Author Topic: DT in trouble? (Read 33257 times)

Lev · « **Reply #50 on:** January 05, 2010, 08:12 »

i've shared my bad experience in "More than usual rejections from Dreamtime" thread. i believe it's all connected a lot.

Eireann · « **Reply #51 on:** January 05, 2010, 10:33 »

@Traveller,
yes.
However they increased prices and changed Image Levels structure to benefit us. And if I remember correctly you too wanted to go exclusive with IS, just like Rene.
I'm beginning to think that this is a common syndrome.
Not to worry though. It (mostly) affects people who want to go exclusive with IS.
6 months is a long time, IS is great and I can understand your frustration.
Best of luck,

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #52 on:** January 05, 2010, 10:44 »

Quote from: Eireann on January 05, 2010, 10:33

@Traveller,
yes.
However they increased prices and changed Image Levels structure to benefit us. And if I remember correctly you too wanted to go exclusive with IS, just like Rene.
I'm beginning to think that this is a common syndrome.
Not to worry though. It (mostly) affects people who want to go exclusive with IS.
6 months is a long time, IS is great and I can understand your frustration.

If you're going to start trying to dismiss people's comments on the basis of their status (regarding wanting to go exclusive or whatever it is makes you see a "common syndrome"), then you open yourself up to similar comments. You have a very small portfolio at DT, you haven't been there long and have a small number of sales. Other people have been with them a long time - i.e. have a lot of experience of their behavior over time vs just the last 6 months - and their perspective could be a result of that.

If I were speculating I'd say you're feeling good about DT at the moment and want to invalidate those who have a different experience and have a negative opinion of them. And that 6 month would have been one year if not for a number of us pushing back hard on DT and stopping uploads when they first proposed the lock...

rene · « **Reply #53 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:09 »

Quote from: Eireann on January 05, 2010, 10:33

However they increased prices and changed Image Levels structure to benefit us. And if I remember correctly you too wanted to go exclusive with IS, just like Rene.
I\'m beginning to think that this is a common syndrome.
Not to worry though. It (mostly) affects people who want to go exclusive with IS.

I had a feeling that something was wrong with me. Now I know, thank you Eireann, that I\'m suffering from \'common IS syndrome\'.
Let\'s be more serious.
In my portfolio almost 90% of images are level 1- it means in 9 cases out of 10 DT get 70% and I get 30% -- HUGE benefit for the agency not for the contributor
Increased prices is not a present. DT benefit from this much more then us. For example if credit value increase 10 cts, 7 goes to DT\'s pocket and only 3 in mine.
So I cannot find one reason to say thank you Dreamstime.

willie · « **Reply #54 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:16 »

earlier i came in here to comment on my UL number , not my approval rating,
which in fact, as opposed to some of you more experienced and more esteemed contributors have in fact increased rather than decreased, and curiously to say, been pretty close to 90 % in the past quarterly. even though my all time average still stands close to 70% due to massive rejection at the beginning of my "career with DT".
am i happy with this? DT rejecting more , of even our esteemed top sellers?
is DT really giving "moi" a newbie with a tiny portfolio (count not even close to 500, lol)as opposed to the rest of the field (count more than 6000), more attention?
or is it because my work is as i indicate in my profile, "not tailor made for stock photography".
to be honest, i am quite chuffed to hear this, actually.

for months on end, i have been writing that microstock is heading close to redundance with everyone copying the great Yuri . and that it's almost impossible to be serious about micro stock for a photographer like myself who came from the old school of shooting photographs for the sake of photography... even though i have been gainfully employed in glamour, fashion, commercial, model portfolio, runway, designers on spec, photo correspondence, etc..

i never really took my insertion into microstock as something permanent nor serious, because quite honestly , i thought it be a joke with everyone claiming to sell the same old same old... and making tons of money.

then now, everyone seems to be complaining that DT is rejecting many of their new uls based on "sorry, we already have too many of these," or "too similar".
i too, had a few of that, not many, from FT , and DT.

i think it's not wrong to agree with DT, if they truly want to remain within the Big 6. you cannot live in a vacuum making the same old same old and expect to be maintaining your income.
buyers change, trend change, your favourite buyer who thought your same old same old was cool and awesome, may also have been laid off during the real stock market correction.
or they have been replaced by younger minds with a new fresh idea of what media should be for the next decade. and they could be the one who will be telling sites to renovate or rethink their idea of what is stock photos.

you know what? i am going to go out on the limb to say, if this is what DT meant when they reject so many en masse , then , hurrah for DT.
it's about time.

i know i am going to make a lot of enemies saying this. but hell, i don't need friends, that i do not already have. and i certainly won't say something just to win friends.

so i repeat, "if DT rejects everyone due to same old same old stuff.
HURRAH! it's about time."

the emperor needs new clothes.

