Are Alamy stock photographers all ages?

[geogphotos]

I get the impression that our community here on the forum is a little long in the tooth.🙂

 

I have suggested doing stock to my children - all three are quite arty -  and they just laugh at the idea of all the hard work, the low fees, and the essential 'squareness' of it. They will happily share pics on social media and seem to spend half their time taking photos on their devices.

 

Are we an ageing bunch - are youngsters arriving on the scene or not bothering?

 

I'm 63

Edited September 15, 2019 by geogphotos

[vicky allum]

On 17/09/2019 at 19:05, John Mitchell said:

Photography has always been a solitary pursuit for me. I see it as a form of contemplation. Even stock-shooting can have its Zen-like moments.

 

And, yes, I'm a bit of a loner too.

 

We could start a "loners club", but no one would probably show up to the meetings. 😐

Yes i am a bit of a loner too,i always go taking photos on my own,if someone else was with me i might miss that all important shot especially if they were not into photography like me!

[vicky allum]

I really feel photography is for any age,and more and more people are taking it up when they retire as once you have a camera you dont really have to spend much except for maybe travelling around,i am 64 and learning all the time and there's no greater feeling than when you sell a photo!

[Allan Bell]

1 hour ago, BidC said:

It sounds like another 20 - 30 years and Steve F,  chrismid259 and myself might almost have the Alamy Marketplace to ourselves.. we'll make a fortune when we're the only contributors left! 😁

 

In 20 to 30 years I will most likely be 6 foot under. As the saying goes.

 

Now you've made me feel sad again, and just when I was beginning to feel happier than I have been for a long time.😭

 

Allan

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Allan Bell

[John Mitchell]

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

 

In 20 to 30 years I will most likely be 6 foot under. As the saying goes.

 

Now you've made me feel sad again, and just when I was beginning to feel happier than I have been for a long time.😭

 

Allan

 

 

Don't feel too bad. If we think image prices are low now, imagine what they will be like in 20-30 years from now. 🤓

[phomme]

The young photographers are busy selling microstock photography.

[John Mitchell]

3 minutes ago, phomme said:

The young photographers are busy selling microstock photography.

 

Yes, I think they probably feel more comfortable with the crowdsourced, instant gratification business model.

[chilker]

I'm 29, and uploaded my test photos first a few years ago, and then didn't upload anything again until earlier this year. Still haven't had any success, but I'm having fun taking photos, uploading photos (mostly still catching up on ones I took in the last 4 years, before I was really interested in making stock photos), researching, and tagging. I don't post much, but I do enjoy reading the forum whether just for fun conversations like this one, or for tips and advice in other parts of the forum. Great community. Now I've just got to figure out how to sell my pictures. 🙂

[Matt Ashmore]

19 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

In 20 to 30 years I will most likely be 6 foot under. As the saying goes.

 

Now you've made me feel sad again, and just when I was beginning to feel happier than I have been for a long time.😭

 

Sorry Alan!

 

17 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

Don't feel too bad. If we think image prices are low now, imagine what they will be like in 20-30 years from now. 🤓

 

Yeah, you have to wonder don't you! Either one of two things will happen.. they'll all be free or we'll hit a plateau.

 

16 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

16 hours ago, phomme said:

The young photographers are busy selling microstock photography.

 

Yes, I think they probably feel more comfortable with the crowdsourced, instant gratification business model.

 

There might be something in that as the 'XBox Generation' comes through. And the rise of cameras in mobile phones meaning that less people actually buy a "proper camera".

[Allan Bell]

9 minutes ago, Matt Ashmore said:

Sorry Alan!

 

OK I'll let you off. Still friends Matt.

 

Allan

 

[Betty LaRue]

On 19/09/2019 at 05:43, Allan Bell said:

 

Could it have been a Kiev? That is Russian.

 

Allan

 

 

Who knows? Obviously I’ve slept since then! 😁

[jodyko]

On 16/09/2019 at 13:03, Betty LaRue said:

Yes. I went a long distance by car to hook up with a wonderful lady I met on this very forum. We went to many birding places on the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. Like-minded, fun.

Corpus Christi, Texas is known as "America's Birdiest City," and I was curious as to whether your travels had brought you to this area? I used to live in Port Aransas, a (used to be at least,) little town on Mustang Island nearby. Birding is very popular here and we have a large influx of "Winter Texans" each year from all over the country and as far north as Canada.

 

[John Morrison]

2 minutes ago, hsessions said:

they can look further into the future

 

Well, kind of. Personally, I wouldn't go to the expense of buying a five-year diary.

 

I hear what you say about younger folk, Helen; maybe they're too busy raking in the millions by being an 'instagram influencer'. And if they think that the stock pic industry pays too little to those who actually create the images, who can argue with that?

[John Mitchell]

7 hours ago, Matt Ashmore said:

 

There might be something in that as the 'XBox Generation' comes through. And the rise of cameras in mobile phones meaning that less people actually buy a "proper camera".

 

You certainly see fewer and fewer young people with "real" cameras these days. Everyone seems to be using a phone. Also, as evidenced by questions asked by new Alamy contributors, a lot of young people entering stock photography don't understand how traditional imaging licensing works. They've been brought up in the "grab and use right away" digital culture. Rights managed licensing must make no sense to them at all. That said, I still don't know what an XBox is. 😶

 

P.S. Is an XBox anything like a LunchBox? I had one of those when I was a kid. 😄

Edited September 20, 2019 by John Mitchell

[Betty LaRue]

3 hours ago, jodyko said:

Corpus Christi, Texas is known as "America's Birdiest City," and I was curious as to whether your travels had brought you to this area? I used to live in Port Aransas, a (used to be at least,) little town on Mustang Island nearby. Birding is very popular here and we have a large influx of "Winter Texans" each year from all over the country and as far north as Canada.

