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Messages - archibald1221

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1
General - Stock Video / Stock animation newbie
« on: May 11, 2015, 08:14 »
hello,
i've been working with stock vectors before, now trying my luck with stock animation. So far it's terrible - about 100 works - zero sales on SS and pond5. I've started learning After effects just several months ago, and i know that my animations, gently speaking, are far from masterpieces so far and i perfectly understand that microstock is not the area where you get results fast...but still, i didn't expect so bad results. is it usual to not get any sales with more than 100 works online? so far for me it seems like waste of time, not a business.  Could anyone advice something - what am i doing wrong here? I would appreciate constructive critics.

http://www.shutterstock.com/video/gallery/538972/

2
I don't see point in removing images because of bad sales. I had once image that didn't sell for a long time and one day it was bought with EL.

3
Print on Demand Forum / Re: Products for sale on Zazzle
« on: October 16, 2013, 12:22 »
there are definitely lots of stolen designs on zazzle. Some time ago when i had a blog, i created some free downloadable vectors. I didn't sell those vectors in any stocks, just put them for free downloading (of course, with no right to resell it) in my own blog and couple other free vector sites. And later i found that at least couple of different people selling those designs on zazzle. I took a look at their portfolio and i am 100 % sure that all they are doing - just downloading images from free design blogs (there are quite lot of them now) and selling it on zazzle.

4
Adobe Stock / Re: Is Fotolia dying? Or what happens?
« on: October 16, 2013, 08:28 »
I'm also unsuccessful in fotolia recently. Just last year, in autumn (i'm selling mostly vector images) i used to get payout every month there . Sales were very steady, everything was great, it was one of my favorite agencies...  and now my monthly earnings are 1/10 of what it used to be last year at the same time and continue getting worse. I am thinking of stopping uploading there. With somewhere about 1500 works online - just several dollars/month... I've just done one simple vector illustration for one client in about one hour (working as freelancer) - and i've earned twice more.

5
General Stock Discussion / Re: Shall We Say Goodbye?
« on: July 30, 2013, 18:48 »
i remember when about 3 years ago i started working in microstock. I am creating mostly vectors and some jpeg illustrations, photos. I am not even a designer, so at the begining i remember when i created and uploaded my first illustrations. It was very amateur and very average quality overall. Despite that it was selling pretty good then :) Now i create more and much better quality works but most of them are selling much worse than my very first illustrations. Overall microstock income also currently is slowly going down. I've tried different topics, different tactics -  created several big vector collections of design elements (40-70 design elements in one vector set) - nothing worked.... When i look at current microstock portfolios i think that there's more good artists with very professional works than was several years ago - both quality and quantity in my opinion in microstock industry is increasing. It is already very hard to compete there and will be only harder in future. I'm starting learning adobe flash, later - maybe also video making. Not only for microstock -  it will be i guess my so called "exit plan". Maybe i'll use these skills working as a freelancer or in some design studio... I remember when 3 years ago microstockers were talking that there is already too many woks in microstock agencies. now there are three times more of them than those 3 years ago. I can only imagine how many works there will be after 3-5 more years. It will be great for agencies but not for contributors. Sorry for pessimism :)

6
For me everything's ok there, i don't have that problem. Maybe You should contact them.

7
I'd ask this question in the shutterstock footage forum section and in the Pond5 forum.  I see the camera only has 1280x720, that's not ideal.  I had that problem with my Canon 500D and bought the 550D, to get 1920x1080.  Just my video sales from that camera have made it worthwhile and I only dabble with video.

thanks for advice. That's exactly what bothered me - that those dimensions of video in Pentax K-X isn't very good thing. Anyway as i understand it still fits minimal requirements.
What video editing soft do You use? I guess Adobe Premiere is most popular choice among microstockers?

8
hello,
I've heard that some microstockers are successfully shooting stock footage with their DSLR cameras. So far i'm complete newbie in creating footage, and i have no experience with it. But i'm thinking to try it. I have Pentax K-x with DAL 18-55mm lens. I know it is pretty amateur equipment .... But anyway, how do You think - can it create footage with enough technical quality for stock agencies?

9
Photo Critique / Re: Critique needed - Istock vector test
« on: April 23, 2013, 07:23 »
I made some small corrections for second variation of illustration and finally passed the test. After 3 years of trying finally accepted as istock vector contributor :)  Thanks for Your advices. Especially thanks vlad_the_imp for good and constructive critique - it really helped.

10
We are actually in development of a system to upload jpgs  :) It's in the beta phase and we'll be choosing a few artists to help test it

I'm really glad You decided to make this change. It will make creating designs much easier. I'm also registered contributor in Your site. Maybe could You tell when approximately we could expect for the new jpeg uploading system?

11
General Photography Discussion / Re: Easy money....
« on: April 17, 2013, 03:43 »
To: Microstock Posts
No he didn't. I remember that his couple photos had more than 1000 downloads each and also  several others had few hundred downloads each.

