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Author Topic: SS continues to deteriorate  (Read 97447 times)

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Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #125 on: March 06, 2020, 11:54 »
+2
Uncle Pete, resubmit with notice that specific race track in an up-hill! :D :P

Hey good suggestion? Add uphill to the description.

The root cause for me is that they have made it possible to become a contributor with zero knowledge of photography or stock photography creating an unmanagable tsumani of images. There was a time when at least you needed to demonstrate a reasonable level of competence.  The quicker in a process you filter out poor quality the cheaper it is. Can you imagine a supermarket using a supplier where 90% of their product has to be rejected as sub-standard? I'm pretty sure SS have such people.
Sorry, but that's not true. It was like this since the day one of Shutterstock and microstock itself. We can't pretend now that microstock was some kind of macrostock once upon a time. Microstock ruined macrostock and any appreciation of quality in photography years ago.
You had to have 7 out of 10 images approved. On Istock it was three but to high standard and if you failed you had to wait at least a month to be approved. Thats a fact.

No it wasn't Macrostock but a cetain level was required. I failed myself and had to up my game.

Question and there's lots of room below. What microstock agencies required any sort of test to be allowed to upload? Please name all of them. I'll start:

1) Shutterstock
2) iStock
3) Alamy (not microstock but close enough)



I do agree, that I had to up my game to Microstock levels, not just photos that were actually good, nice, printable and maybe even artistic. No I had to peek at full size, 100%, make sure every pixel was perfect, no unsightly shadows, no depth of field in front of a subject, or not too much. Everything illuminated like a dinner from a nuclear plant, glowing and bright. Isolation, without a speck, and sharp? We needed to have calibrated monitors and needed to wear eye protection so we didn't cut them while viewing.  ;) That sharp!

For a quarter?

At least that silly upsizing for Alamy ended. And iStock, where are they now?

But my favorite part is, one person says the problem is they are accepting substandard images and another is going to say, they are rejecting my good images that could be selling.  :o Or maybe the problem is new images don't sell, but they are forcing new images to the top of everything and hiding old images? Plus they are favoring "someone else" and hurting my sales. My income is capped, reviewers are not human, the reviewers are favoring other contributors who are friends. Some countries are getting better placement to force out the higher paid quality contributors. The stock holders are behind this. Well kind of, they don't tell the company what to do, but the fact that any business has investors, means they have to show a profit for those investors.

You can make up nearly anything to support any argument you want, without any logic, evidence or proof. Then you know you have stepped into...



jonbull

    This user is banned.
« Reply #126 on: March 06, 2020, 12:38 »
0
had chat with a person at ss...for me even those who help are ai machine) unbelievable the kind of answer....similar content? maybe they are similar to content of other contributors...this is the answer.... by the way super slow march forme everywhere...coronavirus kicking in stock market probably,

Tenebroso

« Reply #127 on: March 06, 2020, 15:29 »
0
The new collaborators I suppose ...... that in SS ....



I suppose the new collaborators will leave. It is not about tanned skin or lack of professionalism or weak mind. I believe that if someone comes to SS now, they leave before 30 days. Since they now use all the variety of excuses to reject.

There is a comment on the official forum of many fewer images, some millions of images less, will they be cleaning old files? They are no longer interested in being the Agency with the most files? I think that seeing the behavior, there is no doubt that they are doing very badly economically. It seems that we will soon know the extent of the real situation of a huge failure.


I think the situation is more serious than we can imagine.

« Reply #128 on: March 07, 2020, 02:12 »
+1
If it sells its not crap this is a business.

« Reply #129 on: March 07, 2020, 02:16 »
0
Question and there's lots of room below. What microstock agencies required any sort of test to be allowed to upload? Please name all of them. I'll start:

1) Shutterstock
2) iStock
3) Alamy (not microstock but close enough)

I'm pretty sure Fotolia did but maybe I'm wrong..I remember when I started I got lots of rejections and couldn't understand it as my friends all said how great my pictures were ;-).

