I know I should keep this secret, but I got 2 sales of 7$ and 11$+ at Zymmetrical with just a tiny portfolio. Somehow, these guys seem to deliver, quiet as they are amongst the big loud guns of SnapVillage, Albumo and even MostPhotos that will rock the world... next year.

I uploaded 5 shots last September to test the waters, and then I was off in the jungle for a few months. When I logged in to my email in a Netcafe somewhere in November, I had a mail that I earned 7$ on one of those shots. OK... a random hit I thought.

Nevertheless, last week I started uploading in bulk part of what I had in 300DPI (there seems to be a DPI problem on ZM) and 50 were approved already. Checking in a few days later, I noticed there was almost 20$ on my account. Somehow, one of these recent shots must have sold.

I know, I should keep this golden tip secret since the first mouse gets the cheese but if you like this tip, here is my referral link:

Zymmetrical - referral

and for those that are allergic to referrals or can't stand me  :

Zymmetrical - clean

By the way, I'm an avid fan of Paul Melcher's blog. It's one of the 10 that are left over in my feeds, next to Dan Heller of course.

Zymmetrical is still a bit confusing as to the trajectory uploaded photos go. After FTP (hey why can't SnapVillage or iStock make an FTP?) the photos seem to vanish in the hays, but after a while, and like the monster of Loch Ness, they surface again.

A neat thing about ZM is that the reviewer (an angel told me in a dream) is PM himself, and that he puts prices on your photos. Those range from 3 to 25$ and it gives a pretty good idea where ZM is heading to: no culture, architecture, nature - but PEOPLE.

In short... the best experience in new sites, as FP seems slowly going down the drains too, at least for me this month...

I had one sale in three months, to slow for me I closed my account no time  to wait for them  to get things together

Sorry Flemish, I already have an account there, but after reading your endorsement they may just be the next one I contribute to.  I wouldn't mind trying MostPhotos as well, but the site is so excruciatingly slow I would never be able to check my account...

Quote from: gbcimages on February 13, 2008, 19:23I had one sale in three months, to slow for me I closed my account no time  to wait for them  to get things together

Some people do better on site A than on site B. I made more on ZM in 4 months with 50 shots than on LO in 14 months with 400 shots.
Quod licet Iovi, non licet Bovi 

Quote from: Pixart on February 13, 2008, 19:25I wouldn't mind trying MostPhotos as well, but the site is so excruciatingly slow I would never be able to check my account...

I made that remark when they just started and Moori came on here to endorse them. I have a PC from the Neozoicum with 256MB RAM (only for the web), and MP didn't load. I found out it was their landing page that contained a 300KB background!
It's still slow, with their nice effects, reflections and popups... their programmers must be artists. It just floods my PC with scripts...
Any web designer will tell you that a production site should be mean and lean. DT and SS load in a second.

I recently joined LO,I'll upload some and see how they do for awhile. There is just to many sites that  not doing well at all. I just can't waste my time with them any more.

I prefer mostphotos at the moment.  The upload works and there are sales at $18 each.  Will get back to zymmetrical when the ftp works properly.

I have 3 sales in Zymm - 2 this month - and have US$15.40 in my account.  Compared to 19.50 in CS, I think I'm doing well (22 images in Zymm and 70 in CS).

Of course, my portfolio and my sales are small in both to make a truly valid comparison.

Regards,
Adelaide

Thanks FlemishDreams...  took your advice and had a look at Zymmetrical..  hmmm.

I registered, got the info and promptly set up a ftp client.  Logged into Zymmetrical via the ftp details only to find my "private upload folder"  ..well, ain't so private.  It contained 97 hi res images from another photographer.. which I could download without an issues.  (Don't worry, I deleted the one I downloaded to test and get the photogs name)

Is this common with this site?   Seems pretty unsafe to me...   might not be uploading there for awhile.

Is big brother still watching this post?

cheers,  JC 

And yet, their initial "f-you" posting should bring hesitation to anyone. If they offered RM licenses then I would consider since at least 1 of the top execs. knows "P.C." communications.

