iStock

[DogHeadGod]

BIG changes planned for iStock and lots and lots of unhappy contributers... to the extent they have now locked the thread.

I have stuff available on the site, but I haven't uploaded or sold anything for ages, but was planning to start again soon. I'll need to wait and see how it pans out.

Anybody else affected?

[candleman]

wow that sux.
fortunatley i havn't wasted time on that site.
i got burnt with the Photoshelter collapse though.

personally.. i'd pull out and go somewhere else.

[DogHeadGod]

Originally Posted by candleman

i got burnt with the Photoshelter collapse though.

personally.. i'd pull out and go somewhere else.

What happened to photoshelter?

I really don't have that much on istock, and I'm a member of a whole bunch of other microstock sites, so once I get going again I'll just focus on them.

[candleman]

they basically started out as a website hostng type company... you sell your own imaes at your own rates through a paid website on their space.

they then opened up something similar to iStock and started building a library of images.
it was only around a year down the track and it closed down.. Getty apparently has a strangle hold on the market, and the photoshelter guys basically didnt realise the complexity of what they started out doing..
the shut down
A Difficult Decision and Refocus - A Picture's Worth | PhotoShelter
and the reflection 1 yera later
Stock Photography is like the Gold Rush. And that didn't end well. - A Picture's Worth | PhotoShelter

i spent DAYS uploading and keywording for that site... sold nothing and it collapsed. FML

[Xposurepro]

yeah I remember when micro was invented a decade ago. Every major microstock agency was developed by hobby photographers who were total newbies and had never made a penny as a real photographer in their lives. It's original purpose was simply as a form of free photo sharing because they thought "Wouldn't it be cool to say my images were used commercially somewhere? ... oh but wait .. my photos suck ... but I bet people will use them if they're FREE!!!!!!!" .. The idea of charging a quarter came later .. then a dollar .. back down to a quarter .. you get the idea.
The whole concept is lame. The companies have never learned to operate on a professional level. They've confused and made up their own laws regarding copyrights and licensing as they go along. So anything stupid an agency does should just be expected.

Microstock has 1 purpose and 1 purpose only in the realm of true professional photography .. generating on-paper tax deductions for your real photography business. LMAO !!!!!!

[DogHeadGod]

Originally Posted by Xposurepro

Microstock has 1 purpose and 1 purpose only in the realm of true professional photography .. generating on-paper tax deductions for your real photography business. LMAO !!!!!!

I think Lise and Yuri would disagree

[Xposurepro]

Originally Posted by DogHeadGod

I think Lise and Yuri would disagree

LMAO !!!! .. seriously ... Yuri first claimed on a forum to make a million a yr but then slipped and admitted only 20% of that was actual profit after expenses. After being laughed at the posts were mysteriously removed. I'm sorry but Yuri is more of a joke in the traditional pro photography world than anything. Personally I believe maybe 5% of the Yuri claims to fame anyway. There's never any proof to back anything up .. just a bunch of claims and hobby shooters passing it on. LOL