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Messages - bobkeenan
51
« on: March 31, 2011, 15:35 »
Hi guys,
Once you've opted in, we "de-duplicate" images between Shutterstock and Bigstock. Essentially, there's an image analysis that measures attributes of the image to determine if the two images are the same within a certain threshold.
There are a few occasions where there might be false identifications (for example, if someone uploads multiple versions of a basketball on a white background), but those are specific circumstances in which images had very similar attributes.
In terms of differences between review standards - those should go down with time or might simply reflect the specific reviewer you've gotten. There are different reviewers at each service, but they're under a single umbrella "Content" team and our goal is to have consistent and shared standards for each.
That clears it.... thanks.
52
« on: March 31, 2011, 10:21 »
I know that there are some threads about this program but after about 15 minutes I did not see what I need. So time for a new topic.
I have about 800 images on SS and about 1200 on BS. Both got the same photo submittals so my accept rate has been better on BS. Oh the other hand.... my total sales on BS are about 10% of what they are on SS.
So I got the offer to opt in on bridge to Bigstock and said ok. I figured it could only help my BS stuff.
But after thinking about it. I bet that most of my SS stuff is already on BS.... so no change there.
The question is....... do I still upload the same files to both SS and BS like I always did. If my accept rate at BS stays the same I might get some of my SS rejects accepted there? I do regularly have SS rejects sell at other sites including BS.
Also
If I submit the same images to BS will they know that I have already submitted the same images to SS and bounce them out?
Or if SS rejects an image will it automatically be rejected at BS?
53
« on: March 30, 2011, 17:52 »
I just don't trust the Benro travel angels any more. But..... I posted the question yesterday looking for advice on what is a good travel tripod for a FF camera with larger lenses like a canon 70-200mm f2.8. I took the responses, did a bunch of research, and ordered one today. The Gitzo GT2541. It will be my first Gitzo so I am looking forward to that. If you want to see the spreadsheet I came up with you can see it here: http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/?p=1518If you have this tripod let me know what you think of it pls.
54
« on: March 29, 2011, 19:15 »
I wrote another little post to my blog about my experience with a Benro Travel Angel. You can read it here: http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/benro-travel-ange-c0691tb00-reviewed/The short version is that it was great a couple years ago with a smaller dslr and kit lens but it's not doing the job with my current set-up. Like a Canon 5DMkII, and a 70-200mm f2.8... sometimes with a tele-extender. Anybody have any good experiences with a travel tripod that can fit in a normal size suit case (does not have to be carryon)? -- Bob Keenan http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/
55
« on: March 20, 2011, 15:43 »
That's a lot of images, do you make much income from that?
While I submit about 30/wk only about 5-25 make it. The toughest are istock and fotolia. The easiest are Canstock and 123rf. My portfolios run from about a low of 300 (istock) to 1300 (canstock). Shutterstock is in the middle with about 800 images. I get about 50% of my sales there. The next closest is Istock and Dreamstime @ 15% each. This past month I made $235 total. I have seen photographers with smaller portfolios make much more money than this.......So I can tell I have to improve not only my acceptance rate but also the commercial quality of my images. The good news is that I am having fun and I think I can, within a few years, get to my goal of about $800/month.
56
« on: March 17, 2011, 10:51 »
I have been uploading about 30 images a week to microstock sites for the past 2+ years. My sales have shown a nice linear growth over that whole time. The question I have.... is what would happen if I stopped for a month or so? Would the sales stay flat at my current level? Would they slowly drop? Would they drop quickly?
I have heard lots of microstockers say you have to "keep feeding the monster"!
Just curious?
57
« on: March 16, 2011, 21:56 »
Also try the forums at FredMiranda.com. They have a very active buy&sell forum, with ratings and feedback about buyers and sellers. I got my Canon 1D-mkII through them and it has served me well for 2 years.
