Google Image Search thumbnails

[hotbrightsky]

I've noticed that Alamy's profile on Google Image Search has improved in recent years, but why when I click on thumbnails showing my own stock images am I directed to a generic Alamy search results page where the corresponding image is not visible? Essentially our work is being used to sell other people's photos. Why?

[spacecadet]

I find that some of the click-throughs go to a generic search term, but there's usually one that leads straight to my own image as well.

[gvallee]

Not exactly the same problem but similar.

 

I do report in the 'Have you found Alamy images' thread. 

The way I do it is by using an image reverse search. Google does find the image on Alamy and shows me the Alamy ID.

I then go to Alamy, key it in the search and I get.... 'Image does not exist'. This has happened time and again.

 

To start with I thought that the image had been deleted, although some were very recent, a G letter.

But it has happened so often that the only explanation I can think of is that I am not allowed to see all the images? 

 

Any ideas?

 

Gen

[wiskerke]

Not exactly the same problem but similar.

 

I do report in the 'Have you found Alamy images' thread. 

The way I do it is by using an image reverse search. Google does find the image on Alamy and shows me the Alamy ID.

I then go to Alamy, key it in the search and I get.... 'Image does not exist'. This has happened time and again.

 

To start with I thought that the image had been deleted, although some were very recent, a G letter.

But it has happened so often that the only explanation I can think of is that I am not allowed to see all the images? 

 

Any ideas?

 

Gen

 

Usually that means the contributor has placed a regional restriction on the images.

Look die Bildagentur is invisible to me.

 

wim

[hotbrightsky]

I don't think it's a "search engine thing". I think Alamy is deliberately gaming the system at individual photographers' expense. If people click on my image in search results I expect them to land on my image page with my attribution shown. This is an important image security feature which prevents images from becoming 'orphaned'. Alamy is undermining our collective copyright.

[M.Chapman]

Something's definitely changed here. Google reverse image search correctly finds a thumbnail of my image. When I click on the thumbnail it shows me an enlarged version of my image (good), but with a mixed up captions (bold text is not my caption, but the one in smaller font is). See example here. If click on the link, it takes me to somebody else's Alamy image. I'm not sure if this is a fault in Google reverse image search, or in Alamy.

 

This is not good - I think it used to work.

 

Edit - further checking shows that my image does appear on the linked page, but in the "similar stock photos" section further down the page. So Google image search is working correctly (my image is on that page). Maybe this is an (unintended) consequence of how Alamy is presenting these pages (with the "similar stock photos" they contain) to the search engine?