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Messages - riffmax
126
« on: August 13, 2008, 10:50 »
Got it. Thank you!
127
« on: August 13, 2008, 09:54 »
I haven't been here very long, and I'm not super active here - so please excuse me if this has been asked and answered....
I don't get how the site poll works. If I scroll down this page, the right hand column has a place that says "You may cast a new vote in..." and seems to default to the next month, whatever that is. I don't fully understand that. And what do I put in the boxes next to each site? Then, the poll that lists each site and you give it a number representing excellent to poor doesn't make alot of sense either. Is that a measure of one site compared to another? Of one month/site compared to another?
What about the poll results? Is that based on whatever is down this page on the right, or on the poll you get to by clicking the polls tab above?
Sorry for not getting what is probably obvious, but I've not been able to figure this out.
128
« on: August 13, 2008, 07:25 »
The last significant change I have seen was in January of 07, when I basically doubled my daily download average from 4.06 to 8.77. By February I'd tripled it to 13.00 downloads a day. That is factoring in decent, even great (for me) weekdays against slow, sometimes only 1 or 2, weekend days. After February of 2007, I have averaged 20-25 uploads each month and my sales have stayed relatively consistent with lower numbers in January, May and June of this year. My overall average for those 18 months is 11.60 dls/day. So far, August is averaging 10.66/day, which is pretty consistent.
My point being that for me, uploading 20-25 images per month maintains (but only maintains) consistent sales. If I uploaded more, I would expect an increase. If I uploaded less, I would expect my daily average to begin to drop on a consistent basis.
129
« on: August 13, 2008, 07:03 »
Well, as these meters are from dt and is, I now know that I will have absolutely no credibility here, so I will probably only visit from time to time to ask stupid questions and add absolutely nothing!
Rats.
130
« on: August 07, 2008, 09:28 »
Waiting for that first sale at YAY, or waiting for that first OD sale at SS?
131
« on: August 07, 2008, 08:52 »
Can you elaborate? I too have noticed new images being ignored - I assumed that since I've been trying more actively to add volume that the quality was deteriorating! LOL!
Can't find where I read about the search engine changes. One of the threads here, but brief search did not turn it up.
It wasn't official word, but observations from contributors who keep on top of things more than I do. (I stopped doing sample searches years ago - too depressing to see where my stuff winds up). Since their observations match my own recent experience, I will assume there's some truth to them.
I think you can safely assume your quality isn't deteriorating 
LOL - thanks!
132
« on: August 07, 2008, 08:12 »
My sales numbers there are about as usual, but selling more older photos than before.
I don't know for sure but I read that their search engine had changed to not favor newer photos quite as much.
Can you elaborate? I too have noticed new images being ignored - I assumed that since I've been trying more actively to add volume that the quality was deteriorating! LOL!
133
« on: June 19, 2008, 14:06 »
Nevermind - I just figured out how long they've been around 
134
« on: June 19, 2008, 13:23 »
I was just checking them out, and it almost appears that you don't have to keyword or categorize images until after they are reviewed. Am I right about that?
Has anyone checked them out?
135
« on: June 19, 2008, 12:55 »
I just saw this thread - still new here - and wanted to take a look....I got a 404 error - is cutcaster already gone?
136
« on: June 19, 2008, 12:51 »
Yes, it's good to learn of sales.
I dreamt last night that I had my first sale. Fortunately, (as a lady once sang) "dreamin is free!" LOL!
So far, I am patient - their smooth process and quick reviews make it such a pleasure to upload, I already have more there than I do at DT - and that's after 3 years!
137
« on: June 19, 2008, 12:20 »
While I certainly don't generate enough to make a significant difference in our income, it is still a little bit every month - and every little bit helps.
The impact it would have would be that it would require my husband, who has his own business and is the only one who works there, to work even harder to make up the difference- which is not physically possible....
So, yes, it would impact me strongly.
138
« on: June 19, 2008, 12:18 »
I guess I must suck! I can't even find where to look!!!
139
« on: June 16, 2008, 09:28 »
I have to admit that on more than one occasion, I have been mystified about the front page pics - the specific thing that repeatedly jumps out at me would be "white balance". Countless times, I have felt that if I'd submitted such a shot (I am NOT referring to any specific photo), it would have never been accepted.
I questioned it publicly once and got the following answer:
"Ya gotta know the rules before you can break the rules".
I thought that was pretty good advice, and since then - when I have seen photos that I personally think would not make the grade had they been my own - I try to study them to see why they DO work and why they ARE featured.
I haven't figured out a whole lot by doing that, but I don't get aggravated any more. I just figure that my limited experience/vision/ability makes it so that whatever image it is - that the skill/ability/vision of the photographer is just over my head!
Does that make sense?
140
« on: June 16, 2008, 09:17 »
Don't try to over analyze, upload as soon as you can, or as soon as you can motivate yourself to do it!
Agreed. There are too many constantly shifting variables that make it impossible to plan for anything like that.
