Author Topic: Stocksy submission critique please (Read 37430 times)

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #50 on:** November 29, 2013, 08:26 »

Unfortunately, I have no idea how iStock is performing these days.

topol · « **Reply #51 on:** November 29, 2013, 08:35 »

Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 08:12

Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 05:59
Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 05:22
Everyone is so excited about the opportunity of being accepted to Stocksy but could anyone, who is already in, confirm that it makes financial sense to devote one's best works for them ?

Not in my experience :/

You mean you are there with your images and you're not satisfied with sales ?

Yep, and I don't see how the whole thing can work out to anything worthwhile, unless you have plenty of images to start out with.

niserin · « **Reply #52 on:** November 29, 2013, 08:37 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on November 29, 2013, 08:26

Unfortunately, I have no idea how iStock is performing these days.

Yeah, it's difficult to set a benchmark... Maybe your last months with Istock ?

Nonetheless all the best with your current ventures !

niserin · « **Reply #53 on:** November 29, 2013, 08:38 »

Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 08:35

Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 08:12
Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 05:59
Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 05:22
Everyone is so excited about the opportunity of being accepted to Stocksy but could anyone, who is already in, confirm that it makes financial sense to devote one's best works for them ?

Not in my experience :/

You mean you are there with your images and you're not satisfied with sales ?

Yep, and I don't see how the whole thing can work out to anything worthwhile, unless you have plenty of images to start out with.

How many images do you have ?

topol · « **Reply #54 on:** November 29, 2013, 09:09 »

Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 08:38

Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 08:35
Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 08:12
Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 05:59
Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 05:22
Everyone is so excited about the opportunity of being accepted to Stocksy but could anyone, who is already in, confirm that it makes financial sense to devote one's best works for them ?

Not in my experience :/

You mean you are there with your images and you're not satisfied with sales ?

Yep, and I don't see how the whole thing can work out to anything worthwhile, unless you have plenty of images to start out with.

How many images do you have ?

Below 300. The real point is I had almost no stuff to put up there when I started, all my other stuff up on regular micro sites (doing ok)... so I had to produce brand new stuff for stocksy, and I just can't see it working out to anything that way. :/ Especially if you need to do other stuff, which I guess is pretty much the default for most people. But I don't want to keep being a naysayer, because I think the basic idea of the coop is wonderful and very noble, but the curation - policy looks like a pretty bad failure to me (isn't it always the weak point?). If you insist I'll expand a bit.

niserin · « **Reply #55 on:** November 29, 2013, 09:34 »

Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 09:09

Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 08:38
Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 08:35
Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 08:12
Quote from: topol on November 29, 2013, 05:59
Quote from: niserin on November 29, 2013, 05:22
Everyone is so excited about the opportunity of being accepted to Stocksy but could anyone, who is already in, confirm that it makes financial sense to devote one's best works for them ?

Not in my experience :/

You mean you are there with your images and you're not satisfied with sales ?

Yep, and I don't see how the whole thing can work out to anything worthwhile, unless you have plenty of images to start out with.

How many images do you have ?

Below 300. The real point is I had almost no stuff to put up there when I started, all my other stuff up on regular micro sites (doing ok)... so I had to produce brand new stuff for stocksy, and I just can't see it working out to anything that way. :/ Especially if you need to do other stuff, which I guess is pretty much the default for most people. But I don't want to keep being a naysayer, because I think the basic idea of the coop is wonderful and very noble, but the curation - policy looks like a pretty bad failure to me (isn't it always the weak point?). If you insist I'll expand a bit.

That's all very valuable what you're saying. As we can see all that glitters is not gold. I've noticed there is a Stocksy myth among photographers. Successful micro photogs see Stocksy as elite and seek the door to get in there being rejected several times and when they are finally in, cold water is poured on their expectations.

It really depends on what you do and what you are good at, but seeing the OP with her lovely, high quality images being rejected and her still dreaming this Stocksy myth is strange.

ShadySue · « **Reply #56 on:** November 29, 2013, 09:40 »

Haven't some people been reporting sales better than expected at this stage of the game?

I think also if you were comparing with iS in particular, you'd have to be comparing files uploaded to iS since Stocksy opened its doors. That would tell a different tale than comparing new uploads there with older files.

Magdalena · « **Reply #57 on:** November 29, 2013, 09:44 »

I'm very surprised, I think that Julie has very good images. May be they want to see more photos in portfolio? I don't understand this rejection. I'm very confused now because I just finished my portfolio for next submission in December and now I'm not sure if I know what they want to see $:-\$ I asked for opinion here two months ago but after that I added more photos to my Flickr portfolio so I will be very thankful for your critique again. I prepared also my website on portfoliobox where I focused on my favorite subjects - nature macro and children.
If you want to take a look I will be very thankful. I hoped that I have better portfolio than last time but when I see that they didn't accept Julie, I'm in doubt about it now :-(
My portfolio:
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/102259734@N04/
Portfoliobox: http://www.magdalenakucova.com

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #58 on:** November 29, 2013, 10:01 »

"I just can't see it working out to anything that way. :/ "

It depends on your work, I guess. Most of my new series have sold. I had five sales today so far, one uploaded in the last couple of weeks.

