Alamy Prints and More

[JSaunders]

I recently noticed that Alamy has options to print photos. Not just print but framed, crossword puzzles, cushions, and more!

First question: Has there been any explanation/announcement from Alamy on this? Is there a way to opt in or out? Can you do that for individual photos?

Then, I discovered that the print option was only available on Edge browser and NOT on Chrome. Second question: What is this all about?

[geogphotos]

2 hours ago, JSaunders said:

I recently noticed that Alamy has options to print photos. Not just print but framed, crossword puzzles, cushions, and more!

First question: Has there been any explanation/announcement from Alamy on this? Is there a way to opt in or out? Can you do that for individual photos?

Then, I discovered that the print option was only available on Edge browser and NOT on Chrome. Second question: What is this all about?

 

 

Maybe you could explain a little more what it is about with some links or details.

[JSaunders]

43 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

 

 

Maybe you could explain a little more what it is about with some links or details.

I can't give a screen capture--Alamy won't allow it. Basically the same link for my Alamy photos look different in Chrome than it does in Edge. In Edge it gives a "Buy the Print" option which I have never seen before in Alamy. And if I copy that exact page link into Chrome, there is no option for a print and it looks like it always does. Since when did Alamy start offering print options? In Edge I can go to this link:  Silhouette of a person walking in a dark pedestrian (alamy.com)  and it takes me to my photo for sale as a print, or puzzle or several other items. But if I use the exact same link in Chrome I get an error 410 message: Sorry, this page is no longer available and then it goes to https://prints.alamy.com/. Hope this is clear. I am very puzzled. 

 

[JSaunders]

Also, I can access the Alamy print store at https://prints.alamy.com/ in Chrome but I can't locate any of my photos there when I do a search.

[wiskerke]

1 minute ago, JSaunders said:

I can't give a screen capture--Alamy won't allow it. Basically the same link for my Alamy photos look different in Chrome than it does in Edge. In Edge it gives a "Buy the Print" option which I have never seen before in Alamy. And if I copy that exact page link into Chrome, there is no option for a print and it looks like it always does. Since when did Alamy start offering print options? In Edge I can go to this link:  Silhouette of a person walking in a dark pedestrian (alamy.com)  and it takes me to my photo for sale as a print, or puzzle or several other items. But if I use the exact same link in Chrome I get an error 410 message: Sorry, this page is no longer available and then it goes to https://prints.alamy.com/. Hope this is clear. I am very puzzled. 

 

Two thoughts: have you tried logged in and logged out?

Because my guess is that you are logged in while browsing in Chrome, but logged out in Edge.

Second: where are you? UK? US? EU?

 

wim

[JSaunders]

4 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

Two thoughts: have you tried logged in and logged out?

Because my guess is that you are logged in while browsing in Chrome, but logged out in Edge.

Second: where are you? UK? US? EU?

 

wim

Yes, you are right about logged in with Chrome and not Edge. I will try it. I'm in the UK. Since when did Alamy offer prints? That's news to me.

[JSaunders]

4 minutes ago, JSaunders said:

Yes, you are right about logged in with Chrome and not Edge. I will try it. I'm in the UK. Since when did Alamy offer prints? That's news to me.

Logged in on Edge and it makes no difference. I will try logging in and out on Chrome.

[JSaunders]

2 minutes ago, JSaunders said:

Logged in on Edge and it makes no difference. I will try logging in and out on Chrome.

OK, logged out and then back in, trying the same link and no difference. Consistently showing up in Edge and not in Chrome whether logged in or not. 🤔

[KitJames]

A bit strange as I don't have any of the sort. I tried Alamy on Edge, Vivaldi. Firefox and Chrome but have nothing like that. UK too.

[JSaunders]

8 minutes ago, KitJames said:

A bit strange as I don't have any of the sort. I tried Alamy on Edge, Vivaldi. Firefox and Chrome but have nothing like that. UK too.

Do you see https://prints.alamy.com/ if you follow this link? Did you know that Alamy offers prints, etc.?

[wiskerke]

The only date given on the page is 2024. So it could be a very recent new outlet.

The total of Alamy images on Mediastorehouse is currently 21,901. That's not a lot. My initial guess was that it's one of the curated collections like Vital or Uncut, but it isn't because the obvious flaws of those have been filtered out. For the most part: there's still an image of a canal in Utrecht that comes up for Amsterdam, because Amsterdam is in the keywords. Maybe it's ChatGPT doing the filtering?

 

wim

[KitJames]

23 minutes ago, JSaunders said:

Do you see https://prints.alamy.com/ if you follow this link? Did you know that Alamy offers prints, etc.?

I can get to it from that link. I didn't know Alamy offers prints though!

[geogphotos]

Alamy have offered a selection of pretty pics as prints for quite a while. A shame that they don't expand it to all - on an optional basis.

[Harry Harrison]

2 hours ago, wiskerke said:

one of the curated collections like Vital or Uncut,

Surely those two are automated rather than curated? Vital are those that are immediately saleable, so no property and no people unless there are releases, Uncut is 'The Rest', those left over so  not in Ultimate, Vital, Foundation, Editorial or Archival. 

Edited January 27 by Harry Harrison

[wiskerke]

1 minute ago, Harry Harrison said:

Surely those two are automated rather than curated? Vital are those that are immediately saleable, so no property and no people unless there are releases, Uncut is 'The Rest', those left over so  not in Ultimate, Vital, Foundation, Editorial or Archival.  Nearly 40 million in Vital, pushing 114 million in Uncut.

