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Messages - 4seasons

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26
Photo Critique / Re: what do you think of this photo?
« on: August 24, 2015, 19:07 »
I understand you have issues with beginers

Wrong. I have no issues with beginners, but maybe some beginners have issues with me.
Let me tell you my story. This is for all beginners, if you'll only find it useful.
[I'm sorry for my bad English]

About at least 20 years ago I already was a "good photographer". There was no Facebook, no internet (as it's today), no online teachings, tutorials etc. I learned everything from books, magazines and from my own practice. All my friends and family praised my photos and spoke "You're the best!". But I himself was not very happy as I understood that I can and must do better. So one day I acquired courage and called one of the best, nationally recognized and reputable photographer. I asked maybe he could take a glance in to my photos and judge them. He agreed to give me one hour for a cup of coffee. As you know, there was no digital photography at that time. So I selected 10 of my best photos, printed them in the lab and we met. He has reviewed my photos, then... crumpled them ALL and threw in the trash bin! "What the s/*@# you're showing me?!"- he loudly asked. I was shocked. These were my best of the best photos! I asked, is there any hope that I will succeed in photography? He said, that if I want and if I will work very hardly and persistently, maybe one day I will take some good photos. Then he explained me the very basic what I should do. And we agreed to meet again in two weeks.

When I back home, I cried. I was angry. I was mad on him. I was full of self-pity and my self-esteem was below zero. I did not want to even look at my camera. I wanted to quit. After two or three days of deep depression I woke up and decided that I CAN. I MUST. And I WILL be a good photographer. So I furiously started to study basics. I took pictures everywhere: at home, in the yard, in the park, street etc. I printed them in the lab, examined them and again took pictures. I take notes on a paper of every single shot: aperture, shutter speed, again printed in lab and analyzed them. So after two weeks I selected my 10 new best photos and we met again. He reviewed them and selected ONE photo: "This one is very average. All others go to recycle bin". I was shocked again. And he explained me again, what I did wrong and how can I improve. I asked him for another one meeting, he agreed. So now I had another two weeks to prepare another 10 photos. I was angry again but I started from the very first day. I did the same things: read books, took pictures, printed them, examined and analyzed my notes, and again and again and again.

And we met third time. He took my photos, intently viewed them and this time selected five (FIVE!) photos. "These are mediocre. But from this point you can start learn something more". And he taught me next several steps and few basic rules of photography. We never meet again but I learned something.

Maybe in a year or two after our last meeting I called him and thanked. Even after many years I was so grateful to that man.

This man was not very cute. He was not polite. He was very categorical. And I had many reasons to hate him and be angry at him. But I concentrated on my purpose. And I worked very hard to achieve it. Not hours, days or weeks. Not even months, but years. Many years.

Today I'm a good photographer. Not the best by far, but good enough to make my living out of my photos. And I'm learning further every day.

So if you want only fluffy compliments, that's ok. You can get them from your family members or some close friends, but you'll learn nothing. Subservience will not teach you nothing, but will rise your self-love only, and you'll stay to live in a world of illusions.
But you will be thankful for a hard (and sometimes rough) critique after some time, if you will understand some principles deeply in your heart.

You're the only human being and you have feelings, so you can be angry and enraged. You feel depressed? Fine! Go ahead. Cry and scream that no one loves you. Feel distressed when your ego will be trampled. Weep and wail day and night. But one day you must stop and grow up.
If you really want to catch your dream, then stop self-pity, stand up, wipe your tears and set to work. Hard work.

Today you have internet so you have all the world in your hands. All teachings, tutorials, books, magazines, articles, examples are directly in front of you.
Today you don't need to go to the lab to see your photos, you can check them after one second on your camera screen.
Today you don't need to write on a paper values of aperture and shutter-speed. They appear right away right now.
So today the only one that can prevent to achieve your goal is you.
When you'll understand that, you will certainly succeed.

Thank you for so long reading and good luck!
4Seasons

27
Photo Critique / Re: what do you think of this photo?
« on: August 22, 2015, 04:47 »
Dear 4seasons
This session is called photo critique and not photo ofense. I am shure i will improve but not thanks  to someone like you. I do no think people are waisting their time trying to help me. They really helped me think which should be my next steps. I understand you have issues with beginers but try to be a litle more polite next time.
See you in a few photos.
And, by the way, I am a she, no a he.

