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Messages - LisaAnderson
26
« on: March 22, 2010, 16:58 »
Hi Donna, Thanks for additional clarification. One of these days I am going to get better at following the flow of messages on forums!  I am sorry you haven't had any sales with us and hope that changes soon. We knew when we got into stock last summer that it would take time to build up the stock side of the business; we will continue to work on growing T3DS. If you have any further questions/concerns about the view count or anything at T3DS please feel free to email me. [email protected]
27
« on: March 22, 2010, 14:03 »
Thanks for clarifying. Our products get lots of views--in addition to customers they are viewed by other members checking out the new stuff, checking out the competition, etc. Since we only started with stock photos/images last summer we are still building the library but sales are increasing so we hope everyone sticks with us. [email protected]
28
« on: March 22, 2010, 13:41 »
I am not clear whether stockastic is suggesting the view counts at The3dstudio.com are bogus or the other site mentinoed here. The view counts at The3dstudio.com are accurate. [email protected]
29
« on: January 14, 2010, 21:09 »
If you have questions about the photo review process, please use the help button on our site or email [email protected] directly as she is the main person in the photo area. One of the differences in our site and others is that products are "live" as soon as you create them. They are reviewed usually within the next 24 hours and they may be removed if necessary or the status may be changed from Editorial if a model release is uploaded--for photos that would require one. Our system is another way we are different from the larger agencies. Yes, we admit at first we accepted many things that perhaps we should not have or perhaps would not be accepted at another agency. We began with stock photos / images in July 2009 so we are learning as we go but we have made many changes, improvements, upgrades and will continue to do so. We appreciate all input from our members and the forum members here. But we don't get here to read the posts as often as you all do, so if you have any concerns or problems please also email one of us or use the help button on our site in addition to posting here on the forum. [email protected]
30
« on: January 14, 2010, 21:01 »
Hi Donding, I tend to be confused by forum formats so not sure if your question got answered. The3dStudio.com started in 1996 as a free 3D resource site. Over the years it evolved and grew to meet needs of our Member Sellers and Member Buyers. For years Matt (the founder and President) had gotten requests from Sellers to add a category for stock photos and that was done in June-July 2009. Then it was expanded into stock photos / images and it's been steadily growing. So we are a 2D and 3D resource site. We are learning more every day and as we grow we are also working to upgrade and improve whenever we can. We appreciate all input from our members and folks on this forum and others who take the time to offer advice, give suggestions, encourage, comment, etc. We are working to change the way stock is bought and sold. Feel free to email me directly if you have any comments or questions. [email protected]
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« on: January 09, 2010, 16:58 »
I would love to see an IRS person give a clear correct answer to the tax question or any question! Whenever I have called the IRS in the past about my own or family members' tax situations, as I was on hold (forever), I would hear the recording that they are not bound by what the phone reps say and I should consult your own tax advisor. Very frustrating. Personally I think my book group could design a better tax system than what we have with the IRS but I doubt the powers that be would let that happen. Too many IRS folk would be in the unemployment line.  [email protected]
32
« on: January 08, 2010, 15:16 »
Perseus, you were in the wrong back yard! It's certainly warmer here in Arizona than most places in the US, but not swimming pool weather quite yet. But drop by from May - October and we'll be splashing around. [email protected]
33
« on: January 07, 2010, 19:10 »
PERSEUS, You must have been either reading our minds yesterday or if you live in Mesa, AZ did you sneak into the back yard to listen in at our weekly meeting? We were discussing photo approval and we are getting a bit tougher. Tracy's team is adding categories to the rejection email so folks will have a better idea why something was rejected. When someone has a large batch of shots with the same problem she will email them directly with some advice/suggestions on how to make the photos acceptable. We readily admit that in July 2009 when we started with stock photos, we didn't do much review and we accepted "everything" but we are learning and we hope we are improving! Oddly enough, some shots that the big guys would probably have rejected did sell with us, so we don't want to get too picky! The3dStudio.com is still very much in the beginning and learning phase of stock photos and images. We do want to change for the better the way stock is bought and sold and we are willing to go a bit more slowly and figure things out as we go. We welcome and appreciate all suggestions, advice, etc. [email protected]
34
« on: January 07, 2010, 18:39 »
