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Author Topic: Stocksy - where are they?  (Read 48376 times)

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mlwinphoto

« Reply #75 on: September 16, 2013, 15:20 »
0
This is only one member's data, so take with a grain of salt. But here it is:

In the first week of September, my Stocksy earnings were much better than my iStock earnings. I wondered if the trend would hold true for whole month. We are only at the half way point, but I take my iStock earnings on the 16th and 1st day of the month. As I made my withdraw today, I checked my Stocksy stats: still besting iStock earnings handily.

I continue to be impressed by Stocksy's growth. Also feel this ought to be (although probably won't) a sign to other firms in this space. Not to try and imitate, but to mind the fundamentals -- fair royalties, care for suppliers, and honest dealing with buyers.

Good to read posts like this.  Hopefully Stocksy will continue to grow, Macrografiks will do the same, and the likes of iStock will recognize that their current approach in how they deal with buyers and contributors is counterproductive to their long term growth (and survival).


« Reply #76 on: September 16, 2013, 15:26 »
-1
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« Last Edit: May 12, 2014, 10:03 by Audi 5000 »

mlwinphoto

« Reply #77 on: September 16, 2013, 15:55 »
+10
This is only one member's data, so take with a grain of salt. But here it is:

In the first week of September, my Stocksy earnings were much better than my iStock earnings. I wondered if the trend would hold true for whole month. We are only at the half way point, but I take my iStock earnings on the 16th and 1st day of the month. As I made my withdraw today, I checked my Stocksy stats: still besting iStock earnings handily.

I continue to be impressed by Stocksy's growth. Also feel this ought to be (although probably won't) a sign to other firms in this space. Not to try and imitate, but to mind the fundamentals -- fair royalties, care for suppliers, and honest dealing with buyers.

Good to read posts like this.  Hopefully Stocksy will continue to grow, Macrografiks will do the same, and the likes of iStock will recognize that their current approach in how they deal with buyers and contributors is counterproductive to their long term growth (and survival).
I think he's comparing Stocksy income to non-exclusive Istock income which is 10-20% of exclusive Istock income (roughly), it would need to be at least 5-10x more to make up the difference wouldn't it?

Re-read what I wrote....."Hopefully Stocksy will continue to grow....".  I didn't say they were 'there' yet.  Stocksy is doing better for him than iStock is, period.  Besides, money isn't everything, right?
You must cringe when you read anything positive about an agency other than iStock.  Why not just accept that there are some alternatives out there that others may find more enjoyable/plausible/productive....

« Reply #78 on: September 16, 2013, 16:03 »
-1
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« Last Edit: May 12, 2014, 10:03 by Audi 5000 »

« Reply #79 on: September 16, 2013, 16:05 »
+5
Quote
Besides, money isn't everything, right?

Hah!

The thing that gets me all gushy inside is that there is a sense of excitement and a sense of potential that many of us experienced 8 - 10 years ago with iStock. That is the kind of energy that will push photographers to new heights, and the same energy that GI head office thinks they need to suppress.

mlwinphoto

« Reply #80 on: September 16, 2013, 16:14 »
0
Re-read what I wrote....."Hopefully Stocksy will continue to grow....".  I didn't say they were 'there' yet.  Stocksy is doing better for him than iStock is, period.  Besides, money isn't everything, right?
You must cringe when you read anything positive about an agency other than iStock.  Why not just accept that there are some alternatives out there that others may find more enjoyable/plausible/productive....
I guess that's where we differ, the money is the main thing.  Everything else is secondary.  I'm happy to see people doing well but if I was to drop exclusivity to join Stocksy I would want much more than 2x my non exclusive Istock income.  It's no where near worth it with those returns, Stocksy is exclusive and those images would probably be the best I was producing.   I can accept that some people find alternatives that are "enjoyable/plausible/productive" but for me if the money is less then it's not for me.

Don't forget that Stocksy launched a mere 6 months ago.  For it to be producing beyond what iStock is doing for a nonexclusive, in that short period of time, is pretty * good.  If they continue to grow, as I certainly hope they do, perhaps it won't be too long before they are producing beyond what an iStock exclusive can expect.

