Contract Change 2021 - Official thread

[BidC]

16 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Hmmm! Strange. I wonder if the vaccine had been altered slightly to take account of the covid variant.

 

I had Pfizer for both. The second jab being back in April and had no side effects.

 

Allan

 

 

Side effects to the vaccine are all part of the immune response and that is individual to each person. Mostly it seems that with AZ reaction occurs after the first dose. and with Pfizer following the second. But age also plays a factor in that the reaction is less the older you are (but the vaccine not less effective). Immune status may wane after several months, which is why there will be an annual booster. There is a whole process to undergo if a vaccine is altered, so I doubt that has happened. Pfizer are confident in their vaccine efficacy against variants. (I used to be a nurse, and studied immunology a long while back ... ).

Hope that helps a little ...  (I've had my second vaccine with no side effects at all- except for a sore arm, which lasted about 12hrs).

Edited June 13, 2021 by BidC
spelling/typing errors 🥴

[sb photos]

17 minutes ago, BidC said:

 

Side effects to the vaccine are all part of teh immune response and that is individual to each person. Mostly it seems that with AZ reaction occurred after the first dose. and with Pfizer following the second. But age also plays a factor in that the reaction is less the older you are (but the vaccine not less effective). Immune status may one after several months, which is why there will be an annual booster. There is a whole process to undergo if a vaccine is altered, so I doubt that has happened. Pfizer are confident in their vaccine efficacy against variants. (I used to be a nurse, and studied immunology a long while back ... ).

Hope that helps a little ...  (I've had my scnd vaccine with no side effects at all, except for a sore arm, which lasted about 12hrs).

 

Your post matches my understanding of the subject. I'm coming up to 70, have had both jabs (AZ) with no issues. 

[gvallee]

12 minutes ago, sb photos said:

 

Your post matches my understanding of the subject. I'm coming up to 70, have had both jabs (AZ) with no issues. 

 

I had the first shot of AZ. Apart from an enormous bump on my arm for nearly a month, no side effect. Now to find a town big enough for the second jab....

[imageplotter]

Vaccines are very important, but this thread is perhaps too important to too many contributors to dilute the subject now? Just a thought.

 

Question - are any further/final updates still due from Alamy, or is this it now, in terms of the contract in its final form?

[Radim]

In another thread
I read a post about selling pastries and photos.
He is very understandable and instructive.
I will stick to this story
 
If I sell great buns on the street where I'm alone
and someone moves in and starts selling cakes too,
I probably won't be happy.
If he starts selling ugly disgusting buns,
I will lose some customers anyway. It hurts me.
In addition, the street rating is reduced,
which is known for baking great buns here.
However, I find it outrageous that these "bakers"
those who don't know the craft come to my shop
and they ask me - How do you do it?
Tell me your tricks, etc.

 

It's the same with photography.
We are a very competitive environment.
Alamy is no longer a family business,
where each gave his hand for the other. For many years
Alamy relinquished responsibility for helping its community members.
Some photographers have already mentioned this in part and changed their attitude. They don't want to waste time on advice to people who often don't even need advice.
Time is money, there is less and less

The contract is changing, however, it is not accompanied by an improvement in the quality of services
I would expect higher professionalism in all areas.

 

Alamy is a place where photos are sold.
Some members still didn't realize it.
They still think it's a discussion server
to deal with your frustrations

 

More to the bakers.
The Bakers' Guild would never accept a member,
who would not have the necessary knowledge and skills.
Alamy opens the windows and calls
everyone you can press a button on the camera - welcome.
I am sad from this.

[gvallee]

33 minutes ago, imageplotter said:

Vaccines are very important, but this thread is perhaps too important to too many contributors to dilute the subject now? Just a thought.

 

Question - are any further/final updates still due from Alamy, or is this it now, in terms of the contract in its final form?

 

Perhaps you can keep your red arrows for something more serious? I gave you one.

[BidC]

50 minutes ago, gvallee said:

 

Perhaps you can keep your red arrows for something more serious? I gave you one.

 

These things don't bother me any longer (but thank you). Was just trying to reassure Allan who asked a question .. onwards  Have a good day everyone!

Edited June 13, 2021 by BidC

[gvallee]

Just now, BidC said:

 

These things don't bother me any longer (but thank you). Was just trying to reassure Allan who asked a question .. onwards  Have a good day everyone!

