Managing your Assets

[Autumn Sky]

1 hour ago, geogphotos said:

 

I really do understand that the 'genie is out of the bottle' etc etc but I do get tired of the endless microstock discussion on the Alamy forum. Alamy is not a microstock agency, It is an easy-going, liberal company and allows all sorts of discussion but really and truly is it an appropriate places to be discussing the merits of direct competitors?

 

 

This is not discussion about microstock.   Read the thread title.  It is discussion about optimal way to manage media assets, for which micros are just one option of many.

And btw if I was tired about discussing micros on Alamy,  I'd not read these threads and comment on them.  As simple as that

[geogphotos]

9 minutes ago, Autumn Sky said:

This is not discussion about microstock.   Read the thread title.  It is discussion about optimal way to manage media assets, for which micros are just one option of many.

And btw if I was tired about discussing micros on Alamy,  I'd not read these threads and comment on them.  As simple as that

 

You missed my question about discussing Alamy on the micro forums.

 

Do they allow you to include Alamy in a discussion of 'optimal' media management?

Edited March 6, 2020 by geogphotos

[Autumn Sky]

micro forums are swamp of constant bickering and negativity george.   I peeked there once when I was starting and never came back.   It is sure way to get depressed.  Alamy forums are different;  generally positive and constructive comments.  Read what folks like wiskerke or john mitchell post.  Makes you glad to be part of group. That is the difference.  But to answer your question, yes you can discuss Alamy there and people do.  They even invented  "professional" microstock forum, just for the reason of discussing (bickering) about other agencies without restrictions.

 

But again this is about managing the assets, not forums and not micros by themselves, so let's please stay on topic

[meanderingemu]

7 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

You missed my question about discussing Alamy on the micro forums.

 

Do they allow you to include Alamy in a discussion of 'optimal' media management?

 

 

Yes they do, and most in extremely negative fashion, including a few posters who appeared here, refused to adapt to Alamy, and then state that optimal is avoid Alamy. 

[geogphotos]

5 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

 

 

Yes they do, and most in extremely negative fashion, including a few posters who appeared here, refused to adapt to Alamy, and then state that optimal is avoid Alamy. 

 

 Thanks for that but I am not talking about the various non-agency microstock forums.  I am referring to the equivalent of this Alamy forum run by a microstock agency such as Shutterstock, or Dreamstime , or one of the other places that the OP contributes. 

 

Would it be considered okay on that forum to discuss individual images and ask other contributors whether the images should be submitted to that microstock agency or to a 'mid-stock' competitor? In other words the reverse of the OP's request.

 

If so then obviously I have got this wrong and apologise to Autumn Sky and everybody else.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by geogphotos

[meanderingemu]

4 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

 Thanks for that but I am not talking about the various non-agency microstock forums.  I am referring to the equivalent of this Alamy forum run by a microstock agency such as Shutterstock, or Dreamstime , or one of the other places that the OP contributes. 

 

Would it be considered okay on that forum to discuss individual images and ask other contributors whether the images should be submitted to that microstock agency or to a 'mid-stock' competitor? In other words the reverse of the OP's request.

 

If so then obviously I have got this wrong and apologise to Autumn Sky and everybody else.

 

 

 

 

where did i mention non agency forums?  

though in fairness I would say only one is really such active.

Edited March 7, 2020 by meanderingemu

[geogphotos]

42 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

where did i mention non agency forums?  

though in fairness I would say only one is really such active.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

[meanderingemu]

3 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

Thanks for the clarification.

no problem.   as follow up even if one has badmouthing competition as a no-no in forum rules,  reported offences were not addressed by moderators. 

 

in the end i actually want their posters to think,  and i quote: "Alamy is a joke" 

[geogphotos]

40 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

no problem.   as follow up even if one has badmouthing competition as a no-no in forum rules,  reported offences were not addressed by moderators. 

 

in the end i actually want their posters to think,  and i quote: "Alamy is a joke" 

 

 

I bet there would be lots of moans from those same people if Alamy didn't exist and they had no choice but micro-stock.

