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Topics - Orchidpoet

Pages: [1] 2
1
Cameras / Lenses / OSMO Action 5 Pro Price Drop Today
« on: July 08, 2025, 11:18 »
I just did another full review of my DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro in low light.

https://youtu.be/RsRauO7QGPA

It's incredible that the price has dropped from $489 (what I paid a few days ago) to $379 (Toronto) today.

My review is not sponsored. I have nothing to do with the maker or sellers.

But this little camera is indeed very powerful. It is totally useful for stock footage.

2
I bought a DJI Action 5 Pro a few days ago. It is my first time ever to try a DJI. I used many GoPro cameras but encountered more quality problems with my last GoPro 10 Black.

Anyway, I tried to use the DJI for Canada Day's fireworks. it is supposed to have a great dynamic range. My report is on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/XFysOLTT_9o

I imagine that I could have done better if I know the camera better.

Please share your experience with this camera in low light settings when you film the night sky including the Milky Way and northern lights and of course, city nights and fireworks.

3
I released a new YouTube video which includes videos, slides of my photos, and timelapse northern lights.
https://youtu.be/V6VWcyQAhnw

Take a scenic journey through Georgina, Ontario in this 5-part video showcasing the natural beauty, history, and charm of this Lake Simcoe destination.

If you would like to see more of my photos of Lake Simcoe Region, please visit my website at: https://charline.pixels.com/collections/lake+simcoe+region 

Part 1 features De La Salle Park, known for its sandy beach and crystal-clear waters.
Part 2 explores the historic Spring House, also called the Courting House.
Part 3 highlights local eateries on the main strip of Jackson's Point.
Part 4 captures the picturesque views of Jackson's Point Harbour and Marina.
Part 5 presents a stunning display of the aurora borealis over Lake Simcoe in real-time, slideshow, and time-lapse formats.

Perfect for travelers, photographers, and nature lovers looking to explore Ontarios hidden gems. Subscribe for more travel content across Ontario and beyond.
 

4
Selling Stock Direct / Great Prints Sales
« on: May 27, 2025, 12:16 »
It has been a great month! Does it have anything to do with my recent YouTube promotion?

In May, I have sold 10 prints through my prints site charlinex.com https://www.charlinex.com/. One print was sold at a discount but I still got over US$560.

A few weeks ago, I started to link my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@charlinex5186) to charlinex.com, and vice versa.

I don't know if the sales were linked to the promotional efforts, but it certainly does not hurt.



5
Adobe Stock / I can't reset Adobe password
« on: April 08, 2025, 13:54 »
Do you know how I can contact Adobe support to reset my password?

I clicked on the "Reset Your Password" link, but it doesn't go anywhere.

Do you know the email to contact the support?

Many thanks.

6
General Stock Discussion / Another Cross-Platform Attempt
« on: April 06, 2025, 13:18 »
I made another cross-platform attempt to incorporate my video clips, fine art and stock images in this YouTube vlog. Will it drive traffice to my website?
https://youtu.be/miUEtRZtZ2c?feature=shared

I created this 4K YouTube video showcasing the beauty of the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Canada. This high-quality footage captures the lush tropical indoor gardens inside the conservatory, where colorful butterflies flutter freely in their natural habitat. The video features sharp, close-up images of many butterfly species, including the Blue Morpho, Malachite, Lime Swallowtail, Banded Orange, Isabella, Blue Cracker, Julia, Blue Moon, Rice Paper, Blue Frosted Banner, and more. These vibrant butterflies can be seen feeding on the vivid purple Porterweed, striking red ginger flowers, and bright yellow Lantana.

Throughout the video, you'll also see beautiful interactions between the butterflies and visitors. As I entered the conservatory, a Blue Morpho landed directly on my lens, offering an amazing close-up view. A couple of Rice Paper butterflies also took a special interest in a womans red hair, staying there for a long time, adding a magical touch to the experience.

7
General Photography Discussion / My new promotional strategy
« on: March 13, 2025, 12:03 »
I just released a YouTube video: Toronto Islands in Winter: Otherworldly Landscape and Wildlife - ]https://youtu.be/wipR-y7M8C4]

This is my first conscientious effort to incorporate my still images to drive traffic to my through a YouTube video.

If you watch the video to the end, it almost becomes a slideshow.

In any event, I am making decent money from selling prints because I can set the price and get more money from the sales.

8
I re-started my YouTube channel (charlinex5186) about 1.5 years ago. I only gained 800 subscribers. Not a success story. But I have made more by selling prints from FAA than selling RMs in Alamy

I have sometimes provided a link from my YouTube page to my art prints site (charlinex.com through FAA). If people would like to buy my photo prints, they have the option.

