geogphotos Posted September 16, 2021 Share Posted September 16, 2021 (edited) Not trying to influence anybody one way or the other. How is your level of motivation these days and are you still contributing stock images to Alamy? DO NOT MENTION ANY OTHER AGENCY OR THEIR EXISTENCE Edited September 17, 2021 by geogphotos 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Sultanpepa Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 (edited) I've saved more from not picking up the camera this year. 15 images uploaded this year and all before May. I now have a landscaped garden though completed all by my own fair hand. Stock isn't worth the effort now. Prices for everything are rocketing due to fuel prices except for stock images which Alamy/PA insist on reducing to keep customers sweet. I wont be making any concerted effort to contribute further. Edited September 17, 2021 by Sultanpepa 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 meanderingemu Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Wondering what Your contributors are after? Head to the Contributor Forum on your hosted platform for lots of support ideas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 EzHighway Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 (edited) Will not upload anymore images, leaving remaining image for whatever pocket change they bring. I liked receiving 60 % when I arrived in 2011. Waste of time and money. Edited September 17, 2021 by EzHighway 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 kimba Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 I'm uploading more than ever ... that might be because I finally replaced my stolen camera and can now go out and shoot. I've been shooting stock (point and shoot) mostly but I do want to get back into my fine art work and maybe start a portrait business. Not sure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Gordon Scammell Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 Yes, still contributing but the' better stuff' is submitted elsewhere. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Chuck Nacke Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 On 16/09/2021 at 05:48, geogphotos said: Not trying to influence anybody one way or the other. How is your level of motivation these days and are you still contributing stock images to Alamy? DO NOT MENTION ANY OTHER AGENCY OR THEIR EXISTENCE In answer to your original question: YES, Photography is what I do and have done all my life and I plan to continue making images. Chuck 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 geogphotos Posted September 19, 2021 Author Share Posted September 19, 2021 25 minutes ago, Chuck Nacke said: In answer to your original question: YES, Photography is what I do and have done all my life and I plan to continue making images. Chuck The question was not about whether to continue in photography. It was about contributing to Alamy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Alan Beastall Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 spacecadet Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 (edited) Very little, mostly due to lack of trips away, but hard to get motivated at 40%. Incidentally, you need 25% more volume to make up for the cut, not 20%, as it's grossed-up. Obvious but a bit discouraging to have worked that out today. I'm not seeing it. £100 used to get us £50. Now we need £125. Edited September 19, 2021 by spacecadet 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Panthera tigris Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 (edited) 8 hours ago, spacecadet said: £100 used to get us £50. Now we need £125. Thats a major point, you need at least 125. I was happily going along, seeing the occasional 60-90 USD sales and thinking all was not so bad. I started to do some math and realised that my average sale at that time was $30, still not shabby but the very most I could get out of that was $12. To me even $12 is not enough as sales are quite far apart comparatively. Since that my average has gone down further due to an onset of sub 10$ sales. I wish Alamy's back end would just show me the "my cut price" I don't need to see what they and other make out the deal. If anything I think it obscures reality for the contributor. Anyway I have just now changed the payment address to a nephew who has just started UNI, he can enjoy a few beers with his friends. I think I am out of stock fully now. My issue is not with Alamy per se, they were the last agency I had left after dumping the others (incl G) over the last 2 years because they had gone even further south for my offerings. Edited September 20, 2021 by Panthera tigris 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 William Caram Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 Yes i have only contributed to Alamy, but like many that put a lot of time and effort into Alamy i still get a small return...Yes i would have liked the commission split to have stayed at 50/50...Even though the recent reductions in commissions, there are some reporting more sales albeit at the reduced photographer commissions...It is really difficult to assess what's going on regarding the change of ownership and outright sales performance because we are in the middle of a Global Pandemic and it may even out again once things eventually pick up? time will tell as the saying goes... I don't rely on my sales commissions to live, but i do feel for the photographers that had good stock commissions that helped round out their photography incomes...One would hope that as countries OPEN UP that there will be a surge in productivity and opportunity spurned on by just people wanting to rise above this mess...and turn over a new page! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 spacecadet Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 6 hours ago, Panthera tigris said: you need at least 125. An even better point, what with distro and affiliates taking their own bites out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Matt Ashmore Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 I don't think I've ever gone far out of my way to take stock photos. I take photos of things and places because I am there be it for a day out or otherwise. And I've always considered stock photography as a hobby rather than an income source.. so yes, I am still uploading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 aphperspective Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 2 hours ago, spacecadet said: An even better point, what with distro and affiliates taking their own bites out. Live news is also making the travel to get an image difficult to justify, even if your lucky to get an image in a national for that day (after that its the usual miserable fee) gross may be $$$ net a very low $$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Chuck Nacke Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 21 hours ago, Chuck Nacke said: In answer to your original question: YES, Photography is what I do and have done all my life and I plan to continue making images. Chuck I did answer "Your Original Question," thought that was obvious? In any event, at this time I do plan to continue contributing to Alamy. Chuck 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Graham Posted September 20, 2021 Share Posted September 20, 2021 I have uploaded a few to Alamy, but at nothing like my previous rate. I still have a huge collection I could work on and upload, but the motivation has diminished, which is strange in a way because I do not rely on the income. Instead I have been concentrating on preparing images for POD sites, which takes longer, but I have been enjoying doing this: I doubt that I will earn any more on average than I do at Alamy from the POD images, but there is a certain satisfaction that someone may want one for their wall. I also like the fact that most of the POD sites allow you to set your own commission rate or to set a minimum price, so that sales do not drop in at ridiculously low and demotivating amounts. I have removed exclusivity to Alamy from all my images, although in practice I have not yet started uploading them to competitors. Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Graham Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 Further to my reply above, I was thinking of uploading a few pictures from the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday. Then came in two sales today - my share of each is $0.08. Why bother now? Graham 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 spacecadet Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 (edited) With the sole exception of a trip to New Zealand at the end of '19 which started yielding results quickly, it's always been rare (less than 3%) for my images to license within a year of upload (although the record is under a week). So not uploading much for a year or two, which isn't down to the pay cut but to some other recent shenanigans, isn't going to make much difference to my income. Certainly not as much as the cut. Although of course it will be cumulative. 49 (not batches, images) uploaded so far this year, and I'm in no hurry to tag the 15 outstanding from the hols last month. Motivation, shmotivation. Edited September 22, 2021 by spacecadet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Jansos Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 On 16/09/2021 at 10:48, geogphotos said: Not trying to influence anybody one way or the other. How is your level of motivation these days and are you still contributing stock images to Alamy? DO NOT MENTION ANY OTHER AGENCY OR THEIR EXISTENCE The spirit is willing, but the body is weak! Lost much of my motivation to upload to Alamy, or anywhere for that matter. 50% due to Alamy T&Cs and 50% due to ongoing strife. If the sun is shining I do tend to be a tad more optimistic. Whiskey also helps but it is a bugger when focusing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Steve F Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 (edited) I've started uploading again. I do have lots of other hobbies, but I really enjoy photography, and don't have the time (or inclination) to chase and undertake commissioned photography work at the moment, so Alamy is an outlet for it. It does help that this is shaping up to be my best month ever for sales and fees (mini whoop!) I think it helps being a lot more commercial about what I upload these days; I try not to waste time uploading too many random shots that I might like, but aren't likely to sell. I had a look back at the start of my Alamy uploads and the images weren't as good as I used to think. Still nice pictures there, but also think I could have a done a lot better with many of them - subject matter and image quality. Edited September 22, 2021 by Steve F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Graham Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 On 22/09/2021 at 15:24, spacecadet said: With the sole exception of a trip to New Zealand at the end of '19 which started yielding results quickly, it's always been rare (less than 3%) for my images to license within a year of upload (although the record is under a week). I sold my wife within a few days of putting her on sale - receiving her COVID jab 😄. Also sold her twice subsequently, once to the illustrious heights of the BMJ. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Allan Bell Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 Sell your wife. I never thought of that. What sort of a return can you expect? Allan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Graham Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 3 hours ago, Allan Bell said: Sell your wife. I never thought of that. What sort of a return can you expect? Allan Only a few cents😱. She is not taking it personally 😂. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Bryan Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 I found the contract change, along with lower gross fees, disheartening, and am taking far fewer photos and carrying less photo gear, but still uploading. I've seen a surge in sales recently, could be just a blip, who knows? I've tried POD but not made any real money, so that's on the back burner. Happy to slip the little Sony RX100 into a pocket while out and about, but no longer making trips just to take photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 George Chin Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 On 16/09/2021 at 10:48, geogphotos said: Not trying to influence anybody one way or the other. How is your level of motivation these days and are you still contributing stock images to Alamy? DO NOT MENTION ANY OTHER AGENCY OR THEIR EXISTENCE My motivation is to remove my images. I won't criticise Alamy while at the same time accepting their rates for my images. What I object to are 5 year licenses for less than $1 dollar. I noticed that there isn't an anti-slavery statement on the main website. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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geogphotos
Not trying to influence anybody one way or the other.
How is your level of motivation these days and are you still contributing stock images to Alamy?
DO NOT MENTION ANY OTHER AGENCY OR THEIR EXISTENCE
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