BobD

A big jump in dividends has twice coincided with a cut in commission, strange that!.

The future as I see it, is the public will accept lower and lower quality images, proper photographers will abandon the stock industry and new content will be supplied by mobile phone users. How many of us have heard people ooing and aaring over poorly composer totally out of focus images. Unless of course end users insist on better quality images and are prepared to pay more, then again pigs may develop wings.

A depressing read but true none the less. I thought this quote particularly depressing ' Industry experts say that means xxxx Images and its rivals will continue pushing down the prices paid to stock photographers '. I think most of to us a greater or lesser extent have felt that in the last year or two.

Images up 10.5% Sales up 19.5% Gross down 15% Nett down 14.5% The only good news is nett never fell as much as gross (barely) in spite of going non exclusive with a lot of images. However sales elsewhere in the first year not being exclusive more than made up for the fall in Alamy revenue.

5 for $62.9 Fees continue to disappoint.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/20-wonderful-twixmas-walks-uk-family-hikes-waterside-strolls/ Craft images credited Alamy only

Brian, In 2008-2009 my average licence fee was $104. I realise this was a golden era and don't look at those years as a comparison to what is happening now. More important is what is happening now. The last four years my averages are as follows. 2016 - $32 2017 - $26 2018 - $26 2019 - $20 These are gross figures, the nett are laughable. In 2018 I thought the pricing had bottomed out, but I was wrong. I always set $20 as the absolute minimum I would accept as an average licence fee so next year will probably see my last submissions. I believe that if the prices drop too much further Alamy will be forced to cut commission again. When Alamy cut commission this time I actually moved away from being exclusive and for the first time this month I have earned more at an ms agency than I have at Alamy with less than half the number of images. Unless a contributor has a very large portfolio made in the days of better pricing it is impossible to make more than pin money from stock. I have taken a look at the portfolios of the contributors to this thread and what I found is all are producing well processed saleable images. These images must be valued by Alamy, if they no longer have value then who will want to continue producing new images. Fortunately I am retired with a reasonable pension and don't need the income.

I believe this year is going to be a watershed. Never has there been so many contributors finding it not worth their while to make the least little effort to produce new images. I still stick to my opinion voiced over the year that Alamy cut commission in order to fund a further drop in prices. We in Europe, particularly in the UK have had a double whammy, cut in commission and to add insult, a drop in licence fees. I no longer step outside the door to take new images unless, as others have said there is another reason. All my recent images have been taken on holiday and I still have a few hundred that I really have to be in the mood to process and keyword to upload.

If the glass idea works I would put a board under the page and the glass on top, that should help to flatten the page.

John Cancalosi / Alamy Stock Photo Telegraph letters page (online) 8th Dec Credited Alamy only

Elis Koro / Alamy Stock Photo Telegraph letter page (online) 7th Dec credited Alamy only

TIM GAINEY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO Telegraph letters page 6th Dec

Have a great time.

Revealed: the happiest places to live in Britain: Telegraph on line https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/uk/revealed-happiest-places-live-britain1/ Ian Dagnall Commercial Collection, credited Alamy only travelib prime, credited Alamy only

Glad to hear but it does appear that North American contributors are faring better than European.