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Messages - steheap

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1426
General Stock Discussion / Re: April 2011 Stats
« on: May 04, 2011, 13:19 »
I'm a bit late in posting this month, and I was very pleased to see another best month, with a particular strong showing from Shutterstock with six enhanced downloads and then a real surprise at the end of the month when I sold two images on Veer for $46 each. I don't fully understand their licensing but this appears to be for unlimited seats and unlimited reproduction. Veer has come from nowhere (average of $10 per month) to give me $169 in this one month. I am really glad I kept up the uploading to this site.

Here are my main graphs. As usual, I have expanded on the best selling images in the month on my blog: http://www.backyardsilver.com/2011/04/best-selling-images-in-april-2011/



Steve

1427
I've had some success with isolated cat shots on Shutterstock - three Enhanced Downloads at $28 in the last month as well as a steady stream of 36c sales. The same images are on Alamy and the other sites, but much less interest. Maybe it is just luck how particular images get picked up and then become popular and then become more visible etc.

Here are the images that sold for me: http://www.backyardsilver.com/2011/04/best-selling-images-in-april-2011/

I've often thought that if you could just identify the images that sell well, and only upload those, this would be a much easier way to make money!!

Steve

1428
Quote
i use smugmug for my portfolio, and also allow anyone to use websized images if they link back - resulting in a PR 3 for my webpage

Steve

Nice site - a lot of travel images there that I assume are also on the main stock sites. Do you find that many people buy a download or they just link back to you in exchange for a free image? As I understand the site, you can link back to various size images (so the image will show in a web page, but they haven't actually got the file itself. If they want to buy a downloaded file they pay $1 etc. depending on size and usage?

Steve

1429
Photo Critique / Re: Photo critique please
« on: April 14, 2011, 11:09 »
Quote
Certain designers only use images with clipping paths

In creating some of my images I use the pen tool and have a clipping path, but when I save to JPG, the clipping path is lost (I think). What file format and which sites accept uploads with clipping paths? This sounds like a marketplace I am missing!

Steve

1430
General Stock Discussion / Re: Say something Positive Thread
« on: April 13, 2011, 21:12 »
I've just finished my taxes and find I owe $7000. Must have the wrong sort of corporation! Oops - wrong thread  ;D

Steve

1431
That's a neat idea. I have my galleries set so that you cannot right click and download. How do you set it up so that someone can download a small image but not a large one? Set the price of a small download at zero, and higher prices for anything larger?

I haven't tried hard to get my smugmug site high in the rankings as I pretty much gave up on trying to sell images direct. My main focus has been on trying to get more traffic through my blog to pick up referral links, google ads and some Amazon affiliate links. I'm starting to build traction there and will have to see how I can use your idea to build incoming links to that site.

Steve

1432
Now here is some great SEO work - I am the first search result on Google for "entertainment weekly royal wedding bingo!" Not everyone has such a claim to fame  ;D.

Two people have visited my site today as a result of that great search result!

Steve

1433
Newbie Discussion / Re: Tough Sites
« on: April 11, 2011, 16:54 »
My only experience is the recent discussions I had with the owner of the copyright of the Grand Arche in Paris. It was a very pleasant interaction - I've provided a summary of the sales I made, as it was only $39 they are not going to charge their normal 50% commission, and I have agreed to take down the few images I had. No need for lawyers - I admitted I didn't know about their copyright and we reached an amicable conclusion.

On the LLC - it was only $50 to set it up in Virginia, and yes, I do file taxes for it, but I also put rental income and some consultancy through it as well.

Steve

1434
Yes - a strange example. Isn't the idea of SEO to become high in the Google pages for the sort of searches the potential audience is searching for - eg "unique stock images" - that is far harder for a new blog to achieve. I've found that with regular original posts, I do become visible on things like "dawn at Jefferson Memorial" or "best time for photos of smoky mountains", but that is a long way from getting someone to buy something.

I live in hope that one day a picture will be snapped up for $80K...

Steve

1435
Newbie Discussion / Re: Tough Sites
« on: April 11, 2011, 15:39 »
Tom

When I started this, I set up an LLC and that entity is the one that contracts with the stock companies and they all make payments to the LLC. I wrote a blog about it here:
http://www.backyardsilver.com/2011/02/how-can-i-sell-my-photos-and-get-some-money/

I'm no lawyer, but I believe that this puts one extra step between me personally and any liabilities and it was not difficult to do in Virginia. I then use this LLC for all income and expenses as well - which then passes on the profit (or loss) to me personally.

Having said that - I have given up with Crestock - I've been with them for 3 years and have earned a total of $25 in that time. Sometimes I have uploaded 150 images and they have rejected everyone - it is such a pain for such a small amount of money and it isn't worth beating myself up about.

Steve

1436
Newbie Discussion / Re: Business Website Questions
« on: April 11, 2011, 11:14 »
Quote
But, blogging gets boring.

For the reader or the author? I quite enjoy writing my blog - I'm never sure who is going to read it, but one day I could be famous... ;)

I get an average of 60 visits a day now (and a pause for everyone to say "wow")!

