Live news

[Mr Standfast]

Does anyone have opinions on today's news feed pictures?  

[KTC]

Bye Alamy, it's been nice knowing you.

[Joe Gaul]

It may be the cynic in me but I see this as a consequence of the commission reduction aftermath. Some who consider themselves big hitters at Alamy may have threatened to walk, and as usual (National Trust, Graffiti, image theft etc.) they back down this time by killing the competition. However I believe that this will back fire by reducing the diversity and geographical reach available to Alamy which has always been their main strength. Last year Alamy mailed me asking if I would cover an event which I was happy to do even though I would not have otherwise attended; this option will not be available to Alamy now as they have revoked my privileges and I am only one of the many assets not now available to Alamy. I just find this so short sighted. If time was the factor they could have simply have reduced the deadline from 24 hours to 2 hours. I'm sorry but this has a stench to it and we now have a two tier contributor structure.

This has little impact on me a I rarely submit live news but do enjoy covering the odd hard news story, however as others above I will now be looking for alternative, probably direct, outlets for this work.  

Edited April 4, 2019 by Joe Gaul
dyslexia

[Colblimp]

I'm amazed I wasn't cut off from Live News and, of course, very thankful.  I think what Alamy has done today is very short sighted and a step too far.  Surely contribs who have only made a few Live News sales are an asset to Alamy? 

[Colblimp]

1 hour ago, Mr Standfast said:

Does anyone have opinions on today's news feed pictures?  

I've just had a look and I think everything is genuinely newsworthy apart from the Chinese tea leave pickers maybe? 

[ChrisC]

7 hours ago, Russell said:

It seems that on the one hand Alamy is busy recruiting anyone with a camera and minimal skill to enrol in Alamy whilst on the other hand doing everything they can to really annoy (I tempered my language here) all of their regulars contributors. As far as Alamy is concerned, it's clear that loyalty no longer pays. Shame.

My thoughts exactly, regarding the fact Alamy has been aiming at photographers with no real skill, telling everyone to upload, telling us weather sells etc Also, the forum is often full of people who don't know the basics of Photography file sizes, etc

 

I can understand them tightening up as some live news isn't strictly, what you would call live breaking news, or live events, but as someone else has suggested, perhaps there should be a "soft news" for weather, murmurations (sorry Keith) and other stuff?

 

I originally Started uploading to Alamy Live news with my concert photography, as I'd definitely class that as a potential live event as often live events are, however, whilst some have sold as stock, none has sold as live news, which is fine, as live concert photography isn't really a big seller for Alamy anyway, also, the live news page isn't filled with such images, however Alamy did push the weather images and it probably is over saturated and some are pretty rubbish, but my one and only live news sale was a photo in The S@n, a live weather image, I've uploaded a few over the years, because Alamy would e-mail saying, "Chris don't forget its Bank Holiday the weekend, get out take photos, it's Spring etc".

 

One time I even covered Comic Con for Alamy, none sold as Live, but they have sold as stock, as have other live images

 

I have only uploaded a handful of times since this live sale, as Iv'e been busy with other things & Alamy is seemingly trying to annoy many Photographers after years of chasing those who don't know Raw from Jpeg, especially with the cut in royalty rate, so I'm not sure if it was worth my time, especially as I needed to update my pc as it was too slow.

 

However, anyone with a camera is capable of taking a potential news image, so perhaps people should go straight to the papers/media if they do?

 

The funny thing is that having just looked at the current live news images, there are photos of:-

Torrential rain in Hampshire x 1 image

Blustery Day at Southend x 5

Windsurfing in Hampshire x20 images and also another 2 not sure if its the same photographer

Moscow Zoo x 25 images, of various animals

Russian art gallery 10 images of people standing looking in a gallery

 

I'm not having a go at the Photographers, or the images, but I'd be interested to know Alamy's general reason for stopping so many people and the curent criteria, or is it just based on live sales? As I have updated my laptop and can actually do live images again and update add more stock photos, but I get the impression Alamy doesn't want us all especially after the commission change? Or if we have a newsworthy image, or feel we have, is there a way to e-mail this in?

 

I do think some of Alamy needs tightening up, but it's the way some things like this and the commission are being announced, I think if I'd received an e-mail saying "we are tightening up the live news page and this is the criteria blah blah, but we'll be in touch soon", I'd think that was understandable, because it must take up the News teams time getting rid of some of the Live News Images, that aren't really Live News.

 

Thanks

Chris

[ChrisC]

3 hours ago, N Quarmby said:

According to ALAMY this is what they want us to consider regarding  Live News.

"We need pictures of breaking news, an ongoing news story of interest to the national and international media, extreme weather, events with celebrities and well-known figures in attendance, or nationally important sports.

OR

We need a photo that is striking enough to cause a reaction."

Someone walking in the rain, does this really fulfil this brief?