Eireann · « **Reply #55 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:24 »

@Jsnover,
I don't base anything on speculations. I only comment on facts.
It is a fact that (some) artists who want to go exclusive with IS are annoyed at DT's 6 months lock-in. The bashing starts and suddenly nothing about DT is worthy anymore.
I find this questionable and you're not going to change my perception no matter how many times you'll be looking at my portfolio or my status or my stock longevity.
Let's leave my portfolio alone for a moment and go back on Rene's topic.
'DT in trouble?'
Looking on the right I would think most of them are.

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #56 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:31 »

Quote from: Eireann on January 05, 2010, 11:24

@Jsnover,
I don't base anything on speculations. I only comment on facts.
It is a fact that (some) artists who want to go exclusive with IS are annoyed at DT's 6 months lock-in. The bashing starts and suddenly nothing about DT is worthy anymore.
I find this questionable and you're not going to change my perception no matter how many times you'll be looking at my portfolio or my status or my stock longevity.
Let's leave my portfolio alone for a moment and go back on Rene's topic.
'DT in trouble?'
Looking on the right I would think most of them are.

@eireann
when this thread was posted, DT was the only one of the top 6 with a red arrow ... and they had just dropped to 5th place. Yes, there is a lot of red there now. Maybe all of Microstock is in trouble. Or, maybe you have gotten a little too emotional?

Maybe your loyalty will be rewarded. I haven't found that to be the case. I don't even have an IS account ... much less exclusive. I even considered exclusivity at DT ... until Achilles started making it a mandatory part of be "Loyal."
No thanks. I see too much of that "Iron Curtain" attitude to feel comfortable or to depend on ONE agency.

cthoman · « **Reply #57 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:38 »

I like Dreamstime. I think they are a good agency to work with, but I'm worried about them too. I made more in the first half of 2009, than I did in the second with them. They were the only agency that seem to shrink in 2009. Hopefully, they can turn it around in 2010.

willie · « **Reply #58 on:** January 05, 2010, 11:45 »

Quote from: Eireann on January 05, 2010, 11:24

@Jsnover,
I don't base anything on speculations. I only comment on facts.
It is a fact that (some) artists who want to go exclusive with IS are annoyed at DT's 6 months lock-in. The bashing starts and suddenly nothing about DT is worthy anymore.
I find this questionable and you're not going to change my perception no matter how many times you'll be looking at my portfolio or my status or my stock longevity.
Let's leave my portfolio alone for a moment and go back on Rene's topic.
'DT in trouble?'
Looking on the right I would think most of them are.

It is a fact that (some) artists who want to go exclusive with IS are annoyed at DT's 6 months lock-in. The bashing starts and suddenly nothing about DT is worthy anymore.

well spoken Eireann !

everytime someone gets mad because of something related to IS, it seems that we awake a whole closet of skeleton, and we see the sequel to the Curse of the Mummy, or The Reaping.
it takes alot of guts to stand up and still stick to your guns when such things occur.

but objectively speaking, it does appear to be so.
(some) artists who want to go exclusive with IS are annoyed at DT's 6 months lock-in. The bashing starts and suddenly nothing about DT is worthy anymore.

cathyslife · « **Reply #59 on:** January 05, 2010, 12:56 »

Quote

(some) artists who want to go exclusive with IS are annoyed at DT's 6 months lock-in. The bashing starts and suddenly nothing about DT is worthy anymore.

Speaking for myself, I was always annoyed at DT's 6 month lock-in. It has become even more annoying, not because I may be contemplating exclusivity with IS, but because of all of the microstock company's performances over the past 4 years. Way too volatile to be locked in for that long of a period on microstock. And that's about the only thing I can say negative about DT.

Keep in mind that people that are bashing DT now tend to lean towards bashing anyone and anything. And there is a distinct difference between bashing and discussing. I see a lot of discussion going on, I see a lot of speculation, I'm not seeing too much bashing. Maybe I just ignore it now.

ap · « **Reply #60 on:** January 05, 2010, 13:42 »

Quote from: Yuri_Arcurs on January 05, 2010, 07:46

Beside being the only agency in the world that does not allow you to submit images on the Getty generic release, which results in massive extra paperwork,

?? i use only the generic getty release without any problems, just not in massive #s. otherwise, you're right about everything else.

Eireann · « **Reply #61 on:** January 05, 2010, 15:43 »

@CC,
I know you're contemplating exclusivity with IS right now.

It is probably the right thing to do and I genuinely wish you all the luck with completing the necessary steps in a satisfactory manner.
And you're right, 6 months is really a long time.
I wish DT would change that.
Regarding my understanding of this thread, based on my previous readings, I remain convinced I'm right.

@Warren,
I like that fire, and I think we both share it

DT is not perfect, but there's a lot worse out there.
I like them.
To persuade me otherwise only facts will do. No emotions, no personal likes, dislikes, vendetta or conflict of interest.
Until such times DT remains high up on my list of favourites.

cathyslife · « **Reply #62 on:** January 05, 2010, 16:30 »

Quote

@CC,
I know you're contemplating exclusivity with IS right now. Smiley
It is probably the right thing to do and I genuinely wish you all the luck with completing the necessary steps in a satisfactory manner.

