowers! (I love the way everybody keep on saying that stock is this and that and they know thats not right! but yeh everybody have a strategy)
p.s: I am not saying you will get rich doing stock, most certainly you wont
You don't need to search everything unless you are naive. You look around and 'get the picture' of what is necessary in terms lighting, composition etc. It's not rocket science, is it? I also don't understand why should anyone diss doing some visual research on a subject matter, it's lot more helpful than listening to everybody's philosophy about it, that just gets most ppl confused imho. It's useless.
lthn, I understand and do what you are saying. I do my "homework research" and not only at stock images sites. I search at flicker, deviant art, and the list goes on and on, always looking for a new approach, a different view [edited: i also read books about photography, about light, colors, art... don't know how old are you, but that is an habit that is slowly dying at younger generations, but i would surely recommend, do not mean to offend, don't get me wrong, just underlining that i do my study by my self]. What i certainly do not do, and i guess it has to do with my art formation, is plain and simple copy! Inspiration is one thing, copycat is another completely different and is what i see and don't like most about stock images. If doing that doesn't sell, to bad! The good think is that i do not need this for a living, and i am doing for fun! So, i will not simply follow what simon said... If i will succeed at stock? don't know, but surely gonna try do my thing, original, and surely not copy. When i posted this thread, i was looking for human contact, interchange of ideas, understand what i mean? The search robot is great, but i like human interactivity. I am not trying to "steal" knowledge, if that was what molested you. Don't get really what was so wrong at my proposition. @madelaide, LOL!! Sorry if i ruin your work. But that's the way i am. "sem papas na lngua" or in english: outspoken. But i am a nice guy.
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« on: September 14, 2011, 15:48 »
One little piece of advice. Know who/what the subject of your photo is. Regarding this particular shot - and forgive me if I'm wrong b/c viewing a web sized resolution - but it looks like the dog is in focus and the woman is not. I would think that the woman is the subject of the photo and her eyes should be in sharp focus. If you view at 100% and she is not sharp, it would not qualify as a stock photo. Animals are tough too, they have such long faces, it's easy to get distortion . You really have to focus on the edge of their eye if they are your main subject. Unless the subject is the nose 
Thank you a lot Pixart. Maybe the web resolution is giving this impression. but in fact the focus is at her face. Obviously is not at the eyes since she is wearing glasses  ... in fact since i was shooting against the sun, it was really hard to make the camera focus at her face, but after some fighting with it, i made it. This picture was shoot at f6.3, so the DoF is big enought to mantain almost both, girl and dog in the focus range. Thank you again.
4
« on: September 14, 2011, 15:43 »
dont ask advice here  these guys will eat you alive, 99% are 100% right but come on you have a few "days" of stock, you are trying to see use in every picture you do and I do understand (I still do that, I am so anxious to upload that a find myself sometimes shooting crap and I know it wont be approved in the big agencies and I always give it a quick edit and upload, if you have the time why not upload it? sure you can plan a lot and shoot great stocky pics like Sean but that takes time, money and skills, we cannot get there before doing a lot of crap)
keyword and send dont forget the keywords dog and woman and you are set!
Thank you Luis! Indeed there are a few bad a$$es around here, but the fact is that they are everywhere. So i am not afraid to deal with them and to eat some frogs once and a while as well (portugues expression, Luis will get it)... I will take my time and produce the idea in a stock oriented way at the weekend. Money is not a problem and i am building my equipment set, need sometime to learn and adapt myself, and thought that a forum like this was a good place to share, get and build knowledge... That's why i have posted this thread. Thank you again luis for your advice!
5
« on: September 14, 2011, 15:32 »
Of all the problems existing in this industry, and the way agencies have treated contributors over the last year, I cannot fathom attacking an upstanding agency like Dreamstime. If I were them I would gladly waive the 6 month rule just to be done with the headache of dealing with someone who argues this much but has uploaded only 25 images since 2005.
FYI, i was a designer and a buyer back in 2005. Started uploading in august 2011. My issues with DT are settled. And for my best luck i do not depend on stock agencies for a living, so i can affort to critique them if i see something that do not like. For now on will just do it by direct contacting them and not in public. This thread is over
6
« on: September 14, 2011, 15:12 »
I'll give it a critique. First off, what does the background have to do with the picture? It's boring and unattractive. The blue shield under the dog's neck looks like it's part of a dog collar that's shifted off center. The dog looks good and is well lit. The girl has major problems Her clothes look disheveled. Her coat is too small and doesn't fit. Also appears dirty. Looks like she slept in her white shirt. Hair is a mess and uninteresting. The lighting on her face makes her appear to have a second chin. If you're going to compete with the big boys, you must try harder with how you present your model.
Thank you a lot. Like i said above this is a family picture, is not intended to be used. but i had an idea with it and wish to share some thoughts with you... Thank you again and will keep all your thoughts in my mind whenever i can produce this idea for real.