Dear micsmt,
I'm very very sorry if I was too harsh. Please forgive me.

Now, with all respect to You, I would like kindly shortly repeat:

1. Your photos are trash.
2. You have no understanding about stock photography.
3. You have no self-criticism.
4. You should do your homework from the very basic first. A lot of homework.
5. There is no beginning point from where I could start critique your photos, because they are below critique.
6. Do your homework.
7. Do your homework.

All the best to you!!

Respectfully,
4Seasons

28
Photo Critique / Re: what do you think of this photo?
« on: August 21, 2015, 21:03 »
Why do you think this is a troll? Im a beginner and have no intention to fool anyone, just trying to improve.

I think that you're trolling here, because I can't imagine that a reasonable man, who have no understanding about photography at all, don't understand what a rubbish he is showing. So You upload here absolutely trash, ask for a opinion, read comments and laughing at people who waste their time and are trying to help you.

If you really need an opinion, then you got it: your snapshots are absolutely trash. There is nothing to discuss about. You need elementary knowledge.

So don't waste others time and do some homework himself. Browse forums, read books and magazines, check 10 agencies best sellers, check 100 best photographers portfolios, practice with your camera- do 10000 shots and examine them. Then after two months of hard work come here and show your photos. Such is my advice.

No offense.




29
Photo Critique / Re: what do you think of this photo?
« on: August 21, 2015, 03:11 »
Nice troll ;)

30
Microstock Services / Re: Which is the best payment method ?
« on: August 10, 2015, 07:07 »
I use Skrill. Money goes straight to my card. I can withdraw anytime on any ATM.
I use Payoneer. Money goes straight to my card. I can withdraw anytime on any ATM.
And I use Paypal, then withdraw in to my USA bank account/Payoneer account.

31
Canva / Re: Canva
« on: July 01, 2015, 13:02 »
Let's say, a client created a design (invitation) with a particular background and another day he decided to create another design (postcard) with the same background to make all in one style, and suddenly: 404 - Not found! It's a disrespect to clients and bad business practice, not to mention our (photographers) frustration.


Not so, all deleted files remain available to designers once they have saved a template.  You cannot delete a file in such a case, it will remain available for ever and a day.

"If you pay for a One Time Use License, then you can only use that Stock Media in one of your Canva Designs". And I'm talking about a case, when a client decides to create ANOTHER design with the same file, so he must pay another License. How he can buy a nonexisting file?

But maybe I don't understand how it works..

32
Canva / Re: Canva
« on: July 01, 2015, 12:38 »
I contacted support. Lee was so kind to answer quickly:

  1.  The ingestion is working fine. Files appear in the _processing directory so you have a record of what you uploaded. They stay there until the images have passed review, then they're removed. You'll see them in your account after that.

 2.  We're still a new company and we're changing our processes all the time. That includes changing which files we want in our collection. We have some reviewers removing files we think don't meet the new standards we're setting.

---

OK, let's wait another day and will see if my uploaded files will appear on my portfolio.

BUT regarding already approved files I have a big concern. Today I missed another 3 images from my portfolio- all of them have been purchased just a few days ago.
It seems that they really don't check if a file already has been purchased and downloaded. Let's say, a client created a design (invitation) with a particular background and another day he decided to create another design (postcard) with the same background to make all in one style, and suddenly: 404 - Not found! It's a disrespect to clients and bad business practice, not to mention our (photographers) frustration.

I think, first of all they should approve files thoroughly in the beginning, knowing exactly what they want and what they need.
And second, if a file already has been approved, it should stay on a portfolio inviolable.
If they "are changing process all the time", what we can expect tomorrow? Next month? After few months? Step by step a company can lose confidence from both sides- clients and distributors.

Anyway, they are the boss and they can do what they want. I'm only a small fish in a big pond...


33
Canva / Re: Canva
« on: July 01, 2015, 09:55 »
after a while they appeared

Could you please specify when they appeared? After few hours? Next day? After few days?

Thanks.

34
Canva / Re: Canva
« on: July 01, 2015, 09:41 »
I still can't upload files. After uploading they appear in _processing directory with 0 bites size and don't appear on my portfolio.

Does it happen to anyone else?
Yep

Thank you for response. At least is good to know I'm not alone ;)
BTW, my files also disappear from existing portfolio- regularly, almost daily... What the @!$#??!!....
I'll contact them and will let you know if they'll answer.

