My first year on Alamy

[KODAKovic]

The other reason for me to check those views is wrong or missing keywords. Isn't everybody doing that?

 

 

 

Wim i'm doing the same, of course i've bad keyworded some of my images so i'm trying to fix this before Alamy re-rank me.

 

Lizzy, your port show 570+ images... why 're you talking about 1500+ pics? Your sales with 570+ are quite impressive to me good for you...

[Allan Bell]

 

A better measure of success would be to calculate the average per image online. For instance I made short of 300 dollars and I have 800 images online so my average per online image is about 0.37 as of now.

 

But this measure could also be deceiving for new people. Those who have been here for lets say 10 years could make such calculation and figure how much they are getting for their efforts.

 

Just an idea.

Good call.  I made $346 from 651 images which is a 53c average per online image.  To me that's absolutely terrible, but I'm sure it'll pick up the longer I'm here.

 

 

 

Alessandra and Andy you have both done better in your first year than I didi in mine.

 

Well done.

 

Allan

Thanks Allan, that's high praise coming from you.

 

 

 

Awww. Shucks!  You are making me blush.

 

Hey! You are the professional photographer here. I am retired and do not do it for a living so I should be learning something from you.

 

Allan

 

You have nothing to learn from me, your port is excellent, me being professional means I earn an income from photography, it doesn't mean I'm better than anyone.

 

 

 

Thank you for another compliment.

 

Allan

[AlessandraRC]

I'm just past my first year, too. Alessandra you have done much better than I at building up your portfolio! I think I spend too much time second guessing what to take pictures of...I've beaten AoA to death for gaps in my local area, but still struggle for volume because I've never really mastered indoor / studio lighting.

 

Anyway my stats are:

Images online: Just under 200, a few just waiting for update

Sales: $331 gross, 4 sales. One of the sales accounted for $200 of that, but it was my first one so very exciting. All been downhill since then

 

 

 

You seem to be doing pretty well sales wise.

 

My fancy studio lighting is basically a window, some reflectors, and one off camera strobe. 

 

A great place to start is the http://strobist.blogspot.com

[Lizzy]

 

The other reason for me to check those views is wrong or missing keywords. Isn't everybody doing that?

 

 

 

Wim i'm doing the same, of course i've bad keyworded some of my images so i'm trying to fix this before Alamy re-rank me.

 

Lizzy, your port show 570+ images... why 're you talking about 1500+ pics? Your sales with 570+ are quite impressive to me good for you...

 

Thanks Kodakovic. If I recall correctly, the blue number below the forum avatars only updates with current numbers when you log out/ in of the forum. Since the forum never seems to log me out, it hasn't changed in many months 

 

I've given up figuring out the link between zooms and sales   It seems like the majority of my sales were never zoomed, and many of my zooms are never sold! There's still a tiny glimmer of hope when I get a zoom, and I'm thankful that they bump my CTR back up a bit, but I don't expect a sale from them anymore. I do tend to go through Measures every day though to check nothing has been viewed that shouldn't be because of inappropriate keywording 

[Cryptoprocta]

 

 

We are not able to see which images have been zoomed or sold if those are not our own. Sales could of course be found if we would look for them the same as we look for our own sales.

 

With:

 

> Do you think you're sales and zooms are of your best images? Or of your mediocre or worst images?

> Have you had lots of views of subjects that have not been zoomed? Are your images as good as the ones that did get zooms and sales?

 

I meant to ask if the zoomed (or sold) images were of a better quality than the images that had been viewed, but not zoomed (or sold).

 

wim

Sorry, I did misinterpret you as meaning "are your images as good as the ones [which other people took] that did get zoooms and sales", and as I've never been able to see that, I wondered if I was missing something.

[KateR]

 

I'm just past my first year, too. Alessandra you have done much better than I at building up your portfolio! I think I spend too much time second guessing what to take pictures of...I've beaten AoA to death for gaps in my local area, but still struggle for volume because I've never really mastered indoor / studio lighting.

