corbis

[Travelshots]

I have noticed 25,000 images from Corbis premium RF catalogue are now on alamy. Is this new ? I find at least 8000+  are of basketball games which I guess is a very american requirement.

[dustydingo]

Additional to the 395,000 asked about back in April?

 

dd

[Bill Brooks]

It does not matter if the Corbis images are on Alamy. Alamy is not an island. Corbis images, and every other image on the internet, are competition for all of us. It does not matter where they appear.

 

This is why it is a waste of time for any photographer to take only good images and think that they will win through numbers.

 

Stock photography only becomes a numbers game, if the numbers consist of spectacular and unique images.

[John Mitchell]

Pretty soon everyone will be representing everyone else. Good thing or bad thing? Guess we'll find out.

[Ace]

So if a photographer has the same photo on both Corbis and Alamy.

if it sells, where would the photographs get the highest selling price !

If it's alamy why would you leave photos on corbis ?

[Duncan_Andison]

So if a photographer has the same photo on both Corbis and Alamy.

if it sells, where would the photographs get the highest selling price !

If it's alamy why would you leave photos on corbis ?

 

Corbis commission is lower than Alamy so you'd be better off with the image being with Alamy only if the direct sales at Corbis did not make up for it. Of late, I'd say they don't (or rarely do) and my future editorial will be heading to Alamy first.

[Robert Brook]

So if a photographer has the same photo on both Corbis and Alamy.

if it sells, where would the photographs get the highest selling price !

If it's alamy why would you leave photos on corbis ?

Corbis is a commercial agency, and a lot of work marked as 'editorial' is sold to commercial buyers, and they've got some. My highest fee this year just over $1K, much higher than anything I've had from Alamy (this year), for work that is nominally 'editorial'. If work is typical Alamy style (found editorial that isn't likely to attract commercial buyers, needs releases, etc) then stick with Alamy. I also have distributed RF work in a premium collection where full size is priced at £521. The same is priced at Alamy at £350. I sell much more for more at Corbis (edited selection of same work), but then these are commercial images. Bear in mind that the standard Alamy RF price for contributors rather than agencies is only £210 (full-size). But then if work is poorly placed at Corbis, for example in one of the 'super value' collections, RF pricing is either the same or just a liitle more than Alamy. And as a contributor, without the clout of a leading agency behind you, that is very likely where your images will end up.

 

The same applies to Getty: standard editorial will not fare well there, and both agencies sell a lot on subscription, which will come as a shock, especially when their share has been deducted. But it might equally come as a shock as to how much more you can earn at either place if you produce commercially viable work.

[Ace]

Interesting replies, many thanks.

[MariaJ]

So if a photographer has the same photo on both Corbis and Alamy.

if it sells, where would the photographs get the highest selling price !

If it's alamy why would you leave photos on corbis ?

 

I'm curious to know what happens if you have the same photos on both, and then Corbis puts some of your images on Alamy - what happens if one of your images on Corbis (or any other agency you might have photos in that puts them on alamy) sells while it is on alamy?  And if you have the same image at both agencies, will they both now appear on alamy, but at different rates?

 

This is hypothetical as I don't have any images at Corbis.  But I don't understand what happens if another agency you supply starts to supply images to alamy, and you already have the image(s) on alamy.

[Robert Brook]

"Besides, most major players are exclusive"  Phillippe

 

Actually, under the new Gateway agreement, you have three options for every image you upload: exclusive, co-exclusive (you can also sell images yourself) and non-exclusive.  Photographer share is: 37.5%, 35%, 30%.

 

Many wildlife, nature and documentary photographers submit there in order to get access to lucrative commercial markets.  Of course, nobody walks in.  You have to have work they think they can sell, particularly in those markets.  Unfortunately, the editorial market there, as everywhere, is at rock bottom. 

[Duncan_Andison]

"Besides, most major players are exclusive"  Phillippe

 

Actually, under the new Gateway agreement, you have three options for every image you upload: exclusive, co-exclusive (you can also sell images yourself) and non-exclusive.  Photographer share is: 37.5%, 35%, 30%.

 

Many wildlife, nature and documentary photographers submit there in order to get access to lucrative commercial markets.  Of courser, nobody walks in.  You have to have work they think they can sell, particularly in those markets.  Unfortunately, the editorial market there, as everywhere, is at rock bottom. 

 

Unfortunately since my editor left / retired, the 1-2k sales have also gone awol. The new one just doesn't seem to give a one! Obviously had all this persons photographers dumped on him as well as his existing ones. Service has gone down hill rapidly.

[MariaJ]

Thanks for your reply Philippe.