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Author Topic: Shutterstock - Open AI deal : tool rollout  (Read 17635 times)

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Annie2022

« Reply #25 on: March 26, 2023, 05:02 »
0
Today editorial photography is less profitable than commercial photography, also because of its reduced shelf life.

This trend will be reversed.
Training AI takes a lot of time and is very expensive. That puts it many months (maybe half a year or more) behind the present.

So even when AI imagery will become dominant, there will always be a need for news photographers.

That's an interesting point. Yes, it does look like there will be still a need for editorials - but bona fide news editorials of course - not just street photography.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2023, 06:14 by Annie »


Annie2022

« Reply #26 on: March 26, 2023, 05:11 »
+2
Just got the email so I tried AI. Seems I could do endless requests, until I get something I wanted?

Here's what the output is:
Large1024 1024 pixels
3 3 in300 DPIJPG
$2.90 10 pack, discounts for bigger packs, same as downloads.

They are selling 1024 square images for $2.90?  :o



And that's the watermark? Right click and save, it's a 1024 JPG, I just added websize for this post.

Select, content aware fill, brush the edges with the healing tool = free image.

Ah! That used to be one of my best sellers ! lol  ;)  See below. But of course its been copied many, many times since I uploaded it 8 years ago - and by photographers too. Now AI. lol

Doesn't worry me anymore. I retired from stock photography at the beginning of this year. The props room has been cleared out and I have a bit of gear to sell - thats if its worth anything anymore???

But still its sad. Especially looking at the money that comes dribbling in from SS nowadays. A couple of years ago I used to make around 1,000 dls/month for approx $1k. Now I make half the DLs - but for less than a 1/3 $$.  The half amount of DLs I understand (increased competition from competitors and now AI (and Pete  ;)) - but the 1/3 in cash is dismal.

But that's just SS, which is particularly bad this year. As a comparison for that same time period, AS has nearly doubled, the some of the mid level agencies have held their own, some agencies like 123rf have dropped considerably, but I am making a lot more now on POD and designer resources.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2023, 09:20 by Annie »

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #27 on: March 26, 2023, 11:41 »
0
Now that I see yours, nope no where close. And just for fun, I created a stats page for SS for all the AI images I have uploaded. Ready?

AI Images

$0.00

0

Now I can watch and look forward to the first dime? Some of those are my images, uploaded and then I edited what came out of Dall-E2, they aren't AI generated but more of AI enhanced or alterations. Seemed like a good idea at the time?  ::)

Too much time and effort for no return. They are all vectors as the AI illustrations are unacceptable.

« Reply #28 on: March 26, 2023, 12:30 »
0

Doesn't worry me anymore. I retired from stock photography at the beginning of this year. The props room has been cleared out and I have a bit of gear to sell - thats if its worth anything anymore???


I am honestly jelous of you, I wish I could just do the same. Be done with all of this mess. Unfortunately I  have no plan B. My only job other than microstock has been doing art. I am so screwed.

« Reply #29 on: March 26, 2023, 12:47 »
0
Today editorial photography is less profitable than commercial photography, also because of its reduced shelf life.


True, but my editorial photos only made like 5% of my income and my commercial ones 95%, so I don't really see how that's going to bring in enough income to live from, at least for me.

but that's been the trend for years as MS agencies reduced royalties. anyone who expected to make a living just from ms should have been aware of this for many years.

funny how those decrying AI say AI generated art (no quotes!) is poor quality are saying they can't compete with it!

Very few are saying it is poor quality. Anyone who thinks that needs to go on the Midjourney Community Showcase. The quality of the AI generated work is mind blowing. Way beyond anything posted here.

