QuoteMy best sellers on dreamstime are wood backgrounds, but i wouldn't sudjest to anyone that wood backgrounds are 'big sellers'.  They are quite an anomaly i think.

Sounds strange...

This site is built with this $295 software : http://www.ktools.net/products.php
There's a lot of sites like this one...

Hi there,

I noticed that my best sellers are quite different from one site to another :

- Dreamstime : my best sellers are macro and close ups, business and office related (money, stationery, IT..) + people.
- Fotolia : same + architecture (office buildings...) and outdoors (parks...). Outdoors don't sell for me as much at DT.
- 123RF : very different than DT and FT... I sold a LOT of my beach/seaside images that don't sell at all at Fotolia and Dreamstime.

As I'm new at StockXpert and IS, I can't give any conclusions regarding those sites.

Did you notice any differences between your best seller categories for each site you're submitting to ?

Thanks ! I'll post some samples on the forum, before submitting my new application 

The only "people" images with model release I own are self portraits...
I'm planning to pay some models and shoot some portraits during the next few months.

Have you ever paid your models ? How much ?
I'm planning to spend $30 to $35 for 1 afternoon, which is a fair price in Romania. What do you think about it ?

I'm also planning to do "TFP shoots", like shooting a friend's dental clinic for free, and giving him HD images to use in his advertising material.
I was chatting with him yesterday, and I thought about paying for an advertising in a local newspaper, as a "TFP photographer" looking for offices, clinics, restaurants and clubs to shoot for free.
I think it could be really profitable to be known in a city as a "TFP photographer" as you could easily get a lot of high selling images per month.
Any advice about that ?

Hello,

I still have 21 days to prepare my second Shutterstock application, after having my 1st one beeing rejected last week. (and still 13 days before Alamy will do the same, as i'm expecting...)

I understood from my rejection and various forums that i'd rather submit images containing :
- Absolutely no noise (mine were rejected for this reason, despite the fact i used Noiseware).
- Not over processed
- No shallow DOF, everything in focus.

Submitting only images accepted at IS could be a good idea, but unfortunately, that's what I did, and my batch has been rejected at SS...

Any other advices ?
Could it be possible to see some of the images of your first batch ?

I really would like to have my account activated next time.... 

Hello,

Do you plan to add 123RF and Featurepics ?

Thank you.

I'm using an Olympus E-500 and 2 lenses (17.5-45 and 40-150) and I just purchased an Olympus FL-36 flash.

Just uploaded the 20th one... 

QuoteQuestion: Is there any significant difference when using Windows XP's built-in FTP client as against Interarchy (ftp) or FTP expert

I'm also a webdesigner, working on websites, and that's why i purchased ftp expert. I don't use any of the software features (except uploading...  ) to upload my stock images.
I never used the windows XP's ftp client, but maybe it doesn't allow uploading to many servers at the same time. Ftp expert or any other ftp client does that.

What software are you using in your microstock workflow ?

I'm using :
- Photoshop 7 + Noiseware plugin
- IMatch (image management software)
- A2Z keywording (keywording / thesaurus software) - expansive but necessary as English isn't my native language
- Ultralingua (translator)
- FTP expert

Post yours !

My application was reviewed after only a few hours, and i'm currently uploading my first batch at Lucky Oliver. I really LOVE the way photographers can submit images (no categories, FTP, IPTC data).

The layout is really nice and useful as well. I hope this site will be successful. After a few hundred uploads, i'll keep you updated about my sales.

QuoteIS is my highest paying site and I love it for that reason and that reason only.

As I understood, this feeling is shared by a lot of photographers.

The other thing I really dislike at IS is that they don't have any ftp server for photographers. I'm in France till September, but i'll be back in Romania in a few weeks, and my internet connection there is quite low (512k). It makes http uploads really slow, because i'll have to stay in front of the computer half a day per IS upload batch...

Ok, didn't know that, thanks for the info. Then I'll wait till they'll manage to lower the approval queue 

Ok, thanks. I really don't know if i'll keep uploading on IS... i uploaded my first batch more than 1 week ago, and still no review... and this 20/week limit makes decent earnings impossible in less than 6 months.   

Hi there,

My upload limit at IS is 20 images/week.
I didn't found on their site how can this limitation icome along for non-exclusive photographers.
Will it ever stay at 20/week ?

Thanks. 

Thanks !

I just discovered Shutterpoint (www.shutterpoint.com) a few days ago. They're asking the photographers to pay the hosting fees (100MB = $25/year... = approx. 30 images.) On the other hand, they let photographers choose their own prices ($50/image av.)
Does it worth the money ?

I'm looking for small microstocks without categories (like 123rf).
Is there any other site where you just have to upload your images ?

QuoteYeah shutterstock sure is the stickler for noise lately... not sure why.

Seeing the other rejections, it sounds like they don't want more photographers for the moment... Anyway, i'll keep submitting an application every month till i'll be validated.

Hello,

I'm new at Microstockgroup.com
I'm french, spending most of my time and working in Romania (eastern europe) - currently in France till september.

I'm shooting for microstocks since june 2006. I'm currently submitting to :
- Dreamstime
- Fotolia (stopped - sales don't worth time to upload and categorize)
- 123RF (low sales but no categories  )
- Istock but planning to stop : 20 files/week is like a joke..., and i really hate their submission system.

My first Shutterstock application has just been rejected yesterday (see http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/abt12246.html )  and i just sent my first Alamy application today, hope it will be accepted.

I'm also planning to build my small personnal RM stock site about Romania. I've got lots of quality photos of the country, and i'm going sell them on my own site.

I'm a freelance webdesigner, planning to quit webdesign for full time stock photography when i'll be earning enough to make a decent living in Romania: in March 2007 if I can reach my expectations (In Romania, i need 3 times less money than i need in france - Actually, €110 = minimum salary / around €200 to 250 = average salary... €500 is really ok, and is approximately equivalent as what you could buy for €1500-2000 in Fance)

Oh, and i'm using an Olympus E-500 (I LOVE this camera )