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Messages - epixx

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 11 ... 47
126
Crestock.com / Re: I think Crestock is refusing to pay me
« on: March 06, 2009, 20:17 »
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

It looks to me like they are running out of excuses. I give them maximum six more months before they end up in microstock heaven with their brothers from Lucky Oliver and other failed attempts.

127
Dreamstime.com / Re: Dreamstime - Is it time to leave
« on: March 05, 2009, 00:34 »
How come those who complain the most don't have links to their portfolios?

128
Dreamstime.com / Re: Deleted
« on: March 05, 2009, 00:23 »

 http://www.slashgear.com/nikon-d400-prediction-gone-mad-24mp-with-touchscreen-lcd-0633328/       And the best  24mpx with 3,5 inches touch screen LCD


I'll take the 24mpx version, provided the LCD is articulated like on the Olympus cameras. Just mail it to me today, will you   ;D

129
Dreamstime.com / Re: Dreamstime - Is it time to leave
« on: March 04, 2009, 09:19 »
BME there last month, second overall for me, after SS, prices are increasing with more sales. It's the last agency I would pull out of right now.

130
Bigstock.com / Re: Activity at Big Stock
« on: March 03, 2009, 10:51 »
BME in February (up 203% from Feb last year) and a very good start in March. No complaints from me   :)

131
General Stock Discussion / Re: Feb 2009 Earnings breakdown
« on: March 01, 2009, 22:41 »
My last comment has to do with StockXpert. Sub sales have increased there from  around 60% when they began to 76% last month. However, since I am with SS, I don't see that I have a right to complain. Sure, the $/DL is smaller for a sub.  But as long as my bottom line RPD* at StockXpert is > SS, how can I complain? Last month, I earned $0.39 RPD at SS and $0.62 RPD at StockXpert.

*RPD = Rev / DL

But, at least for me, RPD at SS is going up, from $0.30-0.35 a year ago, to around $0.50 now, while StockXpert is going in the opposite direction. The number of downloads however, is sinking for both, SS at an alarming rate.

132
General Stock Discussion / Re: Feb 2009 Earnings breakdown
« on: March 01, 2009, 13:20 »
here we go. Sales compared to February 2008.

SS 29%, down 13%
DT 19%, up 69%, BME
IS 16%, down 21%
FT 11%, down 16%
BS 8%, up 203%, BME
CS 4%, up 429%, BME
StockXpert 4%, down 72%
123 4%, up 100%
CRE 2%, no sales last year
SCAN 1%, down 37%
YAY 1%, no sales last year
FP 1%, down 29%

Total, down 3% since February 2008, up 7% since January 2009

Very dramatic changes this month. Most go down, but those that go up do so in a dramatic way.

133
What is a prosumer? A professional consumer? A consuming professional? These are all words and have no meaning.

For most paid photographic work, I use Fuji S3 and S5, but for stock, I prefer the Nikon D80, since it has more resolution. Does that make me an amateur when I shoot stock and a pro when I shoot with the Fujis?

134
Dreamstime.com / Re: Editorial at Dreamstime
« on: February 26, 2009, 08:13 »
Most micro agencies don't have a clue about editorial. If the photos are not from a defined, current event, they are mostly rejected. But newspapers, magazines etc. need all kinds of photos to illustrate their articles. And obviously, photos that are current today, are not current tomorrow. Still they are up, filling a need for somebody.

I have a few editorial shots at DT (and at other stock agencies), but I mostly upload to those when a usable photo can't be up-rezed to Alamy size. I do sell some now and then, but no big quantities.

135
StockXpert.com / Re: Revenue plummeting at StockXpert
« on: February 24, 2009, 18:38 »
Hopefully these are new and different buyers than those who use to buy pay per image on StockXpert (or any other pay per image site I submit to)


There are no "new and different buyers". All buyers come from somewhere, and even those who haven't previously bought stock photos have to choose between subs and ppd. If they choose subs, we get less and the agencies more.

136
Microstock News / Re: Jupitermedia Shareholders Approve Getty Sale
« on: February 24, 2009, 18:21 »
I think they will start pushing exclusivity.  :)

I can't see who will take it though. The offer would have to be  good.

At a commission rate around 500%, I would consider it   :D

137
Interesting move if they do get in. They are one of the few who have the expertise to do so. It may of course fail like most others, but they probably have the resources to keep it going for a few years. That's very important, since nothing is going to succeed overnight in today's market.

138
CanStockPhoto.com / Re: Woah - new upload system from canstock
« on: February 21, 2009, 19:24 »
Agree. I stopped uploading to CS some one and a half years ago, but after seeing the earnings potential with the PPD DLs from Fotosearch, I'm uploading all I have. Very nice development  :)

139
StockXpert.com / Re: StockXpert: Future or History - Poll -
« on: February 19, 2009, 21:18 »
Last year, they were number 4 for me, after SS, IS, DT and FT. So far this year, they are number 7, overtaken by BS and 123.

I think they are killing the brand name. Stupid move, but that's not unique   ::)

Now, CS has passed them as well, so they are number 8 for me so far in February. Who would have thunk   ???

140
StockXpert.com / Re: StockXpert: Future or History - Poll -
« on: February 17, 2009, 20:00 »
Last year, they were number 4 for me, after SS, IS, DT and FT. So far this year, they are number 7, overtaken by BS and 123.

I think they are killing the brand name. Stupid move, but that's not unique   ::)

141
StockXpert.com / Re: Revenue plummeting at StockXpert
« on: February 06, 2009, 21:11 »
My StockXpert sales have declined dramatically since November, and I've been opted out of subs all the time. 123rf is doing better for me now. Who would have thought that a year ago?