What some people are saying 1. that people generating the AI with prompts thinking they are brilliant artists is very silly (again go look at the Community Showcase on Midjouney and the prompts used to create the work before any further editing) ...


who has  made a claim to be brilliant?  and editorial doesnt mean low lifetime - shots w crowds, building signs etc are much more common and a steady sellers, even for decades old images (and yes some people images may show outdated costumes)

Quote

I also think 1. artists need to be compensated and compensated well for providing the inputs that actually made the AI possible.
...
The only solution is legislation (after all our industry doesnt exist at all without IP laws). I am not in the EU but would encourage those that are to contact their representatives. I believe AI is being debated by them at the moment.

again, i'm waiting to hear what anyone claiming compensation expects to receive for their tiny contributions?

and no legislation can be retroactive, so it may be a solution to future scraping, but can't affect what's been done. and anyone who thinks such legislation could pass in the current polarized US congress is living in a dreamworld
« Last Edit: March 27, 2023, 12:54 by cascoly »

« Reply #30 on: March 26, 2023, 13:10 »
+5

again, i'm waiting to hear what anyone claiming compensation expects to receive for their tiny contributions?


Tiny contribution? TINY CONTRIBUTION? Are you kidding me? Our unvoluntary contribution is EVERYTHING this AI is built on.
This is not tiny, this is my freakin' lifework. And if you want to know how much I want? I want what my microstock portfolio would have earned me for the rest of my life, had it not be stolen and used to train an AI to replace me, which will result in my portfolio being worthless and me being without any income and this would be something close to a 7-figure amount going by what I used to earn per month and how many years I can still expect to live. THAT'S how much my portfolio has been worth before AI image companies stole it.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2023, 13:15 by Her Ugliness »

Annie2022

« Reply #31 on: March 26, 2023, 14:51 »
0
Now that I see yours, nope no where close. And just for fun, I created a stats page for SS for all the AI images I have uploaded. Ready?

AI Images

$0.00

0

Now I can watch and look forward to the first dime? Some of those are my images, uploaded and then I edited what came out of Dall-E2, they aren't AI generated but more of AI enhanced or alterations. Seemed like a good idea at the time?  ::)

Too much time and effort for no return. They are all vectors as the AI illustrations are unacceptable.

ha ha ha  ;D

I was just kidding about the copying. My photo sat on the top of page 1 for St Pats Day for years, and every man and his dog did their own version of it. lol  I guess its a typical St Pat's composition. (My filter version now sits on P3. Not sure what happened to the original?)

Remember the painted distressed wood backgrounds that I made? That was the green one.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2023, 23:21 by Annie »

Annie2022

« Reply #32 on: March 26, 2023, 15:21 »
0

Doesn't worry me anymore. I retired from stock photography at the beginning of this year. The props room has been cleared out and I have a bit of gear to sell - thats if its worth anything anymore???


I am honestly jelous of you, I wish I could just do the same. Be done with all of this mess. Unfortunately I  have no plan B. My only job other than microstock has been doing art. I am so screwed.

There are other Plan Bs depending on your skills and whether you want to start again with other types of imagery.

There was a thread here a while ago where we talked about other opportunities such as:

- designer resources agencies
- printed merchandise
- direct selling

There are pitfalls and learning curves in some of them, and nowadays a lot of competition in most. But, for example, I was able to make an additional $1,000/month after about a year of focusing on those three things.

Your puppies would look cute on greeting cards and printed merchandise, if you haven't already tried that. In fact, remember last Christmas I saw one of your photos sold on greeting cards here in our Australian supermarket?

There is a big demand for product mockups. But that requires further investment of props and learning new skills. But its definitely a growing market. I need to expand my skills in PS to produce quality smart objects like this quick example I just found, where it perfectly wraps around the product:

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1395344090/boho-candle-mockup-candle-label-mockup

Here's an interesting story that happened to me just the other day: I was trying to sell one of my graphic designs and placed it on one of my own photography backgrounds for the cover photo. The product never sold but the background did! Someone went and bought it from Adobe Stock and I received $20 for the background photo. lol

So there is still a need for good background shots, I guess.

So, yeah, there are other Plan Bs.

(But just to add: I am not shooting any more photography though. I have enough files. I was planning to do some more product mockups this year - I kept those props but I got rid of all the rest. But I just cannot get motivated.  Maybe because the whole industry is so depressing. Just for fun and relaxation, I have been enjoying doing graphic design projects as my creative outlet.)

