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No sales, what I'm doing is wrong


Petras

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On 14/11/2020 at 09:30, Petras said:

I'm on Alamy more than year and over 1700 p photos, but have only 1 sale. What I'm doing wrong?

 

My porfolio: https://www.alamy.com/search/imageresults.aspx?pl=1&plno=673186

 

You need to look at what else is up there for the things you're photographing.   Also, your hawk eating prey is, I think, a falcon (adult hawks tend to have yellow eyes and Alamy's similar images are of falcons).  ID by species and scientific name for everything.  Your landscapes seem to be without people.  That can work if the composition is very good, or nobody else knew the name of the mountain in the picture or details of the geology or the landscape and its weather are very striking.   People look for plants, birds, and other animals by both common name and scientific name.  Be very sure you have these right (use Seek, Google Lens, etc.) to get a possible ID, then check to see if other photos of this looks like yours (Google images) and if the range is possible (Wikipedia). 

 

 

 

 

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i don't do much nature shot, so not sure about sale, but it appears that you do your captions quite generic, and some times with little information of what is actually in the picture, so people potentially looking for specifics will not find it.  

 

Here is an example:

 

Autumn colors by the riverside - Image ID: 2D4MKJ9

 

 

What River, where is this located, what is the predominant tree?

 

(also note you have : September, October and November as Keywords which is highly unlikely and in breach of Alamy guidelines.)

 

 

Then you have exactly same description and KWs for

 

Autumn colors by the riverside - Image ID: 2D4MKFB

 

which is actually an image of "Fallen colourful maple leaves on wet gravel path and lawn at foot of tree".  If someone is looking for that image, they will not use "Riverside" in search so you hurt yourself twice, getting false positive hits and No actual hits.

 

 

 

 

Your imagery is fine, if people are looking for these subjects, but you need to make sure they get to them...

 

 

 

 

 

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31 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

 

You need to look at what else is up there for the things you're photographing.   Also, your hawk eating prey is, I think, a falcon (adult hawks tend to have yellow eyes and Alamy's similar images are of falcons).  ID by species and scientific name for everything.  Your landscapes seem to be without people.  That can work if the composition is very good, or nobody else knew the name of the mountain in the picture or details of the geology or the landscape and its weather are very striking.   People look for plants, birds, and other animals by both common name and scientific name.  Be very sure you have these right (use Seek, Google Lens, etc.) to get a possible ID, then check to see if other photos of this looks like yours (Google images) and if the range is possible (Wikipedia). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

good spotting.  noticed same with labels of "Duck" with no species....  also many images of Red Wing blackbirds  might gain identifying which ones are Male or Female to get more chances

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I noticed a lot of similar images. That tends to work against you. I had guinea pigs as a child and I remember they would let me hold them. Showing a child holding their pet would stand more of a chance of selling, I think, even if you only show their hands. Putting "hamster" in an image of guinea pigs works against you. A caption like "close-up photography" doesn't do anything for you. Think about what someone would use as a search for your subject. Take a look at the sorts of captions other people are using. Think about someone writing an article for a magazine on the subject and how they would search.

 

Paulette

Edited by NYCat
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Hi Petras,

You've got some really nice images. +1 to what everyone else has said - how is a client ever going to find your pictures? You're competing against 220+ million pictures just on Alamy. Your keywords and captions are so generic that even if you has the most amazing pictures ever, no one is ever going to find them. I would suggest that you look at the other threads for doing keywording and captions - it's a topic that comes up repeatedly under 'Portfolio Critique'. Also, be aware that the location information you put in AIM is NOT searchable by clients. It's generally a good idea to put location info in both the caption and as keywords.

 

Good luck,

Steve

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9 minutes ago, Steve F said:

Also, be aware that the location information you put in AIM is NOT searchable by clients. It's generally a good idea to put location info in both the caption and as keywords.

 

Good luck,

Steve

 

The only thing I'd add to this is sometimes the location isn't necessary at all. I've stopped putting in keywords like UK, GB, Great Britain, England etc unless it's actually pertinent to the subject, and even then I am more likely to use a combo keyword. A photo of a duck? Probably doesn't need the location, maybe the country as a single KW but nothing else. A cosy street in Yorkshire? Absolutely. This came to me after my CTR tanked lately and when I checked why I had searches pulling up literally hundreds of images of birds I'd taken where I'd included the park or area I'd seen them in. Total goof on my part fixed by removing the superfluous location keywords.

 

The keywording is likely the issue with the OP's port, particularly given the guinea pig photo I looked at had "hamster" as one of its KWs.