« Reply #81 on: September 16, 2013, 16:19 »
0
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« Last Edit: May 12, 2014, 10:03 by Audi 5000 »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #82 on: September 16, 2013, 16:26 »
0
Don't forget that Stocksy launched a mere 6 months ago.  For it to be producing beyond what iStock is doing for a nonexclusive, in that short period of time, is pretty * good.  If they continue to grow, as I certainly hope they do, perhaps it won't be too long before they are producing beyond what an iStock exclusive can expect.
Indeed; but it could also be at least partly reflective of how badly iS has been doing for many (not all) of us over the past year.

« Reply #83 on: September 16, 2013, 16:29 »
0
That's right about launching just six months ago MLwinphoto :)

And Tick, here's context: you are correct that Stocksy is outperforming my non-exclusive iStock earnings this month. It's the truest comparison I can make. It would be a wild guess trying to estimate what my IS exclusive earnings might look like now. However, and here's the real kicker, my earnings growth at Stocksy is happening with a portfolio that's 1/10 the size of my port at iStock! In terms of RPI/month, Stocksy is already besting my best ever exclusive months at iStock.

« Reply #84 on: September 16, 2013, 16:39 »
-2
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« Last Edit: May 12, 2014, 10:03 by Audi 5000 »

« Reply #85 on: September 16, 2013, 20:17 »
0
However, and here's the real kicker, my earnings growth at Stocksy is happening with a portfolio that's 1/10 the size of my port at iStock! In terms of RPI/month, Stocksy is already besting my best ever exclusive months at iStock.

That's good news Brian. How many photos do you think you would need based on that RPI to match estimated iS earnings if you were still exclusive? I know it's tough to gauge.

EmberMike

« Reply #86 on: September 16, 2013, 22:33 »
+1
I guess that's where we differ, the money is the main thing.  Everything else is secondary...

On this small point, we agree.

Except that for me the money leads me to non-exclusivity.

But in the end, yeah, it's all about the money. Gotta pay the bills, and the bank doesn't accept warm and fuzzy feelings as payment.

« Reply #87 on: September 17, 2013, 13:36 »
+2

That's good news Brian. How many photos do you think you would need based on that RPI to match estimated iS earnings if you were still exclusive? I know it's tough to gauge.

Tough to gage Randy, because RPI is growing steadily from month to month, and I expect that trend to continue for quite some time as news of Stocksy spreads to more designers. The ones I meet love it when they see the photos and most haven't heard of it yet so I get the sense there is a big market and they're going to be loyal customers when they discover Stocksy.

Best estimate: I need to somewhere between double and quadruple my current Stocksy port to for it's income to exceed my best IS exclusive earnings. That would be 1/2 the size of my IS port at it's peak. That's very doable because Sean already has well more than that up.

For sheer income, in the short term, stay with IS if you are treated well or feel comfortable there. It was crushing my sole  ;)   so I made my choice early and I would guess in the medium term, let's say 3-9 months out, I should be earning more than I was as an exclusive. Best of all, it's not artist exclusive, so I can have additional revenue from SS or Symbio, etc. My battle for prioritizing time is always between local commercial, local clients, and stock. But within the stock category, hands down, and very easy decision, priority goes to Stocksy.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2013, 13:42 by BrianM »

« Reply #88 on: September 17, 2013, 13:38 »
+8
But within the stock category, hands down, and very easy decision, priority goes to Stocksy.

Yep, since I am only on DP, Pond, Photoshelter and GL, the obvious choice for effort goes to Stocksy, which beats them all combined by about 1000%.

« Reply #89 on: September 17, 2013, 19:16 »
+1

For sheer income, in the short term, stay with IS if you are treated well or feel comfortable there. It was crushing my sole  ;)  so I made my choice early and I would guess in the medium term, let's say 3-9 months out, I should be earning more than I was as an exclusive. Best of all, it's not artist exclusive, so I can have additional revenue from SS or Symbio, etc. My battle for prioritizing time is always between local commercial, local clients, and stock. But within the stock category, hands down, and very easy decision, priority goes to Stocksy.

Your statement sums up my feelings perfectly: "It was crushing my sole  ;)."

Glad to hear Stocksy is progressing at a steady pace. Gives the rest of us some hope that there are opportunities outside of iStock exclusive.

« Reply #90 on: September 18, 2013, 01:17 »
+3
I have a folder on my harddisk called "Stocksy", I thought I would prepare an application, since I like the concept.