« Reply #130 on: March 07, 2020, 02:46 »
+2
I do not remember any agency back in 2006 that did not require a photographer to pass an acceptance test. Sure, some were more stringent than others but all asked a number of candidate images to pass to be approved as a contributor.

A really strange thing is happening with searches on SS on the "Fresh Content" order.

I searched for "palace interior" to take a look at what is being approve nowadays and what was being approved years back. Ordered by the "Fresh Content"option, jumped at page 1000 (out of 1091) and I see images from 2019, 2018 and other recent years in the mix. Even on page 1091 that happens. The same happens with other searches where I have mages from 2007 and on the last page I get recent images and none of mine.

Am I missing something? Isn't "Fresh Content" synonym of newest? Or does it mean unsold or something like that?

« Reply #131 on: March 07, 2020, 03:09 »
+1
I do not remember any agency back in 2006 that did not require a photographer to pass an acceptance test. Sure, some were more stringent than others but all asked a number of candidate images to pass to be approved as a contributor.

A really strange thing is happening with searches on SS on the "Fresh Content" order.

I searched for "palace interior" to take a look at what is being approve nowadays and what was being approved years back. Ordered by the "Fresh Content"option, jumped at page 1000 (out of 1091) and I see images from 2019, 2018 and other recent years in the mix. Even on page 1091 that happens. The same happens with other searches where I have mages from 2007 and on the last page I get recent images and none of mine.

Am I missing something? Isn't "Fresh Content" synonym of newest? Or does it mean unsold or something like that?
I guess it might mean unsold...I get quite a lot of old images that never sold getting a sale and some pretty poor ones at that. Which shows its never a good idea to remove your "crappy" content.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #132 on: March 07, 2020, 10:10 »
0
I do not remember any agency back in 2006 that did not require a photographer to pass an acceptance test. Sure, some were more stringent than others but all asked a number of candidate images to pass to be approved as a contributor.

A really strange thing is happening with searches on SS on the "Fresh Content" order.

I searched for "palace interior" to take a look at what is being approve nowadays and what was being approved years back. Ordered by the "Fresh Content"option, jumped at page 1000 (out of 1091) and I see images from 2019, 2018 and other recent years in the mix. Even on page 1091 that happens. The same happens with other searches where I have mages from 2007 and on the last page I get recent images and none of mine.

Am I missing something? Isn't "Fresh Content" synonym of newest? Or does it mean unsold or something like that?
I guess it might mean unsold...I get quite a lot of old images that never sold getting a sale and some pretty poor ones at that. Which shows its never a good idea to remove your "crappy" content.

We have no hint what any of the words mean on SS. Easy example, Top Images, which just like Most Popular, is in no imaginable way, what any of us would call either of those phrases. One of my recent uploads just jumped to the first "top Image, after I uploaded about 100 other new images. Why? No downloads, the new images are a couple lines below, and almost all editorial, filling page 1 and 2, but why would a photo of bread, suddenly be my Top Image.

We can spend forever trying to figure this out, but there's no answer.

Every site in 2006 would be what? iStock, Shutterstock and Alamy? LOL  ;)

Question and there's lots of room below. What microstock agencies required any sort of test to be allowed to upload? Please name all of them. I'll start:

1) Shutterstock
2) iStock
3) Alamy (not microstock but close enough)

I'm pretty sure Fotolia did but maybe I'm wrong..I remember when I started I got lots of rejections and couldn't understand it as my friends all said how great my pictures were ;-).

I don't recall, but I do remember those three had qualification submissions for entry and IS even had the written test, that had to be 100% right, or you would have to go back and change answers until all were correct. Not a bad idea, I mean what can you contribute, what's the minimum size, some pretty basic things.

I had plenty of rejections myself. I went bad the other day, looking for rejections that I could re-edit and upload. Sometimes that's been useful. Oh No! Not only are they terrible, bad, flawed, poor concepts, I see some that were accepted that I'd hit with a DEL key in seconds, now. Sure photos, events, scenery, I have been taking photos since the 60s, a few from the 50s. (talk about old timer?) Some are actually good, but unsuitable for Microstock, film is just too grainy, most of them would take far too much effort to edit. For what?