Yea I recently registered at fredmiranda.com and posted the same blog there. I was not aware of the buy and sell portion of their site...... So I got all sorts of opinions about how great their site is for buying and selling. They have a point so I added it to my blog site. But I still think your best chance for the highest price will be ebay. But it may be better to buy at FM ?
58
« on: March 16, 2011, 17:46 »
Someone at work asked me how to sell a dslr camera that he had because he could use the cash to get another camera. He knew about craigslist and ebay but had never done anything with either. I have been using both for so long that I forgot that it took me a while to learn how to use those places. Now I mainly use ebay. But.... I thought...maybe this is another excuse for a blog posting... a tutorial about some of the ins and outs of selling stuff on ebay. I think this would be of great use for a beginner. I would also love to hear about any "tricks" that the more experienced people have that I might have missed. I can add them to my posting. The posting is here : http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/sell-dslr-stuff-internet/
59
« on: March 10, 2011, 18:38 »
I love my RS-4 Blackrapid camera strap. Well as much as you can love a strap. I went from the canon strap that came with my DLSR to an assortment of different camera bags, to a wrist strap, and finally settled on the RS-4 strap with a 1" Kirk arca clamp on it. I find its easy, comfortable, light weight, and safe. So I figured.....another excuse for a blog describing it and how I got there. If you are interested you can read more about it here: http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/black-rapid-strap-love/-- Bob Keenan http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/
60
« on: March 07, 2011, 12:49 »
Yes, it's a slow site for me too - but I've seen more regular sales over the last couple of months. I'm still hopeful for Veer.
Well now....a few months later.... I like Veer. Sales are still strange. What I mean by that is that I will go a week or two with no sales and the I will get a $20 sale..... another week or two and then another few higher fee sales. And Veer is providing the highest $$ per image sold. Its not like some of my other small earners where I consistently get $1-4 a week. So its not like Shutterstock ($30-60/ week) but I think Veer will was a good addition to my list of sites that I upload to. 
61
« on: March 06, 2011, 18:21 »
I was comparing some of my sales stats today and was wondering why I am not getting increased sales here. I started at several sites a couple of years ago. I upload a set of images every few days. Two years later I have, for the same images, about 50% more images accepted at shutterstock than fotolia. In addition, my total sales per week has climbed from both starting at 0 to $20-50 per week at Shutterstock and from 0 to $4 per week at Fotolia. So Fotolia is more picky on its image acceptance AND there is a really weak relationship between added images and increased sales. I don't do people shots....is that my problem with Fotolia??
62
« on: March 02, 2011, 17:40 »
For those of you who have 17-55's I bet most of you have noticed that you keep getting more and more dust inside the lens. You have probably noticed that it does not affect your image quality....But it probably bugs the heck out of you. Will the dust get so bad that it will affect the image? I did not wait to find out. I looked around the internet and found several sources of people who cleaned and documented how they cleaned the inside of their lens. So I wrote a little blog on it. http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/cleaning-inside-the-canon-ef-s-17-55mm-f2-8-is-lens-and-then-sealing-it/Some people posted that they were going to put some silicone glue on the slots under the label to see if it would keep the dust out. But I could not find any posts of the results of that experiment. Well.... I did it. And it did stop the dust or at least slowed it down to what a normal lens would be. So if you feel courageous (or stupid) and you hate dust....give it a try.
64
« on: February 15, 2011, 08:51 »
It's the kind of picture they usually - but not always - reject lately, but could sell well if accepted
I switched it to B&W, resubmitted it, got accepted, immediately got about 5 sales in 1st week. Go figure.
66
« on: February 03, 2011, 08:41 »
I have the first three lenses you listed plus a 17-40mm, 50mm f/2.5, and 50mm f/1.4.
It depends on what you're shooting any given day. I just got the 50mm f/1.4 but I'd say the old 50mm f/2.5 macro is what I've used the most.
I really wish Canon would come out with a 17-70mm which would replace the 24-105 and 17-40.