Flemmish,

I'm sorry I've already joined Zymmetrical with images pending, but I appreciate the update on your successes there

Mark

Good to hear from everyone on the progress. It is really rewarding to have this kind of feedback - this business is entwined in our lives and it's fantastic to see people realizing the vitality we have going on here.     

Jeff - no that's not a normal thing, your folder issue was an isolated event brought on by working late last night when I should have called it quits. Things are repaired now.   

Quote from: JC-SL on February 14, 2008, 02:58
Thanks FlemishDreams...  took your advice and had a look at Zymmetrical..  hmmm.

I registered, got the info and promptly set up a ftp client.  Logged into Zymmetrical via the ftp details only to find my "private upload folder"  ..well, ain't so private.  It contained 97 hi res images from another photographer.. which I could download without an issues.  (Don't worry, I deleted the one I downloaded to test and get the photogs name)

Is this common with this site?   Seems pretty unsafe to me...   might not be uploading there for awhile.

Is big brother still watching this post?

cheers,  JC 

 
Removed- not worth the trouble.

Quote from: yingyang0 on February 14, 2008, 05:47
And yet, their initial "f-you" posting should bring hesitation to anyone. If they offered RM licenses then I would consider since at least 1 of the top execs. knows "P.C." communications.

Can it be true.... are you Canadian?  For some reason I thought you were another Romanian company until I read some blog somewhere (Dan Heller maybe?).   Is that why your avatar is winterish?

Yep, we're a Vancouver-based business.   I am 4th generation Canadian-Finn.

Believe it or not, it's usually not so winterish in Vancouver.         I did spend my youth trudging through the snowdrifts of eastern Canada but wised up enough to go West Coast.

That's cool to know.  Make some room Istock.  I'll start uploading to your Canuck site later this month. 

- From a 4th gen Swede/Norweigan presently in Winnipeg-but-don't-hold-that-against-me.

Quote from: zymmetricaldotcom on February 14, 2008, 16:09
Yep, we're a Vancouver-based business.   I am 4th generation Canadian-Finn.

Believe it or not, it's usually not so winterish in Vancouver.         I did spend my youth trudging through the snowdrifts of eastern Canada but wised up enough to go West Coast.

Holy Cow. Vancouver is pretty close as I'm in the Seattle area ... perhaps I could stop by  one day ...

Mark

Well everybody and their dog will be coming for the olympics 2010, hopefully we have a nice Googleplex-style headquarters by then for entertaining visiting photogs. 

Quote from: yingyang0 on February 14, 2008, 05:47And yet, their initial "f-you" posting should bring hesitation to anyone.

It had the reverse effect on me ;-)
Maybe I'm a masochist. 

Quote from: yingyang0 on February 14, 2008, 05:47
And yet, their initial "f-you" posting should bring hesitation to anyone.

Money heals all wounds... 

I have had problems with FTP but tried the online upload again and it is easy, so I will start some serious uploading.  Still waiting for my first sale but I like the look of the site and the higher prices.

Zymmetricald, I'd lose those rotating images on the front page. It could be just my monitor but they're not smooth and I'm seeing jagged edges as they spin.

I think it's a dependent a lot on the users CPU, but you're right, I've never been satisfied with the animation on that.  Guess we'll go back to the standard slideshow.

Quote from: Contakt on February 15, 2008, 11:18
Zymmetricald, I'd lose those rotating images on the front page. It could be just my monitor but they're not smooth and I'm seeing jagged edges as they spin.

Quote from: zymmetricaldotcom on February 15, 2008, 11:28
I think it's a dependent a lot on the users CPU, but you're right, I've never been satisfied with the animation on that.  Guess we'll go back to the standard slideshow.

Quote from: Contakt on February 15, 2008, 11:18
Zymmetricald, I'd lose those rotating images on the front page. It could be just my monitor but they're not smooth and I'm seeing jagged edges as they spin.

I'll second that. Not very nice to look at.

One of my picture is rotating actually there the green spiral staircase but no sales yet