 

No, we didn’t get to Corpus. I am familiar with Port Aransas. Very vague now, (long time ago) but I think that’s the port my husband and I rented a small boat to fish from. (He was in the Air Force at the time) I was 6 months pregnant. The motor was only a few horsepower. We went out too far trying to find deeper water.  Couldn’t see land and the motor quit. We drifted for hours until the rental place sent a boat out to tow us in. I have absolutely no idea how they found that little boat in the vast gulf. I remember a sting ray bit my husband’s bait and soon as he saw what he had, he cut the line.

Betty

[jodyko]

Just now, Betty LaRue said:

No, we didn’t get to Corpus. I am familiar with Port Aransas. Very vague now, (long time ago) but I think that’s the port my husband and I rented a small boat to fish from. (He was in the Air Force at the time) I was 6 months pregnant. The motor was only a few horsepower. We went out too far trying to find deeper water.  Couldn’t see land and the motor quit. We drifted for hours until the rental place sent a boat out to tow us in. I have absolutely no idea how they found that little boat in the vast gulf. I remember a sting ray bit my husband’s bait and soon as he saw what he had, he cut the line.

I've been offshore a few times. That had to be scary.

[Steve F]

On 18/09/2019 at 23:41, Matt Ashmore said:

 

It sounds like another 20 - 30 years and Steve F,  chrismid259 and myself might almost have the Alamy Marketplace to ourselves.. we'll make a fortune when we're the only contributors left! 😁

 

Oh wow, am I going to really be keywording for another 30 years? Kill me now! (tongue in cheek! )

Edited September 20, 2019 by Steve F

[Steve F]

On 19/09/2019 at 18:24, John Mitchell said:

 

Don't feel too bad. If we think image prices are low now, imagine what they will be like in 20-30 years from now. 🤓

 

Thanks for that happy thought John

[John Richmond]

1 hour ago, John Morrison said:

Well, kind of. Personally, I wouldn't go to the expense of buying a five-year diary.

Well, according to my Outlook Calendar I'm good through to at least 2050 ( I got bored after a my hundredth year) as my birthday is scheduled that far ahead. 😊

 

A tip from my Outlook training days:  When setting up a significant recurring appointment - wedding anniversary / partner's birthday etc don't set an end date.  It causes complications if discovered

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, jodyko said:

I've been offshore a few times. That had to be scary.

It was, and we were running out of water. It was summer.

[Marvin McAbee]

72 this month but still kicking.  First camera was a Brownie Holiday and I put it on layaway because I didn't have the full Six dollars that it cost.  First 35mm was a Kodak and later I moved to Minolta.  

[Bionic]

I'm on the verge of hitting 40 in a few months time but I'm always told I have the persona of a grumpy old sod which I think is because I tend to be happier with my own company rather than with other people so I can probably add my name to the list of loners here. 

[Mr Standfast]

14 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

It was, and we were running out of water. It was summer.

 

That Russian camera would have made a good anchor...

[Betty LaRue]

12 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

That Russian camera would have made a good anchor...

😆😊😁

[Chuck Nacke]

Sorry to say that "I am more short in the tooth...." currently over 61, but not 62.  I still do 250 pushups a day and just came in from a 20 mile bicycle

ride.

 

I will say that I spent over 20 years chasing corporate clients and doing crazy location shoots and then took a few decades off to stay home and raise

two daughters.  About five years ago I started doing corporate work again and now have mostly gotten away from it, the good corporate art directors

are gone and clients think that digital means that you just point the camera and push the button...  I travel with 10,000 watts of old NORMAN strobes

and ten heads as well as 1,000 watts of LUMEDYNE battery strobes.  I also have every light modifier known, including Octadomes up to 12ft.  In 1986

I billed $1,600 a shooting day and $250.00 a day for an assistant.  in 2000's clients want the same work, including digital retouching for less than $1,000.00

 

I would rather just shot what I want on my own time and for Alamy, STOCK.  Working with NIKON D800's makes doing "Stock" pretty easy and not expensive.

and now I am trying to really give Stock photography a try?  I still do some "LIVE NEWS" on events that I support and so far Alamy has done pretty good for

me.  I am concerned about the licensing fees I am seeing, they (Alamy) could do better for the photographers, but they are doing the best that they can in a

difficult market.  I also think that Alamy contributors could do a lot better with their IPTC information and their editing (image selection).

 

P.S. Kiev's and Zenit's made better door stops....

 

Chuck

Edited September 22, 2019 by Chuck Nacke
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[Bryan]

Another 69 years to add to the list of aged persons.  Joined a photo society at school aged 12 and learned how to develop and print, been messing around with cameras since then. Like others I regret not joining Alamy earlier, the fees were comparatively mega back then.

 

I confess to be technically fascinated with the kit and enjoy changing lenses, altering camera settings and rarely use auto focus. I enjoy handling the beautifully made metal bodied lenses from the film era, while I also appreciate their wall to wall sharpness on the crop sensor camera. 

 

Drives the missus mad, but I'll wait interminably for the sun to show up, the clouds to look good, or for a suitable pattern of people to appear. However some of my best shots were down to chance, although of course you make your own luck by just being there and prepared. I enjoy key wording and in particular the research behind it.  Don't watch much TV, hate adverts,  but spend hours locked away in my man cave, often listening to the radio,  processing and key wording.  

 

Becoming a tad disillusioned with stock now that there is so much competition and dwindling fees, might  at some stage go back to shooting arty unsaleable stuff.