I also link some of my photos back to my YouTube channel.

For instance, this is a video of Niagara Falls White Water Walk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwKUA1njmXw

On the description page, I post this:

Please take a look at a collection of my photos of Niagara Falls: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/charline?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=136683


I don't know if it will work. But cross-referencing won't hurt.

9
Alamy.com / Alamy Imposed US$250 EAF Fine without Any Specifics
« on: January 30, 2025, 21:07 »
Recently Alamy sent me a generic letter without any specifics. It has charged US$250  Exclusivity Administration Fee (EAF) on my sales.

But it doesn't bother to tell me which image(s) were in violation.

I have been an Alamy contributor for almost 18 years. Initially, there was no such thing as exclusive to Alamy. Since I became exclusive, I have always been careful to mark my submission to Alamy with a special code. Could there be a mistake somewhere? If there is, it would be an advertent error.

But my images have been stolen many times.  Is it possible that someone stole my images and sell them through other agencies?

I sell prints through FAA. But it is permitted, according to my understanding.

Alamy should have the decency to give me the specifics so I can assess the situation. Maybe it is wrong and I can help find the thief.

The following is the email from Alamy:

Hi There,

 Exclusivity Admin Fee on your sales report

Were adding an Exclusivity Administration Fee (EAF) on your sales report due to you incorrectly marking images in your account as being 'Exclusive to Alamy' 

This is a fee that is charged in one of two scenarios: 

We have found a potential infringement, and we've opened up a legal case to make a claim but then had to close the case because the image has been incorrectly marked as being exclusive to Alamy ($150 charge)
We have searched for a potential infringement but the image is found to be available on another stock site so the image has been incorrectly marked as being exclusive to Alamy ($50 charge)
The reason we are adding this fee to your account is because there is a considerable investment in looking for infringements, whereby each exclusive image we search for incurs a cost.

As the image has been incorrectly marked as being exclusive we are now passing on a proportion of the cost already spent to your account, as outlined in the contributor contract:

2.10. Notwithstanding clause 16.7, by marking Content as Exclusive, you grant Alamy the right to chase third party infringements of the Content without Alamy having to consult you. Where pursuing such infringements if it is found that the Content is available on another licensing platform, Alamy has the right to recoup any fees (including reasonable administration fees where escalated to legal action), that Alamy has incurred in the pursuit of any action taken.

An image should not be marked as exclusive if:

o            Its available on another stock agency site

o            Its an exact reproduction (in all or part) of a work of art (this does not include having additional unique or incidental features in the image, for example a person standing in front of a painting. The general rule of thumb is that to be exclusive an artwork cant take up any more than 1/3 of the image frame.)

o            Its not protected by copyright

o            Its in the public domain (for example, copyright has expired on a photograph from 1880)

o            Copyright ownership is unknown

 

For the image(s) which should not be marked as exclusive we have added the Exclusivity Admin Fee to your account and have removed its exclusive status.

Its important that your images are marked correctly we'd prefer to work with you so that these costs are avoided in future, and we can help you claim for images that are genuinely exclusive to Alamy.

To avoid further charges being made on exclusive images being incorrectly marked, please can you now review and check whether all the other images in your account should be marked as exclusive. Please remove the exclusive status if you find that they should not be marked as exclusive according to the terms outlined above.

If we find new cases of images being incorrectly marked as exclusive incurring further costs, after two months from the date of this email, then we will apply the corresponding fees to your account and we will also remove the exclusive status for all the images found in your account and remove any default settings for exclusive status.

If you need more time to amend your images, or if you have any questions about this please contact [email protected]

Thanks

Alamy

10
Adobe Stock / Payment made but not received
« on: August 24, 2023, 12:18 »
From the website, the payment was complete yesterday.

But it has not arrived yet. I hope my account is not compromised.

I can't find a way to contact Adobe support. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

11
General Stock Discussion / Video subscription price
« on: February 21, 2023, 10:56 »
I know SS pays $0.25 for video subs at level 1.

How much do other sites pay?

Thanks.

12
Even though it does not seem to cover stock images at this time, it is a move in the right direction.

https://www.cp24.com/entertainment-news/artists-to-cash-in-when-work-is-resold-with-update-of-copyright-laws-1.6016896

13
Alamy.com / Have you received Alamy Payment?
« on: August 12, 2021, 10:13 »
Heads up, watch your payment carefully!!! - Edited to alert other contributors.

Usually I would receive an Alamy payment on or before the 10th of the month. Alamy also says that the payment would take up to 10 days to arrive.

Today is the 12th. I still have not received it.

Has anyone got it?

