ChrisC Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I have "proper" photos on Alamy, which I fully understand how it works, but I'm yet to get my head around Stockimo. Maybe it's the rejection factor but after posting 21 photos I have had 2 pass, I don't think they are particularly good or capture what I think I understand what Stockimo is about, Instagram like, cutting edge, etc. 15 of the 18 failed images have been marked as 2/4 I've just discovered, thanks to the fact you can now see the grading. But having looked at what has passed in general I don't get it, even if one of my images appears to be similar to what has passed. What is everyone else's opinion, or are my results par for the course? Or is it like stock sales you need to post loads and then you may get sales (passes)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanGibson Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I agree it's difficult to fathom out how Stockimo works. My acceptance rate is about 50% on very low volumes. I also find that looking at the Customer Likes page is necessarily all that illuminating either. I can get an idea of which 'normal' photos sell by checking the 'Have you found any Alamy photos' thread, and I can try to upload photos like that. The Stockimo equivalent I find harder to get my head around. It's a fairly steep learning curve for me, that's for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulstw Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 The new customer likes page in the app is really helpful. It gives you an insight into what people have been looking for. I've had some in it all week which was a surprise. I treat stockimo and normal stock as two different libraries. I just go mad with Stockimo stuff on the edits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Endicott Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I have not been able to get an image of a person through....which makes me think that they are looking for images with more of a commercial slant (model released). I believe images also need to be in focus or have a specific area of focus. Images where I've specifically designated a focus point seem to be more favored (tap on the screen with standard camera or set a focus point and an exposure point in VSCO Cam) as opposed to just clicking the camera and allowing the camera to select the focus point. It appears to me that stylized images processed with filters have a better chance of getting accepted than images just shot with the camera....at least that's been my experience so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Brook Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 ,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Crellin Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I also have a very low acceptance rate but I only take pictures on my phone rarely (except when making grid ref records using an app when the picture is often of my feet). The two I have had accepted are both sea views from the Irish Ferry - very hackneyed bow waves and a sunset lighthouse view. Wouldn't have considered them for "proper Alamy". Attempts to get something accepted that I found interesting without my camera to hand have all failed... I suspect the tags etc have no bearing on acceptance. John Crellin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I have 3 people photos accepted. Non released. One is of someone making a silly face, a senior. One is of s small boy on a folding chair b&w, waiting to take part in a wedding. The last accepted was a head shot of a pretty young woman who turned her head toward me when I called her name. All three were heavily filtered. The b&w of the boy appears a little grainy. It and the senior was Processed on my computer using Topaz. The last one of the young woman was processed in Snapseed on my iPad. I love using the iPad to process, because I have a larger screen. I do take them with my iPhone 6, though. I've not submitted many, but I have about a 50% acceptance rate. 2 absolutely beautiful images were not accepted, I'm sure, because they were not filtered and too "stocky". Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kuta Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I've had 55 accepted and 38 rejected, which is a 59% acceptance rate. I've pretty much processed them (via Camera+) as for regular Alamy, only with stronger clarity and similar adjustments. About half of my acceptances were pretty straight market-stand shots of veggies or fruit. No sales yet, and I haven't submitted anything for several weeks. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CM photo Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 A lot of people find technically perfect photography to be very dull. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why that might be Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickfly Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 A lot of people find technically perfect photography to be very dull. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why that might be Me too. I was drooling over the high quality, massively detailed large format portrait shots in my local City Hall the other day, I wonder if I'd give an iphone, instagram picture a second look when the fad wears off (if of course it does wear off)? I do 'get it' but I think it will leave a large historical gap in photography in years to come for serious shooters to fill. I'll put my tin hat on now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidhu Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Very interesting thread. I'd been put off due to the cost of getting an iPhone but idly browsing EBay I noticed there seems to be a glut of second hand iPhone 4S at the moment. For around the £100 mark I'm tempted to get one. Anybody use this model and have any views on the picture quality ? Thanks Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kuta Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Forgot to add, 7 of my 55 have people in them, unreleased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 