141
« on: June 16, 2008, 09:11 »
Actually, I was just interested in any trends that seem to be industry wide. I also compare those trends to my own ebbs and flows - I may be living in a fantasy world, but IMHO, that helps me to measure the viability of my port in general. If I see similar trends industry wide that I see in my own sales, then I take some comfort. If the traffic ratings indicate a surge but my own trend is down, then I think I need to make a change - whether that be in content or volume is my own decision. Thanks for the link! 
142
« on: June 13, 2008, 10:34 »
Don't like sounding 'tupid, but I'm really not that familiar with Alexa and am not sure how to get the reports.
Can someone post a link to the current stats for the big 6?
143
« on: June 13, 2008, 10:28 »
I try to divide my images as following:
Microstock RF:
-no people shots. If I was a model for someone I'd like to know that the images cannot be used forever over and over.
-images with not-so-perfect lightning
-generic, "universal" subjects
-images that are easy to produce very fast, low production value
RM (almost my all macrostock images are RM):
-people shots
-technically good shots with good lighting
-special subjects (they won't sell as microstock anyway)
-"lucky shots" special moments that are hard to capture
-images that are hard to produce, high production value
-editorial photography
-"creative" and "artsy" shots (that would propably be rejected by microstock inspectors anyway 
What comes to imagery from Niagara falls...
Word "Niagara" returns 4569 images. On iStock there are 466 matches for "Niagara".
It seems like a well covered subject on both sites - that makes it a tough competition.
I'd say you have to have very good images, maybe from some special angle and/or the best light - otherwise the images could only be a waste of time. I'd still post the best images to macro and the b-grade ones to microstock.
Is that you, Harmon?  To answer the op - I just do it the easy way - my camera's resolution isn't large enough to be able to submit to RM agencies, and it seems the only RM agencies I ever come across don't accept RF shooters anyway! LOL!
144
« on: June 13, 2008, 10:24 »
I think that learning to roll with the punches is one of the hardest things to learn.
I guess the best thing to do is to realize that:
1) reveiwers are people, like you said, and even in something as precise as stock seems to be, there is still a great deal of subjectivity involved that will never go away, and....
b) no one site should be used to measure the viability of any image at another site - each site has different criteria and that's their prerogative as it is their business to run how they wish
last) no one has forced any of us to submit - we're "asking for it" when we do, and need to remember it IS a business and nothing personal when we are rejected.
145
« on: June 12, 2008, 11:37 »
I agree that you could put that note somewhere in the description/title of the image, if you have no other options. Describe the image as "original illustration of generic newpaper", etc....
146
« on: June 05, 2008, 08:23 »
I am in the 3000 - 10000 tier. It will be a long time until I reach the 10000!
Same here, I just sailed past 3,000 five days ago - based on my current sales it will now be years rather than months until I hit 10,000 so there's very little incentive to go all out and get to the next payment increase. Next years raise will have come and gone before I get anywhere close 
I'm a recent newbie to the $3k tier, and am having some difficulty getting stuff accepted right now (acceptance rate of only 28% in May, I think), but that swings back and forth and I will just keep uploading as I am able to. I disagree with the incentive comment, tho. When I started out with this 3 1/2 years ago, I had no hope that I would ever see a single payout - yes, I thought it would be just another photo portal with no sale, or even a scam. I would have never dreamed that I would reach $3K in revenue already (most of which has come in the last 2 years)! Had I even had a CLUE that would be feasible, I would have uploaded much more earlier on....but I digress. The increase for EL's has been my prime motivating factor. The way I see it, if I can improve my images to the point where I am getting more consistent EL's (I average about one/month - sometimes more, occasionally none), then that next tier will be achievable fairly quickly! Of course, everyone wants to make more money, and I am no different - and of course, we try to micro-analyze the natural fluctations in the industry, but I'm on this ride to stay!
147
« on: May 29, 2008, 14:02 »
Yes, it would. Even for a piker like me, it could make a difference!
Thanks for all the input!
148
« on: May 29, 2008, 11:18 »
Yes, I have just recently begun to change my workflow to edit in tif. Will check on the less processed look. Hmmm -hadn't considered that. But then, I'm spending double time doing two edits, right?
149
« on: May 29, 2008, 08:45 »
If I were you I would try and understand why IS is rejecting so much of your stuff as this seems to be the 2nd earner for most people who contribute to multiple agencies (assuming that they have been accepted at all of them)
I have only 2 rejections reasons that I ever get - either noise or overprocessed. I am actually amazed that I have gotten the very few accepted that are there. I guess I'll just keep trying though!
150
« on: May 29, 2008, 08:34 »
I have only found one usage via tineye - and I think it may be stolen http://dolcimamme.forumattivo.com/ and when I hover my mouse over the image, it states "hosted by imageshack" I have never heard of imageshack - has anyone else? I have sent an email to them requesting they remove it, as it is my best selling image.
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