Alamy - The Challenge - DPChallenge Forums

06/08/2006 12:24:14 PM · #826

Originally posted by mcmurma:

Hi All,

Does anyone know for sure if Alamy will be requiring JPEG for ALL submissions, or is it just the uploaded ones? (I tried to read through the thread to find this, could not. My apologies if it was discussed.)

The reason I ask is that I have a number of files that are about ready to get burned and sent, and if there is no need to convert them to JPEG, I won't. Besides, just to have HQ copies of the exact files I send, I will probably continue to keep my images in either TIFF or PSD format before converting to JPEG and submitting.

Also, I'm currently with Alamy, Acclaim, MyLoupe, and I even have a couple at PhotographersDirect. And I would like to know if anyone has sold anything at MyLoupe or PhotographersDirect -- Ever. I have had about 100 images with MyLoupe for 8 months or so, nothing. Not even a nibble. At least I had two proposed purchses for RM images at Acclaim -- but the sales fell through.

So, since I have had a couple of sales through Alamy, and since this is part-time gig for me anyway, I was considering pulling all other images at all other sites and doing them exlusively just for the ease and convenience. Besides, it seems no one sells anything at MyLoupe, or PD, and I have to wonder why I even bother keeping images there. Sure its not costing anything $ wise to let them sit, but it ain't helping either. And it takes a lot of time and effort to get stuff posted to these places on the front end, even if the images are largely prepared already.

Anyway, just some random thoughts and questions for those doing stock.

Regards,

-Michael

I've sold 2 images at PD, but I responded to specific requests

06/08/2006 12:31:14 PM · #827

I was chatting to an Alamy staff member recently and yes they will be scrapping postal submissions but not immediately - they intend to run both systems along side each other for the foreseeable.

What is more surprising to me is that they will be scrapping TIFFS completely too - I appreciate that this is driven by download times but apparently even now they simply take the TIFF submissions and save them out as JPEGS anyway - and that's how they provide them to clients. I hadn't realised that at all...

We had an interesting chat about the issues they are going to face having to now look out for compression artifacts as well as all the other quality issues!

06/08/2006 12:54:17 PM · #828

Originally posted by maggieddd:

Originally posted by mcmurma:
Hi All,

Does anyone know for sure if Alamy will be requiring JPEG for ALL submissions, or is it just the uploaded ones? (I tried to read through the thread to find this, could not. My apologies if it was discussed.)

The reason I ask is that I have a number of files that are about ready to get burned and sent, and if there is no need to convert them to JPEG, I won't. Besides, just to have HQ copies of the exact files I send, I will probably continue to keep my images in either TIFF or PSD format before converting to JPEG and submitting.

Also, I'm currently with Alamy, Acclaim, MyLoupe, and I even have a couple at PhotographersDirect. And I would like to know if anyone has sold anything at MyLoupe or PhotographersDirect -- Ever. I have had about 100 images with MyLoupe for 8 months or so, nothing. Not even a nibble. At least I had two proposed purchses for RM images at Acclaim -- but the sales fell through.

So, since I have had a couple of sales through Alamy, and since this is part-time gig for me anyway, I was considering pulling all other images at all other sites and doing them exlusively just for the ease and convenience. Besides, it seems no one sells anything at MyLoupe, or PD, and I have to wonder why I even bother keeping images there. Sure its not costing anything $ wise to let them sit, but it ain't helping either. And it takes a lot of time and effort to get stuff posted to these places on the front end, even if the images are largely prepared already.

Anyway, just some random thoughts and questions for those doing stock.

Regards,

-Michael

I've sold 2 images at PD, but I responded to specific requests

Well I also had never talked to anyone who had sold any at MyLoupe. Well a couple of weeks ago I SOLD ONE AT MYLOUPE!!!

Right before I sold it I was in Salt Lake City and stopped by Stock Solutions, a partner with MyLoupe. I talked to him for quite a while. They are trying hard to get the word out and sales are slowly coming but as a new company they have to gain the reputation to compete with the Alamy's. I also was discouraged but with a sale of $175 decided to keep trying. Indeed their sales are not impresive yet, far lower than I expected them to be. I think the guys at Myloupe and Stock Solutions are pretty good guys who are trying to suceed. Oh ya, I had over a 1000 pics at Myloupe to make the first sale. My first Alamy sale I only had about 250 on line.

Looking forward to on-line publishing at Alamy too.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

06/08/2006 01:52:21 PM · #829

Thx everyone for the update on the Alamy formats. Like everyone else I hope they get that upload system online soon!

And the bit on MyLoupe is good to know Phantom. Congrats! I believe you are the first (maybe second) person I have ever talked to that had a sale there. I also believe they may have potential one day, but right now their muti-image requirements are a HUGE pita to prepare, even when scripted. Still considering what to do there.