I think though, that if reviewers do their job right, there doesn't need to be an entrance exam. The agencies are responsible for what they accept and their content. If it's poor quality and rubbish, they should reject it. If the agencies accept Crapstock, it's not the contributors fault, it's the agency. With that, I say, open to everyone and let them meet the standards. I'd hope that someone who gets enough rejections, would get the message and go away, or improve to meet the requirements.

« Reply #133 on: March 07, 2020, 11:31 »
+1
I do not remember any agency back in 2006 that did not require a photographer to pass an acceptance test. Sure, some were more stringent than others but all asked a number of candidate images to pass to be approved as a contributor.

A really strange thing is happening with searches on SS on the "Fresh Content" order.

I searched for "palace interior" to take a look at what is being approve nowadays and what was being approved years back. Ordered by the "Fresh Content"option, jumped at page 1000 (out of 1091) and I see images from 2019, 2018 and other recent years in the mix. Even on page 1091 that happens. The same happens with other searches where I have mages from 2007 and on the last page I get recent images and none of mine.

Am I missing something? Isn't "Fresh Content" synonym of newest? Or does it mean unsold or something like that?
I guess it might mean unsold...I get quite a lot of old images that never sold getting a sale and some pretty poor ones at that. Which shows its never a good idea to remove your "crappy" content.

We have no hint what any of the words mean on SS. Easy example, Top Images, which just like Most Popular, is in no imaginable way, what any of us would call either of those phrases. One of my recent uploads just jumped to the first "top Image, after I uploaded about 100 other new images. Why? No downloads, the new images are a couple lines below, and almost all editorial, filling page 1 and 2, but why would a photo of bread, suddenly be my Top Image.

We can spend forever trying to figure this out, but there's no answer.

Every site in 2006 would be what? iStock, Shutterstock and Alamy? LOL  ;)

In 2007 I already was in almost all the Microstock agencies I'm today except for a couple I joined later. I do not not remember back then joining an agency without having to be approved unless my memory is betraying me. And this means SS, IS, FL, DT, 123RF, BS and Alamy (was Macro).

Of course, not all had the same level of requirements but none accepted you just by registering.

« Reply #134 on: March 07, 2020, 12:59 »
+2
DT was my first agency and I think that as soon as an image passed QC you were in. I think I was hovering around 50% acceptance for the first few months or more. I had some pretty good images, but I also had some really really poor ones and it definitely took me more time to make an image acceptable. It didn't help that I was using a not quite 4 mp point and shoot. RPI that hit $1 per image per month really helped the motivation though.


There are a few things I have images of that I wish I could re-shoot with the gear I have now.

georgep7

« Reply #135 on: March 07, 2020, 15:24 »
0
Quote
There are a few things I have images of that I wish I could re-shoot with the gear I have now.

Don't think about it, probably quite many people already did....

Tenebroso

« Reply #136 on: March 07, 2020, 15:37 »
0
Microstock is a file store. There must be everything to reach all customers. It's like going fishing, you may go to the same place, but the tides change, waves, currents, temperature, sea salinity, luck, chance, .....


In this business, there must be children's drawings, I do not mean drawings for children, but drawings as if they were made by a three-year-old child. It is something necessary. A drawing of these that simulate a children's drawing will never be in an art exhibition.
This business is industrial photography.

The problem is that they insist on offering a farmer model, when people know that farmers have calluses on their hands.

Clients want naturalness, quality for wedding photos, or international competitions.

I do not argue that any client understands photos, but most only want what they like and / or need for their work. He cares little if he has noise, logically, with noise the image will not go on sale.

In conclusion, agencies must have files capable of adapting to any client within a minimum of quality. The mistake, the pretty girl of agriculture. It is valid, but SS strives to hide the real farmers.