 

Anyway my stats are:

Images online: Just under 200, a few just waiting for update

Sales: $331 gross, 4 sales. One of the sales accounted for $200 of that, but it was my first one so very exciting. All been downhill since then

 

 

 

You seem to be doing pretty well sales wise.

 

My fancy studio lighting is basically a window, some reflectors, and one off camera strobe. 

 

A great place to start is the http://strobist.blogspot.com

 

 

Your "studio" shots look great to me, especially the food ones which my few dabblings with have been terrible. Maybe it's the styling, I just don't have the eye for arranging things nicely?! I don't know.

[KateR]

 

I'm just past my first year, too. Alessandra you have done much better than I at building up your portfolio! I think I spend too much time second guessing what to take pictures of...I've beaten AoA to death for gaps in my local area, but still struggle for volume because I've never really mastered indoor / studio lighting.

 

Do you think you're sales and zooms are of your best images? Or of your mediocre or worst images?

Have you had lots of views of subjects that have not been zoomed? Are your images as good as the ones that did get zooms and sales?

 

 

 

It's three shots that have sold, mainly. One is (slightly depressingly, from a "how do i do more of that" POV) an image I alone (or almost alone, give or take a handful of neighbours) could have taken, because the height of my balcony gives me a unique view over that particular area. It's not a bad shot, though.

The others, both of the same subject, were total "grab shots" done in passing while I was travelling and which I nearly deleted from my camera. Then it occurred to me that they could usefully be used to illustrate something, and I don't think there's much on the same subject available on Alamy. They are far from great shots, though.

 

The views / zooms I'm less sure of. I get LOTS of views for keywords which, although they need to be on the shots they are on, aren't ever going to be the "archetype" for that shot. They'd only lead to a sale if a user was searching for them combined with other keywords. For example H35KJT, which is the new Financial Conduct Authority HQ being built near me. The keyword "FCA" has to be on it, but most people searching "FCA" are looking for the current HQ with the signage on it, i'd have thought. However if for some reason someone did want the *new* place, they'd probably search "FCA" + "stratford" or "international quarter" or "olympic park". Still, i have to have "FCA" on it. Consequently my CTR has gone way down from where it was 6 months ago. Is there a cure for this?!

[wiskerke]

 

 

I'm just past my first year, too. Alessandra you have done much better than I at building up your portfolio! I think I spend too much time second guessing what to take pictures of...I've beaten AoA to death for gaps in my local area, but still struggle for volume because I've never really mastered indoor / studio lighting.

 

Do you think you're sales and zooms are of your best images? Or of your mediocre or worst images?

Have you had lots of views of subjects that have not been zoomed? Are your images as good as the ones that did get zooms and sales?

 

 

 

It's three shots that have sold, mainly. One is (slightly depressingly, from a "how do i do more of that" POV) an image I alone (or almost alone, give or take a handful of neighbours) could have taken, because the height of my balcony gives me a unique view over that particular area. It's not a bad shot, though.

The others, both of the same subject, were total "grab shots" done in passing while I was travelling and which I nearly deleted from my camera. Then it occurred to me that they could usefully be used to illustrate something, and I don't think there's much on the same subject available on Alamy. They are far from great shots, though.

 

The views / zooms I'm less sure of. I get LOTS of views for keywords which, although they need to be on the shots they are on, aren't ever going to be the "archetype" for that shot. They'd only lead to a sale if a user was searching for them combined with other keywords. For example H35KJT, which is the new Financial Conduct Authority HQ being built near me. The keyword "FCA" has to be on it, but most people searching "FCA" are looking for the current HQ with the signage on it, i'd have thought. However if for some reason someone did want the *new* place, they'd probably search "FCA" + "stratford" or "international quarter" or "olympic park". Still, i have to have "FCA" on it. Consequently my CTR has gone way down from where it was 6 months ago. Is there a cure for this?!

 

 

 

Very good question.

Do you think anybody would at all need an image of that building being build? It could be of course if a scandal broke out or an accident would happen.

Have a search with Google Images for FCA new building or new building financial conduct authority.