Oh, and one more thing (apologies - this is becoming a very long answer). At the end of last year I decided to set up a new website from scratch. I had closed my Etsy shop so I didn't have a website through them anymore. I have always wanted a quality site which was kind of like a one stop place to showcase my work - and to my surprise I sold some work (some videos mainly) and maybe more that I havent known about. It's not a direct selling site - I didn't want all the hassle of that anymore. I just link my products to a couple of specific agencies where they can be purchased. My sales on those sites have gone up this year, so who knows???

I do a lot of marketing on social media sites and started up some new social media accounts for a fresh start. I believe everything helps.  I have purchased things that I see promoted on social media - so I figure others may as well.

https://milleflore.com/

« Last Edit: March 26, 2023, 23:16 by Annie »

« Reply #33 on: March 26, 2023, 17:15 »
+1

Doesn't worry me anymore. I retired from stock photography at the beginning of this year. The props room has been cleared out and I have a bit of gear to sell - thats if its worth anything anymore???


I am honestly jelous of you, I wish I could just do the same. Be done with all of this mess. Unfortunately I  have no plan B. My only job other than microstock has been doing art. I am so screwed.
I'm in year 13 of working on my plan B, and got nowhere. I'm sure it will all work out. I did get this from it, sold loads, until it was copied to death https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/crossing-out-plan-writing-b-on-17871004

« Reply #34 on: March 27, 2023, 06:33 »
0

Doesn't worry me anymore. I retired from stock photography at the beginning of this year. The props room has been cleared out and I have a bit of gear to sell - thats if its worth anything anymore???


I am honestly jelous of you, I wish I could just do the same. Be done with all of this mess. Unfortunately I  have no plan B. My only job other than microstock has been doing art. I am so screwed.

There are other Plan Bs depending on your skills and whether you want to start again with other types of imagery.

There was a thread here a while ago where we talked about other opportunities such as:

- designer resources agencies
- printed merchandise
- direct selling

There are pitfalls and learning curves in some of them, and nowadays a lot of competition in most. But, for example, I was able to make an additional $1,000/month after about a year of focusing on those three things.

Your puppies would look cute on greeting cards and printed merchandise, if you haven't already tried that. In fact, remember last Christmas I saw one of your photos sold on greeting cards here in our Australian supermarket?

There is a big demand for product mockups. But that requires further investment of props and learning new skills. But its definitely a growing market. I need to expand my skills in PS to produce quality smart objects like this quick example I just found, where it perfectly wraps around the product:

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1395344090/boho-candle-mockup-candle-label-mockup

Here's an interesting story that happened to me just the other day: I was trying to sell one of my graphic designs and placed it on one of my own photography backgrounds for the cover photo. The product never sold but the background did! Someone went and bought it from Adobe Stock and I received $20 for the background photo. lol

So there is still a need for good background shots, I guess.

So, yeah, there are other Plan Bs.

(But just to add: I am not shooting any more photography though. I have enough files. I was planning to do some more product mockups this year - I kept those props but I got rid of all the rest. But I just cannot get motivated.  Maybe because the whole industry is so depressing. Just for fun and relaxation, I have been enjoying doing graphic design projects as my creative outlet.)

Oh, and one more thing (apologies - this is becoming a very long answer). At the end of last year I decided to set up a new website from scratch. I had closed my Etsy shop so I didn't have a website through them anymore. I have always wanted a quality site which was kind of like a one stop place to showcase my work - and to my surprise I sold some work (some videos mainly) and maybe more that I havent known about. It's not a direct selling site - I didn't want all the hassle of that anymore. I just link my products to a couple of specific agencies where they can be purchased. My sales on those sites have gone up this year, so who knows???

I do a lot of marketing on social media sites and started up some new social media accounts for a fresh start. I believe everything helps.  I have purchased things that I see promoted on social media - so I figure others may as well.

https://milleflore.com/

Thanks Annie, but I do not really believe any of these Plan Bs will really work, because designer resources agencies, printed merchandise and direct selling will be completely taken over by AI art as well.

Yes, my puppies would look great on that. But how do I compete with such AI images, most of all images that can be mass produced in 5 seconds whereas  crafting, getting dogs to sit still, moving furniture for space, setting up light, etc. takes me several hours to produce one such image?