And then we try to prove ourselves that we are image professionals. Here you need all the images, with a minimum of quality, to be able to offer it to anyone, with the tastes of the variety to any corner of the world.


If you like color in India, it cannot be that SS only offers the same old dandruff per system. The problem lies in hiding the virus files after three pages of spam to sell what they want to sell.


At the time they offered variety, do not hide files, switch to the entire department of those who place the images in the Escaparete of Relevant, SS will sell more. The customer is tired of always seeing the same. But it is not the quality of the files or the exaggerated number of files, the problem is the pointless funnel of offering all similar images if or if they themselves. Without granting variations, different things,  .......


They have a global customer market, but they do badly by offering the taste of an old apartment, which must go home or modernize, the department that chooses to hide new things and offers only dandruff.

A person can be number one selling fridges and unable to sell a car.

therefore, if photo quality were needed, only the best photographers in the world would work.

What happens that the best photographers in the world are not needed here, a drawing that looks like a child is needed when talking about children's issues. Is that drawing bad? do not. It is very good, especially for the agency that has everything and for the client who finds what he was looking for.


The problem is that SS does not offer everything, hides things and offers with a shoehorn, others. I guess they do it with good intention, they probably think they are the gods of taste and cerebral delicacy. but I fear that the taste is varied, and above all changing.


Therefore, they must be updated.

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #137 on: March 07, 2020, 15:44 »
+1
I do not remember any agency back in 2006 that did not require a photographer to pass an acceptance test. Sure, some were more stringent than others but all asked a number of candidate images to pass to be approved as a contributor.

A really strange thing is happening with searches on SS on the "Fresh Content" order.

I searched for "palace interior" to take a look at what is being approve nowadays and what was being approved years back. Ordered by the "Fresh Content"option, jumped at page 1000 (out of 1091) and I see images from 2019, 2018 and other recent years in the mix. Even on page 1091 that happens. The same happens with other searches where I have mages from 2007 and on the last page I get recent images and none of mine.

Am I missing something? Isn't "Fresh Content" synonym of newest? Or does it mean unsold or something like that?
I guess it might mean unsold...I get quite a lot of old images that never sold getting a sale and some pretty poor ones at that. Which shows its never a good idea to remove your "crappy" content.

We have no hint what any of the words mean on SS. Easy example, Top Images, which just like Most Popular, is in no imaginable way, what any of us would call either of those phrases. One of my recent uploads just jumped to the first "top Image, after I uploaded about 100 other new images. Why? No downloads, the new images are a couple lines below, and almost all editorial, filling page 1 and 2, but why would a photo of bread, suddenly be my Top Image.

We can spend forever trying to figure this out, but there's no answer.

Every site in 2006 would be what? iStock, Shutterstock and Alamy? LOL  ;)

In 2007 I already was in almost all the Microstock agencies I'm today except for a couple I joined later. I do not not remember back then joining an agency without having to be approved unless my memory is betraying me. And this means SS, IS, FL, DT, 123RF, BS and Alamy (was Macro).

Of course, not all had the same level of requirements but none accepted you just by registering.

Since I wasn't there, I can't argue.  :) And things do change.

I can tell you that I joined everywhere in 2008, only the three had any sort of test or application. DP didn't exist. 123RF, BS, DT and FT had no test (I would have failed) I started out, uploading to the four, FT, DT, 123 and BS. Then when I had 20 accepted at each, with many rejections, I took the "best" 10 and applied to SS, IS and waited. IS took me after some rejections, SS asked me to wait and try again. Alamy I didn't upload Microstock I did some scenic and outdoors, I passed.

That's my memory of 2008. And until about 2012 IS, SS and Alamy held up the standards with consistent reviews. Then IS suddenly dropped. I actually took files from the IS rejected folder and uploaded them and they passed. Soon SS was following and starting to accept images that I wouldn't have uploaded in 2011.

The small agencies I dropped, I didn't want to be part of them. Talk about no standards? Alamy to this day, holds to their quality standards, but they eventually dropped the dumb upsizing requirements? FT got sold and Adobe changed some things, but at this point, is probably the closest to old days reviews, and trying to only take the best quality products for their customers.

