Author Topic: Reviewers went crazy (Read 14710 times)

Travelling-light · « **Reply #25 on:** December 12, 2013, 19:30 »

Quote from: BaldricksTrousers on December 11, 2013, 19:54

I've said this before about reviewing in general, not specificially about SS, but I'll say it again: in any human assessment of art materials there is always going to be some variation in standards, just as there are variations in the quality of work individuals produce. I don't think any of us know precisely what it is that reviewers look for. I happen to have a very good acceptance rater - 90% +, mostly - so it does come as a bit of a shock when I get a batch where 9 out 0f 10 are rejected. However, I can see that I might be working at just slightly better than the required standards, so an off-day for me, or an inspector who is feeling a bit grumpy, might tip the whole assessment against me.

We all scream and shout about how our wonderful work is rejected by blind idiots, but a decade in this game has persuaded me that the inspectors/reviewers, whatever they are called, do a damned good job. I can look back at files where I had a hissy-fit over rejections seven or eight years ago and wonder how I could ever have submitted such rubbish. There were even some files a year or 18 months ago that I got upset over being rejected - but I've since returned to them and found they could be enormously improved (after which they got accepted).

So while there will always be some marginal or doubtful decisions, I really don't have a lot of time for those who shout down the reviewers. Without them, many of us would never have reached the standard that we have, and I for one am a lot better for it, and not just because of shooting stock.

I find I can process a file one day, look at it next day and wonder what I was thinking. A week later I can look again and decide the first was best after all.
I agree that we get some very odd rejections from (especially) SS, but if I find it hard to decide on my own files, I shouldn't be surprised if someone else also finds it hard.
I think maybe SS don't have enough rejection reasons, so the reviewer has to put something, and OOF is first on the list.

I've just been looking at zero sellers, and only a few of them surprised me

MisterElements · « **Reply #26 on:** December 13, 2013, 07:40 »

Well, one year ago I had 99.9999% approval rate on SS with 4500+ vectors. Then suddenly I could get nothing approved. All different reasons. After about 2 months and only getting a couple items up I just stop uploading onto SS. I starting thinking this week that the problems with the SS reviews may have got better...but after seeing this thread ...why try. It seems sad nothing has changed. I have 300+ good selling vector files not on SS now. It is a shame things seem the same. This thread makes me sad.

Me · « **Reply #27 on:** December 13, 2013, 08:29 »

Quote from: MisterElements on December 13, 2013, 07:40

Well, one year ago I had 99.9999% approval rate on SS with 4500+ vectors. Then suddenly I could get nothing approved. All different reasons. After about 2 months and only getting a couple items up I just stop uploading onto SS. I starting thinking this week that the problems with the SS reviews may have got better...but after seeing this thread ...why try. It seems sad nothing has changed. I have 300+ good selling vector files not on SS now. It is a shame things seem the same. This thread makes me sad.

Seems daft to not upload them, if they get rejected so what. The only one you are hurting by not uploading is potentially yourself. You never know, what if they all get accepted? They might never sell, or they might become your bestsellers on SS.

MisterElements · « **Reply #28 on:** December 13, 2013, 08:37 »

Quote from: Me on December 13, 2013, 08:29

Quote from: MisterElements on December 13, 2013, 07:40
Well, one year ago I had 99.9999% approval rate on SS with 4500+ vectors. Then suddenly I could get nothing approved. All different reasons. After about 2 months and only getting a couple items up I just stop uploading onto SS. I starting thinking this week that the problems with the SS reviews may have got better...but after seeing this thread ...why try. It seems sad nothing has changed. I have 300+ good selling vector files not on SS now. It is a shame things seem the same. This thread makes me sad.

Seems daft to not upload them, if they get rejected so what. The only one you are hurting by not uploading is potentially yourself. You never know, what if they all get accepted? They might never sell, or they might become your bestsellers on SS.

Thanks been a Microstock artist for 7 years now. Good luck

Pablox · « **Reply #29 on:** December 14, 2013, 11:45 »

Hi guys!
I don't write much here, but this really caught my attention and its getting frustrating..
I have around 3500 images on SS and until a couple of months ago i had a consistent 80-90% acceptance rate, but suddenly very few approvals.
I am getting very strict reviews with new reasons I haven't received:
flaky mascara on the eye of the model,
styling issues on objects not people,
most non white models i use i get the incorrect white balance rejection.

So my question is:
Am i getting a random reviewer and SS suddenly become more strict or... is another person reviewing my pictures and just not liking them?

