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Which Path in 2015?


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I'm referring to Alamy and stock and photography in general, and I'm thinking about Alamy Stock, News and Stockimo.

 

I'm planning to stay with mainstream stock, myself, shooting more of the subjects that have sold best for me, and also trying to find one or two other subjects that I can manage. I am in the process of going all-mirrorless and selling off all my Nikon DSLRs and lenses. This is a part-time retirement effort for me now.

 

I've noticed that many of you are following all the paths, venturing forth loaded down with an iPhone, a tiny pocket camera, smaller/lighter mirrorless cameras and a full bag of monster DSLRs and giant zooms. I'm wrong, right? You have a nice clear day and your time is free to shoot. What do you chose to bring along?  :)

 

Edo

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Just the NEX Edo, the DSLR stays parked in its bag most of the time.

 

Don't see me buying a clever phone any time soon, I currently have the world's cheapest pay as you go mobile which is very rarely switched on - a bit like me  ;)

 

I might go indulgent and take photos that I like taking rather more than those that I think will sell, for example

obese-man-smoking-and-holding-painting-g

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I too will be essentially mirrorless on 2015. I wil swap to my dslr if I shoot action but will not carry both - at worst I will have one minimised outfit with me and one in the car. I am aiming to continue to push my work upmarket (technically and qualitatively). As I said elsewhere I will be putting my effort into self-assigned photojournalistic projects - if they make money, that will be very useful. Above all my aim is to enjoy my photography, to live my enthusiasm. I have a personal vision but it will stay personal for the moment. I don't see phone playing a significant part except as a communications device - voice and data.

I am hoping that my personality will come through in the work and appeal to potential clients. I may do some assignments but my objective is to be largely time and location independent so I can travel - we have a motorhome (rv) and my wife retires completely in the spring so we will be following, and writing about, The Winding Way - our slow travel web site that we will be revamping for the Spring.

I am not sure how much Alamy will figure; that is under serious ongoing review as it has not been rewarding the thought and effort I have been putting in.

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Hey, here in Little Italy I like to keep up the tradition of yelling out the window to the guys on the street: "Hey, Tony! You seen Jimmy the Lion? Tell him we need to talk." Down here a cell phone is the one you get hocked up in your cell.  B)

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Hey, here in Little Italy I like to keep up the tradition of yelling out the window to the guys on the street: "Hey, Tony! You seen Jimmy the Lion? Tell him we need to talk." Down here a cell phone is the one you get hocked up in your cell.  B)

 

This is slightly off-topic (so what else is new, eh?), but apparently "black-hole resorts" could become the next travel fad for the over-connected.

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Hey, here in Little Italy I like to keep up the tradition of yelling out the window to the guys on the street: "Hey, Tony! You seen Jimmy the Lion? Tell him we need to talk." Down here a cell phone is the one you get hocked up in your cell.  B)

 

This is slightly off-topic (so what else is new, eh?), but apparently "black-hole resorts" could become the next travel fad for the over-connected.

 

 

No digital devices - does that mean we have to go back to manual film cameras with analogue metering - "the moving needle writes..." (apologies to Omar Khayam)

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Hey, here in Little Italy I like to keep up the tradition of yelling out the window to the guys on the street: "Hey, Tony! You seen Jimmy the Lion? Tell him we need to talk." Down here a cell phone is the one you get hocked up in your cell.  B)

 

This is slightly off-topic (so what else is new, eh?), but apparently "black-hole resorts" could become the next travel fad for the over-connected.

 

 

No digital devices - does that mean we have to go back to manual film cameras with analogue metering - "the moving needle writes..." (apologies to Omar Khayam)

 

 

Looking at the picture of the jetty, no spirit levels allowed either!

 

I would like to stick with the mirrorless this year but can't bear to part with the 5d even though I am generally more happy with the mirrorless in many ways except the amount of noise on some images and the lack of a hotshoe adapter.

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Exactly how are you supposed to get to a 'technology-free holiday'? On horseback? No saddle or stirrups, of course.

 

It's all travel-industry hype of course. There's no need to fall into an overpriced black hole. People can simply stay put and turn off their devices for a period of time if they want to -- i.e. take a "digital Sabbath" now and then. However, looking at the way some people are totally addicted to their marvelous toys, I can see that going into rehab might become necessary.

 

BTW, this is Pico Iyer's new book referenced in the newspaper article. Santa gave me a copy for Xmas. It's worth checking out.

 

P.S. The book is illustrated with some moving landscape photos by an Icelandic-Canadian photographer.

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My goodness, I forgot to list video. That's another path . . . although I've not seen much mention of it in this forum. I have zero interest in doing it, but I do see people geared up and shooting here in NYC with Canons and Nikons. In fact there's a pro Red store just around the corner from me. 

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Staying the path I set over the last couple of years:  3 NEX or "a" cameras, all the lenses I want for them, everything in two small bags. My Alamy is on a good uptrend, so things are coming together.

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That's too bad about the friendship, Linda. But change is a constant in life. The reason I will not do News is, like you, Linda, I don't want to be on someone else's tight schedule, especially if there is not solid money involved. 