35
Canva / Re: Canva
« on: July 01, 2015, 09:24 »
I still can't upload files. After uploading they appear in _processing directory with 0 bites size and don't appear on my portfolio.

Does it happen to anyone else?

36
...I'M MORE A VECTOR ARTIST. I'M REAL SERIOUSLY INTO THIS BUSINESS AND CAN AFFORD TO WORK HARD, REAL HARD INTO IT TO HAVE A COOL AND QUALITY PORTFOLIO(MAY BE 2500 IMAGES BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR). YOU EXPERIENCED MICROSTOCKERS HERE, ADVICE ME PLEASE. AFTER HOW MANY MONTHS(BASED ON GENERAL CASES YOU KNOW BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT THE SAME FOR ALL) WHAT IT TAKES(MONTH, PORTFOLIO SIZE, ETC....) TO ATTAIN $11000? I REALLY NEED ADVICES NOW. I WANNA DO IT, BUT NEED MORE MOTIVATIONS....AND ADVICE ME ALSO ON THE BEST OF AGENCIES...THANKS A LOT TO EVERYONE WHO CONSIDER THIS AND REPLY ME..

I never read texts written in CAPS. Learn to respect the reader first, then ask an advice.

37
http://petapixel.com/2014/12/10/expensive-photo-world-best-marketing-stunt/

... "But all that aside, the lack of transparency in the sale raises nothing but questions about the validity of the claim. It feels like a marketing stunt to get Liks name in the news, and a few more feet into the galleries. On that account, the sale is a success. But youd be hard pressed to find support for his artistry.

If you want to be inspired by a master marketer, look no further than Lik. If you want to see great photography, head over to the ICP and see the Salgado exhibit."

Comparison Sebastio Salgado: http://www.icp.org/museum/exhibitions/sebastiao-salgado-genesis

38
Dear Alamy,

whatever you'll change after this thread I want you to know that I really appreciate your move, your interest in what your contributors want. This is unusual and you're doing that not first time. For me you are the only one (+ SS edited mine) honest and trust worth agency that respects authors.
Keep it going and I wish you (us) all the best! You rule!


Agree!

Keywording/titleing on Alamy is one of the reasons I often left already approved images for a week or two not preparing them for sale. It's too complicated to separate keywords in to three fields. I like Zazzle at this point - you just select and click 10 keywords/phrases from all bunch and they automatically became essentials. You can unselect and change them later. Beside this the system should read and understand phrases from IPTC.

Also, the system don't read IPTC titles- they somewhere disappear. I edit batch on ACDSee and maybe I should put a title on Headline or Description fields, but then other agencies don't see or don't understand..

I have no reproofs to uplaoding system, but would very appreciate FTP.

Thanks a lot and all the best!


39
General Stock Discussion / Re: Stockbo for Sale
« on: October 30, 2014, 14:46 »
When I see a newborn 'agency' with a "board of directors", structure kind of Microsoft or Apple and pompous presentation, mostly I ignore it and check again after half a year are they still alive.

Anyway, good luck to "the directors".

40
iStockPhoto.com / Re: Slow site
« on: October 22, 2014, 18:37 »
I use their FTP method: my 100 files uploaded in 3 minutes, then it took 2 minutes to keyword, after 20 min all of them were approved and I got my first 340 downloads just in a hour. Then I got several extended licenses of somewhere $600 each, and when I tried to check them closely I.... woke up..

41
Alamy.com / Re: File size restriction relaxed?
« on: October 16, 2014, 19:07 »
... current iPhones are actually wonderful little cameras... :P

So.... my next camera I will buy will be iPhone 6  ;)

42
General Stock Discussion / Re: Stockbo?
« on: October 16, 2014, 18:09 »
Their website looks...... interesting  ::)

43
Finding a hot niche is hard.  Protecting it from poachers is near impossible.

Indeed.

And thank you spike!

44
New Sites - General / Re: new site stocktal
« on: October 08, 2014, 09:51 »
... our prime goal is to sell your work and make you money...

Ah, how nice of you!.. I'm tired from such an unselfish statements... Why 90% of startupers are so synthetic and insincere??? WHY?
Why not to be honest and just say: "Hi all, I would like to earn on your stock images, so I'm inviting you to join my website. If I will sell some photos I will give you 50%, in the beginning, and if we'll be lucky, you'll get more". That's all. Honesty. Bravery. Truth. Then would be respect from me and maybe I would join.