So if FCA is not going to be the primary search term and there are not too many images on Alamy, until December 5th I would have told you to put FCA in the caption and in the comprehensive keywords only.

Now with the new search engine all that is out the window, so the honest answer most probably is: no there is no way anymore to avoid those views.

 

There is maybe one solution: if there's not too many competition on Alamy, say 1 page in total, create a separate pseudo for subjects that may cause unwanted views to happen. Because there are not many images anyhow, your images will be seen, if there's a search for the right keywords.

 

In general: when starting out, choose your subjects wisely. Meaning clients are looking for those (use AoA) and there's only one page or less for those keywords clients are using. (Which may well be different from the amount of pages for that particular subject.)

And be sure your images are among the best. Not just like the best in camera club terms.

In your case, access is important, you can get a shot nobody else has. Maybe try to get more access.

Or when you know something about your subject, show it in a way that would illustrate a story about it the best.

You are right about the archetypal way subjects are shown. There has to be some of that if only to make a connection with the viewer. One can only have them guessing a tiny little bit, let alone alienating them. But there's fashion and trends in that. Let newspapers not be your only reference. Most UK newspapers are not known for sophisticated photography.

- Oh Eamonn McCabe where are you? (He's still making great stuff once in a while, like the book Decade.) -

 

Your images of that building site with the stormy skies leap from the page. The ones with the word collaborate are good. The word could have been more prominent, but it would be more in your face as well. I like the sand dunes with the small distant couples; I could see that work as a concept. The infinity pool jumps from the page as well.

I would check some of your keywords in AoA though. Remember Alamy does not do stemming.

 

wim

[AlessandraRC]

 

 

I'm just past my first year, too. Alessandra you have done much better than I at building up your portfolio! I think I spend too much time second guessing what to take pictures of...I've beaten AoA to death for gaps in my local area, but still struggle for volume because I've never really mastered indoor / studio lighting.

 

Anyway my stats are:

Images online: Just under 200, a few just waiting for update

Sales: $331 gross, 4 sales. One of the sales accounted for $200 of that, but it was my first one so very exciting. All been downhill since then

 

 

 

You seem to be doing pretty well sales wise.

 

My fancy studio lighting is basically a window, some reflectors, and one off camera strobe. 

 

A great place to start is the http://strobist.blogspot.com

 

 

Your "studio" shots look great to me, especially the food ones which my few dabblings with have been terrible. Maybe it's the styling, I just don't have the eye for arranging things nicely?! I don't know.

 

 

 

I have a similar problem, KateR. The way we arrange food to eat, for instance, may not fit the frame very well. It does take a lot of learning, and particularly, looking through the camera. I have wasted countless hours, but really way too many hours, on the shots that I am not showing. My hard disk is full with them 

 

You don't have to do studio shots, if you don't like it. I do this because this time of the year in California it is hard for me to go out an shoot. The days are short, and I work full time. I leave the house in the dark, and I return in the dark. To worsen things. it often rains or is overcast during the one lunch hour I have, and on the weekends. If it wasn't for shots around the house (my studio), I would almost retire my camera in the winter. 

[Ed Rooney]

Great to see my fellow newbies doing well! (although maybe after a year we can't call ourselves noobs anymore ).

 

My first anniversary here was a couple of weeks ago, and have had 23 sales (plus two as yet unreported, and one infringement pending) for a total of $998 gross with just over 1500 images now for sale. Have been super pleased with this, and has massively exceeded my expectations. 

 

However I was very lucky to have had plenty of time to be able to invest in Alamy during that year as I wasn't working... Now I'm back in the UK and working full time again, my Alamy and photography time is drastically reduced so I'm under no illusions that I will be able to maintain that level of growth (although I hope I do, and I will certainly try!). 

 

Good luck to everyone for another good 12 months! 

 

Lizzy

 

 

I thought maybe you might be a neighbor of mine, Lizzy. We seem to be the only two who've captured the swans mural. We're blessed with some really nice street art downtown here. 

