Stock Library sale

[Dug]

OK I sell on http://www.alamy.com in the UK it is worth having a look at I have just over 10,000 images but they will accept work from most photographers if the quality of the image is good enough.

They judge on image quality NOT content!

My wife Margo has sold 2 images this month

strangley enough both are of me

I could understand as the first one I had a balaclava over my head and was glaring angrily at the camera.

the second sale has me a bit upset, fine I am to be on the front cover of a book unfortunatly it is a book about ancient historic sites!

Honestly I did not think I looked that old!!!!!!!

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography- ... &go=1&a=-1

I'm only 49 ish.................

[Glen]

Dug, nice shot but I laugh about the intended use. They must mean you look scholarly

[Raskill]

What do you get (roughfigures) for each image they sell??? Is it better that shutterstock.com (20 cents per image)??

[redline]

so for 20cents they get an image with free regin to use it on what ever they want?

[Raskill]

My understanding is that once the image is purchased from shutterstock the purchuser can use the image for what ever they feel like. They do not own the copyright though.

[Dug]

Payments vary depending on license (Royalty free, Licensed or Rights protected) and on the intended usage.

I have got as little as $30US for a shot, up to $1,000+US

Some images on the site have sold for around $20,000US but that is not common.

It is nice pocket money it keeps me out of the pubs at night and everything is a tax deduction especially shooting trips to get images

the downside is the many hours spent keywording every image

the good news is you are selling to a world market

I have exported photos of a Queensland Viking to Denmark and Sweden!!

that was cool.


have a read of the introduction to the site and welcome to photographers. there is no way I'm selling my shots for 20c!!!

cheers doug

[Oneputt]

I've seen you Doug. You look almost as old as me

[MHD]

Shutterstock provides a limited run royalty free licence (100K I think)

But you do much much higher volume sales at SS, it is a totally different model...

I have sold 352 images...

sigh better sprook again (I get referals for this... I get 3c for every photo you sell )
http://submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=3356

and my gallery:
http://shutterstock.com/gallery.mhtml?id=3356

[Zeeke]

Going through the pages on my screen earlier today.. to show my old man a CGI video of toads talking about loosing there friend Daz http://www.cane-toad.com/movie.php

my email proggy popped up with a pic of Dug (the one he's showing here) and my old man goes "Who the ***** is that?" and i go "its Doug.. your friendly neighbourhood photographer" and he goes "sh** he looks old"

Sorry mate.. it is a top pic tho.. we can see Margo has all the skill in your household *hides*

Look forward to catching up soon..

Tim
p.s. check out the video if ya want a good laugh.. well worth the download!

[thaddeus]

Dug, you've really piqued my interest in this! I take a lot of aerial photos and get inquiries to licence them about once a month. I usually decline because it simply too much hassle, but this looks like a good solution. I shall investigate further! Thanks for the link!

[Heath Bennett]

Thank you very much Dug. I'm very keen to look into this.

[thaddeus]

I have sold 352 images...

So that's 352 * 20 cents = $70?

[marcotrov]

Thank you Dug for the information. Very useful indeed. Lovely images in your portfolio. What gear are you using to submit images to Alamy?

You have obviously spent a great number of hours entering images. How long does it take you on average per image and do they send you briefs at all or do you decide totally what topic/content/concepts you submit?

cheers
marco

[Zeeke]

I Also have images at Alamy.com after a bit of help from Dug, but ive been a lazy bugger and havent keyworded 70 of them yet.. get around to that today hopefully..

All the categories and keywording is done by you, you submit your images via DVD or CD.. 45meg is minimum size.. not hard when you save as tiff.. but they also have to be 8bit images.. which really crunches the size down.. so if your using a d70.. you do have to do a lil bit of interpolation to up the image size...

As for Dug.. i know he uses a D70 and D70s for his Alamy images, but he used to be old school and use film, have it processed, then scannned.. then burn onto dvd.. then sent it in.. once your DVD/cd has arrived.. it takes about 2/4 weeks to get processed and placed on the site, then its time for you to do keywording...

Alamy has 2 plans setup.. one where they take 35% comission but dont charge any hosting.. and one where they take 25% commission and charge you monthly hosting fee's for each image you have up..

Hope that helps

Tim
p.s this is a link to my alamy images
<a href="http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography-contrib-browse.asp?cid={059F8505-168E-4F9E-AD62-113E58262FF2}&name=Tim+Williams">Stock photography by Tim Williams at Alamy

[marcotrov]

Thanks Tim, it does help. Which way have you gone with commission? or Which way do you recommend? Have you had many sales?

marco

[Zeeke]

Unfortunately im a sales virgin... i dont have 7000 images on Alamy like Dug

Dug recommended i go with the 35% commission.. and then you dont pay for hosting fees.. and it does make sense.. after all.. your images could be sitting there for months before they are sold.. the 35% comission works out cheaper.. so.. for anyone else.. id recommend the same

Tim
p.s. hope to make a sale soon!

[marcotrov]

Thank you Tim. Most helpful. I might give it a go.
marco

[Dug]

Thank Tim you know I hate writing


You decide the content entirely they do send a bi monthly update and information email with suggestions but I work on the theory well everyone reads that so I will cover something different.

Unlike Corbis or Getty they do not edit content so designers can find a much wider range of images on the site. I have sold stuff that other libraries would have laughed at if I had submitted them several shots that have sold I would have chucked in the waste bin!!! but someone wanted them and would pay for them you never know.

I have my computer set next to the TV and work most evenings either processing images or keywording, normally 3 or 4 hours per night.

I have done this since 2002 so you have to be a bit dedicated but I look at it I am going to be sitting here watching crappy TV I may as well be making some money from it.

I now have just under 10,000 images and if I stop now they will keep producing an income as long as the site is there it also gives me a great incentive to commit photography as there is a financial reason to have ideas and photograph them.

It may not be for everyone but it works for me

[marcotrov]

Thanks Dug
Sounds like you have put in extraordinary amount of time. Also sounds like the keywording and image processing are the biggest occupiers of that time.

I hope you don't mind but with all your experience have you suggestions or tips for both keywording procedure and post image processing?

I hear they don't want any sharpening of images for example. Have you a processing regime you know works and I know that depends on the type of image but something you do as a matter of course regardless of image type, for example apply a little gentle s curves adjustment layer etc?
What is your preferred method of upsampling/interpolating to get them up to image sizes they require given you shoot with the D70?

Sorry about all the questions but any help/advice would be appreciated.
marco

[Dug]

I just keep pressing the buttons!

I have a system set up by some computer literate friends. I do minimal manipulations. I work on the theory there are much more skilled people out there to do that.

Basically open the image, adjust the curves, add saturation if required, check for dust, close, then batch interpolate in photoshop, burn to DVD and post.

Keywording I sit here asking Margo How do you spell .......?????

keywording is like doing crosswords in reverse!

When I get burnt out I go to areas like DSLR or Ausfish and refresh the grey matter.

[Dug]

My theory is the bigger Alamy becomes the more secure and more used it will be and the more money I will make.

[Heath Bennett]

Thanks very much Dug, appreciate your time mate.

[Dug]

If you do go out there, let me know how you go OK?

cheers doug

[beetleboy]

Hey Dug..

Great to hear that money can be made out of Alamy! I've been with them for a while now and haven't sold anything....but I only have 12 photos so methinks I have some work to do! I'm actually in the process of submitting another 210 from Africa earlier this year (plus a few randoms from oz) so i can't wait to sit in front of the tube and start keywording!!

Liam