Many claim that shooting for mirco has made them better photographers.

This may well be true for many, even though I feel that one should not even attempt to submit if one feels theirs skills are sub par.

I came from the old school days of film. I was working by my father�s side in a darkroom at the age of 5 and had my own darkroom by the time I was 12.

I had learned the rule of thirds, the inverse square law, proper metering, hyperfocal distance, reciprocity failure, relationships between depth of field & f-stop/focal length, push & pull processing, dodging and burning etc., long before many of the people running microstock sites were even born.

No, I�m not 110 years old now.

So, has micro made me a better photographer?

Well yes, IF being a better photoshopper counts as being a better photographer. What I have learned is to be hyper critical of every file @ the 100% pixel level. I have leaned that the �grain� we put up with and even sometimes emphasized from the film days is a major no-no. I have learned not too push a file to extremes that induce �artifacts� even for the purpose of artistic expression.

What is your conclusion?
Has becoming a microstocker indeed made you a �better� photographer?

A question for those of you that have flaming images (100 downloads or greater) on iStock.

What was the time on line before your shot(s) to took off?
Weeks, months, years?

I have a couple of images that have sold briskly for the first 20, 30 or 40 downloads but then they drop off pretty quickly after that.
I have yet to get a flamer.

Also, what do you think contributed to your files success? Was it featured as a file of the week possibly, or came up high in the best match on a seasonal search?

Thanks all!

Joseph

I've noted an interesting phenomenon.

I shoot female models mostly and I believe that they are all attractive.
When I upload them I generally get a mild number of views, in the order of 10-20.

BUT if I upload a model wearing a bikini all of a sudden the views skyrocket!
One file recently garnered over 200 views the first day it went live.

I can only surmise from this that most designers are heterosexual males 

Well, after spending just two and a half days in 'Sin City' I can unequivocally state that Las Vegas loves to use IS images.

Yes, that town of wretched excess, unbridled kitsch and glitz galore. A city where a bowl of Vietnamese Pho' soup ($5.00 almost anywhere else) goes for $16.00. This most over-the-top place on the planet has gone 'on the cheap' and plastered microstock all over the place 

I saw at least seven IS shots used throughout the shopping plazas where I was staying. They were printed large as life and plastered on walls. These were fashion and spa type images, as you might imagine.
The real shocker came as I was riding down the strip in a taxi.
There on a giant LCD screen flashed an enormous IS image, soon to be replaced by text exclaiming what a wonderful time I would have at such and such club/lounge and then another image and on and on.

Starting to feel unloved   

Seriously though, even though I usually have only a download or two every other day or so, this seems an abnormally long time for no DLs at all.

Also, maybe it is just my perception, as I am loath to do any sort of real analitical study, but to me it seems that there are always more downloads in the begining of the week and Thurs/Fri are the worst days.

Anyone actually do a study on this yet?

Hi all,

Just came back from a month in Mumbai, India on business.
Had to get 5 vaccinations just to go there and I am still on malaria pills for several more days.

Interesting experience, but I for one am not in any hurry to go back.

It does make one feel grateful to live in the 'developed' part of the world though.

It struck me today that the poor US economic conditions could be a good thing for microstock in general.

Historically, in down times here in the US, companies will cut (counterintuitively) back their advertising budgets. That could mean larger corporations who generally go for the bigger budget photo shoots, just might turn to stock or even microstock in order to trim the fat from their costs.

I know that companies such as Dell have already used microstock in some campaigns.
But I never did see them as big players in the advertising game.

Just my thoughts...anyone else?

I know that there are a few photographers (sorry to the vector graphics people, but that is a different paradigm) that seem to have healthy downloads with only a few hundred shots in their portfolios. But I believe this to be the exception rather than the rule.

So, the question is: What level of files on-line constitutes a 'critical mass' where one can expect to have a fairly decent and reliable cashflow from microstock?

I watched an Alamy conference stream a whileback and they seemed to indicate that the top earners there had around 10,000 files up on line!

Something I find odd and am not able to comprehend on my own, so I am asking for insight from others here.

Yesterday evening I received a notice that my last batch of images had been approved and would be searchable in 24 hours or less.
So, naturally I checked on them to see which ones they were. One image, the one below had already had over 500 views?

By this morning the number was over 600 yet I was unable to find the image doing a search under its file number.
This afternoon I checked again. the image is now searchable and the number of views is 707. (no sales though  )

So my question remains, how is it possible for an image to get so many views without even being available in the search engine?
Anyone?

Does anyone have a clue as what type and or brand of monitor the inspectors use when judging our work?
Is there a standard required by IS that they must adhere to?
Does IS supply them with equipment? Also what resolution might they be running?

I edit (at home) on a dual monitor set-up. A Dell 2007 Ultrasharp LCD on my left and a Samsung SyncMaster CRT on my right.
Both are calibrated with a Gretag MacBeth i1 using Eye-One Match.

I have found that no matter what, LCD screens have too much contrast to make an accurate print from.
If I do my critical editing on the CRT my prints are nearly dead-on.

Having said that though, if all the inspectors are using a contrasty LCD, then the proper work flow for IS would dictate that I edit for their eyes and use my LCD instead of the CRT. Final print quality be damned   

I might also mention that at my office we use dual Eizo LCD monitors. Even identical monitors calibrated with the same equipment show variances from screen to screen. Very frustrating. We tested the high end graphics monitors from the same company, but they we not markedly superior.

Does anyone know of any models that have had their careers launched or enhanced by appearing in stock photographs?

I know that I have seen one pretty blond Austrailian model all over the web and in print ads in the back of throw-away magazines, yet I have never seen her face in any high profile professional ads.

So, my guess is no...but I am hoping I am wrong.

Here is a general question.
I suppose that I am showing my ignorance here... but why are vector graphics so expensive?

I was looking over at a few in IS and the minimum price that I see is 5 credits.
One I looked at goes for 15 credits. Only one size available, I assume that is because vector graphics are infinitely scaleable?

No offense to the illustrative artists meant, but why are photographs so poorly valued?

Factoring in our investment in equipment (cameras, lenses, lights, studio, props, computer, etc) plus the skills required to post process, not to mention MUA costs and model fees (if you use pro or semi-pro models).... photos should cost a lot more.

It would seem to me that the only up front costs a computer artist has is the computer and time.

So what? Am i wrong?

Anyone have the answer?

So, my sales this month are pretty much non-existant.
OK, I don't have a large portfolio on any one site, so I know that is a handicap. Still, I usually do a bit better than this.

Am I alone here or is the Holiday season putting a major crimp on sales.
Also, if this is the case, has anyone noticed this pattern year after year?