Hi all:
I have a very annoying issue with my Tamron lens (AF 28-300 mm) it appears that somehow dust or dirty got into the lens and has accumulated smack in the middle at the front part of the lens giving me nasty cloudy spots on every picture.  Of course, I notice this on a road trip where I only brought this lens.
Any ideas how/why this could have been happening and more importantly, whether there is anything I could do about it?
Thanks so much for any help and advice.

I want to send a couple of links to my portfolios to somebody but somehow can't figure out how to do this for shutterstock, istock, and fotolia. 
 I looked around on the site and searched this forum but nada.
Any advice?

Thanks!

Somebody wants to buy the rights to one of my pictures.  It's not one I have on any microstock or is otherwise making me any money.  I like it but I don't love it.
I have absolutely no idea what I should ask! 
Any and all experience and datapoints would be helpful.

Thanks

I have a question for all of you living in the SF Bay Area.  For a photo competition (TPOTY) I entered I need to now submit actual prints of the 4 pictures I sent in (never thought it would come to that ;-)
I don't have all that much time so I'd like to have them printed where I live (it is also a bit of a control thing).  Does anybody have a suggestion for a really good lab to have these prints made from digital.

Thanks

I just looked at SS top 100 keyword searches - something I should have done more frequently as it turns out - and was surprised to find a large number of Spanish search terms among the top ones, among them corazones (#1), flores (#8), manos (#9),  rosa (#10) past week, similar positions over the past month.
I am happy to keyword in Spanish, it will help with my efforts to study the language but I am still confused, will the search term "flores" find my flowers or do I have to actually add the keyword "flores" (as those pictures I spot-checked did).  If not, I really wish I would have know earlier.
What do you say?

Thanks,

Tina

I'd like to have a quick clarification from you guys who have been on StockXpert longer than I have.  I want to use FTP upload now that I finally set it up but it seems to me that every time I upload a picture with a person I need to upload the model release(s) anew and what is even worse, I have to upload it/them so the name matches the name of the picture.  Are they honestly expecting me to rename my model release 30 times for 30 pictures or am I not getting it? - 

Thanks,

Tina

I just did a photo shoot with a adorable 3 year old girl and have tons of cute pictures of her as angel, in her princess dress, ...  I want to upload them all - but I wonder how many should I really upload?  What the "recommended series size"? Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Tina

Quite surprisingly I am shooting a Diwali event tomorrow (learned about it today).  It's sort of inofficial and I am not being paid for it but I would still like to do a good job (obviously).  It's indoors and I don't know the location.  I'll pack my Speedlight, my 85 mm f1/8 and my IS long lense and could use a few good hints, tips and tricks for the more experienced among you.
Thanks,

Tina

.. at Dreamstime is driving me insane.  Try as I may, they are never good enough.  Like I upload 4 pics of the same model, one gets approved, three rejected because of MR issues.   

I was at a point were I was going to delete all of them and then start fresh but, guess what, that isn't possible (the service guys told me something about possible misuse - how can I misuse my own portfolio??).  They'd have to do it and that just didn't sound like it was ever going to happen.  As always service is uniquely unhelpful. 

Just venting ...

Tina

I am in the market for a new tele lense to replace my cheapo Sigma 70-300 mm for use with my new Rebel XTi.  I have been searching but can't make up my mind so I am asking you guys/gals for input. 
Here is what I'd like to have: similar range (could be <70 mm and/or >300 mm though).  I'd like to have a macro setting and some type of image stabilization (I am really not an enthusiastic tripod user).  I don't want to get the cheapo models for around $200 bucks but I also can't spend $1000.  I was thinking somewhere in the middle.  I am agnostic as to the brand as long as it is a good lense.
I was looking at the new Tamron AF28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC.  Would be a nice (almost) all in one lense for my extended travels next year but I am a little reluctant as it is so new.  Anybody has any experience with that lense?

As always, thanks everybody for the input.

Tina

I am wondering how the ratings/reviews at iStock come about.  I have 92 pics online (yeah, I know, not enough to be taken seriously but I am working on it) and 32  reviews/ratings and I thougth that was pretty cool but I noticed that there are people out there with portfolios of equal size or even smaller with way more reviews. Who rates what?  What roles do the ratings play in the search algorithms.

Thanks for your input.

Tina

Nobody has mentioned it yet (I think) so I will:
The new category selection at Istock is sooooo much better than before!  Three categories from a predefined list compared to selecting a random number from a list that I believe contained more than 10,000 entries (I counted them once but forgot the exact number).
Going forward the upload limits will be the issue for me - not the hassle factor with uploading.  Now if disambig.. (can't even remember what it is called) could be made easier .....

Still, I am loving it.

Tina

I'll be off for about four weeks. Taking a trip to Austria, Italy and Germany and hopefully returning with stockworthy grandparents and grandchild pictures  and some romantic Tuscan vineyards in evening light type shots. 
Any last suggestions for the traveling-with-kid-also-trying-to-take-pictures photographer?

"See" you all in June,

Tina