Only saying Microstock, the smaller agencies, the ones that are on life support, will take almost anything, because like the people that feed them, they are desperate to make any money they can. The big sorting out is coming. The only reason things haven't adjusted sooner is we're being paid such insulting tiny percentages, so the abusive parasites are hanging on, bleed artists until the last drop.

What use is a test or proof skill application? If the agencies held their standards, the people who produce sub-standard images would be rejected and rejected, until they got the message and went away. Instead the agencies accept total crap. There's the problem, and the agencies are the ones responsible, not the people who are trying to make some money.

I can only blame the agencies for their own fate. GIGO

I'm happy with SS, AS and Alamy. If DT made a comeback that would be nice.

« Reply #138 on: September 08, 2022, 08:23 »
0
making some graphic  image changing flag to show different country, they keep refusing all but one for similar content....unbielevable,...they accept crap over crap then refuse there images with great potential....they don't have a clue what they are aiming at...

looks this guy portfolio i spotted in ss forum...te guy who claims one ann expert uploading more crap and crap to reach 10000

https://www.shutterstock.com/da/g/Grossinger?sort=newest

People like you who are totally in love with your self and feed on posting crap about other people are just too common on every forum.
First of all, since you posted the link (Thank you) to my forum I think you are obligated to also post your link, just so I can admire your port and maybe even comment on it.


this is an offense to me and author who spend time....people talk about past times, well in past times no even a single files of this 10000 bull...it would have minimally accepted....and they refuse files for similar content because idiot ai spot similar pixel but not the general meaning of a photo...i hope they go bankrupt int a bunch of year..

« Reply #139 on: September 08, 2022, 08:40 »
0
People like you who are totally in love with your self and feed on posting crap about other people are just too common on every forum.
First of all, since you posted the link (Thank you) to my forum I think you are obligated to also post your link, just so I can admire your port and maybe even comment on it.

« Reply #140 on: September 08, 2022, 13:35 »
0
^ It is that type of rejection that sure sounds like it is a machine interpretation. I'm guessing the reviewers have tools to give them "hints" on why an image may or may not be rejected. I am guessing some reviewers take the "hints" as the final ruling to keep their review rate as high as possible.

Exactly. The software makes suggestions, the lazy reviewers, just click "reject" if the machine says so, it must be. Other reviewers have a brain cell and actually look. SS is paying for machine assisted reviews and some reviewers are doing the company a disservice by relying on that....



i've long had those types of rejections, usually because the horizon is off, but sometimes, like yours, where it was intentional. not sure it's an AI,

this is also a major reason for WS rejects  - such as a row of columns where closer ones are slanted compared to a more distant correctly horizontal building

Uncle Pete

  • Great Place by a Great Lake - My Home Port
« Reply #141 on: September 08, 2022, 13:40 »
+2

looks this guy portfolio i spotted in ss forum...te guy who claims one ann expert uploading more crap and crap to reach 10000


Looks like you lost a dedicated follower.  ;D More time worrying about what other people do than on his own business.

People like this come here and tell us all about how terrible the reviews are, and how crap gets accepted, but they get rejections. I see a story in that? If Crapstock is passing and his is failing, are there some sour grapes of wrath involved?  ;)

For anyone reading this, I'm only half as good as Joe, I have just over 5,000 images on SS. 
But I have a sliced tomato and most of my images are one of a kind.

We each have our own way of doing this and that's just fine with me. Best to anyone else for what they do and how they do it. I'm minding my own business and projects.

Yes I get plenty of strange rejections, some are valid, some are dumb AI. (flawed machine learning actually) I don't really care enough to get all excited when SS or WS refuse an image, which might have make me a dime or two in the future. AS and IS and Alamy take the same images.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2022, 13:43 by Uncle Pete »


« Reply #142 on: September 08, 2022, 15:39 »
0
Im thinking overall the quality of what i upload to SS now is lower than several years ago.