I have a puppy shooting for a friend ahead this weekend  and I have seriously been crafting stuff for it for weeks, spend lots of money on material as well, will have to drive there for 1 hour and the shooting itself will take hours, because it is so difficult to get 7 weeks old puppies to sit still and then I will spend hours on post-processing. And then AI can now do all of this in 5 seconds.

Product mockups can now be generated with the AI in 5 seconds too:



There is really absolutely nothing where my skills can outperform AI anymore. In the time I can produce one image, at great effort, time and also material costs, the AI can generate 500 images for the costs of a fraction of a cent. I am officially not needed anymore.

And I don't really have any other skills. I have an university degree, but it has been over 15 years since I did anything with that so I am considered "untrained" and no one would hire me, and even in the very unlikely scenario I could find someone to hire me I would need to move to a different city far away for a job in that field anyway, which wouldn't work because of my husband's job here.

 I am feeling absolutely hopeless.

« Last Edit: March 27, 2023, 07:20 by Firn »

« Reply #35 on: March 27, 2023, 09:12 »
0
What are you all whining about. While there is time, go to another business, which means that you are sure that you will be left without a job.

« Reply #36 on: March 27, 2023, 09:26 »
0
I predict poor demand for AI-generated photos and videos. Buyers want real life images, not fictional ones. Yes, a small part of buyers will create something artificial for themselves, if by that time it will still be free. But most of the buyer will only buy real content. Otherwise, if you think about it, then we can say that all manufacturers of photographic equipment will go bankrupt, because. who then will need cameras, light, etc. And then you can generally say that humanity will die out, because. it will be replaced by robots!

« Reply #37 on: March 27, 2023, 09:28 »
0
The only thing stockers should probably do is fill the portfolio with artificial content as well. It will only increase sales.

« Reply #38 on: March 27, 2023, 09:31 »
0
Product photography. For new products. AI can't replace it.

« Reply #39 on: March 27, 2023, 10:03 »
0
Product photography. For new products. AI can't replace it.
You are more optimistic than I am. You can upload a snapshot cell phone photo to midjourney, give it instructions and it will create something for you. No product photographer needed.
I don't think it would work for product photography yet, because MJ doesn't do texts and writes in its own alien language, so every product packing with text on it would not work and I don't think it can  really completely reproducing an object yet, just another version of it, but it's absolutely something I can imagine for the future: Just take a snapshot of your product, upload it to MJ and tell MJ "make me a beautiful advertisement shot" and voil!

But besides this, I did actually start looking for other jobs, but it's not like someone is searching for a product photographer anywhere in my area. As said, I am not considered as "trained" with my university degree since I did not work in that field for 15+ years and the only very few job offers where being trained wasn't a requirement were not an option for me for various other reasons, like not having a driver's license.

I though portrait photography might be one that would always be in demand, but I've already seen sites where you can send in a couple of cell phone selfies and it will create 100 of professional looking portrait photographes with your face.  :-\
« Last Edit: March 27, 2023, 10:33 by Firn »

« Reply #40 on: March 27, 2023, 11:14 »
0
but I've already seen sites where you can send in a couple of cell phone selfies and it will create 100 of professional looking portrait photographes with your face.  :-\
Share addresses. I want to order a portrait for myself.

ADH

« Reply #41 on: March 27, 2023, 11:27 »
+2
AI is the end of commercial photography, there is no question about it and is happening now


« Reply #42 on: March 27, 2023, 11:46 »
0
Product photography. For new products. AI can't replace it.
You are more optimistic than I am. You can upload a snapshot cell phone photo to midjourney, give it instructions and it will create something for you. No product photographer needed.
I don't think it would work for product photography yet, because MJ doesn't do texts and writes in its own alien language, so every product packing with text on it would not work and I don't think it can  really completely reproducing an object yet, just another version of it, but it's absolutely something I can imagine for the future: Just take a snapshot of your product, upload it to MJ and tell MJ "make me a beautiful advertisement shot" and voil!