Hello Again, I am passing the buck to Matt on Eireann's texture question and PixelBitch's comment about the screen flashing. I have the fewest "techie" skills. If anyone has these types of questions specific to our site, please use the help button on our page where you have the problem or question--that is the fastest way to get an answer since we don't get here to the forum very often. The help button gives the support team all the info they need to be able to figure out where a problem is happening. Perseus, our plan is to work on getting the word out to buyers in 2010 and we have already started to do so. We didn't want to spend a lot of time or money to bring buyers in if we didn't have some decent stuff to sell. It's one of those "chicken and egg" scenarios. We are working our plan--which grew the 3d business and we have every confidence the stock side will grow too. We understand that our attractive royalty rate makes sellers want MORE sales NOW--we want that too! The website upgrades such as bigger thumbnails, additional categories and sub-cats in stock and the improved search function were done to increase stock sales and we feel they were badly needed. If anyone has suggestions for places you think we should advertise, please email me directly--any ideas you want to share are always welcome. You can help your exposure by forum posts here there and anywhere, and with blog posts at our site since your 15 most recently added products are displayed alongside each blog post. We appreciate the support of David and all who are pulling for us! [email protected]
35
« on: January 02, 2010, 17:18 »
One of our members at The3dStudio.com recently indicated they were not aware we only entered the stock photo/image arena in June 2009--they thought we had been selling stock since the beginning and wondered at their lack of sales. So I just want to emphasize that we are still very new to this area--which I think most of you here on the forum know. We have not done much yet to advertise stock because we have been concentrating on finding photographers. Per our plan we will be promoting the stock photo and image category in 2010. I am not sure if you photographers use the reports on our site to the same extent as our modelers. Just a reminder that you can look at reports of the last 100 searches if you are interested in what buyers are looking for when they come to The3dStudio.com, which may indicate some unfilled needs. And for those who want to get a little extra exposure for their products on our site, remember that your 15 most recently created products are displayed alongside each blog post, so consider blogging with us. Please email us whenever you have any suggestions, questions, etc. [email protected]
36
« on: December 31, 2009, 18:15 »
Thanks to all from this forum who became members at The3dStudio.com in 2009. Thanks also for all the suggestions and advice when we entered the stock photo arena.  We hope 2010 brings many sales to all of you, at our site and all the venues where you sell your work. We have been working on tweaking the licensing language, have added more stock photo categories and sub-categories, and continuing the website design update. [email protected]
37
« on: December 11, 2009, 17:24 »
The latest website upgrade at The3dStudio.com is the addition of larger preview images which can now be up to 600x600 pixels in size. The new size is absolutely huge when compared to the older 400x400 pixels preview images. All existing Stock Photos/Images will be switched over to the newer 600px size in the next few days, and all new products added to The3dStudio.com will automatically upload to this new size. A few days ago the Reports section was updated. Its now much easier for Member Sellers and Member Affiliates to run all the reports offered at The3dStudio.com. In addition, a new report called "Referral Sales Earned" was added for all Member Affiliates who refer Member Sellers to The3dStudio.com. This new report will show all referral commissions for any time period. They can be grouped by day, month, or year and the Member can see in real time all their lifetime referral sales. The size of profile pictures that appear in blog posts and author searches have also been increased. Members can now upload images up to 350x350 pixels (reducing anything larger automatically). Matt is still working on even more upgrades. [email protected]
38
« on: December 07, 2009, 17:00 »
We've made some changes to the website including larger thumbnails and improved search function. Pages load faster and the new wider page design should make for less scrolling. [email protected]
39
« on: October 01, 2009, 18:03 »
Hello Everyone, Just checking in to see what's happening here and I do agree many of you have valid points which we are listening to and which we appreciate. All suggestions, criticisms are welcome and helpful to us. Re our new Member Loyalty Program: Today Matt is announcing he is dropping the minimum number of products one must have to join the program. Yes, it is still 5 years. One does not have to be exclusive with us though. And there will be ways to delete products if an author/photographer needs to for valid reasons, within the 5 years. That likely will be handled on a case by case basis at least for now. We have discussed the website design and will have some updating next month or possibly at the end of Oct. Because we are a 3D site as well as stock photos, it probably will never please all the modelers or all the photographers. It must load quickly for one thing--that is a primary factor for us. As far as categories for searches, etc. we are open to adding more if you want to suggest things. At this time we do have stock photos and images together, and yes, there are a lot of Gold Guys and many more to come. So we may have to work on either splitting categories or adding subcategories. We are also working on some designs for banner ad for this site and others that will be targeted toward stock buyers. Again, suggestions always welcome so if you have thoughts on places for such ads let us know. We did hit 500,000 resources Tuesday and are still growing. Please feel free to email me any comments, ideas you want to share, etc. as well as posting here or on your blog on T3DS. [email protected]