But, since I literally only had two images with PD, and was not inclined to pursue them further (I don't try to answer requests) I went ahead and pulled those images this morning. Now I'm left to decide what to do with regards to Acclaim. I'm pretty sure I can make sales there if I keep plugging, but that 50 percent commission rate is a bummer. Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

Thx all for your help,

-Michael

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

06/08/2006 03:08:07 PM · #830

Originally posted by PhantomEWO:

... Oh ya, I had over a 1000 pics at Myloupe to make the first sale. My first Alamy sale I only had about 250 on line.

Now that stat makes me wonder just how that dollars per picture-posted/month ratio compares with microstock after all ... if you have those 1000 pictures posted for 6 months to get a $175 sale, that works out to about 2.9 cents/picture/month, or about 1/3 of what I average at Shutterstock, and I don't do very well over there.

06/08/2006 03:54:57 PM · #831

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
... Oh ya, I had over a 1000 pics at Myloupe to make the first sale. My first Alamy sale I only had about 250 on line.

Now that stat makes me wonder just how that dollars per picture-posted/month ratio compares with microstock after all ... if you have those 1000 pictures posted for 6 months to get a $175 sale, that works out to about 2.9 cents/picture/month, or about 1/3 of what I average at Shutterstock, and I don't do very well over there.

At this point I would have to agree

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

06/08/2006 03:57:02 PM · #832

Originally posted by mcmurma:

MyLoupe just changed their requirement. Only one picture needed, the large size in JPG at "9" quality. So an 8x12 JPG to MyLoupe is only about 2.5Mb. The requirement for the small one is no longer needed.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

06/08/2006 03:58:12 PM · #833

Originally posted by PhantomEWO:

At this point I would have to agree

Hopefully you'll be able to change your tune when the downloads pick up to one or two/month!

06/08/2006 04:00:21 PM · #834

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by PhantomEWO:
At this point I would have to agree

Hopefully you'll be able to change your tune when the downloads pick up to one or two/month!

Fingers crossed, I hope they do. With Alamy at millions of photos, and many photogs are given favorite position in the search, it would be easier to be found at Myloupe, they just need more buyers.

roseha

Nikon D70

06/08/2006 10:29:49 PM · #835

For anyone who is still wondering, I emailed Alamy and asked if they preferred that I send Jpegs now (and told them I used Photoshop 6). Here is their reply:

Hi,

Please note that we do accept JPEG at level 12 setting as of
now. Your images must be saved at the highest quality setting. They must
be at least 48Mb once uncompressed (opened). We are not concerned with
the compressed filesize.

As an example, if producing Tiffs, your images should be at
least 48 MB prior to saving as a jpeg. The resultant jpeg file, as
guidance, is likely to be between 2 and 10Mb compressed. When
uncompressed, the file will revert back to 48 MB.

I hope this clarifies things for you.

Roseha

06/08/2006 10:33:18 PM · #836

Thx again Phantom. I'm glad they changed that requirement, it sure didn't make any sense to me why they would do that. I mean, if you have the larger one, then resize it!

Now, I do have one last question for the Alamy vets that have received checks already... Do you ever get to find out any information on who purchased your photos? I am due a check next month, and I am wondering if this info will be included. Any info on who purchased it would be great.

Thanks,

-Michael

06/08/2006 11:38:21 PM · #837

Originally posted by mcmurma:

one the last one I sold at Alamy it was a "L". On the web site I was able to see that it was to be used in Greece, a travel magazine, inside and a print of 25,000 for one week and gave the dates. It did not say the actual company.

In Myloupe for a RF image it showed the name of the person, company and address.

So it looks like both give a pretty good idea. I'de kinda like to see my pic in the Greek magazine but don't have enough info to find it.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

06/08/2006 11:51:37 PM · #838

Hmm. My pics were all RF, and I havn't been privy to any info about the sale.

Did you not get the info on your sale until after you were paid, or did it show up once the sale was made?

-Michael

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

06/08/2006 11:53:26 PM · #839

Originally posted by GeneralE:

What is "good"? I hear $1 bandied about quite a bit. Is that the rule of thumb for good regardless of micro/macro or does it just apply to one or the other?

06/09/2006 12:21:51 AM · #840

Originally posted by mcmurma:

Hmm. My pics were all RF, and I havn't been privy to any info about the sale.

Did you not get the info on your sale until after you were paid, or did it show up once the sale was made?

-Michael

The info was immediately available on-line but like I said RM or L sale. Not sure how RF works. Also I believe Alamy has a minimum payout of $250. So that normally takes a number of sales before you get paid.

Goodluck.