7
« on: September 14, 2011, 15:04 »
Is this a prank? Maybe you should donwload some of jaffbanke's ir rinder's ebooks... I heard they are fabulous : D
The Joker - and I thought my jokes were bad
Don't need to be mean, man! If anyone are not willing to share some thoughts, simply don't do it.
8
« on: September 14, 2011, 14:57 »
If you want advice, I don't mind the girl but i would put her in more formal clothes, lose the shades and change her pose. The dog has a good alert guard dog look in the photo so however you did that keep it but she should have it on a leash in front of her. The low angle is good it puts her in a position of authority but the framing is too tight. Widen out to show the house.
Thank you very much! Sorry guys for the confusion... sometimes i mess up.. you see, i am a brazilian who lives in uruguay, so my brain thinks in portuguese but talk all the time spanish and a lot of times my english is prejudiced because that!
9
« on: September 14, 2011, 14:52 »
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
Still, if you had the idea, why didn't you shoot it that way? At least it would be a lot closer to your concept than the image you posted.
I'm confused.
I get it.He's shooting snaps of family on the weekend and then using those to brainstorm concepts, then shooting the concepts. Interesting approach.
I think he has the idea of how to make it commercial stock and is now looking for feedback on the photo itself.
That's it! 
10
« on: September 14, 2011, 14:48 »
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
Still, if you had the idea, why didn't you shoot it that way? At least it would be a lot closer to your concept than the image you posted.
I'm confused.
Well i apologize for making a confusion. Let me try to explain it again. I have made this shot, it was meant to be a private photo. But than during last night while post-processing, i saw some potencial and had this idea of concept that i posted. What i wish from this post is some thoughts about how to make it the better possible concept, some ideas... Would also like some critiques about lighting etc
11
« on: September 14, 2011, 14:42 »
... I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. ...
Why didn't you do that? Shoot that, and re-post here for further critique.
Sorry for my bad english. imagined is what i meant.
12
« on: September 14, 2011, 14:41 »
I understand the security aspect of showing a woman with a dog in front of a home. But why would she be riding the dog?
A humorous stock photo can certainly be a strong seller. And I suppose a woman riding a dog could become humorous with enough creativity. Think of a greeting card, or something a buyer might repackage through Zazzle. But I don't find this photo humorous, and it is going to take a lot of hard thought and creativity to make it so.
If you want to go with security, drop the whole woman riding dog angle. And drop the attitude too if you want people to help you sell photos. Nobody in here, including Mr Locke, is in the business of building your portfolio.
Exactely, i want remake the shot and produce the hole posing in another way... Therefor why i wish to hear some suggestions in order to achiver the most stock oriented image possible. I would also would appreciate some critques at the lighting and overall aspect of this shot, always in mind that i will remake and produce it again.
13
« on: September 14, 2011, 14:27 »
sjlocke,
I will ignore the part of "girl riding a dog", since as i explained earlier "the girl" is my wife. a little respect is appreciated.
Yes i would like a critique of the image with some thought about how to produce it for stock! I have imaged the woman with a serious expression, not smiling and strong holding the dog and both looking away from the camera, the background showing more the fence and entrance of the house. My idea is to give it a concept of security or protection.
14
« on: September 14, 2011, 13:45 »
I would like to ear some thoughts on how to make this shot more stock oriented. It was a unpretencious photo that i took over the weekend with my wife and my dog. But after post-processing i actualy saw some potencial. I am thinking about giving it some manance concept. Would you care to share some thoughts? http://www.flickr.com/photos/66388284@N08/6142937286/#
15
« on: September 14, 2011, 12:31 »
Like you said, that i prefer to keep it to me.
You are free to have your option on anything you want. I didn't say you weren't. What i meant is that your jugdment about my person, is not important at all. I don't know you and you don't know me. So we are at a speculation ground over here.
There is a quote that i like a lot and might fit in here: "Judge Not, Lest the First Stone be Cast at Your Glass House"
I admited that i have made a mistake, public admited and public apologised, if that is not enought for you, well, i don't care. If that is childish behaivor still, well, i don't care.
16
« on: September 14, 2011, 11:56 »
I can understand frustrations but to throw all of your toys out of the pram as the OP did and then say he will not tolerate "Bad Practices" and throw a whole load of accusations around only to turn around less than 24 hours later and say I have apoloigised and in the end the accepted my pictures smacks of "Brattishness" and realisitcally not anything that I consider to be either grown up or adult behaviour!
Anyone can have an opinion about anything, and the fact is that i don't care the way you think. You are not aware about what was talked between me and DT staff, and mainly, you don't know me! So please keep your grown up and adult thing to you. I was just sharing with who cares about the settle of this history, and the fact the my pictures was accepted or not has nothing to do with the way it had ended. FYI the picture was accepted earlier today, and the hole issue ended yesterday.
