Quote from: grsphoto on April 27, 2013, 06:42

Welcome to the world of business in the 21 century.... the world of outsourcing, globalization.

As someone who is just moving into stock I am thinking hard on planning my moves.
Do I shoot what I like ( and am good at) and hope that it sells, or do I change my style to get accepted at the agencies?

Glenn

i would shoot what you're good for and based on that i would pick up the right agency for such images, could be a generic macro o micro, o a specialist or even merchandising or fine-art, up to you and your style.

how could you bring any added value shoting stuff you hate when there's no shortage of photographers doing the same subjects with passion, quantity, and quality  ?

take Travel photography, anyone can go in holiday including photographers who dont do travel or lifestyle but they will be no match against those who covered the same niche since a long time and know the score.

i mean, you can get many lucky shots but that's all.
if you're seriously asking how to plan a solid foundation for your career the answer is to become specialized in one field that you like and that at least pays the bills.

if your favourite subject has absolutely no market value, sorry but for the moment it can only become an expensive hobby, in the future who knows, technology is changing quickly.

My favourite thing to photograph was wildlife.  Never really got good at it.
When I decided to go pro, I went for the boudoir market since pretty girls have always been a subject I liked.
I taught myself how to shot in this market.... and became really bored with seeing naked ladies all day ( who woulda thunk it...  .)

Now that I have located south of the equator I am shooting travel and wildlife again.  My best selling images, so far, are wildlife ( snow monkey) I photographed a few years ago.

I am looking forward to continuing this interesting ride.

Glenn

we're just "collateral damage", they will never see us in person, they will never even know we pay the bills with stock, we don't exist, we're just numbers on a monitor.

Welcome to the world of business in the 21 century.... the world of outsourcing, globalization.

As someone who is just moving into stock I am thinking hard on planning my moves.
Do I shoot what I like ( and am good at) and hope that it sells, or do I change my style to get accepted at the agencies?

Glenn

edit- wow, I really do have a small niche for minerals.

I had linked to http://photominingstock.com/.... which broke and also broke the link coming after it.....

LEO mentioned in another thread.

"Once I'm done the little issues in front of me (search, image processing) I'll be addressing network, and along with that, I'll be making a plugin which allows huge amounts of network control and statistics.

So whoever is up for the job, they will be able to make a "hub" site which not only sells images, but coordinates networks as well, and displays more convenient search results all on one site."

I could be wrong ( happens regularly  ) but I think Leo does not plan to have a central directory of sites.  In the long term this might be the best way to go, but in the short term I think there should be a central directory.  This is for SEO if nothing else.

It should be relatively easy to set up a Data Base on a site... but what site?  Symbiostock.com seems to be the best idea ( to me) but Leo has already said he doesn't want it.  Symbiostock.net might be cool ( if it is available) but that would be stepping on Leo's toes...and after all the great work and effort he has put in it would also be very rude to do ( IMHO)

I could host it ( an take all the SEO points) but I think the best place to put this data base, at least in the short term would be here... at Microstockgroup.com.... assuming Leaf doesn't have a problem with this.

In the long term I can see several different hubs developing based on many different factors.

Glenn

I now have 333 image on my site and increasing.  Most are from Ecuador ( where I am now living... nestled in the foothills of the Andes, on the edge of the Amazon)
http://stockimages.glennspecht.com/wp/

I will be adding Tokyo in the coming weeks, which should increase my site by 100 to 150 in a large chunk.

I have decided to treat all my images as Editorial  ( I don't have model releases) and mention this is my Usage page.  I don't have many reconizable people

Looking to link with more artistic, travel and environmental photographers.

Glenn

Quote from: grsphoto on April 22, 2013, 20:26

Quote from: cascoly on April 22, 2013, 17:25

I don't think it will be a big hassle - sites we don't want aren't likely to spend the effort on SY in the first place and we can treat problems as they arise

Leo's theme is so easy to install and get running that I think it would be a breeze for someone to flood the network with sites in just a few hours work.

but why would they BOTHER?

Let's see... build 30 sites... load them with images with some of the most common searched keywords, submit to network... keyword searches and find image, but look that image is an ad for Viagra... or for a porn site.....

I don't think it will be a big hassle - sites we don't want aren't likely to spend the effort on SY in the first place and we can treat problems as they arise

Leo's theme is so easy to install and get running that I think it would be a breeze for someone to flood the network with sites in just a few hours work. 

In your admin panel ( dashboard) To set your overall commenting, it is in the settings tab under discussions.

To set for individual posts there is a check box for allow.  If you don't see the check box, in the upper right corner there is a screen options menu.  This shows or hides what you see on any of the edit pages.

Glenn

One easy way to "prove" yourself for the network is to show your portfolio from 2 or 3 stock sites.  If you are on and have more than 25 images ( for example) on Shutterstock, Istock or Fotolia then you are able to join The Network. This shows you are a stock professional.     

Leo

You are the Father of two children.

The Symbiostock Network, and the Network Theme. At some point in time they will have to be separated.

The Symbiostock Network is a group of micro-stockers who use your network theme, but it is evolving into something differentt then just a theme.

As users in the Symbiostock Network we have to step up and take a more active part in the creation and direction of the Network.

Your other Child ( the Network Theme) is yours , and yours alone to grow and shape the way you feel is important.




I think, that to be a part of the micro-stockers group ( The Symbiostock Network) we should have to register.  Cockroaches hate the light.  So to be a member of the network you have to show who you are... the same type of information we all provide to the angencies.

What people do with the Network Theme is none of our business, and hopefully will be a great business for Leo.

I also have been promoting Symbiostock.  I think it is important to let people know it is still Beta. No problem with creating a buzz, but let's not over do it's capablities.

As important as SEO is if we live by the google, we may also die by the google.....

We need to send press releases, posts to potential clients... bloggers etc.

Just thoughts while I sip my morning tea

Glenn

I was thinking that a buyer would probably need a site with a minimum critical number of pictures. Even with 5 sites having each 5000 pictures this is "only" 25000 pictures. Probably not enough to cover all general themes needed by buyers unless having a kind of niche with a specific theme common to the 5 and make the sites known for covering the given theme.

A buyer needs the critical number of 1..... the image that suits their needs.

I doubt is I will have 5000 images for sale,  for a couple of years.  I have a small ( but growing) specific portfolio.  I don't want to be left out just because of my newbieism ( I don't think that is a word)  I don't expect to make the sales that a site with 20,000 images but I want in!!!

For the main network, I would like to have my information stored on my site.

Basically I am lazy, and if I have to remember to make updates to yet another site where I have to try and remember username and password....

Truthfully I would likely keep this network updated but it would be easier ( cooler) if the network did it itself.