 

Just wonder why this person has to ask about updates given it's such an important subject. Concentration problems? Laziness? Like you, onwards and upwards.

[Jansos]

With the new contract now coming into force on 24th July what is the latest date that we can tell Alamy that we intend to mark everything, almost, 'editorial' and Rights Managed?

I'm assuming they need some time to make the changes. When best to let them know of intent? Would like to leave it as late as possible. Any suggestions? Cheers!

[gvallee]

Just now, Jansos said:

With the new contract now coming into force on 24th July what is the latest date that we can tell Alamy that we intend to mark everything, almost, 'editorial' and Rights Managed?

I'm assuming they need some time to make the changes. When best to let them know of intent? Would like to leave it as late as possible. Any suggestions? Cheers!

 

I have asked Alamy to tick 'Editorial only' for any image containing property or person without a release. They said they will let me know if it's possible. 

 

[spacecadet]

19 minutes ago, Jansos said:

I'm assuming they need some time to make the changes.

I have to say I no longer care about any difficulties Alamy may have in fulfilling its obligations. That ship has not only sailed, but been torpedoed and gone down with all hands.

It's Alamy's problem. Goodwill is in very short supply now. No reason not to expect it to be done overnight- they can pay for it out of their extra 20%.

Edited June 13, 2021 by spacecadet

[Radim]

Yes, so far the Alamy seems to be coming up with a new treaty that is more restrictive for individual members. Furthermore, Alamy will make a 20% profit as a bonus and in exchange offers nothing, no qualitative change. Even PA / Alamy continues to expect our happy faces and all loyalty. Am I falling on my head?

[AlbertSnapper]

3,328,922 images added this month so far.

 

So still plenty of interest in uploading here !

 

Not from me I hasten to add.

 

Be interesting to see if the people leaving makes much of a difference to the overall image count, come the change over day.

 

[meanderingemu]

59 minutes ago, Paul J said:

 

I doubt many will actually leave, all the time and effort involved for small returns adding them to other libraries. Overall quality may take slight dip though.

 

If you work out the actual hourly rate for image sales on Alamy after costs, for me, it's beyond poor. So a no-brainer to up the ante on other activities that will bring in the money. 

 

 

 

plus a significant portion of the numbers come from agencies and image libraries which have their own deals and possibly not bound by the onerous downloading Alamy has imposed, or at least it is compensated  with higher return. 

[Bill Kuta]

1 hour ago, Paul J said:

 

I doubt many will actually leave

 

Oh, I'm actually leaving, and it feels better all the time. (Yes, I have asked about being able to un-terminate, and about possible expedited deletion of images for those who want to stay, but I was just trying to suggest things Alamy might be able to do to help contributors, and to see whether they had any interest in helping. But not for me.)

 

To my list of reasons (creeping liability, eroding commission rates, eroding licensing fees, ballooning licensing rights, and PA's possible conflict of interest), I'd like to add Alamy's apparent interest in finding yet more way to market our images (e.g., affiliate sales) without regard to how much of the sale prices we contributors get. It's the whole package, and the direction of things.

[AlbertSnapper]

Interesting article here as to why respected photojournalist David Hoffman left Alamy in 2015.

 

http://www.epuk.org/opinion/alamy-s-defence-misleading-and-evasive

 

[KevinS]

Leaving. Trust is the most important thing in an agency agreement.  Emily Shelley’s response that someone posted here was disturbing.

[Thyrsis]

1 hour ago, AlbertSnapper said:

Interesting article here as to why respected photojournalist David Hoffman left Alamy in 2015.

 

http://www.epuk.org/opinion/alamy-s-defence-misleading-and-evasive

 

Thank you for posting that, more recent contributors should take note of it. 

[Thyrsis]

55 minutes ago, KevinS said:

Leaving. Trust is the most important thing in an agency agreement.  Emily Shelley’s response that someone posted here was disturbing.

Also leaving.

Back in the year 2000 I saw an article in our local newspaper, the Oxford Times, about a new image library based almost on our doorstep. As Ian had already been a professional photographer for 30 years it was a no brainer to sign up to join as soon as the business launched. One of our first sales made over $1000 of which we got 80% and we thought we were on to a winner. Skip forward 20 years and our last sale (distributor) was for $6 of which we get 30%. End of story.