I understand the brief, but like you, does this?

https://www.alamy.com/image-details-popup.asp?pv=1&stamp=2&liveData=1&imageid=D792551B-71C8-4915-AC36-602C6A598E8F&p=undefined&n=undefined&imageType=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&srch=foo%3dbar%26qt%3d%26aoa%3d1%26news%3d%26sports%3d%26entmt%3d%26Videos%3d%26bb%3d1%26md%3dOL7941599%26dt%3d%26gid%3d{1C02804E-0C85-4F19-9015-E4B651395CED}%26destxml%3d%26imglst%3d%26orderby%3dDT%26newsseq%3d%26userid%3d%26rand%3d1554407529537

[andremichel]

Sorry its my fault I should have left it well alone. I am bad luck.

 

After 7 long years of not touching Live news, I finally unsuccessfully submitted some a couple of days ago! Now this happens.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by andremichel

[Jansos]

I think I understand Alamy's renewed focus on time limits, it makes sense but what doesn't make sense is to exclude contributors who may just happen to be in the right place at the right time from submitting a truly newsworthy item. Perhaps they need to adopt a two-tier system? One channel for regular Live News contributors who submit on a weekly basis and for whom Live News is their bread and butter and another for us mortals who contribute on a  less frequent basis but who may nonetheless be  in the right place at the right time. To permanently exclude a large % of contributors from submitting news seems counterproductive.  The whole point of Live News is that it is timely and newsworthy - if I can't submit to Alamy, when I am in the right place at the right time, I'm going to try and find another channel. Short term inconvenience to me but it will mean that Alamy will have fewer contributors in the field. 

[Starsphinx]

I am another one not impressed.  
OK I do little Live News - but I do get stuff occasionally and I have always been careful to get the headlines and captioning correct and I would never dream of using it as a route to beat QC.
Of the stuff I do do probably half of it is such to make fast uploads not possible for amateur news shooters - summer solstice at Stonehenge, the Boxing date hunt.  I am not looking for the big main photo but I do cover stuff of the type that newspapers use to "fill in" around the edges of the story to add atmosphere.  So my options now are to apply to be allowed to upload here, settle for ordinary stock or go and look in more depth at other news services I have been recommended to.
If I have to make an application to have a fast outlet for news stuff (I cover local emergency services for a local site - one of the group had early stuff on novichok) I am afraid it is unlikely to be here.  While I had the option to upload here fast if I had to I did not bother applying elsewhere - but if I have to apply here anyway  I might as well see where I am likely to get better returns.

[chrismid259]

The one piece of the reminder email that I received that stuck out for me was;

 

Always upload your very best photos (15 is a good set)...

 

I'm really not surprised by this piece of advice. I mean, look at those who filed heaps and heaps of images from a certain well-attended protest a few weekends ago?

[JamesC]

5 hours ago, Steve Valentia said:

 

Actually, it's at least 25, as I sold another this week. Yes, they may have been "secondary stock", but "they were uploaded as news images. I would not have uploaded them otherwise", especially the weather shots, as I would have considered them too late for general stock use. I consider my 24/5 sales as a direct consequence of the option to upload news images, and it's a pity that you might not, as you could be missing out on some sales.

I've already re-applied. I won't hold my breath.

 

"they were uploaded as news images. I would not have uploaded them otherwise"

 

This mirrors my experience and is one of many reasons why I'm struggling to get my head around how this can possibly be a good business decision.  

 

Presumably Alamy will have looked at the value of secondary sales when coming up with the new rules??!

 

Whilst I can't see the benefit for Alamy, I can definitely see the benefit for the chosen few who will presumably reap the rewards from fewer competing contributors......

 

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by JamesC
formatting

[Steve Valentia]

47 minutes ago, JamesC said:

 

This mirrors my experience and is one of many reasons why I'm struggling to get my head around how this can possibly be a good business decision. 

 

The whole thing is a shambles based, as some have speculated, on an algorithm that chose the leavers on the basis of low-level news submissions. If that was true, however, then some mistakes were made, as can be seen by @Alamy's own message to me (on a previous page). This states that I had made only 18 submissions in total. When I challenged this, it turned out that I had, in fact made over 300 news submissions.

 

Just when I thought that might be enough to re-instate me, a counter-blow - in the shape of "but you haven't sold many news images" - was wielded against me. I countered this by saying I had, in fact, sold half my total year's sales for 128 via news uploads. This prompted body blow number 2 - the old "oh, but they were secondary sales" uppercut.

 

At least one member here has stated that their images "were not all that", and I assume this means neither were their sales. In which case, if the reasons given to me for my expulsion were valid, then that member should also have been excluded. But they were not. 

As someone who has genuinely been exclusive and loyal to Alamy for over 15 years, I feel confused and badly let down. OK, don't let me submit news images. I might lose €500 a year. So what? But at least be consistent with your reasons across the board and apply the same criteria to everyone.

[Colblimp]

12 minutes ago, Steve Valentia said:

 

The whole thing is a shambles based, as some have speculated, on an algorithm that chose the leavers on the basis of low-level news submissions. If that was true, however, then some mistakes were made, as can be seen by @Alamy's own message to me (on a previous page). This states that I had made only 18 submissions in total. When I challenged this, it turned out that I had, in fact made over 300 news submissions.

