My first year on Alamy

[RedSnapper]

Wim wanted Eamon McCabe?

 

here he is.. in Aberystwyth..of course

 

[Betty LaRue]

Stemming is when your keyword "house" brings your image up in a search for houses, or housing. Alamy doesn't use stemming. If you want those, you need to physically add them. House,houses,housing, bird, birds, perch,perched,perching.

 

Sometimes a searcher will keyword search "dogs" while only really wanting an image of one dog. Cover your bases.

[wiskerke]

Wim wanted Eamon McCabe?

 

here he is.. in Aberystwyth..of course

 

 

Thank you! I did not check the collection at all. (Hangs head in shame.)

 

wim

[wiskerke]

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...

 

> a separate pseudo for subjects that may cause unwanted views

- that could drag your CTR down.

 

Not sure if all this matters with the new search engine.

Under the old one, sales would trump all. So CTR would only be of consequence if one had no sales and lots of unwanted views.

In that case a separate pseudo was of help.

 

wim

[AlessandraRC]

I created two pseudonyms because I wanted to separate RM from RF and be organized. It works, sometimes I find an image with a wrong license and can more easily take care of it. 

[Bill Brooks]

I created only two pseudos. Both my real name.

 

One is “William Brooks” for images that I really like. CTR is usually about 13 points above Alamy average.

 

http://www.alamy.com/search/imageresults.aspx?pseudoid=%7BEF3BB98F-E6B3-4D55-A9C3-A07D8D857D45%7D&name=William+Brooks&st=11&mode=0&comp=1&ps=100&pn=1&cbstore=0#BHM=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D11%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3D%26qt_raw%3D%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3DWilliam%252BBrooks%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%7BEF3BB98F-E6B3-4D55-A9C3-A07D8D857D45%7D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D0%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D0%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D%26ps%3D100%26pn%3D1%26cbstore%3D0

The second pseudo is “Bill Brooks” for images that I think are worthy and will be useful to a client, but do not blow me away. I do NOT consider this pseudo a collection of junk. CTR is usually about 2 points above Alamy average.

 

http://www.alamy.com/search/imageresults.aspx?pseudoid=%7b0F000868-0572-47D0-B17D-53CD7C60460C%7d&name=Bill+Brooks&st=11&mode=0&comp=1&ps=100&pn=1&cbstore=0#BHM=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D11%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3D%26qt_raw%3D%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3DBill%252BBrooks%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%7B0F000868-0572-47D0-B17D-53CD7C60460C%7D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D0%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D0%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D%26ps%3D100%26pn%3D1%26cbstore%3D0

 

These two pseudos, in tandem, always raise my overall CTR at Alamy.

 

I use my real name because I want to promote my name at Alamy, and in the credits when published, and elsewhere. As a freelance photographer you need exposure. Using a pseudo that does not identify you, is of no value to your brand. AlessandraRCstock or AlessandraRC does not identify you as a person or a company. When I meet potential photography clients I want them to say. “Bill Brooks, we have been buying your stock photography for years. Nice to meet the face behind the camera” or “William Brooks, saw your credit in the newspaper yesterday. We like your images and decided to look you up” If you are concerned about creepy people, then use your gender neutral last name as a pseudo. 

 

I do not believe in many pseudos for sales tracking or distinguishing style, because I think it dilutes your brand. Use an identifying name pseudo in all of your business dealings. For instance my photography company was registered as “Bill Brooks Photography Ltd.” Promote your real, not a pseudo.

 

Stop unwanted views through correct keywording. AlessandraRC (whoever you are) your keywording looks fine to me. There is some very good keywording advice here http://www.alamy.com/blog/alamykeywording

Some Alamy photographers think some of this advice is out of date. I do not because my original keywording since 2004 seems to have been automatically amended correctly by Alamy to conform with the new system. My position in search seems to have remained the same or better.

 

I have used standard industry keywording protocol. When keywording think like a client doing a search. Would the client buy that image because there is a small insignificant dog in the background? Probably not, so do not use “dog” in that case. If the dog was prominent enough would a client ever use a keyword like “beautiful” probably not. Would a client ever use a keyword like “friendly” probably.

 

Use lightroom or Bridge to keyword directly into the image itself before submitting to Alamy or anyone else. In Bridge or Lightroom separate keywords by either a ; or a , plus a space in bridge or lightroom. Enclose multiple word keyword phrases in quotes like this place name “big bear canyon”.

 

Bill or William Brooks take your pick.

 

Edit: Made first link work properly

[Bella]

I started here in March but I'm still a little uncertain about RF or RM. If I submit as RM to Alamy I can't submit anywhere else, is that right? But I can submit images from the same shoot as either RF or RM and the RF ones are okay to submit elsewhere? Exclusive to Alamy can't have images from the same shoot submitted elsewhere? Sorry if this is elsewhere for me to read but I still need to get it straight and make sure I'm doing the right thing.

[Ed Rooney]

Bella, the general rule is you can submit RF or RM images to both Alamy and other agencies, but you must do both under the same license. Clear? You can not submit the same image as RM at Alamy and RF at some other agency. 

[Bella]

Thanks Ed! I know some agencies use RM but (correct me if I'm wrong) don't most only have a choice between RF or Editorial? I believe Editorial and RM aren't the same. I can't submit as editorial elsewhere and RM on Alamy is that right?

[Ed Rooney]

I only submit to Alamy.

[Cryptoprocta]

Thanks Ed! I know some agencies use RM but (correct me if I'm wrong) don't most only have a choice between RF or Editorial? I believe Editorial and RM aren't the same. I can't submit as editorial elsewhere and RM on Alamy is that right?

You can't submit Editorials which you sell as RF elsewhere as RM on Alamy.

You can submit editorials which you sell as RM elsewhere as RM on Alamy.

 

Editorial and RM aren't the same.

Editorial is a type of usage (can't be used commercially).

RF is a type of licence (and RM is a different type).

 

Word is there will be RF editorial on Alamy soon, sadly.

[Bella]

Thanks again Ed and also Cryptoprocta.

 

I think/hope I have it all sorted now.

[AlessandraRC]

Thanks Bill Brooks whoever you are.

 

 

 

Stop unwanted views through correct keywording. AlessandraRC (whoever you are) your keywording looks fine to me.