And please,  no bull@its about "our team", "big department", "board of art directors" etc, while often behind this stands one person only.

Anyway, good luck for Stocktal.

But all new "agencies" and artists hunters, listen: don't cheat, don't fool and deceive, be honest and brave, tell truth from the very beginning, because here are real people who saw hot and cold through the years, who work hard (sometimes for pennies), who can see your heart and your intentions, can feel and can hear between the lines and have some wise words to correct and to encourage you. And they deserve respect, but not to be cheated in any way.

+1

But

An example of agency telling the truth (imo) from the beginning.
https://macrografiks.com/
And if they are not failing they are not so far, and seem to desperately try to find a good solution to satisfy themselves and their contributors, keeping to be honest, gentle and fair.

Unfortunately we live in a world where bigger is the lie bigger is the success
Basically people like to be telling lies
If it was not like this there will be a lot of time that we would have fired all our politicians :D


Yep, as always and everywhere there is another side of the Moon. In general I agree with you, and I think that sometimes we do not need to know "all truth", just for a peace of mind. Wise people know when and how much truth to say. I just want to emphasize one side and extreme approach to future colleagues. Presentation of a new agency and communication should be well and wisely balanced ;)

45
New Sites - General / Re: new site stocktal
« on: October 07, 2014, 17:22 »
... our prime goal is to sell your work and make you money...

Ah, how nice of you!.. I'm tired from such an unselfish statements... Why 90% of startupers are so synthetic and insincere??? WHY?
Why not to be honest and just say: "Hi all, I would like to earn on your stock images, so I'm inviting you to join my website. If I will sell some photos I will give you 50%, in the beginning, and if we'll be lucky, you'll get more". That's all. Honesty. Bravery. Truth. Then would be respect from me and maybe I would join.

And please,  no bull@its about "our team", "big department", "board of art directors" etc, while often behind this stands one person only.

Anyway, good luck for Stocktal.

But all new "agencies" and artists hunters, listen: don't cheat, don't fool and deceive, be honest and brave, tell truth from the very beginning, because here are real people who saw hot and cold through the years, who work hard (sometimes for pennies), who can see your heart and your intentions, can feel and can hear between the lines and have some wise words to correct and to encourage you. And they deserve respect, but not to be cheated in any way.

46
Adobe Stock / Re: Fotolia D-Day (Deactivation Day) - May,1
« on: April 30, 2014, 17:43 »
I'm in microstock business from the very beginning. I have seen the birth of all main agencies- iStockphoto, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, Fotolia, BS, CS, 123RF etc. I watched how they grew up. And I saw how they acted at one point or another. Through the years Istockphoto and Fotolia appeared to be the most unfriendly agencies. Is so pity because Fotolia at one period (about 2007-2009) was my earner number one. I have 3500+ files on FT. I stopped upload a long time ago and now I'm deleting my photos in consolidation with Fotolia D-Day. I don't know yet how many I will delete- maybe half of them or maybe my all portfolio. But the fact is- I am with hardly working photogs and against abuse of agency. Good luck to my all colleagues!

48
Hobostocker

Your avatar is out of date.

Will Work For Beer Free

!!! +

I think that prices of all other sizes should change also:

Blog - Free
Medium - 3 Free
Large - 15 Free
Vectors - 25 Free
Extended License - 75 Free

49
Got an email from onOne:

"We wanted to reach out to you, a valued onOne email subscriber, and give you a special opportunity to download the most powerful and versatile photo effects software available anywhere for free. It's the new and improved Perfect Effects 8 Premium Edition ($99 value). Get it today and bring out the best in your photos!
This is a fully licensed version of Perfect Effects 8 Premium Edition, and it's yours to keep forever, at no cost and with no strings attached."


Just an info for lovers of onOne software, who maybe subscribed but didn't check your email recently. Maybe there is a gift in your post box.

Product:
http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/effects8/

50
all one's friends can vote for that entrant regardless of the image quality.  If you have a lot of friends, enter away.  If not, don't waste your time.

You're right, I didn't even think about Facebook or Twitter friends, what a naivety!  Because I didn't ever use this kind of promotion.. ::) But I see some really not good shots in the first places, so probably it's a result of your guess.

I just found a possibility on your personal info to add two websites address, so it can be some kind of promotion.

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