NCHANT Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hey, Not sure what's going on here, I have been a part of Alamy for quite a while now but haven't got the biggest folio (36 images). However, I haven't made one single sale on this site yet? I have images on Getty, 123RF, bigstock, istock etc and getting some good sales, but zero on Alamy. How can I make the most out of using Alamy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hey, I have been a part of Alamy for quite a while now but haven't got the biggest folio (36 images). I have made an in-depth study of your case, and I believe I have identified the likely cause of your non-existent sales. Elementary, my dear Watson... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panthera tigris Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Probably just odds - 36 in 44,000,000. Just increase your odds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulstw Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I see Alamy like the episode in Breaking Bad where Jesse leaves the keys in the ignition of the camper van and Walt devises a way of charging up the generator by manual operation after Jesse blew it up. They were not sure if they were doing any good but just carried on winding until they got their reward. The moral of the story is, you just need to keep going, and keep going. In this case, uploading and uploading and sure as fate you'll start to see the numbers rise and then sales Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I made my first sale at about 600. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 31 images with quite a few similars and you haven't made any sales? Put in some time photographing, keywording and uploading and diversify your subject matter somewhat, sales will come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Baker Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Agree with all of the above. There are 31 in your collection but take out the similars and you're effectively left with 16. If you look at the other end of the scale, but only on the first page of Jeff Greenberg's 100,000 you'll see why he can sustain himself through sales through sheer hard work. The range of his archive is staggering and while not many of us will reach that expanse, it is a lesson for many starting out. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losdemas Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Agree with all of the above. There are 31 in your collection but take out the similars and you're effectively left with 16. If you look at the other end of the scale, but only on the first page of Jeff Greenberg's 100,000 you'll see why he can sustain himself through sales through sheer hard work. The range of his archive is staggering and while not many of us will reach that expanse, it is a lesson for many starting out. Richard. +1 JG has more pictures of hot dinners than I've had, erm, hot dinners ! Not too sure if want many of his though (all first page): Anyone here remember Man in a Suitcase? (some good dated '60s vids on YooToob, too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 A few years ago, 31 images might have generated a sale. But now I suspect you need 31 X 10 in order to get the wheels moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zigzagmtart Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 You seem to have most of your material in microstock. Alamyis not microstock and it takes a different type of image and expectation to be successful here. My best MS images sell daily, but for peanuts. Here only 1 or 2 sales a month but for much more. As others have noted to get regular sales you need a lot more material several thousand well key worded images of salable subjects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCHANT Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hey thanks everyone, yes I understand that more images = more sales (goes without saying really), but frankly the Alamy uploading system isn't the best I've used, so I tend to go to other sites for ease of uploading in my limited spare time. But compairing this to getty, same kind of images in my folio, are selling quite often vs here, none. I'll keep uploading for a while, who knows, might work out in the end BTW I don't have a flash or studio, so those kind of shots are out of my hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Baigent Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hi NCHANT I think that people are being kind and that is not always for the best. It is difficult to offer an honest opinion because I am far from being a good stock photographer. (sales = 397 totalling $38510.00) But the following is my 2p worth and is meant to help. I can only see a couple of images that may have a wide appeal one being the glass and fire background, could sell for alcohol related use. The rest are only usable for people interested an the specific places that you have photographed, and you will up against 100s of thousand of similar images. I would suggest that you photograph concepts and images that show current issues. Where do you think the biggest market is, alcohol related issues or a specific town in new zealand? Are your images on Getty similar to the images that you have here. I hope you read this as well meant. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Gaul Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Alamy differs from many other agencies in that it is an unedited collection. Other agencies may reject images which are technically ok as they are overstocked with them or simply don't believe that they have a commercial value; they also may have different business models such as the subscription one whereby picture buyers may download more images than they need to fulfil their quota and you may be paid Xcents for an image download which is never used. Conversely Alamy offers images which a buyer could not find anywhere else because of the policy of accepting all images which meet technical criteria, and many editorial photos which it would be difficult to place anywhere else giving buyers greater choice. The downside to this is that your images may be competing against many similar ones. I hope that this, along with the all the above relevant comments, goes some way to explaining the disparity in your sales numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Endicott Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Aside from what's already been pointed out, based on your image ID, you started uploading around the June 2013 timeframe. I'm not sure what you mean by you've been with Alamy for quite sometime but less than one year is not quite some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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