 

"December 7th . . . a date which will live in infamy." FDR  -- but it turns out it's a time for us to celebrate with Alessandra too. 

 

Edo

[spacecadet]

 

 

 

I'm just past my first year, too. Alessandra you have done much better than I at building up your portfolio! I think I spend too much time second guessing what to take pictures of...I've beaten AoA to death for gaps in my local area, but still struggle for volume because I've never really mastered indoor / studio lighting.

 

Do you think you're sales and zooms are of your best images? Or of your mediocre or worst images?

Have you had lots of views of subjects that have not been zoomed? Are your images as good as the ones that did get zooms and sales?

 

 

 

It's three shots that have sold, mainly. One is (slightly depressingly, from a "how do i do more of that" POV) an image I alone (or almost alone, give or take a handful of neighbours) could have taken, because the height of my balcony gives me a unique view over that particular area. It's not a bad shot, though.

The others, both of the same subject, were total "grab shots" done in passing while I was travelling and which I nearly deleted from my camera. Then it occurred to me that they could usefully be used to illustrate something, and I don't think there's much on the same subject available on Alamy. They are far from great shots, though.

 

The views / zooms I'm less sure of. I get LOTS of views for keywords which, although they need to be on the shots they are on, aren't ever going to be the "archetype" for that shot. They'd only lead to a sale if a user was searching for them combined with other keywords. For example H35KJT, which is the new Financial Conduct Authority HQ being built near me. The keyword "FCA" has to be on it, but most people searching "FCA" are looking for the current HQ with the signage on it, i'd have thought. However if for some reason someone did want the *new* place, they'd probably search "FCA" + "stratford" or "international quarter" or "olympic park". Still, i have to have "FCA" on it. Consequently my CTR has gone way down from where it was 6 months ago. Is there a cure for this?!

 

 

 

Very good question.

Do you think anybody would at all need an image of that building being build? It could be of course if a scandal broke out or an accident would happen.

Have a search with Google Images for FCA new building or new building financial conduct authority.

So if FCA is not going to be the primary search term and there are not too many images on Alamy, until December 5th I would have told you to put FCA in the caption and in the comprehensive keywords only.

Now with the new search engine all that is out the window, so the honest answer most probably is: no there is no way anymore to avoid those views.

 

There is maybe one solution: if there's not too many competition on Alamy, say 1 page in total, create a separate pseudo for subjects that may cause unwanted views to happen. Because there are not many images anyhow, your images will be seen, if there's a search for the right keywords.

 

In general: when starting out, choose your subjects wisely. Meaning clients are looking for those (use AoA) and there's only one page or less for those keywords clients are using. (Which may well be different from the amount of pages for that particular subject.)

And be sure your images are among the best. Not just like the best in camera club terms.

In your case, access is important, you can get a shot nobody else has. Maybe try to get more access.

Or when you know something about your subject, show it in a way that would illustrate a story about it the best.

You are right about the archetypal way subjects are shown. There has to be some of that if only to make a connection with the viewer. One can only have them guessing a tiny little bit, let alone alienating them. But there's fashion and trends in that. Let newspapers not be your only reference. Most UK newspapers are not known for sophisticated photography.

- Oh Eamonn McCabe where are you? (He's still making great stuff once in a while, like the book Decade.) -

 

Your images of that building site with the stormy skies leap from the page. The ones with the word collaborate are good. The word could have been more prominent, but it would be more in your face as well. I like the sand dunes with the small distant couples; I could see that work as a concept. The infinity pool jumps from the page as well.

I would check some of your keywords in AoA though. Remember Alamy does not do stemming.

 

wim

 

Does anyone else think that's a pretty useful- and generous- post?

I don't usually give greenies. Thanks, Wim. This one is going on a Post-it note on my monitor.

[wiskerke]

Blush,

You're welcome!

All pretty common knowledge on this forum, though.

 

wim

[Ed Rooney]

Left to my own devises, It's common for me not to know any of the common knowledge. 

[Lizzy]

 

Great to see my fellow newbies doing well! (although maybe after a year we can't call ourselves noobs anymore ).