Steve

1437
Just getting back to the original question...

Does anyone have success in selling prints even when they have got a higher ranking in Google. The high ranking is likely to be for something specific - such as "sunset over smoky mountains" - as it would be feasible to get on page one of the searches with a phrase like that, but does it translate into a print? I'm not sure who searches for a print for their wall in such a way.

I'd love to sell some prints - and I'm thinking of taking a space at a local arts and craft fair to see if the physical sight of my images makes people reach into their wallets - but I've not been successful with SmugMug yet.

Steve
BTW - my smugmug is http://www.backyardimage.com

1438
Newbie Discussion / Re: Business Website Questions
« on: April 11, 2011, 07:11 »
Tom

What are you intending to do with the web site - it will be very tough to come anywhere near the top of a search with a simple site like this. Are you intending to create a blog to keep the content up to date? I was in a similar position 3 years ago, and have worked hard to blog regularly and try to improve the visibility of my site. I do get at the top of the first page of Google searches with "Warsaw photographer guide" but that is hardly a common search term. On simple things like "stock photos", I'm nowhere to be seen!

All in all, a web site may make you feel good, but you need to be very clear of its purpose.

Steve

1439
CanStockPhoto.com / Re: canstock is down?
« on: April 09, 2011, 17:00 »
Duncan

Seems to be down for me today - both the www version as well as http://canstock...

Another kick to the servers?

Steve

1440
Thanks GL!

I didn't hear directly from BigStock support, but the images have just been reviewed and accepted (with some rejections for artifacts etc.) as normal - no need to make images of the Federal buildings in DC editorial. All I need now is some sales...

Steve

EDIT - I did get a nice email from them. As I'm sure you all know, BigStock automatically sets the category from the keywords and the system was guessing that the image was editorial and hence requesting editorial descriptions

1441
General Stock Discussion / Re: Zoonar - All views - no sales
« on: April 07, 2011, 12:27 »
I have views in the forties for some images, and no sales since December. I have carried on uploading month after month and now have over 1100 pictures on line and shared with most of the partners, but nothing in the way of sales. Last year was reasonably good - some 20 or 30 euro sales, but I think the loss of Polylook was a big blow to them. It isn't a difficult site to upload to, and so I will probably continue, but it is a bit depressing to see those sales disappear.

Steve

1442
Thanks for the links - those are helpful! Just a clarification - when I said "public buildings", I really meant ones owned by the "people" such as Federal buildings in the US. I didn't mean privately owned buildings taken from a public place, which have different rules as your links show.

Steve

1443
I've done that - will let you know how BigStock reply

Thanks

Steve

1444
Shutterstock.com / Re: Is it my imagination or...
« on: April 07, 2011, 08:01 »
Shutterstock didn't come back right away for me and so I went to veg out in front of the TV instead of checking sales! When I looked this morning I found two enhanced sales - now we could do with more of these short failures!

Steve

1445
General Stock Discussion / Government buildings and Copyright
« on: April 07, 2011, 07:44 »
I've been building up my collection of photographs of the main government buildings in Washington DC (like these - http://www.backyardimage.com/Americas/Washington/9534652_yLUKg#1242530388_XLouf) and have been uploading to the main sites. Most of them are accepted without any issues, but BigStockPhoto has rejected each one stating that I need to submit and keyword/categorize them as Editorial. I was aware of the copyright restrictions on the Korean Memorial, but the basic buildings such as the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol building - those must be old enough to be outside any architectural design restrictions, surely.

Anyone know of a change in the law about government buildings or why BigStock is now taking this line?

Steve

1446
Shutterstock.com / Re: Is it my imagination or...
« on: April 06, 2011, 17:57 »
Same for me - none of the pages work

Steve

1447
David

Fotolia has been OK since I wrote this post - it does seem to be a day or so behind the others, but it gets there. I don't see uploads happening to Panthermedia or Cutcaster - do you see those working for other people (it may be a configuration issue on my part!)

My suggestion to add a small table on the Support page would make it easier for contributors to know if you had an issue with a site that had changed its upload process, or if we should just wait and the files would get there in the end.

Either way - it is a great service, and I included it in the blog I published last week about the workflow I follow for managing stock photos. Hope this gets you some more customers.

Steve

1448
I checked mine just now and I have 1.12 pounds plus $25 bonus. I just managed to upload on the very last day of the promotion, but I'm jealous that you got twice the bonus! I think this shows that the pounds bit must be sales though.

Steve

1449
Newbie Discussion / Re: Pen Tool on Isolated Objects
« on: April 04, 2011, 14:44 »
Looking forward to seeing them. I have had no trouble selling pictures of coins - both stacks of them as well as individual macro isolated images. Using a pen tool is hard for that as they have little protrusions on the rim. I took this one on a white background, used magic wand to select most of the white to get a mask and then carefully painted out the bits where there had been a shadow. It sold for 36c today on Shutterstock which works out that I earned about 60c per hour for this one shot...



Steve

1450
Newbie Discussion / Re: Pen Tool on Isolated Objects
« on: April 04, 2011, 10:43 »
Tom

I use the Pen tool as well - for certain types of object. For hard edges this can work well, but it can be difficult to do well. I try to get the background white in the shot rather than after the fact. Can you post a full sized image so we can have a look? It could be that the site doesn't like the extract and this is the reason they give?

Steve

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