12
General Stock Discussion / Re: Photospin- Is worth Joining?
« on: April 17, 2013, 03:09 »
I see answers there from photographers. And what about vector artists there? anyone has any experience with this site?

13
General Photography Discussion / Re: Easy money....
« on: April 17, 2013, 03:03 »
Easy money - I also find this statement funny :)  I've also saw blogs in internet which tells how to earn money in microstock (there's a lot of them there now)... and many of it also says that it's easy way without lot of hard work to earn additional 500-1000 or more usd/month...It's no secret they tell so because it's just way to attract contributors and get more refferals for themselves. On the other hand, once, some time ago i saw some guy in Istock (non -exclusive contributor) who only with 20 photos portfolio there has more than several thousand sales ! I guess in shutter he gets even more. But it is extremely rare exception. 

14
Photo Critique / Re: Critique needed - Istock vector test
« on: April 15, 2013, 10:38 »
made some changes in my work. How do You think, maybe this looks better than previous?

P.S. Is there any quick way in Adobe Illustrator to check for open paths in the drawing? Is there any free plugin for it?

15
Photo Critique / Re: Critique needed - Istock vector test
« on: April 12, 2013, 23:14 »
to Beppe Grillo: thanks for compliments. usually i don't do cartoons like this, mostly my designs are abstract backgrounds. most of my rejections in Istock test i got when i was newbie in both microstock and graphic design. i've tried to pass the test then with my very first and quite poor quality illustrations.
to vlad_the_imp: thanks again for the tips, very useful.

16
Photo Critique / Re: Critique needed - Istock vector test
« on: April 12, 2013, 09:43 »
Thanks You for opinion. i'm also unhappy with pond placement, but so far i don't have ideas how to fix it. Those 3 trees indeed are duplicates, but i didn't know that it is considered disadvantage. I'll fix that.

17
Photo Critique / Critique needed - Istock vector test
« on: April 12, 2013, 07:53 »
Hello.
I've been trying to pass Istock vector test for a long time. I have two images approved and i need one more. I had lots of rejections already and since last rejection i had to wait 1 year to be allowed to try to pass the test again. If this image will be rejected i guess i'll then have to wait 2 years so its probably my last chance.  I'd be grateful for some critique.

18
Dreamstime.com / Re: recent halt in sales
« on: March 27, 2013, 15:35 »
No slowdown in DT sales for me, in fact the opposite, a very good month (I do illustrations).

I must say i envy Your success in Dreamstime ;) Seriously. Amazing number of sales and downloads per image. I'm working hard recently, but my results aren't good so far. I guess i'm doing something wrong :)

19
Dreamstime.com / Re: recent halt in sales
« on: March 27, 2013, 15:22 »
Just a quickie wondering if anyone has experienced really slow sales this month, so far im on a whopping 7 dollars for this month compared to my usual 30/40

not had a sale in over a week

really anoying when i'm 3 dollars from a payout!

The same situation for me. I was never very successful at dreamstime, but income used to be  steady. It was in 5th place for me in earnings....But last month was terrible for me - significant and sudden drop of sales. I have no idea why it happened. I've just uploaded some new illustrations and i'm hoping it will improve sales. One microstocker adviced me to create some images and upload it exclusively to dreamstime. Also he offered to put some images to their Free images section - he told me that could increase my portfolio exposure and earnings. Dreamstime is good agency, it has lots of potential (i heard from some microstockers that sometimes their monthly earnings are almost good there as in shutterstock), so i think it might be worth to try it.

20
General Stock Discussion / Anyone selling flash works?
« on: September 24, 2012, 07:43 »
Hi,
is there anyone who create and sell adobe flash designs in microstock? how is Your luck/earnings there?


21
General Stock Discussion / Re: Earnings in July 2012
« on: August 21, 2012, 09:56 »
i didn't know FT fotolia got EL like $120 and $97?
and what is XX XY XZ and Z?

June 120$, July 97$

Z is Zazzle, other are secret ;D

I see You have some secrets here :) interesting :) i understand why are You hiding one of Your top 8 agencies. But what is the point of hiding those that earn You only 2,3 or 1,6 percent of Your earnings? :) They are small earners anyway :)

22
I helped my friend, the photographer to create an account in Fotolia and to upload several photos for review there.... Unfortunately, they all were rejected because of technical problems...  :( So i guess if he wants to make some money from his photos - he will have to find another way :)
Anyway, thank You all for Your advices and comments ;)

24
This is no art :)

This is the combination of aerial photography + being in the right place at the right time..

I wouldn't agree with that :) It is not "just being" in the right place - it is choosing right place at the right time and finding beautiful compositions in landscape with your camera...

25
Thank You for Your advices. I will try to contact him and get full size photos. He also mentioned that he has some doubts about technical quality of these photos and that it can be too low for microstock standarts...But anyway i think it is worth at least to try... As i've heard Fotolia and Istockphoto has most strict requirements for photos. So if it passes there - it should be accepted everywhere else.

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