Ron · « **Reply #59 on:** November 29, 2013, 10:05 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on November 29, 2013, 10:01

"I just can't see it working out to anything that way. :/ "

It depends on your work, I guess. Most of my new series have sold. I had five sales today so far, one uploaded in the last couple of weeks.

Sean you are a known famous highly successful stock photographer with a large buyer base. You also have 3k images, or somewhere in that region, on Stocksy. Couldnt it be that buyers look for your images on Stocksy since the images are only available there?

I would like to hear from the 'normal' crowd how their sales are.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #60 on:** November 29, 2013, 10:12 »

"Couldnt it be that buyers look for your images on Stocksy since the images are only available there? "

Well that's the point, right? All the images are only there.

Lol, I think I discovered I don't have as large a buyer base as I thought...

Ron · « **Reply #61 on:** November 29, 2013, 10:15 »

Thanks, I know its the point, but it was in combination with buyers only wanting your images. But you answered that in your second line.

topol · « **Reply #62 on:** November 29, 2013, 10:15 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on November 29, 2013, 10:01

"I just can't see it working out to anything that way. :/ "

It depends on your work, I guess. Most of my new series have sold. I had five sales today so far, one uploaded in the last couple of weeks.

Exactly what I said: if you had plenty of images to start with. Your whole port was freed up from IS.

Shooterguy · « **Reply #63 on:** November 29, 2013, 10:38 »

It seems to me that one can't really compare sales between Stocksy and any other agency, because Stocksy is highly curated and very few others are. The portfolio that Sean had at iStock was pretty different compared to his Stocksy set. Even once he gets to the same number of images, it will be a very different body of work compared to what he had at iStock; and the buyer base will be different as well.
As to the OP: my guess is that her submission was seen as too "staged", but I'm speculating here. It is great work, but I can see how it might be viewed as being just a little too "traditional" for the Stocksy look.

Ron · « **Reply #64 on:** November 29, 2013, 10:54 »

Here we go again with the staged look. Leaf wont allow us to post examples, but please, stop saying Stocksy images are not staged.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #65 on:** November 29, 2013, 11:09 »

Quote from: Ron on November 29, 2013, 10:54

Here we go again with the staged look. Leaf wont allow us to post examples, but please, stop saying Stocksy images are not staged.

Someone once said here, to paraphrase, instead if taking most comers and editing for the photo, Stocksy edits the photographer and takes most photos. Maybe they thought we had enough photogs in that vein right now? So it's not that 'staged' is a four letter word, but right now the banks are full? Dunno.

hjalmeida · « **Reply #66 on:** November 29, 2013, 11:30 »

I only don't understand why they don't reply to my application ... I never receive an answer from them.

Me · « **Reply #67 on:** November 29, 2013, 11:58 »

Quote from: hjalmeida on November 29, 2013, 11:30

I only don't understand why they don't reply to my application ... I never receive an answer from them.

Maybe the absence of an answer is your answer

Ron · « **Reply #68 on:** November 29, 2013, 12:00 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on November 29, 2013, 11:09

Quote from: Ron on November 29, 2013, 10:54
Here we go again with the staged look. Leaf wont allow us to post examples, but please, stop saying Stocksy images are not staged.

Someone once said here, to paraphrase, instead if taking most comers and editing for the photo, Stocksy edits the photographer and takes most photos. Maybe they thought we had enough photogs in that vein right now? So it's not that 'staged' is a four letter word, but right now the banks are full? Dunno.

Fair enough.

I guess instead of closing the intake of photographers then, they let people apply; reject them or dont reply. Just in case, that one true gem might apply so they dont miss out.

topol · « **Reply #69 on:** November 29, 2013, 13:23 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on November 29, 2013, 11:09

Quote from: Ron on November 29, 2013, 10:54
Here we go again with the staged look. Leaf wont allow us to post examples, but please, stop saying Stocksy images are not staged.

Someone once said here, to paraphrase, instead if taking most comers and editing for the photo, Stocksy edits the photographer and takes most photos. Maybe they thought we had enough photogs in that vein right now? So it's not that 'staged' is a four letter word, but right now the banks are full? Dunno.

I don't give a flying frikk what the meaning of the word staged is for this or that individual, but if it's a princinpal for curation it better be very consistent. I had staged, contrived rejections for shots with the sweetest most honest spontenious laugh / smile that my models ever had, as I just caught them with the camera 'off guard'. It's the shot some of them show off to everyone that represents "them"... meanwhile I see pics of people with food falling in and out their mouth in that infamous "smiling while eating and staring into the camera" gesture on site + and that most phoney worn-out cliche of 'people with inappropriate clothes alone in nature staring vacantly in low contrast' is all over the place as ... editors picks! that? really? you would have got fired from ad agencies for picking stuff like that even back in the 90's

Snufkin · « **Reply #70 on:** November 29, 2013, 15:49 »

Quote from: Magdalena on November 29, 2013, 09:44

I'm very surprised, I think that Julie has very good images. May be they want to see more photos in portfolio? I don't understand this rejection.