Edited by Cal
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7 minutes ago, Cal said:

 

The only thing I'd add to this is sometimes the location isn't necessary at all. I've stopped putting in keywords like UK, GB, Great Britain, England etc unless it's actually pertinent to the subject, and even then I am more likely to use a combo keyword. A photo of a duck? Probably doesn't need the location, maybe the country as a single KW but nothing else. A cosy street in Yorkshire? Absolutely. This came to me after my CTR tanked lately and when I checked why I had searches pulling up literally hundreds of images of birds I'd taken where I'd included the park or area I'd seen them in. Total goof on my part fixed by removing the superfluous location keywords.

 

The keywording is likely the issue with the OP's port, particularly given the guinea pig photo I looked at had "hamster" as one of its KWs.

 

It's the autumn scenes and leaves etc. If you don't put in location info (plus more specific info generally in the OP's case), you're opening yourself up to competition from all the other generic autumn scenes out there. And there's a lot of good autumn shots. Unless you've got something absolutely amazing or from the specific area that a client is searching for, why would anyone ever buy (or first find) your picture?

 

Agree with you largely, you just need to tailor the keywords to the type of image. I find a useful question to ask is "Why would anyone buy this photo?" and work from there.

Edited by Steve F
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1 minute ago, Cal said:

 

Yes, I often ask myself that too, usually after it's been bought 😁

Lolz, yes that thought has occurred to me too for a few sales. But it's also motivation to photograph a wide variety of subjects because "you never know what will sell..."

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 15/11/2020 at 16:37, meanderingemu said:

 

 

good spotting.  noticed same with labels of "Duck" with no species....  also many images of Red Wing blackbirds  might gain identifying which ones are Male or Female to get more chances

 

Also add the Latin names.

 

John.

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For all the "Autumn colors in the park", identify the trees.  "yellow leaves on an elm" or something like that.  Include the kind of tree in your keywords.

 

Your photos aren't bad, but most of them also don't really stand out.

 

Search for pictures of squirrels, and compare yours to what else is available.  See if you can find a new, more interesting way to show a squirrel.  

 

It's not JUST numbers that get sales, you have to hone your craft.  Pay closer attention to lighting and composition.  Look for better angles.  Pick only the best to submit.

 

Remember, if anyone could do it, nobody would pay for it. 

 

Edited by Hanna_Fate
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Your image 2DDWTXX is, I think some sort of Boxer dog, yet you have labrador as a keyword, as well as hunting, illustration, dogs, garden etc.  You've exactly 50 keywords for this pic, which is absolutely unnecessary.  I've had a quick scan of your port and there's a ton of similars and no people.  Your port is very microstock, which doesn't fit here.  'People doing things' is what sells on Alamy, include those sort of pics and I guarantee you'll make sales.  Good luck!

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23 hours ago, Stokie said:

 

Also add the Latin names.

 

John.

I would suggest also doing this for your plant pictures.  For the caption scientific name followed by cultivar if it applies (in single quotes) then common names.  So for example Digitalis purpurea 'Pam's Choice'. Foxglove  If you want to add anything else eg growing beside a river put that at the end but only if you can see the river in the picture. Then repeat these in the keywords.  Then other keywords that relate to the picture.

You also need to learn a bit more about the plants that you are photographing, many of your plant pictures are captioned and keyworded somewhat vaguely and often incorrectly.  A few examples

Close-up decorative onions in the garden, insects  ID: W5DEAE

Decorative onions are alliums but this is a Centaurea probably Centaurea dealbata 

Beautiful different mountain flowers, close-up  ID: W59G4W  Keywords include  calendula marigold gazania

It is no good giving several options in the hope that one will be correct.  In this case none are probably osteospermum

Orchids family plants, different colors ID: W59FGY

This is not an orchid or remotely related to one; it is an Hemerocallis common name daylily

Decorative onions in the garden ID: W59FKC

These are not onions they are seed heads probably of Pulsatilla Pasqueflower

Different garden flowers in the springtime ID: 2BWYDM0

Keywords include Geranium and lily of the valley; definitely neither of these.

Different garden flowers in the springtime ID: 2BWYE0Y

Again keywords include Geranium and lily of the valley; it's a Polygonatum  Solomon's seal

Also tropical and watercolor  Not a tropical plant and no idea why watercolor but might be an idea if using color to also use colour

Lily flowers in the garden ID: 2CATD5J

Another Hemerocallis common name daylily   Keywords lilium lily etc should be Hemerocallis daylily etc and  wedding, white, white lily, wild, wild flowers None really apply to an orange cultivar Hemerocallis.  Lily of the Incas are Alstroemeria and lily-flowered will turn up mainly lily flowered tulips

Lily flowers in the garden ID: 2CATD3D

This one is a lilium but other keywords misleading Lily of the Incas are Alstroemeria and lily-flowered will turn up mainly lily flowered tulips. Fleur de lis is a term used in heraldry and no-one searching for a lily flower would use that.