40
« on: September 11, 2009, 17:43 »
It may be an old here but the situation still comes up. Just offering an idea in case anyone here can use it to make some sales. Self serving to some extent, yes, but as an agency we don't make money unless our members do (photographers and our 3D members) so we naturally want to do whatever we can to help you. We are working to not only attract photographers and build our library but also to get the word out to buyers that we now carry stock photos and images. We advertise our website but we also stress that our Members can help themselves by finding ways to promote themselves. So if someone hears that sales aren't being made because of the "credit" system, they might be able to get a sale this way. This site has tons of great info and advice--just because it wasn't posted yesterday doesn't negate it's value. I am a relatively new member of the forum and am still digging my way through as time permits, so I assume as others join they will do the same thing. We're working on designing some little banners for website ads. There is very little space for wording so we are trying to decide what is the most important thing about a stock agency--royalty rate or  Any thoughts? Also looking at places to advertise for stock buyers and we welcome suggestions. [email protected]
41
« on: September 11, 2009, 16:17 »
I wish these agencies would allow single photo purchases. I expect they would make more in the end as so many non-pros balk at buying more credits than they need for the little project they are making.
Our agency (The3dStudio.com) DOES allow single photo purchases! No credits or subscription plans. One product or more are paid for with any major credit card or PayPal. If you are not already with us, and someone wants to buy a few of your products, you might consider becoming a member of The3dstudio.com. Then upload the products and use your referall link to direct your prospective buyer to your products at T3DS. They can purchase just the few photos they want with no credit and you will make a sale you might not otherwise get on one of the big sites. Assuming the purchaser is legit and that you haven't signed any exclusive deals with other agencies of course! We pay 60% royalty (75% to those who sell exclusively with us) with no minimum payout amount if you accept PayPal payments. [email protected]
42
« on: August 22, 2009, 18:01 »
Hi David, Thanks for mentioning that we dropped the $50 minimum payout on PayPal payments at The3dStudio.com. We have been working on some other good things this week that will be announced in the next few days. Your profile at T3DS can now have a photo displayed. That was suggested by one of our artists. We appreciate all the suggestions from our Members and the info here in the MicrostockGroup as we scramble to get up to speed in the world of stock photos. [email protected]
43
« on: July 28, 2009, 22:50 »
Thanks for the info on SAA and releases.
We briefly discussed RM and likely will do so again so all info will be reviewed as we go forward.
lisa@T3DS
44
« on: July 28, 2009, 11:15 »
I think you are right on the MR/PR combo and we will have to address that. I have added it to my list for tomorrow's staff meeting. After your earlier post, one of our team pointed out the type of instance where it could be a problem to have only MR, such as a photo of a person standing in front of the Eiffel Tower at night. We probably will be updating the legal agreement again after we meet with our attorney in a few weeks. We have many Members from other countries so we hope to be able to keep the "legalese" as short and simple as possible. Lots of stuff for us to do but we will keep working until we get there! All of us here appreciate your ideas and willingness to share info. lisa
45
« on: July 28, 2009, 09:26 »
Thanks for checking back with us, David. We will be discussing some paid advertising soon, though our first stabs at it likely will be directed toward those who buy stock, but I will put the forum on the list for consideration as well. We have been the term "model release" in a generic sense to apply to both people and buildings so if someone has a released shot of the Eiffel Tower at night (which I was told is what the trademark covers), they could certainly add that product with us and use the "model release" option. A couple people on our team have been working steadily to approve releases for each of the photos that were on the site when we updated our photo/image product creation form. I don't think they are done yet, so there may still be photos of people where you still see release n/a. We hope to be done very soon. If anyone has any suggestions for other places we should look for advertising, for buyers as well as photographers, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Or if you have a great idea for improving our site or how we do things, we would love to hear from you! Thanks! [email protected]