Despite all talk about it and explanations and discussions I still have no idea what is curated and what is not. So yes maybe it's from Ultimate. However there are less and different images in Ultimate than in the result of my search on that prints site.

There are only a few rubbish images in the collection. A lot comes from just a couple of contributors. Some well known, but available on every other micro outlet. I counted 8 outlets plus Alamy for that great image of Himeji Castle.

This may well be the second actually curated part of Alamy by Alamy. IMO. (The first being S*o of course.)

 

BTW the page with that image of Himeji Castle says This image could have imperfections as it's either historical or reportage. But the zoom page on Alamy does not.

Looks like a glitch.

 

wim

[Harry Harrison]

9 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

I still have no idea what is curated and what is not

Ultimate is definitely curated I would say, and apart from those chosen for these on demand prints it's the only one of the collections that is. I suppose that you could stretch the definition to those curated by an algorithm though.

Edited January 27 by Harry Harrison

[BidC]

On 27/01/2024 at 13:58, JSaunders said:

I can't give a screen capture--Alamy won't allow it. Basically the same link for my Alamy photos look different in Chrome than it does in Edge. In Edge it gives a "Buy the Print" option which I have never seen before in Alamy. And if I copy that exact page link into Chrome, there is no option for a print and it looks like it always does. Since when did Alamy start offering print options? In Edge I can go to this link:  Silhouette of a person walking in a dark pedestrian (alamy.com)  and it takes me to my photo for sale as a print, or puzzle or several other items. But if I use the exact same link in Chrome I get an error 410 message: Sorry, this page is no longer available and then it goes to https://prints.alamy.com/. Hope this is clear. I am very puzzled. 

 

 

Seems to be run externally by  Media Storehouse Ltd The Wenta Business Centre Colne Way Watford WD24 7ND UK

 

Are these then affiliate sales ?? (Am a bit late to the game  )

Edited February 5 by BidC

[Kay]

I see it.   I'm in UK using Chrome.  When I log onto alamy.com on the first page it comes up with a header saying 'explore our diverse collection' and if you scroll down past video and editorial you see 'print store'.   It doesn't seem to be working properly though.  I searched 'Scotland' and it came up with 9 options, half of which aren't of Scotland.  There's an option to 'Click Here to search our full archive at www.Alamy.com which leads you to the full collection but once you get there there doesn't seem to be an option to buy any prints 😬 

[Sultanpepa]

7 hours ago, Kay said:

I see it.   I'm in UK using Chrome.  When I log onto alamy.com on the first page it comes up with a header saying 'explore our diverse collection' and if you scroll down past video and editorial you see 'print store'.   It doesn't seem to be working properly though.  I searched 'Scotland' and it came up with 9 options, half of which aren't of Scotland.  There's an option to 'Click Here to search our full archive at www.Alamy.com which leads you to the full collection but once you get there there doesn't seem to be an option to buy any prints 😬 

 

Yes I see it too. You may have to open an account before being allowed to order using the image ref. number.

[M.Chapman]

21 minutes ago, Sultanpepa said:

It doesn't seem to be working properly though.

Indeed, I see it too. Searching for Skye brings up loads of images of skies. I wonder why they are providing links from the Alamy homepage to something that still seems unfinished???

 

Mark

[geogphotos]

It can't be that hard to allow anybody to buy any print they want (assuming the contributor agrees). 

 

I find it hard to understand why Alamy doesn't set this up with a trusted partner.

 

The strength of Alamy is that it doesn't edit. So why edit print sales?

Edited February 5 by geogphotos

[Marianne]

On 27/01/2024 at 12:49, wiskerke said:

Despite all talk about it and explanations and discussions I still have no idea what is curated and what is not. So yes maybe it's from Ultimate. However there are less and different images in Ultimate than in the result of my search on that prints site.

There are only a few rubbish images in the collection. A lot comes from just a couple of contributors. Some well known, but available on every other micro outlet. I counted 8 outlets plus Alamy for that great image of Himeji Castle.

This may well be the second actually curated part of Alamy by Alamy. IMO. (The first being S*o of course.)

 

BTW the page with that image of Himeji Castle says This image could have imperfections as it's either historical or reportage. But the zoom page on Alamy does not.

Looks like a glitch.

 

wim

 

That is a gorgeous image! 

 

I wish we knew more about the future plans for this print library.  When they started the "personal use/prints" giveaway pricing,  I slowed my uploads of certain images that I sell as fine art and ,if I upload them at all, do so as RM so I can tick "Do not sell for Prints."  But I have RF images  that sold as RF before Alamy started any print sales, which have done well both as stock and as fine art.  There can be a lot of overlap when it comes to travel images. 

 

That's the tough thing about this business, we have so little control over our images.

 

It looks like they are making a reasonable profit on the images - not what the photographers would probably sell them for but not giving them away either. I'm wondering if photographers get the same $20 personal use (so ~ $8 net) or if they've made some other deal, or if they get 40% of the profit as per our contract with Alamy. Since it's just a handful of photographers, maybe it was an invite only thing?

 

They started LiveNews that way and then opened it up to more people. 

 

Idle speculation until someone whose images are in the collection  or Alamy can enlighten us. 

Edited February 17 by Marianne