 

Bill, I sold my Sony 16mm and 30mm macro just before Christmas, will keep the Sony/Zeiss 24mm and the Sony 50mm -- two terrific primes. And I have the 24-200 views on my RX10. I'm not gonna trade my NEX-7 for an a6000 or a7000, but I will -- probably -- be buying that budget 12mm everyone was talking about a few days ago. I'll be bringing a lot more Nikon and other gear up to Adorama to sell in the coming weeks. I plan to deal just 3 items at a time.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. 

 

Edo

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I currently have a dumb phone with a prepaid sim card but I’m planning to get a low-end Android phone for around a hundred euros. It will take the same sim, so there’s no contract.

Since Alamy doesn’t accept Stockimo images from Android phones as yet, it’s not for that. The main reason for switching is its built-in GPS and the fact that it doubles as a voice recorder for taking verbal notes in the field.

 

Regarding direction, I’m getting back into studio tabletop, my one-time mainstay, at least during the winter. A Kipon tilt-shift adapter is on my wish list,  turning a Fuji X into a tiny view camera.

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I've already gone mirrorless (Fuji), and have sold all my Nikon gear via eBay so no going back. I've no interest in video but have just started Stockimo. Think I've just about got a grasp on what they're after and I'm having great fun doing something different. No idea whether it will be lucrative but, as with all stock, only time will tell.

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With falling revenues from traditional stock it is largely a question equipment-wise of rowing with the rowlocks I have got. One of the best investments in the last year was in software.

 

Video is fun to do and is another feather to the cap, string to the bow etc. The main objection for investing time and money in video is it still seems to be a stab in the dark. What the earnings are/can be is still opaque, for me at least.

 

 

 

A wee edit. The biggest changes which will be effected in the next year are less about equipment but about subject matter and outlets.

 Spot on Richard,

 

I won't be jumping on the mirrorless merry-go-round, 171,000 on my 5D2 and when that breaks it will replaced with whatever is around (Mk3/4). The only thing I might invest in is a new Billingham - current bag was a stop gap and frankly doesn't present well when working.

 

Zero interest in phone pics for here, have done a few for one agency and may piggy-back a phone shoot on to a 'proper' lifestyle shoot this year...big 'maybe' for that.

 

Looking at 4k video so a BM URSA might be high on shopping list but not totally convinced about returns - started seeing some video used on sites like Paypal, so gradually becoming a believer!!

 

Main focus will remain the same, commercial outlets....chasing the money!!

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I joined in with Stockimo, mainly because I needed a new phone after throwing my dumb phone at the wall, so I got an old iphone 4s. I do carry the phone and my dslr, because, well, its a phone, I carry it anyway and most importantly it has my music on it. But I do have to be in a different frame of mind for stockimo than for dslr photography, so seldom do both at the same time.

I will continue to shoot video and intend to do more of that this year. I see no reason not too when I am out with a dslr capable of shooting video anyway - I do usually carry a tripod as when it comes to photography I like the same as food, travel, etc - slow is better. I love shooting with tilt shift lenses, tripod, generally taking time - and when I'm not in that sort of mood there is the phone.

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I am now 100% Fuji after selling full frame Nikon and lens. With regards my path I want to try and upload business related images boardrooms etc not sure how I am going to get those type of images 

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Mine is to continue to specialise towards the photographic subject areas that really interest me....and in terms of technology I will stick with what I have and I don't see myself using a phone for photography anytime soon. 

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You have a nice clear day and your time is free to shoot. What do you chose to bring along?  :)

 

 

If it's a nice day and I'm going out with a view to taking photographs, there's absolutely no question: the 5D2 100% of the time because it's simply the best kit I've owned. The 24-105, 70-300 and 15mm fisheye capture all the pics I'm likely to want to take, though if I had a sudden injection of available funds I would consider adding an non-fisheye ultra-wide.

 

If I'm going out for some other reason and don't want to lug around gear for what would only be a secondary purpose, I take the NEX6.

 

I'm never likely to do any phone stuff because I hate mobile phones and hardly ever use one.

 

I promise myself every year I will start exploring video but never do. This year might be different because I have publicly declared my resolution to create some music, and video would be a natural extension of that. And when I publicly declare something I feel duty-bound to do it.

 

Alan

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I was thinking about having a go at Stockimo but when it comes to smart phones I am a total Luddite. I rarely use the £10 pay as you go phone I have. I don't want the latest and greatest as I don't want to throw much money at it. I am just not sure which model iphone is cost effective. I assume the cameras on these phones improve with each new model. Which model do other people use and which camera is good enough? Is it worth it? I still love the 5d2 and have a compact that passes QC so I'm just not sure if would add anything for me in terms of shots or sales. ??

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Stu,

On which phone to use, Alamy writes:

 

It's easy, you can upload images straight from your iPhone.

The app is compatible with iPhone iOS 7 and above. If you've got an iPhone 4 or above you'll be okay.

If you haven't, why not get a new phone ;-)?

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