I noticed the ad in the mail as well. My guess is that photos.com is getting the marketing money. I wouldn't be surprised if StockXpert is discontinued as a separate brand within a year or two.

142
iStockPhoto.com / Re: Stats not working. Maybe for the Best?
« on: February 05, 2009, 22:44 »
It's a bit annoying. If they don't fix it, I will have to do more work to track my performance there. In addition, my counter stopped just short of silver status. I wonder if they will upgrade me anyway   ???

143
General Stock Discussion / Re: Get Paid Shooting Nothing
« on: February 02, 2009, 00:41 »
Guys, we talk about competition among hundreds of thousands of competitors. Few more competitors don't make any difference.

Every new competitor makes a difference. That's very simple mathematics. A few makes less difference than many obviously, but it all adds up.

144
Cameras / Lenses / Re: Advice on camera upgrade
« on: February 02, 2009, 00:39 »
I currently use a Canon Xti 400D.  The noise on that camera is horrible, even at 100 ISO.  I really want to upgrade BADLY!

Thanks,
Paula


I don't believe you. If you have bad noise at ISO 100 with the 400D, you should have a look at your exposure. I use a Nikon D80 for microstock, a camera that is supposed to make more noise than your 400D, and I haven't had a rejection for noise in ages.

There are many good reasons to upgrade to a 5D or 5DII, but noise at ISO100 is not one of them.

145
General Stock Discussion / Re: January 2009 earnings breakdown
« on: February 01, 2009, 02:53 »
Here are my figures, compared to January 2008:

SS 28%, down 7%
FT 26%, up 118% BME
DT 18%, up 7%
IS 17%, down 2%
123 4%, up 78%
StockXpert 3%, down 44%
BS 3%, down 34%
Scanstock 1%, down 62%
Yay, 1%, no sales last year

Up since January 2008: 6%
Up since December 2008: 74%

FT is doing amazingly well, and has been doing so for a while. 123 is doing surprisingly well too, although the numbers are still small. The biggest disappointment is StockXpert. For me, they are going down every month now.

146
General Stock Discussion / Re: Get Paid Shooting Nothing
« on: January 29, 2009, 08:46 »
Randy,
So you're pimping your website, fair enough, lots of people do. And on your website, you're pimping your referral links. That's rather normal too. Your website is even well above average, and there's lots of useful stuff on it. What I don't get is that you try to hide your marketing under a "need" for getting more competition.

We have lots of competition already, people here have sinking dl's per uploaded image, and more photographers are entering the market every day. Contributors who are afraid of competition don't have a future in this business, but since this is just that, a business, it looks a bit strange, at least to me, to invite more, and to recommend newcomers to do more of the same stuff that has been done a zillion times already.

Unless of course, you make more money from your website and your referrals than from your microstock images. Then it's at least understandable...

147
General Stock Discussion / Re: Get Paid Shooting Nothing
« on: January 29, 2009, 05:54 »
I think this blog post is not shooting anyone on the foot, and it is about sharing. If I'm not mistaken, that what we are on this forum for, right ? Or are you guys giving false info to drive new comers like me in the wrong direction ? Hope not...

This forum is about sharing, no doubt about that. The problem with the blog in question and similar blogs, is that they make microstock seem like a great opportunity and a possible goldmine to newcomers who are given the idea that shooting dirt or whatever is something new, diluting whatever is in this business for all.

If there are people out there who have enough ideas themselves to start shooting microstock and make some money out of it, it's fine with me. But handing out our own little niches to whoever wants to listen, is like giving away tomorrow's dinner to someone who don't have the knowledge about how to open the box, and will end up throwing the meal in the garbage. Most of the newcomers probably never even reach a payout, which is good for who? The agencies, but not for any of us or the newcomers.

Again: lets welcome those with their own ideas, and encourage them to work hard, but don't invite the crowds in.

148
General Stock Discussion / Re: Get Paid Shooting Nothing
« on: January 29, 2009, 02:02 »
If you've found a niche, or at least a successful topic to shoot, like dirt, please, please tell me, what the sense is, in writing an article so that hundreds or thousands of others can exploit your knowledge and take away your sales.  I mean, do you really get enough in referrals from the links at the bottom to make this make sense?  What is your concern with "a lot of photographers" who are not "more active in microstock"?  Shouldn't that make you happy they aren't competing with you?

I agree. You must be rather desperate for either:

a) To get more competition and lower your income

or

b) Publicity

I must admit I'm getting tired of reading about photographers trying to get more competition in a more than saturated marketplace, and on the other side other photographers (and sometimes the same ones), complaining about the falling sales. Sorry for the rant, but I can't see a single reason why anyone should destroy his or her own niche.

149
Shutterstock.com / Re: How did SS perform for you this month?
« on: January 28, 2009, 20:28 »
Without uploading during holidays it's way down. Not unexpected though. But I voted the worst for showing my deception to have no choice except shooting continuously for getting a reasonable income from them. Even if you shoot pics of your cats, you need to feed the beast LOL

Which means that, for those of us who don't have a cat, there's no hop anyway. I knew there was a reason why I perform so badly in this business  :-[

150
Shutterstock.com / Re: How did SS perform for you this month?
« on: January 28, 2009, 19:49 »
Value of sales is down around 15% since January 2008, but volume is down around 50%. They represent a share of 26% of my sales now, against 32% a year ago and 51% in January 2007.

It's a bit disappointing, but not unexpected.

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