Contract Change 2021 - Official thread

[MDM]

 

Country blues for the departing. 

Edited June 11, 2021 by MDM

[Michael Ventura]

This is all a sad point in our collective stock world.  Whether or not you stay or go, it will never be like it was (as life has a way being like that).  Sad to see the Alamy forum family break up some.  I have enjoyed each and everyone of you.  Lots of great characters and wonderful insight and knowledge spread around.  While I have never met a single one of you, I feel I know some of you so well that we have become old friends.  I am planning to stay but mostly because I see nowhere else that is any better and don't have the time or desire to move my nearly 10,000 images elsewhere.  My portfolio will be pretty much passive and what it earns, it earns.  Not going to put much new energy into it.  For those who are moving on, I do respect your decision and wish you better roads ahead!

 

Michael

[Ed Rooney]

21 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

I am planning to stay but mostly because I see nowhere else that is any better and don't have the time or desire to move my nearly 10,000 images elsewhere.  

 

Michael

 

I'm in sync with you, Michael. 

 

[Panthera tigris]

I have decided not to remove any images this year (they are just B grade anyway) BUT I am still finding it very worrisome that we don't know more details about the system of infringements. This is my major issue at this moment in time. I am still considering removing images I have licensed myself.

[meanderingemu]

40 minutes ago, Panthera tigris said:

I have decided not to remove any images this year (they are just B grade anyway) BUT I am still finding it very worrisome that we don't know more details about the system of infringements. This is my major issue at this moment in time. I am still considering removing images I have licensed myself.

 

 

just mark them as Non Exclusive.  The Contract only allows Alamy to go direct on the one marked Exclusive. 

[John Mitchell]

15 hours ago, Skyscraperfan said:

I do not worry too much about liabilities. We can easily make it clear in the desciption of each image that a buyer should only buy a license if he has or or can aquire all the rights necessary to publish a photo. A kind of "Buy at your own risk!" disclaimer. I think in some Arab countries you could even be sued for publishing a photo of a woman without a head scarf or a photo of two people kissing. That should and will not be the problem of the photographer.

I sold a lot of photos of privately owned buildings via Alamy, although I never had a property release. Do you really think a property owner would sue the stock photo agency for selling a photo that was taken from a public street? No, they would go after the buyer who used that photo for advertising for example.

If one Alamy photographer will ever be sued for a photo, we will immediately know it, because he would complain about that in this forum.

Also the UK is no longer part of the EU. It would be very hard to sue an EU citizen at a UK court. Of course those of you who live in the UK could be affected, but in Germany I feel very safe.

My main complaint about the new contract are the low commissions. That's why I restricted most of my images except some "best sellers".

 

I'm not happy with the new contract and commission changes, but I tend to agree with you about liabilities. I think that perhaps we have overreacted somewhat. Everyone's situation is different of course. I'm certainly going to be more careful going forward, plus I'm using this break in the action to do some cleaning up of my collection. All this has been a bit of a wake-up call.

[John Mitchell]

9 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I'm in sync with you, Michael. 

 

 

Me too. I suspect there isn't much of a market out there for used forum furniture, so I'll be sticking around like an old couch. 🛋️

 

Sad to see forum members go off in search of greener pastures, but I can understand we're they're coming from.

[Bryan]

12 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I'm in sync with you, Michael. 

 

 

Me too I guess, but the photography will take a back seat to life in general.

 

Glad I didn't invest heavily in expensive gear, with today's fees it just doesn't make any sense.

 

Likewise I'll be keeping a low profile streetwise, why take risks when the returns are minimal and falling. 

 

This is a first for me, but I've made more from POD sales to date this month than from Alamy.  A one off I guess as POD is certainly not a money spinner for me.

[Phil Crean]

13 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

  For those who are moving on, I do respect your decision and wish you better roads ahead!

 

Michael

That pretty much sums up my thoughts & feelings right now...

 

I'll be deleting some images and placing restrictions on others.

I'll probably still put some new images on but I'll not be going out of my way to shoot stock.

The reducing returns and obvious lack of care by the new management give me little incentive to put more than the minimum effort in.

Phil

[Ed Rooney]

I'm here in Chester for a few days. Yesterday I was at the zoo, and a very well-designed zoo it is. Unfortunately, the animals were having one of their camera-shy days. 

 

I notice that my energy is down, my enthusiasm low, and my mental-focus weak. Should I blame this on Alamy, the pandemic, or my advancing years? All those things and more, I think. 

 

Edo

[DDoug]

An outfit that has the wherewithal to buy Alamy certainly could afford a liability policy that would cover any lawsuits, frivolous or otherwise. Instead they chose to palm off the responsibility to their contributors, some of whom are retirees who don't have two nickels to rub together.

 

An outfit that can let contributors opt into or out of distribution on a region-by-region basis certainly could manage to allow them to opt into or out of the UK Newspaper Scheme. But since those schemers were the ones who bought Alamy, that option's just a little too much trouble.

