Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I'd like your opinion on the following question:I downloaded several lots of pictures in early March.There are about 800 photos spread over several lots.As it's been seven days I waiting for them be in "Manage Images", I wrote to ask why Alamy.They say that there is a quality problem and so I have to wait 28 days to receive due.I can understand they block a lot because of one or more photos of poor quality but why block all lots? Especially since I have 24,200 photos online and only a few have been denied so far.This is the only time of year where I can reference my photos (in winter) and now I will be blocked for 28 days ..Someone has already encountered this problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Alamy's policy has always been that all pending batches are failed if one image fails. Are you sure they have said there is a fail pending? Usually you just have to wait. It won't necessarily be 28 days, it just could be. You won't be blocked, as soon as the fail comes through you will be able to resubmit. And yes, I have had it happen to me, just not that many images. it's your choice to submit that many at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Clemson Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 This is the way Alamy always conduct their quality control; they do not inspect every image but put the responsibility on each photographer to ensure all the pictures they submit meet all Alamy QC standards. They inspect just a small proportion from each batch and if the inspected picture fails, they reject the whole batch, along with any others the photographer has waiting for inspection. Their method minimises the number of inspectors they have to employ, while keeping image standards high by making the penalty for failing so high (ie. a month in the 'sin bin'). Their policy is well documented and often discussed, so you'll find other threads in the forum on a similar vein if you want to look at it further. Regards, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 No, I'm not sure and they either I guess, there's no message next batch. (just "awainting QC")Lorque I wrote to them, they said it was probably a quality issue, but we must wait 28 days ..I downloaded a new batch photo yesterday, but they said that the new lot is also blocked 28 days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Yes Joseph,I understand their method, but I have about 3 weeks before starting my reports and I still find it unfair to blocking me for maybe one photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 There may be no problem at all. You may just be in a slow QC queue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 I hope this will be the reason ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustydingo Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I downloaded a new batch photo yesterday, but they said that the new lot is also blocked 28 days? What exactly did they say? I've never heard of them telling anyone they're actually "blocked". dd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 But I do not think because they wrote me by email ; "I have just taken a look and as mentioned previously by my colleague , your submission’s in our batch fail queue and you’ll have to wait 28 working days to receive your failure reason." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Dustydingo => Me either I've never met that.Last year I submitted two lot the same day, put in 10 days because there was only one bad picture. and the other was approved the next day They wrote me : "Yes, as your current submission is in our batch fail queue, any new images uploaded will also be failed along with the pending images." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abiyoyo Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Earlier this year I had 10 batches waiting for QC. They found a bad image in one batch and the remaining 9 batches automatically failed as well. Since then I only upload one batch and wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Todd Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Yes, it looks like you are in the sin bin. No point loading any more until these are officially rejected as any other uploads will also be rejected. Just bend over and take your punishment like the naughty schoolboy you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gervais Montacute Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 You should have used an iPhone. I sent 1, yes that's right One image in at the end of February thinking it might not pass. It's 59 times better than any iPhone image but that's the way their QC works. It's the rules and everyone else will tell you that too and that's how it works. It's also stupid and ridiculously archaic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 I understand why a lot of people here have several agencies ..As I am it impossible to be able reference for 3 weeks, I will devote my time looking one second agency for not wasting my time .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 It's arguable that you have wasted Alamy's time by submitting a substandard image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 if This is really a cause! Since I have to wait 28 days for the reason ..And in the meantime I can not do anything referencing and longer even submit a new lot .