46
« on: July 25, 2009, 17:10 »
Hi David, My intention is never to be dismissive of anyones views here, or in life. I try to not take personal offense at things and I find most people do the same. I dont feel negativity coming from the forum and I hope you are not feeling negativity from me. I do think theres a big difference between disagreeing and being negative. I have always assumed the purpose of forums was to exchange ideas for mutual benefit, and that the goal should be to express them in a respectful manner. Which I do think is done here. If we are all the same and agree on everything, wheres the education (or fun) in that? I probably am communicating from a totally different viewpoint than many of you. I dont see it as a negative when people approach something from different directions and express their views. I dont want to seem dismissive of you folks. I want to understand you all better, since you represent some members of our site, either buyer or seller or both. The more I understand where you are coming from, the better able I will be to understand and serve our current and future members. I truly appreciate all the time and information thats been shared. I do still stand by my opinionI am not saying I am right and others are wrong--I am just saying what I think on this matter: I find it hard to understand that someone concerned with being certain something is legal wouldnt verify that for themselves, but would be willing to take internet advice, or to rely on their own interpretation of guidelines on a big stock agencys advisors. Maybe that is just one of those agree to disagree topics. Are our areas of difference here due to the differences between how you creatives (such as photographers) look at the world compared to those like me who are in the business end? Does that even matter--do we have to try to find agreement or can we just express our opinions? Respectfully of course. As far as my protecting everyone statement. I was trying to state that I cant make a conclusion about protection based on an agency having a legal department. I didnt mean to imply that you had stated that or that you made that conclusion. I was using the quote marks to show emphasis not to attribute words to you. Sorry if I stated it badly and didnt separate it from other statements, no offense meant. It seems some photographers do think that if an agency has guidelines, the photographer is protected from some liability if they adhere to those guidelines. Maybe thats possible in some situations, but overall I would not agree because I do not believe a photographer bears the liability in the first place in most situations. Of course I understand that one can be right legally and still have to expend time and dollars to prove it; I assume that may be what some photographers are concerned about. I think we are on the same page about needing to trust those you do business with. I do trust, but I verify. For me, verification cannot be anonymous information from the internet. Its information but not verification. Do not take that as a slam on anyone in this forumI use internet in the overall senseTripAdvisor, blog posts, Amazon.com comments as well as forums, everything you read where you do not personally knowI mean have met the writer in person and KNOW them. Not that I would totally discount internet info as there is much truth from good people out there AS EVIDENCED by this forum! But I could not make my decision about something important solely on that info without proof. I agree businesses should practice due diligence. With a candy bar I will take it on faith but in legal matters that affect my business I want proof. If I as a photographer verified for myself that the guidelines are based on law and are applicable to me, I might consider that due diligence on the part of me and of the agency. I dont consider taking advice from someone to be due diligence unless the person had some credentials to back up their advice. Secondhand advice is never something I would rely on in a legal matter. Even a stock sites guidelines to me do not prove due diligence because I dont know the credentials of the writer of the guidelines. To me their guidelines are what they want or require for their benefit, not mine. As I have said before, we have been in this not quite 2 months, and we are playing catch up in some areas. But just because we are not a threat to Getty doesnt mean we should or will give up. Those who join us are welcome, and we wish only good things to those who dont. I hope it continues to be positive here, which it seems to be for the most part. Im sure most people who post on forums realize the biggest downside to writing as opposed to talking or personal conversations is that it is hard to capture the feeling, tone, or intention of what is being said. Happy Weekend! Lisa Dont take this wrong, but heres something we discussed at our last meeting that still puzzles us: You mention in your post that you had to upload your passport, and we know some sites require or request photo ID. It struck us as ironic that expert Photoshop folks are being to submit a photo ID online to verify something. If any of you wanted to, couldnt you easily modify the passport or photo ID? So what is being verified? Honestly, I am not trying to stir the pot but it doesnt make sense to us so we must be missing something. We recognize that a web sites requirements must be met if one wants to join that site, but what exactly is being verified and how is identity verified with a scanned document?
