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Messages - anaire
1
« on: March 15, 2009, 22:20 »
'Disorderly' says he had to 'endure' Miz's posts for far too long and is not missing him a bit. And I wonder, who forced 'Disorderly' to read those posts anyway?
Don't like them?
That's an easy one... don't read them!
The man is dead anyway, what's the point in trashing him now?
'Pixelart' was on a constant look out for an ignore button. Ignore TheMiz? And be left with what?
Some people found Miz entertaining. Others thought he was controversial.
I loved his posts.
I thought he was interesting and intelligent, creative and different. It showed in his portfolio too. Something else, TheMiz was something else.
Brighter.
Count me in. He was the reason I joined this forum in the first place and I miss him a lot.
RIP Miz.
2
« on: February 27, 2009, 08:35 »
Hahaha! This is becoming violent! Stormchaser is spanking himself, (attaboy Stormchaser, do it harder!), Stacey is looking for a self flagellation emoticon and I'm trying to picture them together in a sort of cheap IS-SM magazine. Let the blood run freely!  The facts remain: 1. Stormchaser, this is an independent forum. People are allowed and invited to post their opinions. Have those opinions been discussed many times before? Well, that only makes them even stronger. More truthful. 2. Jim_H never asked for a 'critique' of his images and I hope you're never going to get them. 3. Istock is heavily biased towards exclusives. For better or worse, this is their policy and the way they conduct their business. 4. Stacey, you got one right! I like Shank Ali! And I like his portfolio! Quite a lot actually. Hmm... I'm not going to compare his with yours, but I think enough said. You get the idea. Don't you worry! Life is beautiful and all this is ultimately fun Best, anna
3
« on: February 26, 2009, 23:36 »
@PaulieWalnuts,
I don't think everybody around here agrees with him, but yes, I do!
I hope that's good enough to validate his thread. He got me.
@Jim_H,
no, you don't have to show your image! In fact, I would strongly advise you against it.
But even if you decide to post your photo here, and even if it's a truly perfect image, I BET the Istockers will definitely, absolutely, most certainly, find the one, single, out of 10 million, lone pixel, guilty of CA, or artefacts, or perhaps 'halo'-ing, or maybe noise, or something new completely, one not yet invented photographic sin.
Remember that they want to find it, and they will.
Problem is that while frowning upon your lost pixel, the Istockers somehow forget an important factor. Inside their very own portfolios lurk much worse images. Right there, right under their noses.
Cropped heads, blown highlights, skewed WB, noisy skies, out of this world compositions, laughable isolations and spamming-the-hell-out-of-the-customer keywords, to name just a few, are all running freely inside their ports.
How come then such horrors got accepted?
That's because Istock doesn't sell quality.
It sells an image, a chimera, it sells 'exclusivity'.
The exclusive Istock file may well be 10 times worse than yours. Nevertheless, it will get accepted. Much, much easier, and a lot faster.
And that is a fact.
Fooling customers under the spell of a dream, disregarding quality and real needs, IStock sells banality at higher prices.