17
« on: September 14, 2011, 10:21 »
@ShadySue All this issue was settle. Exchange a couple of mails with DT staff. And have to say that was very well treated by them. Have made a public apology at the DT forum and will stay away from it for a while. After all the dust had gone down i could saw that ranting (@cclapper yes english isn't my native language, thank you for the correction) and reporting a copyright issue in public was not a wise move. @lagereek the images of the diapositives, slides, or whatever were accepted at the end, and no, the images are from a large slides collections, not scaned from slides it self (hope that i have expressed the idea correctly). Better if i post the images here:   Now that the storm is over, hope to get over all this and wish to start to participate here at this forum, in order to learn more about stock photography and share my experiences, rants (@cclapper see? i am a good learner!  ), etc.. Best wishes!
18
« on: September 13, 2011, 15:24 »
Hi Froogz, I was the one who "censored" you, when you've started attacking other users. Do you remember? Right when you finished questioning our honesty as an agency, you started pointing fingers at other users.
Oh, wait, that's not called "censoring", it's called "moderating". We don't allow anybody pointing fingers or attacking other users. It's simple common sense on any forum, not just on Dreamstime. If you had anything to complain about other users, you should have contacted us by email, not like you did - starting a thread AND writing a blog about it, like you own the absolute truth. That really was not a grown up behaviour.
You were allowed to criticize us, and that thread is still live right now. You had the right to an opinion. But for sure you will not be allowed to attack other users.
Regarding the subject of your thread, if we had to accept only original concepts, there would have been less than 100.000 photos on all agencies. Actually, the photographer you think that was copied clearly said once that he finds his inspiration in other stock sites. So, you don't know for sure if it was an original idea. And regarding keywords, the same photographer set up a FREE keywording tool, to help other contributors in keywording their images. This should have been enough for you to understand his position on inspiration. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't need any protection supplied by you
It seems to me that you should concern more about yourself and your photos, instead of searching around flaming subjects on public forums.
Hi viorel_dudau, Had just post my last (at least for now and for a good time) post at dreamstime forum, asking for apology for my ramp. I have tought about everything that happened and you are right about ramping in public. Hope you and all that i might cause any upset can accept it, it is truthful. I know i am nobody at this hole microstock thing, and even less as a photographer. I do it because i like to shoot. Have a some formal classes but i am far away from been a professional. So i admit that aproach to change things at where i stand and the way i did was ridicule. Still think that original concept is onething and absolut copy is another, but let's get this behind. Best regards,
19
« on: September 13, 2011, 12:37 »
When playing in someone elses sandpit you play by their rules if you don't like it don't play!
Fair play to you for leaving but doubt that DT will either notice or give a....
Just like i don't giva a... about them nor will either notice their absence in my life. tought i would have fun at this stock thing, since i do photography for fun and not for living, but i will not tolerate bad policies and proceedures and no one will force me to be/have an online account and my images for 6 months without my permission! I too easy to became persona non grata at that place.
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« on: September 13, 2011, 12:15 »
Looking forward to your next post when they inform you that can't close your account for six months.
Yes! I am looking forward to that too! Wait and see if i can't manage to get myself out of that s*t! LOL
21
« on: September 13, 2011, 12:03 »
diapositive = slides
I had to look it up. In all my photo classes and surfing the internet, never ran across that term before. LOL guess i am already old with 36 years old! Felt like a dinossaur, cause i have always use that term!! LOL Regards,
22
« on: September 13, 2011, 11:57 »
I don't have to live with nothing of that! and that's why i quit!
About old diapositives being out of fashion, FYI the On Assignment of this month is "Going Retro", so the only argument that is not valid is yours! What more was not valid? The existance of similar reproduction of slides w/o PR? The fact that the slides ARE my heritage therefor MY property?
And about calling me stupid with all respect... now that is something that much be a 'new hype' therefor i do not get! And did not like it. Please respect to be respected.
Regards,
23
« on: September 13, 2011, 11:12 »
I have just asked to DT to cancel my account.
The last drop of water was a couple of rejection. The images was of my father collection of old diapositives that is now my heritage since he is dead. I have tried to discuss it with the reviewer and tought that i have reach an agreement with him, on which i have resubmit those images. For my surprise, they got rejected again for "containing elements that might be protected by copyright" .
There are two funny things at this matter. First, if you search for diapositives at DT, you will find tree images. Neither of those with any kind of Property release, and with the pictures in the frames of those slides much much more clearly apparent then the images that i have made. Second, just as today i was censured at DT forum by an admin and got my thread closed by pointing out a clearly copyright infringment by a user, and whem i said clearly, i mean it! Same composition, same posin, same concept, same framing, SAME TITLE AND SAME KEYWORDS! of an image of no less than Yuri Arcurs!!
So i ask my self, there are two weights and two measures at DT? They are or not worried about copyrights?
The thrid thing that bothers me alot is the policy regarding editors are alow to upload and sell images at DT! For me this is a huge bad policy!
So i am sick of it, and i quit!
24
« on: September 13, 2011, 09:45 »
Good info. Newbie here.
Wish to truly have discussions about microstock that can not be done at the stock agencies sites.
regards,
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