John Mitchell

Yes, well, it's an ill wind alright. The whole thing seems very inconsistent -- sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Guess I had better be quiet now. 🙊

You have to log out of Alamy and then do a search as an anonymous ("e-commerce") buyer. When you click on an image, the standard and enhanced licensing options are what you see rather than the old download options -- i.e. website, book, PU, etc. Make sure that you sign out of BOTH the forum AND the Alamy website first.

Not unless there is a big increase in sales volume. Standard licenses are already decreasing my revenue as far as I can tell.😞 Can't speak for Alamy's profit. That's above my pay grade.

Didn't have any standards in 2023. First one Jan this year for $18.94. Four so far this month.

I'm not much for conspiracy theories, but this seems (?) to be saying something about what a lot of Presentation and PU sales were really all about. I had a standard license for $5.52 yesterday, the lowest fee yet.

Interesting. I've noticed fewer PU/Presentation sales as well. This could just be a coincidence of course. I agree, the standard licenses appear to be more bad news when it comes to fees and what remains of RM licensing. The "print runs up to 100K" is confusing -- print runs of what kinds of media, books, magazines, newspapers?

I was surprised to find that Sony SteadyShot (image stabilization) appears to work well with the cheap auto extension tubes that I purchased. It can be a big help.

Is it my overactive imagination, or have PU and Presentation sales declined since standard licenses were introduced?

Standard license -- $ Puebla, Mexico

Yes, you can get in very close, depending on the lens you're using. AF works OK with mine, but I usually end up switching to MF and swaying back and forth. It usually takes several shots to get a keeper. Macro photography really isn't my thing, but it can be fun. Have yet to be stung by a bee. 🐝

Standard licenses definitely seem to be trending. Mine have been ranging from about $7.00 to $19.00.

I have a set of HOYA closeup filters that I bought back in the 80's. The results are pretty good as long as you don't stack them. I too find the 3+ one to be the most useful. Haven't noticed any problems with CA.

I use an inexpensive auto extension tube set that I bought on eBay. They are very light and fit in my pocket. These attachments work quite well for the occasional bug shot like this one. I think I used them on an 18-55 Sony kit lens (handheld):

Sunlit hallway Cyclist in the shadows Tree shadow on a sunlit wall

Ellison makes some good points in his video rant. Publications shouldn't expect writers and photographers to work for free. Everyone needs to make a living. However, blaming "amateurs" sounds arrogant to me. When I was still doing travel writing, I met plenty of professional freelance writers who, when print media began to decline, started writing for free and signing "all rights" contracts in order to continue getting invited on press trips, etc. Now there is also no shortage of experienced photographers who are willing to accept as little as $0.10 per "download", but I had better not go there. 😨🏃‍♂️