 

In moving my small collection, I'm looking not so much at which agency/library would yield the most income as to which has the highest ethics. It will probably be the folks who have my few video clips, despite having a reputation for not selling still photography licenses very well. They're supportive of The Stock Coalition, which is a plus.

[Allan Bell]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm here in Chester for a few days. Yesterday I was at the zoo, and a very well-designed zoo it is. Unfortunately, the animals were having one of their camera-shy days. 

 

I notice that my energy is down, my enthusiasm low, and my mental-focus weak. Should I blame this on Alamy, the pandemic, or my advancing years? All those things and more, I think. 

 

Edo

 

Hi Edo,  When I knew I had to move home and came to the Lincoln area just over a year ago I was all fired up to get out and take hundreds of photos to build my port. The lock downs and restrictions on movement/travel did hold me back but I still had the oomph in me to take photos as often as possible. I may not be as old as you by a few years but my age did not adversely affect my enthusiasm, in fact it urged me on to do as much as I could before getting much older and having to curtail my photography due to age related problems.

My energy and enthusiasm was high and was thinking of new images to capture all the time.

 

Then the "New contract" was announced and my energy and enthusiasm for photography fell to an all time low.

 

I think what I am trying to say from the above is when considering the taking of photos we need to reboot the old on board computer and put thoughts about age and pandemic in the holding cell giving us more memory to devote to to our interests. After all age is a state of mind, we are still young at heart just carrying a burden of a lifetimes knowledge.

 

Let's get out there and do our thing. Wether we are loading images to PA/Alamy or not we are still photographers and will always want to take images of what we see and what interests us.

 

Allan

 

As I sit here writing this post the sun is shining outside and I am thinking I should be out there with my camera on this nice warm day but I want to help my friends first and foremost.

Just as a thought Edo looking around you where you are at the moment do you think you would prefer to be living in Chester and be able to capture new different images?  If so why not look around for new living accommodation?

 

ITMA

 

[gvallee]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm here in Chester for a few days. Yesterday I was at the zoo, and a very well-designed zoo it is. Unfortunately, the animals were having one of their camera-shy days. 

 

I notice that my energy is down, my enthusiasm low, and my mental-focus weak. Should I blame this on Alamy, the pandemic, or my advancing years? All those things and more, I think. 

 

Edo

 

Edo,

 

After such a long lockdown, one can't expect to jump out in the street and be buzzing with energy. I suspect it will take a little time to re-adjust.

Plus I'm sure that the weather does not ignite enthusiasm.

Alamy contract? Sure thing is bad for our morale and motivation.

Age? Can't fight that, just go with the flow. I fractured my knee just stepping out of my motorhome. Me?? Super fit and active in my younger days? I'll take more care and be slower. So what?

 

It has to be a cocktail of reasons. However, today is not how tomorrow will be, and tomorrow is not how the day after will be.

Let's try and concentrate on little things that make us happy. 

Your resilience is an inspiration to us all.

 

Gen

 

[Doc]

15 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I'm in sync with you, Michael. 

 

+1

 

Kumar

 

[Jansos]

16 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

I am planning to stay but mostly because I see nowhere else that is any better and don't have the time or desire to move my nearly 10,000 images elsewhere.  My portfolio will be pretty much passive and what it earns, it earns.  Not going to put much new energy into it.  For those who are moving on, I do respect your decision and wish you better roads ahead!

Me too! Unfortunately, don't think the grass is greener on the other side, there is no other compelling other side. Will opt out of distribution and make almost everything, with very few exceptions, 'editorial'.  I imagine much of the really helpful 'forum' discussion will move elsewhere. Sad to see as the forum has been a constant source of information, enjoyment and hilarity at times. Guess I will continue to pop-in from time to time but it won't be the same. Thanks everyone, have enjoyed the last 4-5 years. 🙂

[NYCat]

3 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm here in Chester for a few days. Yesterday I was at the zoo, and a very well-designed zoo it is. Unfortunately, the animals were having one of their camera-shy days. 

 

I notice that my energy is down, my enthusiasm low, and my mental-focus weak. Should I blame this on Alamy, the pandemic, or my advancing years? All those things and more, I think. 

 

Edo

 

I'm so sorry the animals were not cooperating, Edo. Welcome to the world of wildlife photography! As Sally said, cloudy, cooler weather would help and also early in the morning. Unfortunately, most zoos don't open at sunrise. They got us up at 5AM in the Masai Mara and only a quick coffee before we headed out in the vehicles in the dark. Midday is nap time for most animals (and sometimes me).

 

Paulette

[gvallee]

6 minutes ago, NYCat said:

 

I'm so sorry the animals were not cooperating, Edo. Welcome to the world of wildlife photography! As Sally said, cloudy, cooler weather would help and also early in the morning. Unfortunately, most zoos don't open at sunrise. They got us up at 5AM in the Masai Mara and only a quick coffee before we headed out in the vehicles in the dark. Midday is nap time for most animals (and sometimes me).

