I tried five of my best keywords. The images that came up were so few and so ho-hum I'd hate to rub shoulders with them.

Best match sort is very strange indeed. I've tested it many times against the "downloads" numbers using the most descriptive single keyword. To be truthful I can find very little "best match" to that one best keyword. Lots of spam keywords though having little to do with the actual image.

For example, my best keyword (that describes the image perfectly) on my best selling image pops up on page FIFTEEN -- even though it is the most downloaded image on the site that that keyword accurately describes.

I think what's going on is there's some keyword formula that defies any understandable reasoning. I used to think that there was a bias toward exclusives with "best match" but others have shown that not to be the case. I bet whomever came up with that sort formula is the same guy who designed the US tax code.

The FAR more accurate and useful sort IMHO is the download sort.

A year or so ago there were a lot of threads on IS and other forums about this. My opinion then and now is that they're a total waste of time. I don't recall anybody (buyers) saying they ever used categories. I usually use the first relevant category that presents itself and that's it. I've never had a rejection because of it.
It's one of the things that LO has right--no categories.

It's one of those almost silhouettes that really isn't. Too much information shown, or not enough. Plus I guess I just don't care for the composition either. The person seems to be looking off to the right, the sun is off to the left. Just doesn't work for me. Just my take.
On my monitor (new big screen Eizo) the colors look dull and lifeless.

I would never promise not to sell an image to whomever I want. That's just my basic philosophy.

From a pure business point of view microstock as a category is so dynamic I see no benefit in tying my work to just one. Who knows which is the next Titanic? I don't think you can micro-manage the numbers too closely though when calculating how much you make on just, say, iStock as an exclusive vs. what you can make as a non-exclusive plus the other sites. In other posts on this subject I haven't seen much weight put on the risk of being exclusive.

I'd rather have all of my images on all the worthwhile sites and let the sites duke it out with each other. I'm a winner either way. And I have the opportunity to add any up and coming sites.

Have no idea.

However,  I believe the site that will disappoint most in 2008 will be SnapVillage. Just as in 2007.

I'm probably in the middle of the LO field with 172 uploads and 54 downloads in about 18 months, one payout.

Certainly poor performance all around when compared with the top ten. But many of us are in the hopeful camp. I do continue to upload new work there because it's so quick and easy. If LO was as difficult to upload to as iStock I would have been long gone.

After spending the last few days in Illustrator CS3 I learned that:

1. Lots of my Photoshop skills help.
2. I'm still a lousy drawer.
3. I wish I could find a good tutorial in what file formats are most desired by designers...not just the file formats that the sites mention. I see a lot of formats listed with vectors on iStock but I have no clue on how to upload them along with the EPS and JPEG. Supposedly you can also upload AI and PDF there but I don't see where in the upload sequence I can do so.

What do you expect his lawyer to say? I say go ahead and go your own way with your food art. What if you wanted to carve wood birds? Would you be afraid of some lawyer who might just represent some famous carver you never heard of?
Every artist who's picked up a paint brush to create something will undoubtedly paint something that's been done before. I'm sure you aren't trying to duplicate banana bruise for banana bruise. Use common sense and use your creative ability.

That said I hope nobody will take offense at my using the phrase "What do you expect his lawyer to say?" Maybe somebody famous said those exact words. God help us if there's a lawyer reading this post. javascript:void(0);

I will go exclusive with any major agency that agrees to handle only my images.

With such dynamic changes in this industry in my opinion those who are exclusive anywhere are the most vulnerable to adverse changes.

Stock investors are wise enough to never buy just one stock.

Sales of my best images on SS have not tapered off. I've been uploading only a few images per month and my downloads are INCREASING across the board. Although the same best images of mine have been tapering off at iStock.

I agree that sales are quicker at SS, often minutes from uploading. When I first started there about two years ago I thought that the quick sales were a marketing tool; that the site was buying them just to brag a bit about how good it was to be uploading there.

I just typed in "businessman" there and got two images. Yes, I switched off the light before I left.

For me SS continues to grow compared to iStock, which decreases each month. And I upload only a few images each month.