Different kind of sunflowers ID: 2CCHYGR

Helianthus annuus No idea what mexican sunset has got to do with them.

 

 

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This is more a general Help for anyone reading this who might have similar questions about their Portfolio,and results as OP.

 

Step 1.  If you feel comfortable with learning, do as OP,  come and ask this wonderful knowledgeable group of posters.  Everyone will generously take their time to try and provide some great insight

 

Step 2. USE the advice.  Step 1, is a great step, but in the end, you need to be willing to change if you want the end results to change.

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, meanderingemu said:

This is more a general Help for anyone reading this who might have similar questions about their Portfolio,and results as OP.

 

Step 1.  If you feel comfortable with learning, do as OP,  come and ask this wonderful knowledgeable group of posters.  Everyone will generously take their time to try and provide some great insight

 

Step 2. USE the advice.  Step 1, is a great step, but in the end, you need to be willing to change if you want the end results to change.

 

 

 

No response from the OP after many forumites have taken the time to give advice.  Sometimes I wonder why we bother...

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11 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

No response from the OP after many forumites have taken the time to give advice.  Sometimes I wonder why we bother...

Not that I had anything to say here, but my rule now, if I do,  is not to make another contribution until the OP comes back.

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Re the above:- I like the idea of directing the OP towards the appropriate help page in the Blog, FAQ or how to sell your pictures section.  It all falls apart when I try to paste a link and can't find what I'm looking for.

 

Perhaps Alamy should set up a WIKI

 

Cheers.

 

🦔

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Colblimp said:

No response from the OP after many forumites have taken the time to give advice.  Sometimes I wonder why we bother...

 

If it can reassure some of the contributors even if OPs many times don't come back, or seem to heed any of the advice, I know when i decided to focus on Alamy, I want through many of these posts and gathered information from them, and this has helped My learning and did guide me at the start.  I have to presume I am not the only one doing so, so it does help some people.  

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Sometimes people asking for help are just hoping they need to change a setting or something.  They don't really want to WORK at it.

 

This is something I have noticed particularly about photography.  Beginners think it's "easy" because you get recognizable pictures right away. (unlike drawing, where you have to hone your eye-hand coordination before you can call anything "realistic")  What they don't realize is that it takes a lot of work to learn how to make really GOOD photos. 

 

Some of these people only barely know which way to point the camera.  Subtleties such as depth of field escape them.

 

My advice to anyone who is finding that their photos don't sell is:  Study photography.  Learn wherever you can.  Even very old books about film photography will be useful to you, because light hasn't changed with the advent of digital cameras. 

 

An expensive camera won't magically make your photos better.  A good camera will make it less work to create good images, but you still have to know how to use it.

 

 

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5 hours ago, Hanna_Fate said:

Sometimes people asking for help are just hoping they need to change a setting or something.  They don't really want to WORK at it.

 

This is something I have noticed particularly about photography.  Beginners think it's "easy" because you get recognizable pictures right away. (unlike drawing, where you have to hone your eye-hand coordination before you can call anything "realistic")  What they don't realize is that it takes a lot of work to learn how to make really GOOD photos. 

 

Some of these people only barely know which way to point the camera.  Subtleties such as depth of field escape them.

 

My advice to anyone who is finding that their photos don't sell is:  Study photography.  Learn wherever you can.  Even very old books about film photography will be useful to you, because light hasn't changed with the advent of digital cameras. 

 

An expensive camera won't magically make your photos better.  A good camera will make it less work to create good images, but you still have to know how to use it.

 

 

 

 

and then the second part, is they assume once they have figured that part out, the images will sell for themselves, not realising they are competing against 1000s of other distributors, and if they are not willing to make the marketing part of it, having nice images is not going to help. in stock.

You need

 

-Subjects people need and want, and

-Make sure people see them

 

you need to market your image, above others.... 

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On 04/12/2020 at 15:35, Hanna_Fate said:

Sometimes people asking for help are just hoping they need to change a setting or something.  They don't really want to WORK at it.

 

Got to agree with this. Treat it almost like a side business (which is particularly realistic given you'll likely run at a loss for years at first). I put a large majority of my free time into doing this because I have a passion for photography and it keeps me from being idle mainly. I guess if you don't have the stamina to work at it like that then the rewards theoretically will be lower, but it is up to you.

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