Wish you all the best,
Anna
4
« on: February 26, 2009, 21:03 »
Hi Stacey, this idea, drilled by the IS admins into every corner of a thought, that IS is the greatest agency in the world and all the others are sporting nothing but mediocre collections while joyously accepting every crappy shot, is completely false. I told you so before, but did you believe me? Of course not! People believe (mostly) what they want to believe. Well, the truth may hurt feelings and be not so politicaly correct, but ultimately it is much more useful. Sit down and have a look at your portfolio. I'm not criticizing it in any way, (no way!), but just be aware that you're going to have a hard time with a number of your files. And that's including Istock flames. Keep the following list in mind: Stockexpert and BigStock are the easier to get into. Stockexpert asks for an initial test, but it's nothing to worry about. Following that, their review time is ultra, ultra fast (literally minutes). Sales are plenty, but sadly, at least in my case, they're mostly subscriptions. With a port like yours, there'll be lots and lots of them though. BigStock takes a bit longer to start selling, but they're friendly and easy to deal with. Give them a try! Dreamstime Forget everything 'E-person' said about Dreamstime. He has his personal reasons, and he is obviously wrong. DT's reviewers are (the most) consistent, time and time again, fair and very well trained. DT's review time is longer though. A lovely forum, monthly competitions, and lots of happy contributors eager to help. Also, they have a superb rewarding system. It's all about the image. The better the image, the higher the level and the more money you make. Fotolia is tough, get ready for surprising rejections. As a curiosity, they lo.o.o.o.ve isolations. When correctly done, all of them get accepted, no matter how boring or common the subject. SS is the leader. You probably know by now that you'll have to pass an initial test. It's not easy, but I'm sure you won't have a problem. Once that's out of the way, sales literally come with every single click of the page. More and more and more. Most of them are subscriptions, but you get OD's and even EL's as well, summing up to an amount IS, at least in my case, has never been able to even half. Don't look back Stacey! Istock crowns are nothing more than silly icons designed to excite kids. Unsupported by real numbers, they're not worth a *. Welcome to the free world, initial bumps and all, this is a much more exciting, rewarding and fun place to be! And don't worry! You'll do just fine! Wishing you all the best, can't wait to see you on DT! Anna
5
« on: February 15, 2009, 20:46 »
Hi WhiteView, I'm a newbie too, started stock photography a few months ago. The first site I uploaded to was Big Stock and they were the last to start selling. For some reason images there have to 'mature' a few weeks. Once you get your first sale, others follow pretty soon, you'll see Welcome to the world of micro stock! It is an enjoyable adventure and I hope you'll get a lot of fun out of it Best of luck, Anna
6
« on: February 12, 2009, 01:12 »
@Stacey, generalizations? A whole lot of them? No, I didn't. I told the story from MY point of view and made it quite clear that on Istock I am a newbie. Now take it or leave it, but this is the truth. 1. Yes, their upload process is prone to all sorts of errors and is a painful experience. 2. Yes, their rejections are absurd. (Keywords? Clipping path not relevant to a file with a clipping path included?) 3. Yes, their pending time can be longer than 2 weeks, or more (the longest time I had to wait on any site) 4. Yes, their search engine is tweaked. It pushes foward exclusive images regardless of quality and showing no concern towards the buyers' needs. This may seem attractive to exclusives but it's shacky and in the long run it spells disaster 5. Yes, compared to all other sites, both my sales and my views on IS are the lowest. 6. Yes, I think their forum and community are hostile and seem somewhat desperate to me. I already made it clear that this is my personal opinion and others may not agree. More over Stacey, no, Istock doesn't have the best image collection anymore. Those days are gone. Vectors yes, they may still be the leading agency, but even that is changing by the second. You can be sure that I'm working hard and breaking Illustrator to pieces, to help it happen sooner. When it comes to your personal misfortunes with the latest best match, remember one thing : as long as IS doesn't reward a file purely based on its qualities, you'll never have peace. You depend on luck, up today, down tomorrow, head or tail. You need to let quality shine. It is the only coin of truth and stands up against time. @Jmich, of course you don't have to believe me. Just try IS for yourself and see how you feel about it. Go ahead and upload, but be prepared for all sorts of nasty things coming your way Phew, almot forgot! The D80 is a fine little machine. No real need to upgrade and certainly don't do it just in the hope that you can beat IS reviewers. They're a strange lot but I'm sure that given enough time you'll be able to beat them at their own game! Best of, Anna