Edited June 13, 2021 by Thyrsis

[MizBrown]

12 hours ago, AlbertSnapper said:

3,328,922 images added this month so far.

 

So still plenty of interest in uploading here !

 

Not from me I hasten to add.

 

Be interesting to see if the people leaving makes much of a difference to the overall image count, come the change over day.

 

 

Probably none.  The people earning under $250 will be paying for the bragging rights most of all.   And some newbies will be good photographers without memories of the days before PA, and will be delighted with 40%.

[sb photos]

18 hours ago, AlbertSnapper said:

3,328,922 images added this month so far.

 

So still plenty of interest in uploading here !

 

Not from me I hasten to add.

 

Be interesting to see if the people leaving makes much of a difference to the overall image count, come the change over day.

 

 

As mentioned in another post, I suspect most submissions will be from other agencies, not individual Alamy contributors. I often wonder how much some photographers earn based upon supplying an agency, then the images go through one or two more agencies before being marketed by Alamy. I've noticed a growth in names of photographers supplying live news by this route. It can't be worth the time and effort for the photographers. I considered it some time back, it wasn't worth it, and even more so now. Personally, I'm now more selective what I shoot, often fitting in with either my own interests or a day out for other reasons.

[M.Chapman]

16 hours ago, MizBrown said:

and will be delighted with 40%.

 

And then disappointed when they discover they need over 1,000 images to generate 1 sale/month and, when the first sale comes, it's only for $6.

 

Mark

Edited June 14, 2021 by M.Chapman

[imageplotter]

23 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

Perhaps you can keep your red arrows for something more serious? I gave you one.

I've not given you any red arrows. An am generally not too bothered about these gimmicky tools (which attempt to polarise opinion) and tend to use mostly just likes/positive arrows if any at all. 

 

Anyway. Back to the alamy contract, which is sadly not a gimmick.

[BobD]

After 108 pages it boils down to either you accept the new contract and terms or you don't.

I can only give my opinion. 

If I was going to be on the silver tier I would most certainly reject it, If you are selling $250 a year you would be netting 10 pence (13c) per day, You would probably be spending more on electricity posting on the forum.

As I am in gold, as I am sure most people are, I will accept it but any more detrimental change and I will be gone.

 

But unless you are a platinum supplier and regardless of whether you intend to submit elsewhere, I would not leave any images exclusive on Alamy. I have now changed all my exclusive to non exclusive.

 

I admire the very proficient contributors here that have decided to go, in my opinion Alamy is the loser, and I wish all those that have taken that stance all good luck in their future endeavours.

[BidC]

2 hours ago, M.Chapman said:

 

And then disappointed when they discover they need over 1,000 images to generate 1 sale/month and, when the first sale it comes, it's only for $6.

 

Mark

 

I've been having sales since I had only 60 images. This month (so far), I've had three. People on here said I'd never recover from a 0.18 CTR. Its now around 0.48. They said black and white would never sell. I've sold B+W. They said grey skies and an image that was not all sun and blue skies would never sell. I've sold a few. I have only had a couple of sales under $6. Why turn one's nose up at a cup of coffee. I dont spend an enormous amount of time editing, as I believe those pictures are not worth submitting. I also do Live News from time to time, and have also sold; and yes, I find it has been worth it (both in terms of money and the people I meet).

 

Continuing or not is up to the individual, but the Alamy arm of PA is a business and the changes are their decision. Any photographer publishing in the public realm (which includes submitting to a public portfolio) should have insurance. As do the editors who may choose our images to support a story. The rate is another matter, but again the choice to stay or go is individual.  What other 'hobby' (if that is what it is to you) pays you to contribute and gives you a meeting place where you can freely chat to your friends (free of charge). Those who have a business will make a decision based on that business and its future.

 

I think there's been a lot of grumbling, negativity, and many doom and gloom scenarios painted here; along with snide comments, and perhaps some over reaction, which helps no one really (imo). I've very much appreciated the one or individuals who have been sensible and *kind*. Life shakes us up, and we adapt - things will never be as they were in the 'good old days' - but (and apologies Chris/Imageplotter here for the digression), but as an example good things happen - we no longer have polio or people unable to pay for health care.

 

Finally, I hope you all find where the compass takes you, and settle where you are happy. .... 

 

I won't log-in to reply, so please discuss as you wish ! God Bless.