Alamy Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Hi All, We're starting a new thread so we can explain a little more about the new collections you can see from the Alamy Home Page and how they work. We’ve had a big marketing plan in place around the launch of these new collections and weren’t able to go into more significant detail in advance of this. We're still committed to promoting and selling editorial images but at the same time, we realise the need to be flexible as a business in offering both Editorial and Creative images to a wide and varied customer base. We're currently promoting creative content to appeal to our creative customers. To do this we've adapted how users can navigate the site and in essence we've added on four additional options for customers to refine their searches within the collection, while still retaining the traditional way of searching for those who wish to search as before. A way to see them is like having one of four additional filters added which can be applied when searching for images. This won’t affect how you contribute your images to the Alamy site or the processes for uploading. The four collections have been put together so that different types of customer can find the style of imagery they want, more efficiently and more quickly. These are the four categories: Ultimate Collection: These images have been hand-picked on an image-by-image basis to appeal to our most creative customers based on existing and emerging trends. Images in this collection have a higher list price point than images in the Vital, Foundation, and Uncut collections. They may or may not be model released. Vital Collection Images in this collection are all model released, where there are people, and offer our customers a safe collection of up-to-date lifestyle and commercially usable imagery. Foundation Collection Images in this collection are more creatively functional and simple than images in the other collections allowing a lot of freedom to creative customers who want to have more control over the way they use imagery. Uncut Collection Images in this collection can be for commercial use and are a mix of images that may or may not currently fit into the Ultimate, Vital or Foundation collections. We are still reviewing images in this collection as an ongoing process and may add them to other collections in future. As with any update to a website there can be IT issues, but please bear with us as we fix these, and you can report them to our Contributor Relations Team. We hope this explains further about how these collections have been compiled and welcome your constructive feedback. Thanks, Alamy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Yarvin Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Will it be possible to submit to the "Ultimate" collection? Or even better, have a conversation with its editors? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avpics Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 @Alamy, could you comment on the style color #hex, age and viewpoint filters please. Unless some AI process correctly adds such information to our images, then our pictures will not be offered for purchase should a customer use those filters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Ore Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Yeah, advertising focus. "Creative" seems to be the euphemism for that. Not that some advertisements aren't creative, but.... So one collection must be model-released, another will be mixed, and another sounds like it, too, will prefer model-releases. And some of what I've seen in the collections are good, but the topicality for searches seems to be all over the map for things that were hand picked by your photo sales staff. I need to save money if I can't make money. No new cameras, sell some of the lighting gear, put all the photos in Capture One Express for Sony and drop the Creative Cloud subscription, maybe sell the iMac and just used the Windows laptop. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch White Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Alamy states above: Vital Collection Images in this collection are all model released, where there are people, and offer our customers a safe collection of up-to-date lifestyle and commercially usable imagery. Just search Edinburgh in the vital collection and within the first 5 pages there are several images that I would guess are on a 'shoogly peg' as far as model releases go for the people pictured, that is, I doubt if they are genuinely model released. Of course I may be wrong!? I would be grateful for Alamy's views on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 3 hours ago, Alamy said: As with any update to a website there can be IT issues Does this also account for the fact that Measures has been unusable for over a week? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Chapman Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 Editorial searches don't seem to be working very well yet :-( I just tried a search for London Eye and the Editorial results aren't good. It seems to be prioritising images taken in London with keyword "eye to camera" above images that have London Eye in the caption. Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickfly Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 500 internal server errors across all the search choices for me. Chrome Win 10 and OK with other sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sooth Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, M.Chapman said: Editorial searches don't seem to be working very well yet 😞 I just tried a search for London Eye and the Editorial results aren't good. It seems to be prioritising images taken in London with keyword "eye to camera" above images that have London Eye in the caption. Mark I got a bunch of tennis shots and red carpet celeb leeches when i typed in london eye and selected editorial Edited June 29, 2022 by sooth 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanderingemu Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 @Alamy What are the criterias for an image to appear in the Editorial collection? What does a contributor need to do to ensure they do? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeRay Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 (edited) Currently so slow moving from one category to another and frequently just hangs with nothing coming through. This needs sorting quickly. Edited June 29, 2022 by ReeRay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb photos Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 3 hours ago, ReeRay said: Currently so slow moving from one category to another and frequently just hangs with nothing coming through. This needs sorting quickly. I suspect Alamy's IT will be trying to resolve this and other website issues before even looking at issues that only effect contributors. So much for beta testing, do I hear what's beta testing? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb photos Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 (edited) 10 hours ago, M.Chapman said: Editorial searches don't seem to be working very well yet 😞 I just tried a search for London Eye and the Editorial results aren't good. It seems to be prioritising images taken in London with keyword "eye to camera" above images that have London Eye in the caption. Mark No wonder sales are down when searches are screwed. Contributors and buyers must be frustrated. Edited June 29, 2022 by sb photos 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 16 minutes ago, sb photos said: No wonder sales are down when searches are screwed. Contributors and buyers must be frustrated. I agree. The recent changes have made things overly complicated and awkward for potential buyers. Business is bound to be negatively affected IMO. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Harrison Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, M.Chapman said: It seems to be prioritising images taken in London with keyword "eye to camera" above images that have London Eye in the caption. Clearly ridiculous that this brings up predominantly red carpet 'celebrity' shots when anyone that wanted to find these would search for the event or use the new 'Filter by Agency Collections'. Also strange that pages 2 to around 6 (I gave up after that) are swamped with Wenn agency pictures of this type of shot from August & September 2021 when reverse date order for editorial seems to be the norm now. Does anyone remember what came up and in what order when searching for editorial images before these changes? Edited June 29, 2022 by Harry Harrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Harrison Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 6 hours ago, meanderingemu said: What are the criterias for an image to appear in the Editorial collection? What does a contributor need to do to ensure they do? Perhaps that's meant as a question for Alamy but I think it will only bring up images where the 'Sell for editorial only' box has been checked. It's possible that Agency pictures are treated differently, preferentially even, but for me that seems to be how it is working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 What have you done Alamy? If I search on my name only 57 images are shown out of 5200 in the all section, 7 in the editorial section and nothing anywhere else. The new filters are confusing, slow and inaccurate, what a mess. I recall when alamy first started they had a nice clear page like google, now it's a shambles. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sooth Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tony said: If I search on my name something else for me.... found somebody stealing my keywords on various images (i usually include my name and initials). did a spot check and apparently lifting entire keywords and descriptions from other users. gonna have to email @alamy on this... Edited June 29, 2022 by sooth 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Harrison Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 12 hours ago, M.Chapman said: I just tried a search for London Eye and the Editorial results aren't good. Hidden away under 'Search builder' is the option to search for the exact phrase though you need to type it in again rather than just check an 'Exact phrase' check-box. I don't know whether it looks in both keywords & captions and on screen there is nothing to show that you have refined your search in this way. To me it's got a decidedly unslick 'under the bonnet' look that is unlikely to appeal to the so-called creatives it is designed for. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 1 hour ago, Tony said: What have you done Alamy? If I search on my name only 57 images are shown out of 5200 in the all section, 7 in the editorial section and nothing anywhere else. The new filters are confusing, slow and inaccurate, what a mess. I recall when alamy first started they had a nice clear page like google, now it's a shambles. Unfortunately, the concept of "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" seems to be ignored by what used to be Alamy ... 1 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Harrison Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 (edited) Deleted Edited June 29, 2022 by Harry Harrison Referring to the wrong thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 If it is the changes to the new specific search headings that are affecting our sales volume, as well as the ongoing low prices paid, I hope A/PA will take that into account when the end of year (July) comes round and make allowances for those who have been affected by going below the $250 sales margin. Allan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeRay Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 And now the account balance is not working ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 1 minute ago, ReeRay said: And now the account balance is not working ! ...........But answer came there none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanderingemu Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 3 hours ago, Harry Harrison said: Perhaps that's meant as a question for Alamy but I think it will only bring up images where the 'Sell for editorial only' box has been checked. It's possible that Agency pictures are treated differently, preferentially even, but for me that seems to be how it is working. If this is a fact we need to be advised, this is a major change. These are supposed to be "Optional" entries. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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