crazy_cuban Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I'm a newbie with Alamy and getting my first 4 images ready to upload. Been reading through the various topics here and what a wealth of information. I've learned a lot by just reading through. However, I have a question about RM & RF. I have uploaded some pics in another agency that is RF only. I do understand about model and property releases and editorial use. I work in China and my work takes me to very rural areas around China with great people and fantastic landscapes. Most of the people in my photos are from villages far from cities. Most don't even have televisions or access to current media. The likelihood of seeing themselves in any publication are astronomical. I have gotten model release when I am able. But my question about the RM and RF which one would give me a greater chance of making a sale?I know that with Alamy with no model release only RM is available. I just want to know if making every effort to get a model release is worth it. Thanks for your insights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Quist Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Any hand, toe or body part of a human being counts with Alamy and requires a model release or RM licence and annotated (correct ticked boxes) indicating the number of people and that you have no model releases. (This also goes for tiny and at microstock agencies so-called unrecognisable people). The same goes more or less for property - or designs that can be recognised even though the brand names have been removed. If the other RF sites are microstock you are up for a new way of thinking. It will be a good idea to obtain releases even for images sold as RM, the images will be more saleable. However, many street photos and photos from public places are sold here for editorial use without a model release. Most of mine are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Holt Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Personally, assuming you're selling RM, I don't think you absolutely need a MR unless it's going to be used in advertising. Making portraits for editorial might sway the position somewhat, but I'm no lawyer in that regard. I'm sure there are a few grey areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rashpil Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi guys! If I upload photos with people and don"t have a model releases (street photo for example) I must set restrictions and it will be RM. But I sell the same photos on other microstocks as a RF Editorial. It will be a conflict of licenses? i have no idea what to do... Pls help me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MircoV Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Hi guys! If I upload photos with people and don"t have a model releases (street photo for example) I must set restrictions and it will be RM. But I sell the same photos on other microstocks as a RF Editorial. It will be a conflict of licenses? i have no idea what to do... Pls help me. You can not have from the same photo RM here and RF somewhere else. You have to choose. Anyway in general it would be not good idea to put the same editorial photo here and there. Editorial sells very good on Alamy. Putting a much cheaper license on Microstock will let you cut your own fingers. Yes editorial sells on Microstock but now on a way like commercial does there. A Microstock photo needs to sell a lot of times to have good profit. This only commercial photos with good concept are able to do in Micro and not editorial. The sales on editorial are more splitted there and are not made to sell in high volume. On Alamy editorial sells well and the sale profit will be far higher then on microstock . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dov makabaw Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 There seems to be a bit of confusion here. It is a question of fact as to whether a pic requires property release or not. A micro stock site offering a pic as RF when it is demonstratively not is not a compelling argument and could end in tears! I have had my fingers rapped in the past and was even threatened once. We learn by our mistakes! dov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryptoprocta Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Some misinformation above. RF and RM as terms are licence usage types, nothing to do with editorial/commercial. RF can be, and is, sold as editorial elsewhere. Alamy sets its own rules, and unreleased images (any part of a person, that info is correct) must be RM, and you must indicate 'no releases'. Then it's up to the buyer to make the call. It is true that you'd have to decide with your editorial images between RM here or RF/editorial elsewhere. Also editorial sales values here can be consderably lower than at certain micros, especially via the UK Newspaper scheme (three x $2.89 last month). But I've netted $3.01 for a non-UK newspaper scheme RM here too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MircoV Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Some misinformation above. RF and RM as terms are licence usage types, nothing to do with editorial/commercial. RF can be, and is, sold as editorial elsewhere. Alamy sets its own rules, and unreleased images (any part of a person, that info is correct) must be RM, and you must indicate 'no releases'. Then it's up to the buyer to make the call. It is true that you'd have to decide with your editorial images between RM here or RF/editorial elsewhere. Also editorial sales values here can be consderably lower than at certain micros, especially via the UK Newspaper scheme (three x $2.89 last month). But I've netted $3.01 for a non-UK newspaper scheme RM here too. I dont disagree with you. I just looked at my RM history and i see that the average editorial sale price is 55 $. My last three editorial RM where for 45, 7 and 39. So it is true there are also smaller sales but not without larger ones. But we are now indeed changing topic. To answer the original question i think you can make goods sales without release since there are lots editorial clients here. Also we know many top sellers that shoot without adding releases. BUT if you add a release your chances of sales will be much better since you add potential commercial clients. Mirco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryptoprocta Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Another thing to bear in mind is that model releases here must allow for 'sensitive use', which most micros don't require. So it might be that your micro releases wouldn't work for Alamy anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryptoprocta Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 I dont disagree with you. I just looked at my RM history and i see that the average editorial sale price is 55 $. My last three editorial RM where for 45, 7 and 39. So it is true there are also smaller sales but not without larger ones. But we are now indeed changing topic. It is tangential to the topic, but another thing to remember is that most people here quote their sales 'gross', whereas they only receive 50% or 30% of that. Micro sales are always quoted as net. Have to say my editorial sales here are decreasing in number and especially in $$ value, i.e. my revenue graph has fallen even more steeply since 2013 than my sales graph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rashpil Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Thank you guys. I will try editorial with Alamy only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirkad Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 i uploaded many images including some people and building exteriors inside them. Normally in other agencies i put them into editorial section as RF. But here they are in RM section. Because i dont have any property or model release. Now i am confused, because beside RM there is editorial - RM. What is the difference between RM and editorial RM ? Which one should i choose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 Something to keep in mind is that many (if not most) Alamy sales are now "hybrid" RM/RF -- i.e. Alamy has in effect created its own licensing model that has both RM and RF characteristics. For that reason, I almost always choose RM. If a client needs extended RF-like flexibility, I know Alamy will take care of it. That said, I admit to being somewhat biased since I've never really liked the RF model. RM sales are also easier to track -- e.g. for purposes of the annual DACS claim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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