that's odd!  I'm hitting it fine. 

if you care, try tracing the connection with tracert

start/run type cmd and press enter
type tracert dreamstime.com and hit enter

My trade completes in 15 steps, ends at ev1servers.net 67.15.210.76 which is dreamstime.

Question - are you trying to hit the main page or your login page or ?  Try just dreamstime.com if you're hitting a login page.

The lens you are probably looking for is the Tamron 28-75mm 2.8  That is my midrange lens and I couldn't work without it.  It's super fast, light, gets some decent close ups (not true macro - 100m 2.8 for that).

This tamron isn't super cheap at $330 and you'll still need a wide (18-55mm kit lens for $60 or less) but it's definitely the best lens in the mid-range, low-ish price.  I have 3 of them here - mine, Sarah's and a backup.  It's the only lens we have 3 of so far (two 50mm 1.8, two 18-55, two 70-200 IS, one of everything else) but we couldn't possibly shoot without this lens on hand.

M

$50000+     - 0 (0%)

Andres, you didn't vote yet?? 

*sob*

We use MM all the time for models.  We have never paid a model and conversely models do pay us all the time (not stock - we do TFP for stock).

I think there are three ways this works:

1) The model is a pro.  She gets paid to work by the photographer/company doing photography.  Common enough.
2) The model isn't a pro and the photographer is.  She pays the photographer to do her portfolio.  Very common here.
3) The model and the photographer want to both get something for nothing and they do TFP.  Happens all the time.

Models do pay photographers, photographers do pay models.  I'm willing to bet most T&A is either TFP or pay the model by GWC.

Ftp doesnt work the same at all - I have pretty fast connection and SS is about 2x faster then DT

Based on what I saw during my test, I definitely do not agree with this.  I'm not sure if you've tried a timed-test but if you did them back to back around the same time of day with the same images, I think you'd find they're *extremely* close in time if you watch the clock.

IS is extremely user-resistant system - 5 pages to upload one (!!!) picture, 3 of them are completely useless. First you dont have to click that No-No-No-Yes nonsense - you will violate the agreement with them anyway if you brake those rules so its just bothering paranoia. Last page with "I love uploading" - completely useless, just wasting time; then you could go just to upload form and not again to upload home page, then click "upload" and no-no-no-yes nonsense again! It could be 2x faster even with their "controled vocabulary" after some optimization.

You think about Istock what I thought about Istock before.    As you can see it took roughly 7 times as long as Shutterstock, which is frustrating.  BUT  Why aren't you using Image Manager?  You click the no no no yes once.  Click the "agreement" once.  Then upload up to 20 pictures at once.  That seems MUCH less frustrating then what you're talking about.  I use Image Manager and I was actually less frustrated then I remember IStock normally making me.

M

dbvirago: dreamstime goes pretty fast if you can use the same catagories in a number of files - then it takes 2 seconds per image.

That's another thing - if this was a straight series of images I'd done, it would have been quicker on the slow sites but not much quicker on the fast sites.  So there is a margin of error - depends how fast you move/type and how much of a similarity there are between photos.  I did use all the tools available for this so when I did like 8 or 10 textures, I used Dreamstime's "Copy categories" and when I finish bigstock I will use "copy from previous image" as well.

I think we are not on the same page.

The first thing I learned after timing the FTP upload is that all sites were the same - they can accept our images as fast as we can push them.

I learned that - I understand upload and download speeds on my DSL.  I just didn't understand that all of them would be exactly the same.  Now I get that part although they all took 21 mins.  IStock's Image manager took 14 mins.  So somehow Istock DID take the images faster.

The rest of the times I'm talking about throughout the post are all the times from the time I start processing files until they're all submitted & ready for review.

I think the important thing is that AFTER they're uploaded, Shutterstock takes 4 minutes.  Dreamstime takes 12.  Should factor that into your $ per hour of doing stock. 

This post is a post I just finished writing on my microstock blog.  It's a TON of info and since few people currently read the blog, I thought I'd share it here as well.  I hope it's of interest!

Method: I uploaded the same 28 images to all of my sites.  I timed the FTP (all were the same), the "processing" time on sites that have such a thing, and the actual time it took me with my current knowledge of each system to get through and submit them all for review.
---------------------
The first thing I learned after timing the FTP upload is that all sites were the same - they can accept our images as fast as we can push them.  So about 21 mins for 28 images all around seemed to be almost dead-on for every agency.

123RF
Processing time on site: 3 mins.
Categories & Submission: 2 mins.
Total: 5 mins for submission and 26 minutes for 28 images, start to finish.  Because there are no categories and I used IPTC data, there was really nothing to it.  Adding the two model releases were very simple and would be simple even if I had all 28 images as MR.

BigStockPhoto
Total: �File uploading has been temporarity disabled to allow us to reduce the number of files waiting review in the Approval Queue.�  Unfortunately due to a technical issue and backlog of files, BigStock was not available to do this test.  They are normally very quick and I am interested when they come back up to finish this.

CanstockPhoto
Processing time on site: 12 mins.
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 16 mins. While it took 16 minutes to process these images, I thought about my affiliation with Canstock.  As anyone who�s read this blog knows, I�m not fond of this site anymore.  I like Duncan.  I think he�s a nice guy.  16 minutes to process is 3 times as long as 123RF took and I make about 1/8th the money on the same images.   This is officially my last upload to Canstock until I have minions uploading for me.

