Author Topic: Donate Free Images? Is it good ? (Read 21417 times)

GavinvdM · « **Reply #25 on:** October 27, 2009, 01:08 »

Quote from: holgs on October 26, 2009, 19:33

Perfect for giving the agencies free exposure and traffic that you won't get anything in return for.

If you want to give away free images, why not do it from your own website?

Agree with you 100% here Holgs.
Free images can only kill the industry. As the quality of microstock rises so does the rejection rates of good pics and illustrations. I just saw some really good but basic illustrations on Dreamstime for free!! So the more good pics are added to the free galleries. You can download now for free good images you would have needed to pay for 3 years ago!

Dan · « **Reply #26 on:** October 27, 2009, 13:29 »

Quote from: Kngkyle on October 21, 2009, 19:18

The only site that you should even consider putting images for free is Fotolia. At least they give you 50 cents for every file you offer for free. So if you have really old crappy files that never sell, you have little to lose.

Have just a couple there. Never recieve 1 cent much less 50 cent for them!!

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #27 on:** October 27, 2009, 14:28 »

I've asked elsewhere but need to ask it here...

Does giving an image away ... or placing it in a Free Database ... make it Public Domain? Are you giving away the copyright?

lisafx · « **Reply #28 on:** October 27, 2009, 15:43 »

Quote from: WarrenPrice on October 27, 2009, 14:28

Does giving an image away ... or placing it in a Free Database ... make it Public Domain? Are you giving away the copyright?

No, you still own the copyright. And the buyer is still supposed to abide by the agency's license agreement. They just don't have to pay the royalty.

Not that I am endorsing giving away images one way or the other. The type of buyers who are going after freebies may or may not have a clue about copyright of license agreements, but at least theoretically you are covered.

mwp1969 · « **Reply #29 on:** October 27, 2009, 21:20 »

No signs of traffic increase at 123rf after testing "donate" feature for a couple of periods of a few days only on about 30 images. Several images were downloaded 4-8 times. Now that I've taken them off the program only time will tell if there is any additional exposure to them or my portfolio.

Traffic has been quite slow there so it was worth a shot. I make more at MostPhotos at midstock prices even with their slow sales than I do at 123rf so it was worth a try to try and stimulate sales there.

123rf has a very easy upload process and they have a pretty good approval to upload ratio so I will continue to upload to their site.

-Mark

To answer the question regarding donating through our website ... I have donated prints and images to charities for silent auctions and such in the past for the advertising value. Trying 123rf's donate feature is merely an experiement to attempt to confirm some of the claims on their website:

"What are the benefits of donating? Expect a huge increase in your portfolio exposure! Increase your sales, (oh yea), as much as 40% to 2800%!! Sell higher resolution images!"

Jury is still out ... Only time will tell.

Jack Schiffer · « **Reply #30 on:** October 28, 2009, 06:18 »

Dreamtime notified me yesterday that I have photos from 2004 that haven't sold.
So the two options that I have is delete or donate since stock photography is a numbers game I chose to donate. Maybe I will get sales out of this?
I don't think so. Only under these circumstances that I would ever donate.

travelstock · « **Reply #31 on:** October 28, 2009, 18:37 »

Quote from: Jack Schiffer on October 28, 2009, 06:18

Dreamtime notified me yesterday that I have photos from 2004 that haven't sold.
So the two options that I have is delete or donate since stock photography is a numbers game I chose to donate. Maybe I will get sales out of this?
I don't think so. Only under these circumstances that I would ever donate.

I'm starting to think that this move has nothing to do with "cleaning the database" and everything to do with building DTs offerings of free images to compete with Fotolia, seeing as they've also been putting pressure on people to donate images.

I had some free images on Fotolia right at the beginning too - about 10 images - somehow those images managed to get over 900 downloads, which was far more than the rest of my portfolio over the same time. Removing the free images seemed to be a real problem - they seemed to keep popping up even after I deleted them a few times.

leszek · « **Reply #32 on:** October 28, 2009, 20:26 »

Alternatively - why not work for free ? Employers would love to have a pick at an army of volunteers who would do the job in exchange for...what ? A pat on the back ? Prices on microstock are already nothing short of being ridiculous. You get 30% of the selling price, then pay the tax, then subtract your costs...how much per image do you earn, as a percentage of the sale price ? 5% ? 10% ?

gostwyck · « **Reply #33 on:** October 28, 2009, 20:38 »

Quote from: holgs on October 28, 2009, 18:37

I'm starting to think that this move has nothing to do with "cleaning the database" and everything to do with building DTs offerings of free images to compete with Fotolia, seeing as they've also been putting pressure on people to donate images.

Very good point Holgs. I've got to say I'm disappointed with DT for trying to pull a fast one like this __ to say the least.

rene · « **Reply #34 on:** October 28, 2009, 21:34 »

Donating free images is not good for contributors.

melastmohican · « **Reply #35 on:** October 28, 2009, 22:39 »

Can we once and for all say that there is no proof for agencies claims that it is beneficial for contributors. Stick it somewhere on the top of this forum so there will be no questions asked again? Maybe there are lawyers here who come up with class action suit against agencies that are laying to contributors about it?

mwp1969 · « **Reply #36 on:** October 28, 2009, 23:12 »

Quote from: melastmohican on October 28, 2009, 22:39

Can we once and for all say that there is no proof for agencies claims that it is beneficial for contributors. Stick it somewhere on the top of this forum so there will be no questions asked again? Maybe there are lawyers here who come up with class action suit against agencies that are laying to contributors about it?

Especially after 123rf's statement: "What are the benefits of donating? Expect a huge increase in your portfolio exposure! Increase your sales, (oh yea), as much as 40% to 2800%!! Sell higher resolution images!" since no one has been able to come up with any proof after various tests ...

I would love to be wrong and have my sales explode ... but I won't hold my breath

-Mark

Fred · « **Reply #37 on:** October 29, 2009, 06:48 »

Quote from: Jack Schiffer on October 28, 2009, 06:18

Dreamtime notified me yesterday that I have photos from 2004 that haven't sold.
So the two options that I have is delete or donate since stock photography is a numbers game I chose to donate. Maybe I will get sales out of this?
I don't think so. Only under these circumstances that I would ever donate.

Most of us have images at multiple sites. It seems suicidal to donate an image at one site while you are trying to sell it at another. The way images sell - some sell at some sites and not at others - means that if you do this at alot of sites you could eventually end up with a significant part of your portfolio being free somewhere on the net . Users could just find an image they like and then use tineye to see if it is in some free archive on another site before buying it.

Donating is a lose lose situation. Do not do it.

fred