 

My first anniversary here was a couple of weeks ago, and have had 23 sales (plus two as yet unreported, and one infringement pending) for a total of $998 gross with just over 1500 images now for sale. Have been super pleased with this, and has massively exceeded my expectations. 

 

However I was very lucky to have had plenty of time to be able to invest in Alamy during that year as I wasn't working... Now I'm back in the UK and working full time again, my Alamy and photography time is drastically reduced so I'm under no illusions that I will be able to maintain that level of growth (although I hope I do, and I will certainly try!). 

 

Good luck to everyone for another good 12 months! 

 

Lizzy

 

 

I thought maybe you might be a neighbor of mine, Lizzy. We seem to be the only two who've captured the swans mural. We're blessed with some really nice street art downtown here. 

 

"December 7th . . . a date which will live in infamy." FDR  -- but it turns out it's a time for us to celebrate with Alessandra too. 

 

Edo

 

 

I was indeed Edo! (Relatively speaking)...Sadly no longer though  Was just there for a year, but oh my gosh what a wonderful, wonderful city. I would just spend hours walking around and geeking out over the architecture and street art...Those swans were my favourite, she is an incredible artist! Was disappointed to see that they were no longer there though the last time I walked past. (Although the new one in its place was very cool too!). 

 

The only downside to New York is that it makes my home town seem rather unexciting! 

[Bella]

Alessandra, it's great and also encouraging to hear how well you and others (especially Lizzy) have done.

 

I started in March and made my first small sale six months later. I have just now made my second sale and it was my first zoomed image the same month I started. My first sale was never zoomed. So if my sale was from that first zoom it took 9 months to get paid... giving birth was only a tiny bit more painful :D

 

I know I need to update my keywords, I was pretty clueless when I started. Can someone tell me what AoA is? I searched but apparently it's not allowed.

 

Good luck to all my fellow newbies.

[Martin Carlsson]

Alessandra, it's great and also encouraging to hear how well you and others (especially Lizzy) have done.

 

I started in March and made my first small sale six months later. I have just now made my second sale and it was my first zoomed image the same month I started. My first sale was never zoomed. So if my sale was from that first zoom it took 9 months to get paid... giving birth was only a tiny bit more painful :D

 

I know I need to update my keywords, I was pretty clueless when I started. Can someone tell me what AoA is? I searched but apparently it's not allowed.

 

Good luck to all my fellow newbies.

"AoA" = All of Alamy. Click "Alamy Measures", then the "All of Alamy" button to the right at the bottom of that field.

[Bella]

Of course! Thank you Martin

[AlessandraRC]

Bella, two sales on 400 images sounds great   Keep working on it! I got paid about 1/4 of what I have "earned" so far, it takes time, I guess it makes more sense financially for those who are making constant sales and being paid monthly some amount and the late payments just don't get noticed so much. 

[Bella]

Bella, two sales on 400 images sounds great   Keep working on it! I got paid about 1/4 of what I have "earned" so far, it takes time, I guess it makes more sense financially for those who are making constant sales and being paid monthly some amount and the late payments just don't get noticed so much. 

 

Thanks Alessandra! What do you mean "late payments". I assumed once the sale is given to us we would get paid when it is cleared. Does that not happen? Since payout was reduced to $50 I thought I would be paid next round of payments.

[NYCat]

It can take a very long time for the payments to clear -- especially the distributor sales.

 

Paulette

[AlessandraRC]

 

Bella, two sales on 400 images sounds great   Keep working on it! I got paid about 1/4 of what I have "earned" so far, it takes time, I guess it makes more sense financially for those who are making constant sales and being paid monthly some amount and the late payments just don't get noticed so much. 

 

Thanks Alessandra! What do you mean "late payments". I assumed once the sale is given to us we would get paid when it is cleared. Does that not happen? Since payout was reduced to $50 I thought I would be paid next round of payments.

 

 

 

 

By late I meant taking too long to "clear". 

[KateR]

 

Very good question.

Do you think anybody would at all need an image of that building being build? It could be of course if a scandal broke out or an accident would happen.