Crestock
Processing time on site: 11 mins.
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 15 mins.  The processing time was long at Crestock and I know my approval rate is going to be low compared to other sites.  The process was EASY however and 4 mins to submit is fairly quick.  I don�t mind the upload process here so if I can get fewer rejections and more sales, I�ll be entirely happy with 15 mins per 28 images or roughly 120 per hour.

Dreamstime
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 12 mins.
Total: 12 mins. Dreamstime was a fairly quick submission process to me.  I dislike categorizing, especially on multiple sites because you need to learn what they each consider categories and there�s no way to embed categories.  Otherwise it�s not bad.  Considering how much income I�ll get from these 28 images compared to something like 123RF, spending 2.5x the time is worth it.  My income on Dreamstime this month is going to be roughly 20x my 123RF income.  So 3x the work is more than adequate although I�d love this to be a 3 minute upload of course.

FeaturePics
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 4 mins. If my current earnings weren�t $0.00, I�d say wow!  Right now I�ll say it�s simple.  It takes me 5 mins per 30 images to submit including a couple with MRs and all the smoke missing its IPTC data etc.  This is a site that 50 of a single theme could easily be submitted in 10 mins or less.  That�s extremely quick and I�m happy with FP so far this way.

Fotolia
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 9 mins.
Total: 9 mins.  Given my batch of recent rejections, I was actually hoping Fotolia would be a touch quicker.  I also HATE that I can�t figure out how to attach a model release if I forget it during submission.  That basically means I have a rejected photo and I have to reupload it.  It�s SOO infuriating when you WATCH yourself make a mistake and have no way to instantly fix it.  Other than that, doing batches at Fotolia is fast.  Doing a bunch of random stuff is MUCH more time consuming.  I did smoke and textures and then a few random ones - the smoke & textures flew in no time.  The random stuff took most of that 9 mins.

FotoMind
Processing time on site: 1 minute!
Categories & Submission: 7 mins.
Total: 8 mins.  FotoMind�s total is superquick especially when you consider two things: 1) they are getting new servers next week which should make the site move even quicker.  2) I messed up somehow.  My IPTC data was not on title for many of these images and I kept making a mistake of not removing the & keyword here so I had to resubmit the images some times 2-3 times.  I probably could have done the entire submission in 6 total minutes so that is very close to my 123RF time, which is fastest so far.   I�m very happy with the FotoMind upload procedure.  I also read something about we can categorize after acceptance?  I�m not sure how this works but if true, once FotoMind rejects more images, you could save SO MUCH TIME by categorizing only those that were accepted.  I�m amazed that other sites don�t let you do this.  (Chris if you want to comment, I know you�re going to read this - let me know what I�m meaning here�I know there�s something like this.)

Istock
Start to finish on Image Manager: 29 mins.
Total: 29 mins.  Ok, I�m going to share some honesty here.  I�m happy with 29 minutes for IStock.  I honestly would have guessed it taking at least 45 if not 60.  AND I think I can get faster.  I�m not used to using their system so I�m guessing 28 images could be done in 20 mins.  Given that I make a lot of income with them, I am actually going back on my word here and resuming Istock uploads effective today.  I will get myself a nice long queue going to submit 20 at a time.  I don�t hate Image Manager .5 as much as I did the last one.

LuckyOliver
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 4 mins. Blazing quickness!  The only reason this wasn�t 100% FASTER even was the same issue with the smoke�s IPTC data.  It must be incorrect as multiple sites have now had issues with it.  If the IPTC data was correct, this would have taken ONE MINUTE to do all 28 images.  LO�s speed is very very VERY hard to beat.

Shutterstock
Processing time on site: instant!
Categories & Submission: 4 mins.
Total: 4 mins.  Considering sales, considering everything else - Shutterstock is definitely one of the best �per hour� moneymakers on microstock.  BY FAR.

StockXpert
Processing time on site: 1 min.
Categories & Submission: 5 mins.
Total: 6 mins.  I think.  I�m still learning StockXpert�s site - I have 3 images that weren�t reviewed in my last batch.  No clue why.  I just �submitted� the 28 images, I think?  I have had sales there now so I did something right once.  IF I just did it correctly, same series and similar images are SUPER easy and StockXpert and different images are much more difficult.

I will be tracking my acceptance rates at these sites as well for this batch so you�ll know if I uploaded 28 to SS and all get rejected but I sell 10 of them next month at Dreamstime, what we actually make per hour including rejects.

Most important stuff I learned:

- REALLY check IPTC data before uploading.  I must�ve given myself an extra hour of work all total in fixing my mistakes.
- Istock isn�t as bad as I remember.
- Depending on rejections and income in the future, Crestock may not be the site for me.

Final Times for 28 images:
Lucky Oliver - 4 mins.
Shutterstock - 4 mins.
FeaturePics - 4 mins.
123RF - 5 mins.
StockXpert - 6 mins.
FotoMind - 8 mins.
Fotolia - 9 mins. 
Dreamstime - 12 mins.
Crestock -  15 mins.
Canstock - 16 mins.
Istock - 29 mins.
Bigstock - pending

easily my BME on SS and DT this month and the last week has included my 3rd best day ever on SS and 3 of my 5 best on DT.  So I think it just fluctuates... yesterday they DL half my SS folio.  Today, not much. 

If you get paid every 6 months at Canstock, that suggests that you have at least 8 times my portfolio.   I have gotten ONE payout in 4 yrs+  I have had roughly 80 images online since 2004 and finally hit $50 in January.  I immediately took payout as I've only had one sale in 3 months - last one was Dec 20th!!

2nd sale.

500 shots and one DL every so often would not be worth it by FAR.  agree on that.  All the posts on here were old re: FM so i thought I'd update the info.