But besides this, I did actually start looking for other jobs, but it's not like someone is searching for a product photographer anywhere in my area. As said, I am not considered as "trained" with my university degree since I did not work in that field for 15+ years and the only very few job offers where being trained wasn't a requirement were not an option for me for various other reasons, like not having a driver's license.

I though portrait photography might be one that would always be in demand, but I've already seen sites where you can send in a couple of cell phone selfies and it will create 100 of professional looking portrait photographes with your face.  :-\

Firn, are you noticing a decline in sales already now, or is your concern more about the near future?

« Reply #43 on: March 27, 2023, 12:05 »
0

Firn, are you noticing a decline in sales already now, or is your concern more about the near future?

It's more about the future. My sales are as usual so far, both in terms of downloads and revenue.
But I don't expect a decline so fast. The latest version of midjourney that lets you basically create photorealistic images is maybe 2 weeks old? Up till that point AI photos were rather poor in my opinion. It's really the latest MJ version that is giving me nightmares.
It will take a while till everyone catches on to what AI can do now, most of all customers. But eventually there won't be any money to be made with microstock photography and I am afraid it will be rather sooner than later.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2023, 12:09 by Firn »

« Reply #44 on: March 27, 2023, 12:54 »
+1

Firn, are you noticing a decline in sales already now, or is your concern more about the near future?

It's more about the future. My sales are as usual so far, both in terms of downloads and revenue.
But I don't expect a decline so fast. The latest version of midjourney that lets you basically create photorealistic images is maybe 2 weeks old? Up till that point AI photos were rather poor in my opinion. It's really the latest MJ version that is giving me nightmares.
It will take a while till everyone catches on to what AI can do now, most of all customers. But eventually there won't be any money to be made with microstock photography and I am afraid it will be rather sooner than later.

Then I'll keep my fingers crossed that customers are more likely to vote for real images.
I can understand your frustration. You have conquered a great niche here, which was very difficult (I could not do it at all) to imitate. Now any dork can do it  :(

« Reply #45 on: March 27, 2023, 12:59 »
0

again, i'm waiting to hear what anyone claiming compensation expects to receive for their tiny contributions?


Tiny contribution? TINY CONTRIBUTION? Are you kidding me? Our unvoluntary contribution is EVERYTHING this AI is built on.
This is not tiny, this is my freakin' lifework. And if you want to know how much I want? I want what my microstock portfolio would have earned me for the rest of my life, had it not be stolen and used to train an AI to replace me, which will result in my portfolio being worthless and me being without any income and this would be something close to a 7-figure amount going by what I used to earn per month and how many years I can still expect to live. THAT'S how much my portfolio has been worth before AI image companies stole it.

you're going to be a bit disappointed if you expect even THREE figure compensation - and 'tiny' is not your subjective opinion - RYFM - i said tiny (should have said minuscule) compared to the total # of images involved

and 7 figures for lifetime?  how many artists even come close to that amount? we've seen long ago that what you earned years ago no longer predicts recent years, much less over a long life.

« Reply #46 on: March 27, 2023, 13:05 »
0
Product photography. For new products. AI can't replace it.
You are more optimistic than I am. You can upload a snapshot cell phone photo to midjourney, give it instructions and it will create something for you. No product photographer needed.
I don't think it would work for product photography yet, because MJ doesn't do texts and writes in its own alien language, so every product packing with text on it would not work ...
actually, given the silly instructions that often come with products it looks like a poor version of AI has been at work for years

« Reply #47 on: March 27, 2023, 13:08 »
+1

again, i'm waiting to hear what anyone claiming compensation expects to receive for their tiny contributions?


Tiny contribution? TINY CONTRIBUTION? Are you kidding me? Our unvoluntary contribution is EVERYTHING this AI is built on.
This is not tiny, this is my freakin' lifework. And if you want to know how much I want? I want what my microstock portfolio would have earned me for the rest of my life, had it not be stolen and used to train an AI to replace me, which will result in my portfolio being worthless and me being without any income and this would be something close to a 7-figure amount going by what I used to earn per month and how many years I can still expect to live. THAT'S how much my portfolio has been worth before AI image companies stole it.

you're going to be a bit disappointed if you expect even THREE figure compensation -

I don't "EXPECT" to even get a single cent, I am just saying what I want and what I consider my the usage of my port to train AI to be worth.