 

Paulette

 

A few years back, I bought a photographer's pass at St-Augustine alligator farm in Florida. Egrets, herons and wood storks roost in the bushes above the alligators. The pass allowed us to get in half an hour before the public at opening, and stay behind another half hour or hour, can't remember, in the evening. All was well until the day they forgot us in the evening...  It was breeding season for the alligators which were vibrating madly, roaring and sending water jets in the air from their armpits, in turn making the boardwalk shake. Interesting situation.

[Gordon Scammell]

19 hours ago, geogphotos said:

Alamy and me?

 

Continuing to share the house purely for financial reasons but no longer in the same relationship. 

 

Divorce is too expensive.

 

Me too.  Too many hours invested but the relationship will change.  

 

On a plus note I have found another non-stock outlet.  I have been tremendously lucky in finding an outlet willing to display framed images.  Big plus - NO COMMISSION!!  The outlet has said 'Why should we charge you to decorate our walls?' Together with a friendly understanding framer I can now make £50 clear profit on every image sold.  They have also asked me to produce a series of card framed postcards.  Profit is £2.50 per sale - and they do sell.

 

In the last 5 weeks I have made more than Alamy earned for me last year.  Yes, I've been very lucky but I have spent over a year and a lot of shoe leather approaching different outlets.

 

So, Alamy can shove it where the sun don't shine. 

Edited June 12, 2021 by Gordon Scammell
added information

[ManfredG]

2 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

Then the "New contract" was announced and my energy and enthusiasm for photography fell to an all time low.

 

Me too.
But it's not the Alamy change alone. It was a reason to think generally about stock photography, looking for other agencies. (Alamy is not my only stock agency, but the only GENERAL stock.) And all this together was quite disillusioning: Stock is dead. Full stop. (At least for those who want or must really earn money.)

[Thyrsis]

4 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

I notice that my energy is down, my enthusiasm low, and my mental-focus weak. Should I blame this on Alamy, the pandemic, or my advancing years? All those things and more, I think. 

 

Edo

Since he had his 2nd vaccine OH has felt a lack of energy and muscle aches. Maybe it has affected you the same way?

 

[Sultanpepa]

5 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm here in Chester for a few days. Yesterday I was at the zoo, and a very well-designed zoo it is. Unfortunately, the animals were having one of their camera-shy days. 

 

I notice that my energy is down, my enthusiasm low, and my mental-focus weak. Should I blame this on Alamy, the pandemic, or my advancing years? All those things and more, I think. 

 

Edo

 

A little depression maybe. Do you hanker to be back in NYC?

[MizBrown]

5 hours ago, ManfredG said:

Stock is dead. Full stop. (At least for those who want or must really earn money

 

I've been thinking about selling some of my gear, but not much market for it here and shipping out would be a royal pain.   Looked at some of Alamy's Life Style photos -- almost all of them were model released and most of them were from before the sale to PA.  Second thing was I live in a country that's only of interest to the world when it' either blowing itself up or when the tourism promoters are looking for humble, smiling folk dancers or waitstaff.    Only things that make sense are generic still lifes.

 

Alamy should be providing at least as much help on legal matters as Wikimedia, which doesn't pay or receive anything for its stock collection.   And in some way, Wikimedia are the enemy.  Alamy is more and more trying to recruit amateurs to be its photographers.  If that's the way they are going, then they need to give more direction about what flies in what countries, when releases are critical (I knew how to see more data on he photos in the Life Style lightbox; many newbies would not).

 

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by MizBrown
I stand corrected and removed something that might not be so

[Allan Bell]

2 hours ago, Thyrsis said:

Since he had his 2nd vaccine OH has felt a lack of energy and muscle aches. Maybe it has affected you the same way?

 

 

 was his 2nd jab a different vaccine to the 1st?

 

Allan

 

[Thyrsis]

22 minutes ago, Allan Bell said:

 

 was his 2nd jab a different vaccine to the 1st?

 

Allan

 

 

No, both AZ.

[Betty LaRue]

21 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

This is all a sad point in our collective stock world.  Whether or not you stay or go, it will never be like it was (as life has a way being like that).  Sad to see the Alamy forum family break up some.  I have enjoyed each and everyone of you.  Lots of great characters and wonderful insight and knowledge spread around.  While I have never met a single one of you, I feel I know some of you so well that we have become old friends.  I am planning to stay but mostly because I see nowhere else that is any better and don't have the time or desire to move my nearly 10,000 images elsewhere.  My portfolio will be pretty much passive and what it earns, it earns.  Not going to put much new energy into it.  For those who are moving on, I do respect your decision and wish you better roads ahead!

 

Michael

You and I see the forum in the same light. I have, over the years, watched personalities develop for me, and know where the kind hearts are. Like you. Sally hasn’t been here long in the grand scheme of things, but I will miss you, SALLY! All of the long-time forum members who are leaving will be greatly missed. They have added so much wisdom through the years, and have been giving of their time sharing that wisdom. Here’s to you all!  👏👏👏👑

I hate what’s happening here. Trust is gone, people are leaving, the future with Alamy is unknown.  People are leaving because of those two things.
Including a feeling of betrayal.