Indeed, Julie's presentation was somewhat small but many images were brilliant.

DISCLAIMER: What I'm going to write below is not advice or recommendation. It's only my personal observation and I may be completely wrong.

Julie shoots lifestyle and lifestyle is probably the best represented category on Stocksy. There are quite many brilliant lifestyle photographers on Stocksy who can submit or already have submitted images of comparable quality / style.

Stocksy is different from microstock because the plan is not to have 10 gazillion contributors submitting 100 fantillion pictures every year. Stocksy is not about growing the contributor base like crazy but rather about building a strong collection. Lifestyle sells nicely, but I would expect that for applicants it is now the most difficult category - there are not so many holes in the collection and the standards are very high.
Are Julie's images beautiful? Yes. Would they fill a hole in the collection? Probably not.

Check out this guy:
http://www.stocksy.com/ShaneGross

A true master in his niche, he brings something completely new to the table.
Awesome pictures.

As I said, I do not recommend anything. I may be completely wrong.

Ron · « **Reply #71 on:** November 30, 2013, 05:26 »

Quote from: Snufkin on November 29, 2013, 15:49

t.

Check out this guy:
http://www.stocksy.com/ShaneGross

A true master in his niche, he brings something completely new to the table.
Awesome pictures.

Mantis does that too. Is underwater photography new?

Mantis · « **Reply #72 on:** November 30, 2013, 10:08 »

Quote from: Ron on November 30, 2013, 05:26

Quote from: Snufkin on November 29, 2013, 15:49
t.

Check out this guy:
http://www.stocksy.com/ShaneGross

A true master in his niche, he brings something completely new to the table.
Awesome pictures.

Mantis does that too. Is underwater photography new?

To be honest I thought that when I originally sent in a request for review they'd see my underwater work and ask me to submit some for review. Since I never heard a peep back I can only assume that they never got around to looking at my work with any kind of seriousness or it simply didn't match what they were looking for. No big loss, but I will continue to build my underwater collection and maybe apply later.

AYA · « **Reply #73 on:** November 30, 2013, 10:36 »

Quote from: Magdalena on November 29, 2013, 09:44

I'm very surprised, I think that Julie has very good images. May be they want to see more photos in portfolio? I don't understand this rejection. I'm very confused now because I just finished my portfolio for next submission in December and now I'm not sure if I know what they want to see $:-\$ I asked for opinion here two months ago but after that I added more photos to my Flickr portfolio so I will be very thankful for your critique again. I prepared also my website on portfoliobox where I focused on my favorite subjects - nature macro and children.
If you want to take a look I will be very thankful. I hoped that I have better portfolio than last time but when I see that they didn't accept Julie, I'm in doubt about it now :-(
My portfolio:
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/102259734@N04/
Portfoliobox: http://www.magdalenakucova.com

Hi Magdalena, we have very different style but in a way I think Stocksy is almost a more natural fit for you, your images are candid, soft and in my opinion, close to a lot of things Stocksy select. My one suggestion would be to edit your flickr page and keep a maximum of 50 images. For exemple, I like your first horse images that are muted and backlit but I'm not crazy about the one with the blue sky. I also really like most of you kids picture; they look spontaneous and dreamy.

I liked some of your images in your Flickr page, I hope it helps and don't be too hard on yourself, I get the feeling your Style would match Stocksy quite well ( but again, Stocksy works in mysterious ways

)

good luck!

Snufkin · « **Reply #74 on:** November 30, 2013, 10:39 »

Quote from: Ron on November 30, 2013, 05:26

Quote from: Snufkin on November 29, 2013, 15:49
t.

Check out this guy:
http://www.stocksy.com/ShaneGross

A true master in his niche, he brings something completely new to the table.
Awesome pictures.

Mantis does that too. Is underwater photography new?

You miss the point. What I wrote is that if you are a master in a niche, you might have better chances of being accepted than when you shoot the most common subject matter. Or you might not.
You can replace 'underwater photography' with 'shooting fantastic pictures from the Earth's orbit' or anything else that has a relatively high barrier to entry.

Then again, you might be a master of lifestyle photography and have better chances than somebody who shoots a niche subject matter but is less convincing. There are many factors to consider.

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Author Topic: Stocksy submission critique please (Read 37430 times)

Sean Locke Photography

topol

niserin

niserin

topol

niserin

ShadySue

Magdalena

Sean Locke Photography

Ron

Sean Locke Photography

Ron

topol

Shooterguy

Ron

Sean Locke Photography

hjalmeida

Me

Ron

topol

Snufkin

Ron

Mantis

AYA

Snufkin

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