Quote from: jonbull on September 06, 2019, 09:17

Quote from: Liorpt on September 06, 2019, 09:10

I think the big drama is going to hit all the heavily invested production houses that pay for studios and models that until now submitted massive amounts of �similars� hoping that can now upload very few files of each setting.




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you are spot on ...their tactic most of time is producing similar content and uploading at different times so they can have more chance for a files to sell.

Don�t get me wrong, if I go and shoot an aerial of a lake, I will shoot north/south/east west motions at zero altitude and at lets say 100 feet high and out of these 8 files I�ll submit 5 or 6. 
Until now it worked good and I honestly think that they have a different look. I think I play fair but if SS will make me feel that this is not ok I�ll reduce it till I hit the sweet spot.
But...except for the net time of shooting and editing these �similars� (I honestly think they are not) I�m not taking a big hit.

I also believe in slow release of files, not as a way to push them in but as an actual slow release into the market and give them a chance to pop at different times.

I�m a mega huge supporter of SS, I�ll respect and adjust to the new �similar� guidelines, I think it�s for the benefit of most contributors.

SS sells like crazy and I will serve them as long as they exist.


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i use also but there ae limits...i shoot food and offer different setup of a recipe, not 2000 like some contributor did in past shooting the same setup 2000 times and uploading it in 3 years month after month. is not a case that i have practically zero refusal for similar continent, despite some fotos own to the same setup.
ss sold like crazy till julep than plain dead.

especially till 16 all agencies are dead then something sales...seems like europe is slowing down completely and my port is europe centric i'd say..maybe it's time for a recession? germany slowing down is scaring...the rest of europe is following?

Quote from: jonbull on September 04, 2019, 07:34

september begin worst than august and august was not the best month across all agency.

Since April something clearly has been "off" across several agencies and across all genres of content so I think with it being so sudden it might very well be the global economy reading into recession and that affects all industries directly or indirectly and with everyone from individuals to businesses being so massively in debt right now it's not pretty.

Every agency is suddenly making changes, Pond5 obviously, Storyblocks and now SS is seriously limiting what you can upload onto their servers, it is a similar video or photo to what is already on the site it is rejected so they suddenly care about server space although they are presenting it as caring about the customer experience.

Have to get creative and busy making new content and promoting the heck out of it everywhere.

i doubt being creative will make a big difference in micro stock world....you can be creative but too many garbage files....for me it's clear that most sales are made through popular tab, nobody search for new files in that mess of garbages they accepted since 2017....my sales are mostly related to files older than 2017, nothing new sells and they are better content i was sure they had a market...since they reduced tabs to 2 instead to 3 new files sales are simply non existent...i would like the add a chosen by staff files, so new files with good character could have a chance to sell.. the rpd of files uploaded in 2018 and 2019 for me are simply terrible while 2017 i have already passe the 1,5 dollar for each file uploaded. in 2018 and 2019 we are near 0,1 cent. after 2017 they opened the gates et voila.
in addiction for me free stuff is impacting more and more, why you can criticize customer? they go to unsplash and find much better and creative stuff than 99% of files you see in micro, for free...i saw file downloaded 10 millions times...and those are money taken away by micro stock.

great agency once with probably the biggest rpd for me suddenly going down the hill...not a lot to say a 20 30 download per month..in addiction i find so boring the uploading process without serious batch...with ss all i need is 5 minutes to send hundreds of file...the same quantity make me spend 2 hours and more of my life...that's why i still have 500 unfinished files..i need also to release them so for each file a release click, two category...if you use the similar category is still a pain...

super slow strato month....you cannot build a business if they ad one million crap images every weeks. it's clear. offer is hundreds times more than demand. is a normal economic consideration. sure you cannot work 24 to struggle and keep a minimum acceptable earning.

worst week since 2009 worst month since first year. speechless. at this point better don't do-nothing and just collect what comes form micro without any little effort. total waste of time this year uploading content.  maybe september start again abut after a month like this i'm without any wish to work and create content. time to focus on cavan offset and i hope stocksy this year. at least is rewarding mentally to work for such agency. working for agency with image quality like ss is also from a photography point of view depressing.