7
« on: February 11, 2009, 19:43 »
@ Jmich, hi there, nice to meet you I'm a newbie, just like yourself and started uploading to IS a few months ago. It only took me a few weeks to absolutely hate them. 1. Uploading process is painful and a complete failure. Nothing works as it should, except for the-annoying-the-hell-out-of-me reminder page with : I truly am the only one owner, definitely there are no people in my image and no, I swear! I did not steal any parts of this work. The darn thing comes back at you, again, and again, and again ... 2. Rejections are so absurd it becomes clear what their real meaning is - we don't want you here, get out! Please resubmit? I've heard some horror stories about resubmitting. I have never done it and don't think I ever will. 3. Pending time can be over 2 weeks long. Longer than anywhere else I've submitted and yes, it goes on my nerves to have to wait that long. 4. Both sales and views are the lowest. Please keep in mind that I'm a newbie with a portfolio of only about 160 images. This info may not be relevant, but the numbers are there. IS is the lowest. 5. Their search engine is heavily biased and it is not for the benefit of the buyer. The best image doesn't win. Instead, regardless of quality, relevance and beauty, the exclusive one does. 6. Their entire site, their forum, the community, has a feeling (to me) of anger. They're like a pack of wolves and there is nothing artistic, generous or friendly about them. They're constantly at each other's throats, caustic and cinic. Ugly. Before you make up your mind I want to direct your attention to Lisa's post. Read it again. Upload to IS if you want to, but be aware of everything she said. It happened to a diamond, it will happen to you too. Best of luck! Anna
8
« on: February 06, 2009, 16:46 »
I just think they're cute. Both of them, the baby AND the baby-killer! (Oh my God! Baby killer!... ) And I'm very happy your daughter is doing so well. . with microstock and selling that image! She is a cutie and is doing fine and that is all that matters. Change the keywords, take more photos of her and enjoy having such a wonderful model all for yourself! Wish you all the best! @FlemishDreams - did you actually take that photo yourself? Do you know him? What he did is terrible, but I almost feel sorry for him too. He's sick. And he has such lovely hair... But then, Ted Bundy wasn't that bad looking either. His hair was alright too, and so were his blue eyes
9
« on: February 06, 2009, 16:23 »
Hey!
I came back to ask you about DT!
Have you looked at your ports on DT today?
Have they changed the preview as well? (to a slighter lighter gray than IS)?
Or was it the same before and I simply never paid any attention?
I can't remember... I can't remember...
@FlemishDreams,
yes, you're right. DT is slower lately (sales wise) for me too. But then I'm only a newbie.
Still, I'm sad. I like them a lot.
10
« on: February 06, 2009, 16:02 »
And nobody said anything about the fonts?
Is it only me who thinks they're blurry, unreadable and just plain weird?
All my PCs are on XP though... might that be the problem?
One of the most important factors in successful web design is readability.
Right now I can barely make up their text.
I wonder what their style sheet looks like...
Previewing images on dark grey enhances the visual experience in some cases. But not all.
And there's another rule in play here - to accurately assess an image you need a neutral grey background.
Using a black frame it's a bit like cheating.
But no matter, designers know that, and if they're happy, so should we.
I just hope they'll fix those darn fonts soon ...
Anna
11
« on: February 01, 2009, 01:24 »
Hi Stacey, I'm sure Lisa is right. Hang on there, things will get better! January was a lousy month all over the board. IS is not the only one experiencing lower sales. However, be wise and think ahead. Start building a secondary port, something handy to fall back on if times turn bad again. Better safe than sorry, right? Meanwhile I'll still be waiting for your naked photos! I kind wait to watch them, (the men I mean), go bananas Good luck Stacey, better times are right around the corner! Anna
12
« on: January 31, 2009, 15:54 »
Hi Stacey,
Over the past few days I read your posts on Istock forums. You're vivacious and straight forward and I like that.
But there is something else you need to keep in mind.
At IStock they keep on feeding you this idea that IS is the 8-th wonder of the world and all other sites are nothing but crappy mediocrity.
It is not true.
I don't like IS and don't want you stuck there, but think twice!
Some of your files, including old flames, have little chance of passing the reviewers of today.
You'll be losing quite a number of them, no to mention all the extra bonuses.
If you really want to leave IS, you need to take things step by step and think in advance.
Good luck and hope things turn for the better!
One day soon you may be able to break free...