 

Just to repeat myself - Alamy gives everybody the same opportunity to participate in proper, serious stock photography. No barriers, no favouritism. 

 

Perhaps some of those you mention (who say 'Alamy is a joke')  need to think about that rather than blaming the Alamy for their perceived failures. 

 

 

 

 

[Autumn Sky]

10 hours ago, geogphotos said:

 

 

 

If so then obviously I have got this wrong and apologise to Autumn Sky and everybody else.

 

 

 

 

No need to apologize.  But once again,  let's please stay on topic and talk about micros only in context of possible channel to manage/monetize our assets.

 

There are other options out there.  For instance, one I've been thinking about are gallery prints.   I live in small mountain town and in downtown we have several such places that cater to tourists.  I browse sometime & yes they are nice, but I think I have some that are better.  Last yr on return from hike I met fellow from California & chatted on way out -- he is monetizing his photography exclusively through galleries in LA & spends summers in Canada shooting landscapes.  This is his website: http://www.seandu.com/  Or, the other day I met guy on afternoon walk;  serious gear & had chat.  He has shown me digital copy of custom print he sold for $350.  But he has 50 megapixel FF SLR, which I don't.  So there is issue of further gear investment because 20 megapixel SLR I have is simply not good enough for that.

 

Other option would be try selling digital stills directly & avoid the middle man.  I get inquiries at times on photos on my website, but this is mostly by local book authors looking for free photos.  I've been published in one such book, as inside cover, but I just gave it to him for free as it looked like right thing to do in terms of community spirit and maybe get bit of free advert.  Perhaps I should seriously look into  this as possible avenue.  But you need "name";  for instance this guy https://zizka.ca/   people come to him & he has local business he completely lives from.  You think he does stock lol.   I am nowhere his quality of course, but maybe this is the path to consider.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by Autumn Sky

[geogphotos]

1 hour ago, Autumn Sky said:

No need to apologize.  But once again,  let's please stay on topic and talk about micros only in context of possible channel to manage/monetize our assets.

 

There are other options out there.  For instance, one I've been thinking about are gallery prints.   I live in small mountain town and in downtown we have several such places that cater to tourists.  I browse sometime & yes they are nice, but I think I have some that are better.  Last yr on return from hike I met fellow from California & chatted on way out -- he is monetizing his photography exclusively through galleries in LA & spends summers in Canada shooting landscapes.  This is his website: http://www.seandu.com/  Or, the other day I met guy on afternoon walk;  serious gear & had chat.  He has shown me digital copy of custom print he sold for $350.  But he has 50 megapixel FF SLR, which I don't.  So there is issue of further gear investment because 20 megapixel SLR I have is simply not good enough for that.

 

Other option would be try selling digital stills directly & avoid the middle man.  I get inquiries at times on photos on my website, but this is mostly by local book authors looking for free photos.  I've been published in one such book, as inside cover, but I just gave it to him for free as it looked like right thing to do in terms of community spirit and maybe get bit of free advert.  Perhaps I should seriously look into  this as possible avenue.  But you need "name";  for instance this guy https://zizka.ca/   people come to him & he has local business he completely lives from.  You think he does stock lol.   I am nowhere his quality of course, but maybe this is the path to consider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If that is the sort of thing you want to be doing I strongly suggest that you stop messing about with microstock and build yourself a reputation based on quality - which you clearly have already. It sounds like you don't really need the money from microstock in the short-term, it isn't essential to what you do, so why do it? 

 

My advice would be to think of the long-term and where you want to be in a few years time even if that means turning away from the immediate gratification that micrsotock sales bring you. Alamy provides a ready made platform for you and instead of agonising over which images to send where just concentrate on building up your collection of quality images, building a website and see where that leads ( prints, direct sales etc). 

 

Trying to go in more than one direction at the same risks confusing yourself, and when you do have a website for direct sales and prints I expect you will want all your images to be there not scattered around on a mix of sites and vastly different price levels and licences ( which would confuse your buyers). 

Edited March 7, 2020 by geogphotos

[meanderingemu]

On 06/03/2020 at 11:48, Autumn Sky said:

 

Thank you so much for this comment Sally, and it mirrors almost 100% how I feel.   I stopped uploading to "15% micro" because of sentiment;  disgusted with rate, total lack of quality standards,  prehistoric cumbersome interface etc etc.  Just don't want to work with them.