Asthebelltolls · « **Reply #30 on:** December 14, 2013, 14:54 »

Judging by the reaction to this topic.....I too am dealing with the current SS rejection onslaught....I'm wondering if this current practise is also inflicted on the wannabes who are trying to qualify. Is this a case of far too many contributors and far too many uploads to deal with? I'm now at the point where I'll compare my image to similar subjects on SS's first page and try to be non-biased in my assessment. Is my image as good as or better than what I see on the first page? If not, I don't bother uploading.

stockastic · « **Reply #31 on:** December 14, 2013, 15:28 »

There have been threads like this before. It starts with "I used to have 90% acceptance, now I get weird rejections for focus and lighting." Responses fall into 2 groups:

1. Me too. What's going on?

2. Your photos are no good. I love SS! They are the best!

txking · « **Reply #32 on:** December 14, 2013, 23:15 »

Used to have a fairly decent acceptance rate as well through shutterstock. Now I just submitted a batch and had everything rejected which has not been the norm for me. I have had rejected due to the signature that someone uses which is nothing more then their printed name, and editorial image didn't include a model release and a property release, to the models shirt wasn't ironed, and that an image of someone grabbing their hair pulling their hair and pulling it out while screaming was not attractive as it was lit from in front and below the model.

Yes some of the rejections I'll admit deserved it. I was sloppy and screwed the pooch so to speak, others I can see depending upon the reviewer, but others I'll say that I do not understand.

gillian vann · « **Reply #33 on:** December 15, 2013, 07:45 »

I also have a very high rejection rate at the moment, I thought it was because they knew I was giving them stocksy castoffs....

Red Dove · « **Reply #34 on:** December 15, 2013, 09:51 »

Quote from: gillian on December 15, 2013, 07:45

I also have a very high rejection rate at the moment, I thought it was because they knew I was giving them stocksy castoffs....

Your folio at Stocksy is first class.

After five years in this biz I still find it hard to take when talented creators* are talking about high rejection rates. But it won't change. The volume is too high, the investment in quality too low and its cheaper and quicker to sell a cow than a Ferrari.

* I include myself in the mediocre but persistent talent school

heywoody · « **Reply #35 on:** December 15, 2013, 10:26 »

But the accepted stocksy images are not the ones that are being rejected just the (presumably) rejected stocksy images ....

I don't think it's so much a "quality" thing with either site, more what they feel fits their respective collections.

OM · « **Reply #36 on:** December 15, 2013, 18:33 »

Despite all the rejections, I noticed that 190,000 new images were added this week (again!).

Yay Images Billionaire · « **Reply #37 on:** December 16, 2013, 01:15 »

I've also had a number of "focus on the wrong place" rejections this week. Shooting on isolated white at F8, this seems unlikely.

But more annoying is my model release is now being refused as "an unacceptable foreign language release." I use the standard iStock Chinese MR (which is listed on SS's accepted foreign language MRs) but I have included the English translation with it. I have about 120 images on SS using the same MR.

ignard · « **Reply #38 on:** December 16, 2013, 10:49 »

I stopped uploading to SS for the moment till the reviewing gets to a normal level. I have 100% rehjections over the last few weeks and they are all accepted on othe sites. IQ is not disputed on the others.

heywoody · « **Reply #39 on:** December 16, 2013, 16:04 »

Quote from: ignard on December 16, 2013, 10:49

I stopped uploading to SS for the moment till the reviewing gets to a normal level. I have 100% rehjections over the last few weeks and they are all accepted on othe sites. IQ is not disputed on the others.

It's not all about IQ (assuming you mean technical quality) as virtually everything will have that these days.

dpimborough · « **Reply #40 on:** December 17, 2013, 05:37 »

Instead of rejecting new stuff maybe they should look at clearing out some of the appalling junk images they have in the 25 million or so they have on their books.

If they have too many images maybe they should look at culling some of the similars where you get page after page of the same item shot at one degree angle changes.

It would also be beneficial if they came out and said what images they don't want rather than allowing the "focus not in the place we think it should be" or "incorrect white balance" and so on and so forth.

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Author Topic: Reviewers went crazy (Read 14710 times)

Travelling-light

MisterElements

Me

MisterElements

Pablox

Asthebelltolls

stockastic

txking

gillian vann

Red Dove

heywoody

OM

Yay Images Billionaire

ignard

heywoody

dpimborough

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