Have a search with Google Images for FCA new building or new building financial conduct authority.

So if FCA is not going to be the primary search term and there are not too many images on Alamy, until December 5th I would have told you to put FCA in the caption and in the comprehensive keywords only.

Now with the new search engine all that is out the window, so the honest answer most probably is: no there is no way anymore to avoid those views.

 

There is maybe one solution: if there's not too many competition on Alamy, say 1 page in total, create a separate pseudo for subjects that may cause unwanted views to happen. Because there are not many images anyhow, your images will be seen, if there's a search for the right keywords.

 

In general: when starting out, choose your subjects wisely. Meaning clients are looking for those (use AoA) and there's only one page or less for those keywords clients are using. (Which may well be different from the amount of pages for that particular subject.)

And be sure your images are among the best. Not just like the best in camera club terms.

In your case, access is important, you can get a shot nobody else has. Maybe try to get more access.

Or when you know something about your subject, show it in a way that would illustrate a story about it the best.

You are right about the archetypal way subjects are shown. There has to be some of that if only to make a connection with the viewer. One can only have them guessing a tiny little bit, let alone alienating them. But there's fashion and trends in that. Let newspapers not be your only reference. Most UK newspapers are not known for sophisticated photography.

- Oh Eamonn McCabe where are you? (He's still making great stuff once in a while, like the book Decade.) -

 

Your images of that building site with the stormy skies leap from the page. The ones with the word collaborate are good. The word could have been more prominent, but it would be more in your face as well. I like the sand dunes with the small distant couples; I could see that work as a concept. The infinity pool jumps from the page as well.

I would check some of your keywords in AoA though. Remember Alamy does not do stemming.

 

wim

 

Thankyou Wim, very helpful thoughts. I've not got to grips at all with the Pseudonym idea (strategically i mean, i know what it is but just hadn't worked out if / how it could help!)

 

In answer to your first question, i do genuinely think there is a chance that a pic of the FCA headquarters being built might be needed to illustrate a story at some point in the next year or so. It's the "headline act" of a major new post-Olympic regeneration in London, so it's more about that that people wanting to illustrate the FCA as an organisation.

 

I struggle a bit with the quantity vs quality thing. All the images you commented on, except one, were taken on "once in a lifetime" type trips. If i only posted shots of that quality i'd probably be dead before my port hit 100, and I keep being told volume is key...and lots of the contributors here have plenty of "normal" pics in their ports (ie, technically correct, but not obviously of massive interest or anything you'd want to hang on your wall!). So what I'm thinking is, I'll move those shots which are unexciting but quite niche - often they are shots of things locally that i've taken to fill gaps on AoA - into a new Pseudo, and keep the "better" shots on the Pseudo i already use. Unless there's a reason to do it the other way around?! Starting to rock slightly here, the more i think about this the more it starts to feel like figuring out SEO for my other business. Which feels like a neverending road to insanity whenever i engage with it

 

I'm sorry to be clueless but you've lost me a little on the last part - what is stemming? How should I check for it in AoA?

 

thanks again

[Colblimp]

Excuse me if I appear dim, but what's the benefit of having more than one pseudo? Surely if all one's sales come from the one pseudo, then that pseudo will be higher up the rankings? I'm a bit confused...

[Ace]

Excuse me if I appear dim, but what's the benefit of having more than one pseudo? Surely if all one's sales come from the one pseudo, then that pseudo will be higher up the rankings? I'm a bit confused...

 

I'm not sure of the benefits either.

But first two years had 5 different pseudos (different countries visited, styles etc) and only sold out of one main one.

Year three moved them all into one and then started selling well across the whole range.

Am sure someone wiser than me will come explain the benefits but having just one is working very well so far this year.

Sales doubled, income doubled, zooms have increased since.

[Ace]

 

Excuse me if I appear dim, but what's the benefit of having more than one pseudo? Surely if all one's sales come from the one pseudo, then that pseudo will be higher up the rankings? I'm a bit confused...

 

Double post, sorry.