Then there's something going on � beyond summer slump and all industry trouble. As it seems, some people see an unexpected bump-up in their sales, while for the majority of us it's the opposite: we've become invisible. I haven't sold a single image in 15 days now, which is totally unprecedented. There's hardly any explanation other than some drastic changes in the algorithm, and i have no idea to whose benefit. Maybe some users are being penalized for reasons unknown.

On the other hand, on AS i've sold twice as much in August as in the previous three months combined. It's still diminutive though.

it's clear they control sales. only blind cannot see this. from one d ay to another completely dead. zero 2.895 in the last 10 days, i have 3 4 every day in july, zero video zero single, a bunch of sub mostly stuff who are in page one our very old files. it's clear they ned to spread sales so every body keep uploading, probably in normal circumstances most of contributor especially the new one couldn't have a single sales with their folio and they would quit uploading. they need to spread the cake to make everybody smallish happy.

i thought today was the day when the sales would have been back after long holiday in western europe and the people going back to work...seems i have to wait 2 september. completely dead ss. as dead much more with practically zero sales of new files.  instead is seems to sell a lot...i had a glance at counter in esp and number seems matching ss this month so far and every time i look the number grow, something unusual considering that esp for me is like 20% of ss as revenue. the only drawback is that if the rpd is as low as july even the increase of sals will have small impact. but in case the rpd was like medium year rpd in esp stock could manage to be near ss so far this month.
all n all a clouds future as i see. i have already tons of charismata s stuff done last year  i will upload in september,  and see if sals get normal or better.

Why you are contacted? Its clear that they should ask something to ss not yiu.. you are providing tge photo but ita ss who sell and ahould have understood thatmaybe it could create problem. Anyway if this was true practicamky every esitorial inagw with people can be found illegal. Don�t care just point them out to ss and stop answering. Thats why i use a not real nick name flr stock first i dont want be seen as a stock cheap photographer by my clienta.. who pay me 000... 2 avoid to deal things like this. If they found something illegal in the use thye sue ss not me. An agency is an agency it should stand in front lof contriboutor

0,33 cent rpd i am speechless

10K a month is insane to me. I live in New York too.

I use to make a full time income with stock. I'm back to doing web and graphic design projects but around 35-40% is stock.

yesterday i shoot an anniversary for a couple, 3 hours, 800 dollar....those are money., i do full time but i work like 4 different photographer, stock documentary fine art with top notch gallery and assignment both commercially and personally. those are full proof for the future in case as i think stock will sink more and more. i especially focus on rich people who not have any problems in fork out 2000 dollar for engagement shooting or 5000 for a wedding.

More to the point... how much do YOU need to live full time?

I know one woman here in town that lives quite comfortably on $800/mo.  If that were me, then I would say I am just a bit shy of being able to go "full time" for an income.

Personally, $10K/mo is more my style.  And no, stock sales are no more than pocket change and the fun of seeing who liked my stuff enough each day to actually put money on it (as opposed to Facebook 'likes'...).

As it happens though, I am retired.  I travel a lot (8 countries on a 6-month trip already this year), and write a travel/photo blog ( www.mindstormphoto.com ).  That is where most of my focus goes.  After the blog is published, I look to see what else might sell, and upload that too.  I am fortunate enough that I saved and invested heavily when working, so now can do this and no longer have to worry about money. As they say, YMMV...

And, FWIW, I do not monetize my blog in any way, and have no interest in doing so.  I started writing it for myself, just to help me remember and relive these trips we take. Then "family and friends" started reading it. Now it has roughly 2000 readers (according to Google Analytics).  In other words, another little ego boost, but with no cash attached.

you don't need money but sell photos...if i were so rich to not have any problem of money for my style, stock would be the last way of spend my time.