47
« on: July 25, 2009, 13:16 »
Good info, David and Averil, and nicely presented. Thanks! David, Im sure are probably correct in your observation that big agencies have legal departments to protect them. I personally cant make a conclusion from that observation that agencies legal departments therefore protect everyone. Each party (agency, photographer, publisher) has their own agenda and their own legal rights and liabilities, as well as potential rewards and risks. Therefore I dont believe the attorney for one party would be able to--or would agree to--serve or represent the interests of all the parties at the same time, nor would they really be protecting anyone other than their own client. I know guidelines set by an agency have to be followed by those submitting to that agency. And that someone may choose to adopt those guidelines for themselves, and that other agencies might copy other agencies guidelines. Some agencies could find it expedient to promote the belief that their guidelines are the only correct legal option or that the guidelines are an industry standard. This would level the playing field for them and like-minded agencies. But if people werent willing to question things and reinvent the wheel, wed all be driving in wooden carts with stone wheels instead of on rubber tires! I must have missed a post--I dont remember seeing anyones opinion described as hearsay or ignorance. Personally, if I am spending $20,000 for something, I do my utmost to ensure I have all the facts before buying, direct from a competent source! I might go to an attorney armed with notes about things I had heard or read, to ask their opinion regarding the relevance to MY situation, but I would not operate my business based solely on things I read on the internet. I find it very interesting that someone wants to be damned certain something is legally sound yet they dont consult an attorney! One wonders where they get their medical advice. Lisa @The3dStudio.com
48
« on: July 24, 2009, 19:38 »
Thanks to all who have posted here and sent emails and messages. I appreciate your willingness to "put it out there" for us to try to absorb as we get further into the stock photo world. I think I finally got my email address unhidden in my profile; I have no clue what was wrong but it was never intentionally hidden. I prefer emails rather than the secret message system forums use, but I guess I am in the minority on that. I do now understand a bit more about why some prefer to stay hidden, though I still think it's weird if you are selling something. But I am interested in seeing what others think and if we disagree--no harm, no foul. When I read some of the comments about the look of our site or what we offer or how we offer it, I just want to make it clear that we have never purported to be only a stock site; therefore we probably don't look like other sites you may have seen. It works for us and we change what we need to as issues come up. The3dStudio.com began as a 3D resource site; that's the backbone of our business yet it's not incompatible with stock photos and images. We have added other compatible products in the past and will continue to do so. There is value to our buyers for us to be a one stop shop. We work diligently 7 days a week to grow all areas of the business while also responding personally to all our members. We added stock photos and images less than 2 months ago and yes, I agree we have room to improve, but we are doing so daily. It was the right time for us and in real life it's usually not possible to wait for perfect conditions--optimal is the best I can hope for--perfect may never come. Re all the comments about releases, copyrights, etc., here and elsewhere on the internet, I am sure there is a lot correct and a lot that isn't. I recently saw something (YouTube I think) with attorney Ed Greenburg saying something to the effect that photographers don't ask lawyers about legal matters--they ask other photographers. Maybe it's a lawyer's humorous payback for all the lawyer jokes he's heard, but it's true to some extent. I think he may be right when it comes to copyright and trademark discussions. There is the law, there is interpretation of the law, and there are rumors and forum posts. People tend to use phrases and words in ways they understand and are comfortable with: editorial use, RF, commercial use, customer, buyer, publisher, or other terms. Many misunderstandings and/or criticisms may get pushed along farther than they should because in some situations we may not all always use the same terms in the same way. Or maybe some got advice from an attorney, some got it from someone who got it from an attorney, and some got it somewhere else. So again, thanks for all the advice and information. Lisa [email protected]
49
« on: July 20, 2009, 14:59 »
I was still wondering why people on this forum think I am hiding so I had 2 friends check my profile and they just got back to me and said they see "hidden" for my email address and our URL. I went back to the profile and I see everything. So I assume I see it because I am logged in and I am the profile owner. If someone can tell me how to un-hide my info, I would be very grateful. I don't do a lot of forum stuff and now you can see why! Lisa Anderson [email protected]
50
« on: July 20, 2009, 14:41 »
Hi Phil, I am not clear why you say it's "ironic" and that I was "complaining" about people hiding their email addresses. That implies that mine is not available, but yet it's been in my profile since the day I registered with this forum/web site. Now I am not a forum pro, so maybe I am the only one that can see it??? Also, I wasn't complaining about people hiding their email addresses, just saying that I don't understand it. Not just here but in any forum, blog, people's web sites, etc. where they have a product or service they are trying to sell. So many people either want to be invisible, or they make it very hard to get in touch with them by keeping their email secret or using contact forms. My point was not to criticize or complain--it's each person's choice--but merely to express how mystified I am that someone wanting my business would make it difficult for me to find them. I have gotten a lot of great info from this site and appreciate it a lot! Lisa Anderson [email protected] (in case I am the only one that can see it listed in my profile)
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