U11


« Reply #48 on: March 27, 2023, 13:26 »
0
- Oversupply of AI generated images/video, the market will become saturated if it hasn't already.
and you dont need a library of images anymore (soon)
AI will generate images on demand when you need them with the best quality available at the day of generation
Imagine a web page just calling an API to generate  unique illustration tailored for every visitor

Annie2022

« Reply #49 on: March 27, 2023, 17:47 »
+2
Product photography. For new products. AI can't replace it.
You are more optimistic than I am. You can upload a snapshot cell phone photo to midjourney, give it instructions and it will create something for you. No product photographer needed.
I don't think it would work for product photography yet, because MJ doesn't do texts and writes in its own alien language, so every product packing with text on it would not work and I don't think it can  really completely reproducing an object yet, just another version of it, but it's absolutely something I can imagine for the future: Just take a snapshot of your product, upload it to MJ and tell MJ "make me a beautiful advertisement shot" and voil!


Ok, I'll give you a scenario.

There is a huge market out there for party supplies & wedding stationery designers. Its big! I mean huge! One of the designers who I befriended showed me the dollars that can be made in the industry. Thousands of dollars a month. I was quite taken back. But they want mockups for their cover shots - and they will buy in bulk. They are artists and graphic designers but mostly not photographers, and they want professional photography, good lighting, on-trend styling (which is a whole subject in itself), the right props with the perfect dimensions, etc, or simply don't want to fuss around with the photography side of things. They sell mainly on Etsy, and places like Zazzle (the home for personalized and custom products), or through their own sites.

To top it off, Zazzle encourages designers to use their own cover photos (where you need mockups other than the ones Zazzle offers). Zazzle even gives search priority to products that feature their own cover photos. I found that hard to believe - but its true. They made the announcement in Feb 2023, had several designers complaining on the forum, but several have tried it - and yes, higher search placement for those who use their own cover photos. But this has also driven up the need for more mockups.


So this is where the designer resources market comes into it - the supplier side. Top product mockup photographers also make a lot of money. Through eRank I was able to research some of them who sell around 300 mockup photos (JPEG, PNGs and PSD smart object files) at around $5 to $12 a mockup - A WEEK! That's a minimum of $78,000/annum.

So dare I say this is a big market.


Like I said, I befriended some of these designers and learnt a lot about what they want. Its mainly in the styling and the types of mockups, but mostly the new styling trends (which requires quite a bit of research and know-how, and constantly keeping up to date). They know what they want. The AI generated mockups you posted above, Fern - look nice but its not what they want. Its the wrong styling, they are over-styled (they will distract from the actual designs), the wrong colors, and not sure about the dimensions of the products - they have to be exact. Also, up close those photos look computer generated and they don't want those. There are already lots of 3D modelling mockups on designer resources agencies and Etsy, but it doesn't appeal to this particular market. They have their own market. But of course, if you can AI generate the right mockups - then you still have to create the PNGs and PSD smart object files. I don't think places like MJ can do that (maybe not yet??)

I only just touched the surface with these types of 'styled stock photos' (as they call it) mockups, and most of mine are fairly simple, but as soon as I started to provide even the simple ones, my sales jumped up.

There - I've given everyone a huge tip! But to those who are not good stylists, or cannot generate quality PNGs and in particular the PSD smart objects files (like the one I linked above) you won't be able to fully tap into the market. But the important thing is this buyer market does not want computer generated mockups. If they bought one accidently from you, and looked closely at it, they would be very unhappy. Its a completely different market with big money involved.

The question is, will AI take over this market? Its possible. Anything is possible. And maybe take some of the market away, but because of the buyers' demands, and the big dollars involved, the right photographers with the right skills could still carve out a good niche for themselves. (I think I just motivated myself to try again. lol)
« Last Edit: March 27, 2023, 18:13 by Annie »


 

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