 

Just when I thought that might be enough to re-instate me, a counter-blow - in the shape of "but you haven't sold many news images" - was wielded against me. I countered this by saying I had, in fact, sold half my total year's sales for 128 via news uploads. This prompted body blow number 2 - the old "oh, but they were secondary sales" uppercut.

 

At least one member here has stated that their images "were not all that", and I assume this means neither were their sales. In which case, if the reasons given to me for my expulsion were valid, then that member should also have been excluded. But they were not. 

As someone who has genuinely been exclusive and loyal to Alamy for over 15 years, I feel confused and badly let down. OK, don't let me submit news images. I might lose €500 a year. So what? But at least be consistent with your reasons across the board and apply the same criteria to everyone.

The vast majority of my sales are live news, Steve.  If all you can do is pick up on a light hearted comment then that's a real shame.

[Steve Valentia]

24 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

The vast majority of my sales are live news, Steve.  If all you can do is pick up on a light hearted comment then that's a real shame.

 

You quoted me in full Andy, but you obviously did not read me fully.

 

I believe that the system is flawed and that some people who were included should not have been and others have been excluded either by mistake or because the system is faulty.

 

I wasn't basing everything on that one light-hearted comment. In fact, I wasn't basing anything on it I was using it as an example of a wider issue.

 

Also, as mentioned, half of my sales from last year were from news uploads. So if I lose those, that's a shame too.

 

Edited April 4, 2019 by Steve Valentia

[Colblimp]

1 minute ago, Steve Valentia said:

You quoted me in fully Andy, but you obviously did not read me fully.

 

I believe that the system is flawed and that some people who were included should not have been and others have been excluded either by mistake or because the system is faulty. I wasn't basing everything on that one light-hearted comment. In fact, I wasn't basing anything on it I was using it as an example of a wider issue.

I read your post numerous times because I couldn't believe what you wrote...

[Prixpics]

Me too. I notice the re-application requirement is to upload a PDF of picture sales 'tear sheet'. Given I exclusively sell through Alamy and they don't let us know the publication then this is a hard task. I also have an NUJ card. The 1 hour requirement discussed does limit the time taking pictures and what if while editing a bigger name appears on some stage? 

 

Best, 

 

Adrian. 

[Colblimp]

Just now, Prixpics said:

Me too. I notice the re-application requirement is to upload a PDF of picture sales 'tear sheet'. Given I exclusively sell through Alamy and they don't let us know the publication then this is a hard task. I also have an NUJ card. The 1 hour requirement discussed does limit the time taking pictures and what if while editing a bigger name appears on some stage? 

 

Best, 

 

Adrian. 

The 1 hour thing isn't set in stone.  I agree that providing a tear sheet is ridiculous - Alamy has a record of all sales through it.  Why can't the staff just have a look at your sales record?!

[Prixpics]

Quite. 

[Steve Valentia]

9 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

I read your post numerous times because I couldn't believe what you wrote...

I can't believe I've been kicked out of live news. It doesn't make it less true. Nor does it make what  I wrote less valid. Everything I said is based on what apoears in this thread.

 

When you have a bit more time on your hands, maybe you'd like to go back over it and check the facts.

[Colblimp]

5 minutes ago, Steve Valentia said:

I can't believe I've been kicked out of live news. It doesn't make it less true. Nor does it make what  I wrote less valid. Everything I said is based on what apoears in this thread.

 

When you have a bit more time on your hands, maybe you'd like to go back over it and check the facts.

What facts?  It sucks that you've been kicked out of live news but making comments about me is bang out of order.  It isn't my fault...

[Steve Valentia]

6 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

What facts?  It sucks that you've been kicked out of live news but making comments about me is bang out of order.  It isn't my fault...

Oh. I was beginning to wonder why you seemed so vitriolic towards me. I am not in any way referring to you. I was quoting somebody else. And that really isn't the whole point of what I was saying. You really should go back and check the facts.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Steve Valentia

[Colblimp]

2 minutes ago, Steve Valentia said:

Oh. how is it going to wonder why you seem so vitriolic towards me. I am not in any way it said to you. I was quoting somebody else. And that really isn't the whole point of what I was saying. You really should go back and check the facts.

Clearly you quoted me because I wrote 'my pics aren't all that', so how you can claim you were quoting someone else is beyond me.  Anyway, I'm not spending any more time on this, I have images to tag...

[Steve Valentia]

19 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

Clearly you quoted me because I wrote 'my pics aren't all that', so how you can claim you were quoting someone else is beyond me.  Anyway, I'm not spending any more time on this, I have images to tag...

Good for you Andy. I hope they sell. Even if they are not all that. 😃 As I said whatever the quote by whoever it wasn't the point.

 

P.s. maybe next time you don't want to be quoted, it might be best if you didn't actually write anything down in a public forum (twice).

Edited April 4, 2019 by Steve Valentia

[Sultanpepa]

5 hours ago, Avpics said:

They've used an algorithm of sorts to decide who gets the 'chop'. Cold, and clearly very fallible.I would have thought it would be worth people like yourself putting forward a case to be re-instated. 

 

I have stated my case but I'm not holding out much hope. I fear they have already made their minds up on who stays and who goes.