deleted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number Six Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 After initial rejections for submitting what were just traditional stock images taken with an iphone, my evolving technique is to take whatever grabs my eye and then enjoy playing with filters until I achieve a pleasing result when viewed on the phone's screen. I strongly suspect that it's a mistake to post-process on a full screen as the results for someone used to Alamy QC requirements can be horrifying. I've only scored one 4/4 so far and currently have that on my PC desktop, and it's pretty scary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickfly Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 After initial rejections for submitting what were just traditional stock images taken with an iphone, my evolving technique is to take whatever grabs my eye and then enjoy playing with filters until I achieve a pleasing result when viewed on the phone's screen. I strongly suspect that it's a mistake to post-process on a full screen as the results for someone used to Alamy QC requirements can be horrifying. I've only scored one 4/4 so far and currently have that on my PC desktop, and it's pretty scary! Pretty scary? How? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cribb Visuals Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Built in obsolescence is a necessary part of this business. Some do it faster than others. Fads are good for making a fast buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number Six Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 mickfly: I meant 'scary' in comparison to the image quality required for traditional stock. Not surprising given the camera and filtering apps, but viewing on a large screen certainly brings it home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickfly Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 mickfly: I meant 'scary' in comparison to the image quality required for traditional stock. Not surprising given the camera and filtering apps, but viewing on a large screen certainly brings it home. Thanks, I thought that's what you meant, and that is my overlying dislike about Stockimo, the images just will not stand scrutiny for technical quality outside a small screen (my opinion), but that doesn't mean I dislike some of the actual images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Brooks Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 the images just will not stand scrutiny for technical quality outside a small screen (my opinion), but that doesn't mean I dislike some of the actual images. I think there is opportunity here. Stockimoto style but not Stockimoto. Alamy Stockimoto brand images are from cell phones. The Stockimoto style has always been around, even before cell phones. Today Stockimoto style is hot with clients. Why not create high technical quality images in Stockimoto style using a regular camera and photoshop? Then submit to the Alamy standard stock upload? You can be as far out as you want because, Stockimoto style images, that are not Stockimoto brand, will not be edited for content, only for technical quality. There must be a need out there for images in Stockimoto style that are of a very high technical quality. With a command of photoshop you should be able to create images that do not have the sameness you get with push button software. Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that you try to get around Alamy's cell phone requirement for the Stockimoto brand. I am suggesting that you shoot regular brand stock in a more unique Stockimoto like style. In any hot fad style the higher quality more unique images that stand out from the crowd, will survive the cooling of the fad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 It is a good idea, if they will get through QC, but they will not be found by clients searching on Stockimo I assume. So will the higher quality get an opportunity to stand out; do Stockimo images also appear in the main collection? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 It is a good idea, if they will get through QC, but they will not be found by clients searching on Stockimo I assume. So will the higher quality get an opportunity to stand out; do Stockimo images also appear in the main collection? Just checked: Stockimo images do appear in main collection - I searched "Sunset" in the new tab; the first couple happened to be Stockimo images.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 It is a good idea, if they will get through QC, but they will not be found by clients searching on Stockimo I assume. So will the higher quality get an opportunity to stand out; do Stockimo images also appear in the main collection? I'm lousy at Photoshopping, but it does sound like a good idea. How about starting a "Stockimo Plus" (i.e. plus technical quality) collection? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Endicott Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My question has always been...can't the buyers do that? Isn't that the job of a retoucher/designer? I mean that was the basis of Microstock years ago. Designers had elements of images they created and were incorporating in their designs. Here's my little experiment....which do you think will sell first/get more images licensed.... the stock version shot with a 5D MK III and a 100mm lens... or the same image shot with an iPhone 6+ then cooked through various apps to get a special effect? I have a few like this....I'm curious.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin P Wilson Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Until recently at least, we were being told NOT to use filters etc. I have had images used that have been manipulated by the client's designer in ways that would not have been accepted by Alamy QC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Endicott Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Exactly Martin. I agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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