Anna
13
« on: January 31, 2009, 11:27 »
Oh my, aren't they a laughable bunch, those Istock guys? Shattering diamonds all in fear of the perplexed newbie coming at them with better dirt! Hahaha, that's both sad and funny Not to mention that by now, gostwyck is downright nasty. But then again, nastiness seems to be an important pre-requisite of Istock exclusivity. He fits right in. The fear of the Newbie shows insecurity. And some of them are quite right to live in horror. I've seen plenty of Istock exclusive flames photos that only got to be on fire because they've been online for ages. In reality, those images are ugly shots and deserve no such fame. Their time has come! Improve, or live in fear! (of dirt, of blogs, of helpfulness and most of all, of wonderful, beautiful creativity. It is the one, magic ingredient that makes dirt sparkle like stardust.) Thank you AVAVA for your shooting list, for being kind with us even if we only have 150 images online! And do not worry! We are never going to be a threat to your sales. You're simply too good. Thank you Exposurepro for taking the time to write the blog and for your willingness to share! It shows confidence in your work. And I'm sure it's well deserved. The newbie shouldn't be feared. It's the lack of one's own imagination and skills that should instead, be questioned. Best to the best, Anna
14
« on: January 24, 2009, 23:41 »
Hi kiddo Glasses are perfect. In fact, this last batch is showing a lot of improvement. Keep the shadows closer to your subject (don't let them spread out too much) and a touch lighter, just like you've done with the glasses. This is the way to go. Now remember a few things: - the larger the aperture number the more of your image is in focus. Keep it around 8 - 10, most lenses work best at these settings. - ISO 100 - shoot in RAW - overexpose a touch (1/3 or so). They like brighter images. - use natural light as much as you can. - when not enough light don't be afraid to fire your camera flash. As long as you take the hot spots later in PShop, all is well, and images get accepted. You're getting better and better, but I still think you're a bit too young to do this .. Anyhow, this is fun, so why not? One more tip. I learned it from Fintastique - Stephen and it worked perfectly for me. When you're ready to submit, start small. No more than 10 images and don't even think about Shutterstock. Keep SS the last. Learn the under 18's policies. Try BigStock first. Follow with Stockexpert, DT, Fotolia, IS. The very last one should be SS. Good luck Fandre and see you there Go get them! Anna
15
« on: January 22, 2009, 13:39 »
@Sharply Done
Is a black diamond a credible enough position for you?
Well then, I've seen black diamonds' portfolios, (quite respected, quite well known, thank you very much), and they spam the crap out of buyers.
The moment you post here and go for an obvious witch hunt insde somebody's else portfolio is the moment you should stand up to your claim.
If you look at mine, be credible please, and show yours!
@GoldenAngel
No worries!
Your data is important to ME.
I'm a newbie, just like you, and your stats are important to me.
I post here. I am a stock photographer. I participate. I am interested. I am part of this. I should be allowed to read any information that I consider relevant.
And I am grateful for your generosity to share your information with me.
I'm only sorry you don't do so well at DT. I like them and I'm sure that if you give them time enough they'll show rewards.
Regarding the topic - if they didn't want newbies to participate, they should have said so. Fair enough.
@White Child,
let's wait for the 1000 download. It may not be that far away, and by that time our positions will considerably change.
I just hope we remain friendly and fun.
In the end that's all that matters.
PS - A short note. Don't post any more photos on IS Critique's forum. You've got nobody to help you there except for a bunch of out of touch, delusional exclusives who still firmly believe that IS is the 8-th wonder of the world and nothing can ever be compared to it.
Best,
Anna
16
« on: January 22, 2009, 10:59 »
Hi there, - that's mostly to you, Josh,
I live in Dublin, Ireland, and for years I've been a subscriber to the UK magazine 'Photoshop Creative'.
By now I'm well used to browsing through plenty of advertising coming from all of the major stock sites.
Crestock is often there, but in the last edition, what do you know ... instead of the usual logo and a photo, things have moved forward and Josh was actually giving an interview!
He was urging photographers to upload to Crestock.
Of course, he never mentioned a word about the 2 months waiting time, lowest payment in the market, the most generic, perplexing rejections and crappy sales.
And how about the difficulty of actually getting paid?
Moneybrookers didn't work for ages, e-mails to support didn't get any replies, cheques didn't arrive and VaniaS had to come over here, on this forum, to ask for his money.
But not to worry!
Josh never mentioned a word about all of these 'minor' glitches.
Nope! Not a word!
All is well at Crestock.
17
« on: January 14, 2009, 16:26 »
Welcome to Microstock photography!
I agree with everything WhiteChild has said.
Next time Sjlocke comes up and tells you to read a library before you start on stock, kindly remind him about Amanda and Yuri.