But. I have a problem.
The problem is that I dont know what pictures to put into it.
I really dont. I took a look on Stocksy 5 min ago, and it was still the same: I cannot see any style, or any trend that makes an image qualify.
What I do see is images that break rules. No respect for the golden section, no respect for white balance and no respect for exposure.
So I ask myself, do they want pictures that break rules? Like cut in halves people standing in awkward positions in the middle of the frame?
Then I check my area of expertise: pictures of butterflies. And the search of "butterflies" brings foreward the worst miscoloured amateurish snapshots I have seen in a long time.

It leaves me bewildered and worried.
Can that kind of pictures sell? Is it art on a level I do not comprehend?

« Reply #91 on: September 18, 2013, 04:30 »
0

It leaves me bewildered and worried.

your comment does the same to me - it's as if you are looking at a completely different site.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #92 on: September 18, 2013, 04:50 »
+1

It leaves me bewildered and worried.

your comment does the same to me - it's as if you are looking at a completely different site.
Did you do a search on 'butterfly'?
If so, and you don't understand his comments, there is a different set of images being shown if you're not logged in.

However, certainly the butterflies there don't have any normal 'stock' aesthetic or quality, which is as advertised. Unlike the long-lasting front page images which all look like normal 'stock'.

« Reply #93 on: September 18, 2013, 04:57 »
+6
I see the same images logged in and logged out. And I see creative use of filters, but definitely not the *the worst miscoloured amateurish snapshots I have seen in a long time.* That remark was one of the worst insults to the artists. Sorry, my very humble opinion.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #94 on: September 18, 2013, 05:18 »
0
I see the same images logged in and logged out. And I see creative use of filters, but definitely not the *the worst miscoloured amateurish snapshots I have seen in a long time.* That remark was one of the worst insults to the artists. Sorry, my very humble opinion.
How do you know what he 'has seen in a long time'?

I've posted already that I think I must be seeing different images on Stocksy (in my personal-interest searches) than others, who rave here about the super-high quality and aesthetic.

« Reply #95 on: September 18, 2013, 06:03 »
+2
I think I have better clarify:

There are a few decent shots among the stocksy butterfly images, but no good ones and certainly no outstanding. The bulk is utter rubbish. Easy snapshots taken by people with a very poor knowledge of nature and camera technique.

That is from a naturephotographer point of view, and yes, it might insult the artists, or not. They might know themselves.
However, the pictures are claimed to be special, and artistic and have value for  the customer.
They might have, they might be different, and being different is maybe what stocksy sells.

But it confuses me.
Should I throw out my gear and use a point and shoot instead? should I take random snapshots? Should I apply degrading colour filters? What about my knowledge about the subjects, is it useless? Does stocksy want amateur pictures and not quality. Im used to believing that quality and value has something to do with eachother.


Stocksys artistic view is unclear to me.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2013, 06:05 by JPSDK »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #96 on: September 18, 2013, 06:15 »
0
I'm reasonably sure that what Stocksy really wants is lifestyle shots. It's not my personal area of interest, so I've only clicked some links from msg. Generally what I see thereby is more-or-less what I see everywhere else.
Specialist butterfly buyers presumably buy at specialist agencies, though what I see in natural history publications is often words-and-images packages.

« Reply #97 on: September 18, 2013, 06:15 »
+4
It leaves me bewildered and worried.
Can that kind of pictures sell? Is it art on a level I do not comprehend?

I guess it isn't for you then.  We've already done the "I don't see a style" thing and all.

travelwitness

« Reply #98 on: September 18, 2013, 06:17 »
0
If you have an amazing collection of butterfly (or nature) images and see a gap in the Stocksy collection, apply and upload them. Surely that's an opportunity for your niche, not a problem.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #99 on: September 18, 2013, 06:22 »
+2
If you have an amazing collection of butterfly (or nature) images and see a gap in the Stocksy collection, apply and upload them. Surely that's an opportunity for your niche, not a problem.
Not necessarily.
As images have to be Stocksy-exclusive, he'd need to ask himself whether the images would be likely to sell from there or from other agencies.
By that, he needs to consider the Stocksy aesthetic, and who they're marketing to.
If they're not marketing to his target market, he'd be losing the oppportunity for sales.


 

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