14
I would greatly appreciate if someone can give me a link to generate a new password for sftp.

Also it looks like Adobe has given me a new user ID. I wonder, for the purpose of sftp, should the new user ID be used or the old one?

I have emailed Adobe support but not heard back.

Many thanks!

15
Today I have noticed that my cleared balance was reduced to a smaller amount, but I don't see any refunds. How can it be?
 

16
Many of you may have never had anything to do with Zazzle, but it has started a dangerous practice since September 2019.

As you may or may not know, Zazzle now charges a $2 monthly fee from your existing earning if you stop feeding it new contents.

On September 5, 2019, after receiving the "policy updates", I requested payout of the balance of my earning and termination of my account, because I could not accept their "updated" policy.

With all kinds of excuses, it still has not paid me after 7 months. Some agents said that I had to log in and request the payment myself. It was actually not possible if your balance is below US$50.

Two days ago, I talked with a supervisor on the phone, who promised a solution. While he tried to request the payment on my behalf, it was not impossible to pay, even from his end.

Today he got back to me, even though I have never accepted their policy, he said that Zazzle would only pay me the amount after deductions.

I will now take this matter to the Better Business Bureau and rate the company honestly in appropriate rating websites.

It can happen to you and your family, in case you become ill or for whatever reason, you cannot feed the agencies anymore.

Think about it and please support me. Because it may affect you, if other agencies follow this bad example. Thanks.


17
The gross total is $3.19 (edited for clarification)

The details are as follows:

Country: Worldwide
Usage: Editorial
Media: Editorial website
Image Size: Any size
Start: 01 November 2019
End: 01 November 2024
Czech Republic, Editorial website, Bulk Discount, Flat Rate

18
I got an email from Zazzle a few weeks ago, claiming it would charge me a fee to keep my account open because I did not post any new contents in 15 (?) months. However, I actually had sales during this period.

I wrote back to various Zazzle email accounts, asking for a termination and payment of the balance which is close to $50. No response. Yesterday I sent the termination request again through their site mail.

Today I received an email from Peter, their support person, which has acknowledged my termination request. But he did not say anything about the money.

I remember when I closed my accounts with other sites, they always paid the remaining balance.

What will happen to my money? (Of course I have emailed Peter and am waiting for his response.)




19
General Stock Discussion / What is a contributor's cut?
« on: May 23, 2019, 23:23 »
Suppose a photographer reported a copyright infringement to his photo to a stock photo agency, the agency's lawyer went after the infringer, and the agency was later awarded $1 million as damages by the court.

What will the photographer's cut be?

20
Alamy.com / Deleted
« on: May 09, 2019, 09:47 »
Deleted.

The payment has arrived.

21
Alamy.com / Alamy exclusive - Is there a filter?
« on: February 16, 2019, 11:59 »
My entire portfolio is exclusive to Alamy.

In the past, because I was not sure if prints/products sales would disqualify some, I only marked a part as exclusive.

Now Alamy has confirmed that prints/products are exempted. That's great!

Do I need to go through the entire portfolio to mark each photo as exclusive?

My hands and shoulders have already been severely damaged due to over-use.

Hope someone can tell me a smart way. Thanks.

22
iStockPhoto.com / Help: TIN for Canadian?
« on: December 13, 2018, 12:34 »
I just completed my tax interview.

Then I got an urgent message because I did not have a TIN so I am not eligible for tax exemption.

What is my TIN? Is it the same as Canadian SIN?

Thanks a lot!

23
Print on Demand Forum / Buyer's Location
« on: August 22, 2018, 14:20 »
When a print is sold at Fine Art America, it shows where the order was made.

I wonder if it means the buyer's actual location (through registration), or just the IP address from the computer or digital device where the purchase is made.

Anybody knows?

24
iStockPhoto.com / Who puts my image on Google Maps?
« on: July 30, 2018, 09:51 »
When I was browsing a location through Google Maps, I saw my photo without watermark nor credit line.

This image is only available through iStock as RF, and on FA as art print (no sales history).

I wonder who puts my image there? Did Google purchase the image or an user steal the image and upload to Google?

I have sent an inquiry email to Google. Should I contact iStock as well?

25
iStockPhoto.com / Need DM help, maybe Franky can see this?
« on: June 28, 2018, 01:55 »
I haven't uploaded images with model release for a few years.

Today, when I tried to upload an old image from 2014, the model release got stuck with a red triangle error sign. But I don't know what went wrong. I cannot close the app either.

At the bottom, there is another red triangle sign, showing "New Version Available". But when I tried to download, I got a message that that version had already been downloaded.

Eventually I forced to close the app by using Windows Task Manager.

How can I upload a model release for this image?

Thanks!


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