Betty LaRue Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I would love to upload 100 per week. I'm on course to do that this month. I've uploaded 392 and have 4 days to reach 400. But it is killing me. I do have other responsibilities, and I've been neglecting some of those. When the fluffy white feathers our two African Grays shed start whirling around my ankles like ground fog in a vampire movie when I walk across the floor, I know I need to vacuum more often. How about you? Do you set goals or just go with the flow...fit it in when you feel like it. I think I need to set more realistic goals for myself. It took me 10 steps to straighten my bent-over creaky back awhile ago after the latest batch. Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Morgan Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I tried the quota idea, but found I was willing to upload mediocre to make numbers. Now I go with the flow. Since photography isn't my main income (thank God or I'd starve) I have to put most of my efforts in my other businesses. I take photos where I'm at when away on business, stop along the way if I see something interesting, and make some special trips for both fun and interest as well as photography. Some day when I can "retire" and devote more time to the photography, maybe then I can give myself a quota. Jill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I don't have an upload quota, and can't imagine I'd use that approach even if I were aiming to earn the most money possible from stock photography. - Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 A goal, yes. A numbers goal, no. My goal is to make better pictures, and if that means fewer pictures that's okay. Tai chi rather than kung fu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanGibson Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 A goal, yes. A numbers goal, no. My goal is to make better pictures, and if that means fewer pictures that's okay. Tai chi rather than kung fu. I'll second that. I'm not so sure I'm achieving it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Goal free zone here. Prefer projects. Last winter I walked 20 miles of the local coastline (in stages, and when the sun shone) recording the legacy of the long defunct coal mining industry. I might revisit some of those locations with the benefit of experience, but I'm now searching for a new project to keep me busy next winter. Currently contemplating some evening shots of the local landmarks, but weather not great at present. Need flat calm for reflections, and some reasonable (twi) light. This is a retirement activity for me so no real pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
losdemas Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 9876 every 54 wks, give or take 3210 hrs... No wonder your numbers are so good, Jeff. You've got 2 more weeks in the year than everyone else! ...and in reply to the OP: I did have a goal, but low sales have resulted in me playing a different game now. Uploads here are now as and when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 No upload goal. Just upload when I have images to do so. Only goals I have are each year to sell more than the previous year and gross more than the previous year. So far (only just) , so good! Kumar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Robinson Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Like you I aim at 100 per week - on average. I don't start uploading rubbish if I'm short, and I don't stop when I've reached the target (I do sometimes slow down a little), but it's a good incentive to work a but harder if I've only done 30 by Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokie Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Like some others at Alamy this isn't my main income. I try and upload about a 1000 each year. I've got a back-log of images to process going back 14 months! I've cherry-picked any good images at the time of uploading to my computer, but i need time to wade through all the other images to find any gems worth uploading to Alamy. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I thought I had a goal when I started but not now only upload as and when. When being when Alamy allows me to. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 I will be reducing the 100 a week. I've only tried it for one month, and have decided the only way it is attainable is to neglect other duties. I don't batch, I carefully develop each and every image one at a time. The only shortcut I take is in Manage Images when I have a couple of the same subject and can cut and paste keywords. It's just that I've been a member too long to have such low image numbers. It gets frustrating. I need to quit looking at the numbers below all of your avatars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 No time to set goals. Always busy as a beaver (.........?? Or is it a bee?) Cheers, Philippe Oh! What a glorious thing to be, a healthy grown up busy busy bee. Arthur Askey. Whoops! Really showing my age. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Rooney Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 A goal, yes. A numbers goal, no. My goal is to make better pictures, and if that means fewer pictures that's okay. Tai chi rather than kung fu. I'll second that. I'm not so sure I'm achieving it, though. "We're responsible for the effort, not the results." That is, I believe, one of the points made in those 12-step programs . . . and as I see it here, it reads like pointless bull, since our effort is aimed at changing, improving, our results. Maybe it's better to quote Robert Crumb from the late '60s: "Keep on Truckin." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Yes Betty I do have a goal. I try to get one photo per day approved on Stockimo. I'm having lots of fun taking hip/quirky/trendy photos with my iPhone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Brooks Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 No goal, because it leads to mediocrity when I try to meet my number. My goal is to edit viciously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 No upload goal here, but I manage to submit a small batch each week. These days, as much as I dearly love Alamy, I'm exploring other options as well. The competition for my type of imagery has become somewhat overwhelming in this part of town. I had better stop before I start waxing nostalgic about the "good old days." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Elliott Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 A goal, yes. A numbers goal, no. My goal is to make better pictures, and if that means fewer pictures that's okay. Tai chi rather than kung fu. Ed, they are one in the same thing Take it from someone who has done both. Kung Fu just means hard work which is what Tai Chi is. But yes, better quality over huge numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Richmond Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I've managed to upload nearly 1950 images since I started on Alamy 18 months ago but I don't have an upload goal. It would have been reasonably easy to submit double that number of images - but I wouldn't have doubled the number of individual subjects and would probably have reduced the overall quality. Before I submit a shot I look at the competition and so often I see contributors with multiple shots of the same subject (usually a named plant variety) languishing in the lower reaches of the search results. Better to put up the best 1, 2 or 3 shots from a set of 10 or 20 to improve the views to zooms ratio, maintain overall quality and produce a diverse portfolio, albeit one mostly within a couple of fairly narrow niches. As a policy it seems to be working so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 I've managed to upload nearly 1950 images since I started on Alamy 18 months ago but I don't have an upload goal. It would have been reasonably easy to submit double that number of images - but I wouldn't have doubled the number of individual subjects and would probably have reduced the overall quality. Before I submit a shot I look at the competition and so often I see contributors with multiple shots of the same subject (usually a named plant variety) languishing in the lower reaches of the search results. Better to put up the best 1, 2 or 3 shots from a set of 10 or 20 to improve the views to zooms ratio, maintain overall quality and produce a diverse portfolio, albeit one mostly within a couple of fairly narrow niches. As a policy it seems to be working so far. Agreed. Best policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Yes Betty I do have a goal. I try to get one photo per day approved on Stockimo. I'm having lots of fun taking hip/quirky/trendy photos with my iPhone. That sounds like fun, Lisa. Not work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I've managed to upload nearly 1950 images since I started on Alamy 18 months ago but I don't have an upload goal. It would have been reasonably easy to submit double that number of images - but I wouldn't have doubled the number of individual subjects and would probably have reduced the overall quality. Before I submit a shot I look at the competition and so often I see contributors with multiple shots of the same subject (usually a named plant variety) languishing in the lower reaches of the search results. Better to put up the best 1, 2 or 3 shots from a set of 10 or 20 to improve the views to zooms ratio, maintain overall quality and produce a diverse portfolio, albeit one mostly within a couple of fairly narrow niches. As a policy it seems to be working so far. Agreed. Best policy. Yes, I'm being much more selective about what and how much I upload to Alamy these days. Their collection is now flooded with images that don't have a hope of being seen, let alone sell. No sense in indiscriminately adding to the pile and getting buried in the process. Also, when I look at my licenses over the years, the "niche" images are the ones that keep on re-selling. The rest I might as well find another home for. That said, I remain quite pleased with my Alamy sales overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Brooks Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I've managed to upload nearly 1950 images since I started on Alamy 18 months ago but I don't have an upload goal. It would have been reasonably easy to submit double that number of images - but I wouldn't have doubled the number of individual subjects and would probably have reduced the overall quality. Before I submit a shot I look at the competition and so often I see contributors with multiple shots of the same subject (usually a named plant variety) languishing in the lower reaches of the search results. Better to put up the best 1, 2 or 3 shots from a set of 10 or 20 to improve the views to zooms ratio, maintain overall quality and produce a diverse portfolio, albeit one mostly within a couple of fairly narrow niches. As a policy it seems to be working so far. Look at John's collection. For each subject he has a strong vertical and a strong horizontal. Occasionally he has a wider angle shot. No garbage. No waste. Perfect editing. We should all try do as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynn Palmer Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I've managed to upload nearly 1950 images since I started on Alamy 18 months ago but I don't have an upload goal. It would have been reasonably easy to submit double that number of images - but I wouldn't have doubled the number of individual subjects and would probably have reduced the overall quality. Before I submit a shot I look at the competition and so often I see contributors with multiple shots of the same subject (usually a named plant variety) languishing in the lower reaches of the search results. Better to put up the best 1, 2 or 3 shots from a set of 10 or 20 to improve the views to zooms ratio, maintain overall quality and produce a diverse portfolio, albeit one mostly within a couple of fairly narrow niches. As a policy it seems to be working so far. John, in the two years I've been on Alamy I can't say I've seen any other contributor with a more focused portfolio. You know your niche and are sticking to it! Do you have a day job working with flowers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Richmond Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I've managed to upload nearly 1950 images since I started on Alamy 18 months ago but I don't have an upload goal. It would have been reasonably easy to submit double that number of images - but I wouldn't have doubled the number of individual subjects and would probably have reduced the overall quality. Before I submit a shot I look at the competition and so often I see contributors with multiple shots of the same subject (usually a named plant variety) languishing in the lower reaches of the search results. Better to put up the best 1, 2 or 3 shots from a set of 10 or 20 to improve the views to zooms ratio, maintain overall quality and produce a diverse portfolio, albeit one mostly within a couple of fairly narrow niches. As a policy it seems to be working so far. John, in the two years I've been on Alamy I can't say I've seen any other contributor with a more focused portfolio. You know your niche and are sticking to it! Do you have a day job working with flowers? Day job working with flowers? No. I have a well stocked (over-stocked, probably) garden, access to other local gardens and a couple of nurseries, started my working life as an ecologist and have written (paid and unpaid) about plants and gardening on and off for 30 years. I actually run my own IT business though that's winding down as I approach retirement, allowing me more time to concentrate on the writing and photography. I made a conscious decision to stick to the horticultural/botanical shots when I first started uploading to Alamy on the basis that they would be the most likely to sell. I do upload insect macro and travel shots but they're less than 10% of the total. Competition is a lot fiercer in those niches but the improvement in my ranking with my sales of plant shots and a high CTR is starting to bring these secondary shots higher up the pages. It does seem to be a working strategy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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