 

Solution is not easy, and yes maybe the answer is trying alternate channels.  But while still in stock, I am more and more of opinion decision should be made on image basis & hard numbers.  Example:  This is one of few images I have exclusively on Alamy:

 

It sold last month for 49.99,  net 25 to me.  If it was non-exclusive, it would be 20.  I doubt very much it would make $5 of difference as editorial with 0.33 cents / download, as market for something like this is probably quite limited.  (And it might sell on Alamy again, although unlikely)

 

But Alamy rates are also going down.  This month I got 2 sales already;  after commission,  it is single digit in my pocket combined from both of them

 

 

if you want to use  MS, there is a way to optimise your assets by creating distinct assets for distinct distribution methods.  yes you might have had to wait 15 minutes to get a new image with this one, but for most scenarios it's not as dramatic.

[Autumn Sky]

On 07/03/2020 at 10:52, geogphotos said:

 

 

If that is the sort of thing you want to be doing I strongly suggest that you stop messing about with microstock and build yourself a reputation based on quality - which you clearly have already. It sounds like you don't really need the money from microstock in the short-term, it isn't essential to what you do, so why do it? 

 

My advice would be to think of the long-term and where you want to be in a few years time even if that means turning away from the immediate gratification that micrsotock sales bring you. Alamy provides a ready made platform for you and instead of agonising over which images to send where just concentrate on building up your collection of quality images, building a website and see where that leads ( prints, direct sales etc). 

 

Trying to go in more than one direction at the same risks confusing yourself, and when you do have a website for direct sales and prints I expect you will want all your images to be there not scattered around on a mix of sites and vastly different price levels and licences ( which would confuse your buyers). 

That is very good comment, thank you.

 

I think we all 'evolve' in whatever we do in our lives;  3 yrs ago when I started,  there was excitement with MS sales.  ("Wow, someone actually paid for my photo").  Then came first non-trivial Alamy sale.  Etc etc.  Now I am simply feeling MS is not right for me anymore.  I don't just snap and upload.  I spend time in post-processing.  I.e  I just spent an hour on photo of Reclining Buddha taken in Vientiane, Laos.   Pano stitch of 4 frames.  Search on Alamy for this and you will see people don't even bother removing electric wires in the background, but besides cleaning that I also replaced entire sky (original was gray, and I felt it was taking away from the scene).   Ya I know, replacing sky is not rocket science, but it is not entirely trivial either.  Etc etc.  I have a good photo now I am not afraid to show to anyone.  Now to get 'rewarded' for all this with 33 cents or even lower, I don't know. It just doesn't feel right.   But I also feel I am still not good enough for some of these other purely professional avenues I mentioned.  I still can not produce commercial quality star trails or anything from domain of astrophotography.  I feel gear limits, because sometimes lens I have are not fast enough, sometimes it is too soft in the corner, etc etc.  None of this mattered before, but now it does.  So it is some sort of transition phase, and in the meantime I am looking for optimal way of managing what I already have and what is long term asset.  

 

 

[Autumn Sky]

11 hours ago, Sally R said:

 

 teacher said how images that he took earlier in his career looked good to him at the time, and that they look like rubbish to him now. The wonderful thing about photography is it is an endless learning curve where you never run out of things to learn.

That is so true.  I look back at my pics I thought were great at a time, and now they don't look so great anymore;  it is sign of getting better.  But it is also important to have fun and enjoy the ride, not just think about the destination.

 

Yes Alamy is good because there is seriousness;  there is QA,  rate is decent compared to micros -- although I still think 40% non-exclusive is low -- but also you can learn by participating in community, look at other people work etc.   I am now leaning to keep Alamy and Photoshop Micro, ditch the others

 

btw here's that Laos Reclining Buddha with replaced sky;  cleared QA overnight.   Original was all gray, and there were telegraph wires just left of his head.  Blue sky is from La Jolla Shores, California   It might never sell, but I really, really like this one