Years ago they had proper technical checks, standards and stopped similars.  Since they axed that i've been far less selective and uploaded images i previously wouldn't have purely because they made it a numbers game just to be seen.
The stuff is in my view acceptable (technically its fine) but overall the quality on average is lower than previously where i only uploaded a few of the best from a particular shoot.

*Hopefully* they'll go back to stopping similar and applying technical standards consistently then i can do less work uploading!

I think last time anyone from SS commented they said 90% of images on the database have never sold.  That was a few years ago, i suspect that is higher now.

Then that would certainly streamline the collection 😎

« Reply #143 on: September 10, 2022, 15:15 »
+1
Here is my take on Shutterstock
Yes, they can be irritating at times
BUT Shutterstock has the best contributor support of any agency
Model releases are easy to do
Uploads are a breeze
Sales, despite what people constantly whine about are great
Shutterstock is the greatest stock agency in existence. Absolutely!

Whining about rejections does no good.
I look at the rejections I get very closely to see what the cause was and then try to not repeat the mistake.
Focus and Noise
Yup, those are the two most common of all rejections
I shoot in RAW and run all of my images thru DxO Pure Raw
I don't get rejections for noise much anymore
Focus I shoot with the Nikon Z7 II and the Z9 and have very little rejected for focus
Shooting for stock is not art it's commerce so a lot of creative really fine images get rejected or don't sell.
My best sales performing images are
Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez - She is mostly 10C stuff but a lot of them. I have 74 pictures of her and they sell all the time. Been doing this since July 2019 with no let up.
Hawks in flight are great subjects
News items like my border fences shots are constant sellers
Fad shots are great, baby food shortage, Aunt Jemima, Sriracha shortage, things like that.
I sell a lot of junk images of items in stores. They are dime bait but they sell all the time.
That's why I'm going to buy the new Iphone 14 with improved cameras. You can take pictures with smart phones and never draw any attention. Great stuff!
That's it for now. I don't post much because I'm way too busy shooting pictures and doing searches.
I do a lot of searches on Shutterstock, I constantly look at the best sellers list on Adobe.
When I upload images I look for what other people have done and if I can do better.
https://www.dreamstime.com/blog/stock-photos-sell-best-55713

« Reply #144 on: September 10, 2022, 15:29 »
0
 8)
« Last Edit: September 10, 2022, 15:39 by RalfLiebhold »

« Reply #145 on: September 10, 2022, 15:40 »
+6

I don't post much because I'm way too busy shooting pictures and doing searches.


Congratulations on your successes.
Well, you post here constantly, so you seem to have time. May I ask you  what medications you are taking? I would like to have the same stuff for a good and colorful world  8) ::)

« Reply #146 on: September 10, 2022, 18:48 »
+3

I don't post much because I'm way too busy shooting pictures and doing searches.


Congratulations on your successes.
Well, you post here constantly, so you seem to have time. May I ask you  what medications you are taking? I would like to have the same stuff for a good and colorful world  8) ::)

Enjoy your role as one of the forum trolls.
Where do you get the idea that I post constantly when I don't even log on to this forum for weeks on end?
How many posts have I made?
Try to stick to the truth because your lies are way too easy to spot.

OM

« Reply #147 on: September 11, 2022, 04:35 »
+3
 ;D It's Grossinger again.  ;D

« Reply #148 on: September 12, 2022, 07:39 »
+3
BUT Shutterstock has the best contributor support of any agency.... Shutterstock is the greatest stock agency in existence. Absolutely!

You have no idea how much i laughed. Thank you for your post. ;D
Congratulations i think you're in 0,00001% that probably thinks that.

Please, please, please....
Don't forget to get a big tattoo with SSTK logo and btw upload-upload-uplload it to your portfolio too.
If you're right you probably sell thousands!!! Absolutely! ehehhe :D

Brasilnut

  • Author Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock & Blog

« Reply #149 on: September 12, 2022, 07:42 »
+4
I miss the SS forum, until today I still can't understand why they took it down


 

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