06/09/2006 12:46:46 AM · #841

Thx again Phantom. I have hit the payout number, but with RF it seems there is no buyer information.

Darn. Now I'm really hoping my Mother didn't buy those pics :P

Thx,

-Michael

06/09/2006 04:39:31 AM · #842

Somewhere in their pages of info and guidelines is a passage about why they do not provide more information on the customer and publication in which your image appears.

Alamy used to provide specifics but, despite rules against it, photographers would insist on contacting the customer and asking for one or more copy of the publication for their portfolio etc. etc. Whilst as a photographer this is understandable many customers were apparently not happy about it - at the end of the day they wanted to be able to buy the rights to use a photograph without the encumbrance (as some saw it) of dealing with the photographer and his/ her demands. It may not sound like a big deal to ask for a copy of the publication, especially if you offer to pay for it, but imagine if the photographer of every image used made the same demands - the cost to the customer simply to pay for personnel to handle all of this would be significant let alone the time. May sound harsh but at the end of the day they are the customers. And it seems that since photographers simply ignored Alamy's instructions against contacting the customer directly they had to stop giving out the information at all.

PS Our one sale was on L basis and we received basic info about the category of publication, the distribution numbers and region and the size at which the image would be used. That's it.

Message edited by author 2006-06-09 04:40:34.

06/09/2006 10:27:49 AM · #843

Thx Kavey.

AhHa! With RF usuage wouldn't make two beans 'cause the sales figure is based on file size (and you get file size info with RF sales).

With L, the sales price is also based on usage, so getting the cursory info on category, region and distribution in addition to the size makes perfect sense.

It's also understandable why they don't dole this info out. I could see it being a hassle for the buyers.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

06/26/2006 09:57:18 PM · #844

Gee, seems I'm the lone poster to this thread lately :)

Anywho... I was hoping maybe Kavey or one of the other Alamy vets could help me out with a quick question.

There are a number of my Licensed images (approx 50 of them) that I would like to delete from their system. Later, once they have been removed, I would like to resubmit them as RF images. (Which is how I should have marketed them in the first place.)

Do they frown on this kind of thing. Or even allow it?

Also, as I understand it, for any images I wish to remove I must give 180 days notice. Do I just tick the checkbox that says "Tick to request deletion?" Then, in 180 days, do my images simply dissapear?

Anyone know offhand?

Regards,

Michael

briphoto

Nikon D700

06/28/2006 08:38:04 PM · #845

"There are a number of my Licensed images (approx 50 of them) that I would like to delete from their system. Later, once they have been removed, I would like to resubmit them as RF images. (Which is how I should have marketed them in the first place.)

Do they frown on this kind of thing. Or even allow it? "

That is the same as not being allowed to change the way an image is licensed. Maybe you will get away with it, but if they know, or have a way to keep track, it's not allowed. I quote from Alamys site on "Choosing a licence..."

"Once you have decided on a licence type for an image, it will remain licenced as such for the lifetime of the image on Alamy. This is in order to maintain the integrity of Alamy's rights checking system. If your images have been selected by our clients, and either placed in their shopping carts or lightboxes, changing licence types would confuse the customer, and more importantly may lead to a licensing conflict if the image had previously sold."

Mary Ann Melton

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 EX APO IF HSM for Canon

06/29/2006 10:26:15 AM · #846

Actually - if your licenced image has NOT sold sometimes it is possible to email them and move it to RF.

I sent them an email requesting this change - and since none of mine had sold, they made the change without me having to go through the process of deleting and resubmitting.

06/29/2006 11:05:56 AM · #847

Thank you both.

Brian, I did read the users agreement... many times, but when you get to be my age you eventually learn that whats written down in a contract or an agreement is always subject to negotiation.

So I wrote to Alamy, and, like Mary Ann noted, since none of the images in question had sold, they were pleased to help me make the switch without deleting and resubmitting. Too easy.

Regards,

Michael

06/29/2006 11:07:24 AM · #848

McMurma, I have no idea having never put any of my Alamy ones into RF but I would imagine, as Mary Ann suggests, that they may be willing to move them if they haven't yet had any sales on them.

Best advice would be to contact directly... one can only ask!

06/30/2006 05:16:57 AM · #849

We just made our second Alamy sale (yesterday)!

It's actually on the same image that we sold before (one of Pete's iceberg shots from Antarctica) and as the size/ placement is the same we think it's actually for the same book but in translation into French - the first licence was for "World English Language" and this one is for "French Speaking Countries" (and has generated a smaller amount).

Slightly annoyingly, our payment from the previous sale (made on 20 February) only just came through this week and the second sale is not for a high enough amount on it's own to merit payment. So we'll have to wait for another sale (perhaps one of mine, would be nice!) to receive payment on that one.