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Baigent Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Hiya You should have used an iPhone.I sent 1, yes that's right One image in at the end of February thinking it might not pass. It's 59 times better than any iPhone image but that's the way their QC works. It's the rules and everyone else will tell you that too and that's how it works.It's also stupid and ridiculously archaic. I must be missing something here... buyers expectation of images from an Iphone collection will probably be lower than the quality that they would expect from a collection that has minimum quality standards. If I had a QC failure I would be angry with myself not QC. It is about being professional, I would not send a paying client an image that I thought was sub-standard. If I did I would probably lose that client taking a financial hit and a hit to my reputation. Some people here seem to forget there is a paying client involved who rightly has expectations of consistent image quality. Trying to slip through suspect images is cheating the clients and lowering the reputation of Alamy and us the photographers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 I do not work with an iPhoneMy goal has never been to send a photo of lower quality.I have thousands of photos in stock, old and newer. It is of course possible that in old photos there are some pictures of poorer quality.If Alamy blocked and rejected a lot, so I can totally understand and agree.But block all lots for 28 days and prevent photographers continue their work, I find it exaggerated and real shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Baigent Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 > I do not work with an iPhone Me neither... yet> My goal has never been to send a photo of lower quality. I can see that from your images :-)> But block all lots for 28 days and prevent photographers continue their work, I find it exaggerated and real shame. Assuming that there is a QC failure ask what reaction you would get from a client who had commissioned you and then received a below par image.... they would want their money back and they would probably never use you again. If/when I have an image fail QC I would kick myself hard and then get on with double checking all the other images that were in the QC queue. I do not want to upset you as you are plainly a good photographer, but if the fault is with you you should be the one to put it right and bear the consequences. How would you feel if the "duff" image had sold and then been rejected by the paying customer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 This is debatable because I work directly with the magazines, I have stock of old photos of low quality there several years, and recent best qualities.Each time I am surprised that a customer chooses a very old photos of poor quality as I have dozens of others on the same subject of an excellent quality.I think many people have been reimbursed pictures were very good quality. I personally have not had refund but this may come .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Richmond Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I must be missing something here... buyers expectation of images from an Iphone collection will probably be lower than the quality that they would expect from a collection that has minimum quality standards. If I had a QC failure I would be angry with myself not QC. It is about being professional, I would not send a paying client an image that I thought was sub-standard. If I did I would probably lose that client taking a financial hit and a hit to my reputation. Some people here seem to forget there is a paying client involved who rightly has expectations of consistent image quality. Trying to slip through suspect images is cheating the clients and lowering the reputation of Alamy and us the photographers. Wise words. Before I uploaded my test submission in January I carefully ready all the Alamy guidance. 10 uploads and no failures later I'm still a novice but have a better appreciation of the process. As I understand it, Alamy are not specifically checking a contributor's images, they are checking their personal QC. If they fail an image they consider those QC standards to be inadequate and, rightly, reject the whole batch no matter how many uploads there are. They also apply a penalty. Many of the manufacturing companies I've worked with in the past (as a business advisor, not a photographer) work to 6 Sigma quality standards. With this a failure rate of 3 per million would be considered barely adequate - and any component supplier who regularly dropped below that standard would soon be shown the door. Photography may be far more subjective but the same requirement of consistent high technical quality surely still applies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Todd Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Mark, I don't think anyone disagrees that QC should be stringent. The problem is the time it takes them to tell you of the problem. They have obviously found a problem on day 1 but don't tell you what was wrong until day 28. Why not tell us why it failed on day 1 but say we can't upload again umtl 28 days have elapsed? That way you have that 'sin bin' time to go through the images and sort them out or remove them. Reporting had 800 images uploaded. I would rather know which one out of those failed straight away rather than having to wade through them all trying to second guess QC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Baigent Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I know what you mean I have images that were ok QC wise but that I now do not like, images that I would delete if people had not brought them! I should get on making images I am 22,000 images behind you :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 Mark, I don't think anyone disagrees that QC should be stringent. The problem is the time it takes them to tell you of the problem. They have obviously found a problem on day 1 but don't tell you what was wrong until day 28. Why not tell us why it failed on day 1 but say we can't upload again umtl 28 days have elapsed? That way you have that 'sin bin' time to go through the images and sort them out or remove them. Reporting had 800 images uploaded. I would rather know which one out of those failed straight away rather than having to wade through them all trying to second guess QC. Totally agree with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reporting Posted March 11, 2014 Author Share Posted March 11, 2014 I know what you mean I have images that were ok QC wise but that I now do not like, images that I would delete if people had not brought them! I should get on making images I am 22,000 images behind you :-( Often I wanted to delete my old photos that I did not love, but sometimes customers still choose ... so I keep them .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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