Both of them started with a cheap, point and shoot camera, did not have a clue about photography and had to google basic principles like 'blur' or 'out of focus' in order to understand rejections' reasons.
Today Yuri is a millionaire and Amanda is doing pretty well herself.
Actually, they're both doing (a lot ) better than Sjlocke, regardless of the numbers of photography books read.
Granted, Yuri and Amanda are exceptions, but who's to say that you're not the next one?
More over, you have an advantage.
When it comes to Photoshop you already master it, and that's one golden ace up your sleeve.
If I were you I would go ahead and do exactly what WhiteChild has said.
Start submitting!
Remember not to flood them, upload a few images only and at least initially, try to stay away from sunsets, pretty flowers and your cute dog.
They've got plenty of those already and you need to be exceptional.
Don't you worry, there will be plenty of time to learn, (and read books), as you go.
Regarding your apples, they're not bad, but the subject is very, very common, and as they stand right now, I don't think they'll get accepted.
Also your isolation seems a touch too harsh to me. If you used the pen tool, try to feather the selection a bit.
Use a soft brush, very low opacity and bring back some of the natural shadows at the bottom of your subjects. A touch only.
You probably know this already but not a lot of people do - the best, and sometimes the only way to make an 'organic', natural selection in Photoshop is by using channels.
Forget about the pen tool, or any other extracting method/filter. Nothing comes even close to channels. Go for channels and your isolations will be accepted everywhere.
Shoot in RAW. Always.
Set your camera to the lowest ISO posible. Always.
Best of luck and welcome to the world of stock photography!
This is going to be a lot of fun. (Almost) always.
Anna
18
« on: January 09, 2009, 18:22 »
Hi there,
I was just minutes away from posting on Fotolia's forum to ask about their image of a boy holding the globe in his hand.
Good thing I checked here first...
Thank you Flemish Dreams!
I looked at your images on DT, (beautiful, by the way, well done!), read your description and found my answer.
I'll do the same and credit NASA.
Anna
19
« on: January 06, 2009, 00:50 »
Ah!
Thanks Takestock!
I've just seen the other thread. That may be the answer, you're right.
Thank you!
20
« on: January 06, 2009, 00:46 »
Hi there, yes, me too I still love them though! They're friendly and eager to help, their upload process is easy, their review time is ultra fast, and the icing of the cake, they used to sell so well... I hope this quiet time will pass and all will be well again. Also, I'm thinking... I've got a lot of Christmas images. Christmas is over now, images stopped selling, it's only normal. Let's see what happens next.
21
« on: December 24, 2008, 22:36 »
I love Christmas.
Always did and always will.
Shine on candles, fly high hope and mount that star!
It is the hour of magic and I'll always be enchanted by it ...
Have a merry one!
22
« on: December 21, 2008, 12:08 »
Hi Avava,
I'll start with a song -
'In Dublin, fair city,
Where girls are so pretty ...'
It rained yesterday.
It is raining today.
It will, most certainly, rain tomorrow.
There you go!
Irish weather in a nutshell.
Waiting for the lucky leprechaun to bring me the sparkle and magic of snowflakes, I wish you all, happy, happy holidays!
23
« on: December 21, 2008, 00:03 »
I had a long talk with myself. And made a promise NOT to work, process, upload, or check this forum, the other forum, all the forums, 15 times a day again and again like there's no tomorrow. 'Relax Anna, and have fun' - I told myself. However I voted 'Yes, to a selected few'. That's because I am ADDICTED and I already know I won't be able to stay away for the whole week. 2 - 3 days at the maximum And no, it is not about the money, search engines, new files and all that jazz. It is simply because I love, love, love it and can't stop Come on, I'm only a newbie Best to all, and many, many thanks for everything you guys and gals have taught me so far! Much appreciated!
24
« on: December 19, 2008, 22:30 »
Jaw dropping images!
Wonderful and thank you Avava for your time and efforts!
Much appreciated,
Anna
25
« on: December 19, 2008, 20:05 »
Again, not my best earner (Shutterstock is), but I voted DT. Reasons already outlined by Lisa (and others) in recent posts. Can I mention one more site please? That would be STXpert. They're nice too and I enjoy uploading there. Best,
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