I would love that too especially if they could do it at f2.8 and maybe add IS too? But I guess most of the Canon upgrades go to the EF-S lenses. So I suspect we would have to wait a while before we see new lenses like that.
67
« on: February 02, 2011, 14:37 »
I am thinking about another lens, probably a prime. Currently for my 5DMkII for microstock I use:
24-105 f4 IS - Almost All the time, main walk around lens
100mm f2.8 Macro - Sometimes when I am doing Macro's
70-200mm f2.8 IS - Sometimes for walk around lens
100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS - Rarely - mostly for animals/birds/sports
I did a survey of my MS images. About 40% are around 50mm focal length, 40% around 85mm, the rest are scattered between 24-400mm.
What len(s) do you use the most for microstock?
68
« on: January 31, 2011, 15:55 »
bobkeenan,
Every submitted image from every photographer is inspected by a human - but as you noticed, we're extremely fast. Sometimes our approvals are 1 minute or less, while other times it may be a few hours.
Cheers,
Duncan
All I have to say then is Wow! I will have to figure out how to increase my sales there because you have one of the, or perhaps, most contributor friendly sites. Thanks for the answer you provided.
69
« on: January 31, 2011, 13:29 »
I just uploaded about 8 files to Canstock last night. This AM I did the review and approval, I immediately went to look at my portfolio, and there were all of my files....approved?
Canstock is not a big earner for me. So I do not pay that much attention. But I did generally notice that they take most of my stuff and recently its been all of my stuff. But I don't remember this fast.....
Its almost like they reviewed it last night before I approved it...or I have gotten to the point where they just take my stuff without review. Note that with IS and SS I am more like in the 30-50% approval range.
70
« on: January 29, 2011, 00:35 »
Space Propulsion Business Development Manager
Every time I see you're name, I think of Captain Kangaroo. LOL His name was Bob Keeshan.
I have had some people tell me that the Captains name was Bob Keenan.... but you are right. I grew up with that show... Mr Green Jeans was my favorite.
71
« on: January 27, 2011, 14:16 »
I was wondering how many photos (statistically) one needs to have $300 a month.
Now mind you (before you start lecturing me that the numbers are not important, but the subject is  ) I do understand that some photos sell better some sell worse and there is also good time for a specific photos and bad time for them.
It's just a statistical wondering - maybe you already got this moment when you have $300 a month, maybe more.
(I picked the number $300 because it's more or less how much I did already earn on stocks, and because I spent this very money on a compact camera for a friend).
So, what do you thing - how much photos one need to have in the portfolio in for example shutterstock to earn $300 a month?
I don't know how I missed it but here is a great site on the net called Microstock Diaries. He publishes his monthly earnings so you can see the portfolio quantity vs sales. http://www.microstockdiaries.com/tag/earnings-reports
72
« on: January 27, 2011, 14:02 »
Out of curiosity  We probably have a diverse group of people?
I'll start: I'm a graduate student in CS.
Space Propulsion Business Development Manager
73
« on: January 26, 2011, 20:48 »
After reading all of these comments I am made humble how inferior my images must be. I am not a pro. I am just selling stuff cause its fun and it, eventually, will pay the camera equipment habit that I have.
But after 2 years and anywhere from 300-1100 images across each of 7 sites, I am up to about $150/month.
So I can see that I have a looooong way to go before I do pro quality images.
Its still fun though.
74
« on: January 26, 2011, 17:29 »
I just finished another blog entry. This one is on Aperture 3 Workflow. Lots of people have written about this. I am not sure if many have done it in relation to microstock. As I mention in the blog...this is not necessarily the best work flow but it is the one that I have developed for myself over the past 2 years. So have peek. Let me know if I have it all wrong, am missing something, or if you have any questions. http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/my-aperture-3-workflow/-- Bob Keenan http://www.bobkeenanphoto.com/
75
« on: January 17, 2011, 23:53 »
Why wait another 2 years for the Mark III?
Waiting sucks..... There is no pleasure.... at all in waiting.
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