Just to be clear...
I have been considering it, but I have not made a definite decision either way. I am not convinced (yet) that it is the right thing to do. We shall see what transpires over the next couple of months.

lisafx · « **Reply #63 on:** January 05, 2010, 16:52 »

Although I have been giving some thought to IS exclusivity, Dreamstime remains my favorite agency as far as the way they treat their contributors.

If DT had anywhere near the volume IS does I would probably be considering going exclusive there instead of IS.

Hopefully they will use the extra cash from the price increase and royalty cut to advertise aggressively in 2010. It would be great to see them in the top one or two position for sales

lagereek · « **Reply #64 on:** January 05, 2010, 17:15 »

Quote from: lisafx on January 05, 2010, 16:52

Although I have been giving some thought to IS exclusivity, Dreamstime remains my favorite agency as far as the way they treat their contributors.

If DT had anywhere near the volume IS does I would probably be considering going exclusive there instead of IS.

Hopefully they will use the extra cash from the price increase and royalty cut to advertise aggressively in 2010. It would be great to see them in the top one or two position for sales

Hi Lisa! and a happy new year!

Yep! Im seriously considering IS exclusivity as well and thats for many reasons, one being all the extra work uploading to other agencies, leaves hardly any time over for photography, add to that, IS, is by far the best earner.
DT treat their contributors right, well yes but in my books that should go without saying, photographers is a stock-agencies life-blood, lets not forget that.

Personally I really dont know what to make of DT anymore? several days can go and nada, then all of a sudden its as if they wake up and voila, 20 DLs.
Pretty unpredictable and unstable I would say, not exactly going according to my pension plans.

best. Christian

traveler1116 · « **Reply #65 on:** January 06, 2010, 01:38 »

Quote from: Eireann on January 05, 2010, 10:33

@Traveller,
yes.
However they increased prices and changed Image Levels structure to benefit us. And if I remember correctly you too wanted to go exclusive with IS, just like Rene.
I'm beginning to think that this is a common syndrome.
Not to worry though. It (mostly) affects people who want to go exclusive with IS.
6 months is a long time, IS is great and I can understand your frustration.
Best of luck,

I think you are confusing which came first. Dt and Ft have both changed policies recently resulting in lower % and money, DT without any possibility of opting out of their new scheme, which has pushed me to go exclusive with IS. The 6 months thing was understood, them changing our commissions(and I think our agreement when I submitted, although technically they can do anything they want with our images for 6 months including giving them all away for free if they want, it's in the TOS) is the real issue.

Achilles · « **Reply #66 on:** January 06, 2010, 06:45 »

Dreamstime is doing very well, thank you all for your concerns. We grow in all areas: submissions, downloads, buyers and registered users. The highest jump in the last months is for buyers and registrations, which was quite impressive considering the submissions are not a few either. As for our status, Dreamstime remains an independent agency, the only one of all microstock leaders. Our resources are limited and the royalty cut is not producing results overnight.

Although we could've bought ads everywhere, we will never spend a penny unless it produces results, no matter how self-flattering a double spread can be. On the long term the most healthy strategy for a business is to focus a viable ROI not vanity.

Most our contributors report significant increases and records months, but your mileage may vary. The size of your portfolio, the placement in search, seasonal or quality factors may all affect you. I'm sympathetic with all our contributors, but they have to realize competition is fierceful. As much as we would want to bring BME records to everyone, it's simply impossible due to the size of our community.

Overall, the number of downloads is highest ever. There is no better parameter to track contributors' revenue than downloads. We also monitor average accounts and see how contributors are doing, in order to ensure these downloads are split in an equitable manner.

I was also surprised to see changes in the hierarchy here, but let's not forget that this hierarchy is limited to a specific number of contributors and our decrease comes after our royalty decrease. I'm pretty sure that our current price update will improve your experience a lot.

Yuri, I'm surprised to see your post here considering my harsh email came after your team submitted images that were refused in the past and that you requested preferrential treatment. Nevertheless, I do appreciate the positive ending of your statement.
As for similarity, yes, rules are the same for everyone. Similars will lead to a lower RPD so submitting similars will always produce a decline in sales.

Dreamstime will never favor portfolios. I've always said that we favor great images, never portfolios. Any amateur can produce a best seller and any pro can submit less-than-good images. As the buyer buys the image, they should be compensated according to the image!

gostwyck · « **Reply #67 on:** January 06, 2010, 07:10 »

^^^ Thanks for that Serban. Nice update and information.

Alatriste · « **Reply #68 on:** January 06, 2010, 07:25 »

Great post. If all policies is for every contributor then I will be happy.
But there is something that I can understand. You said sales are growing but we see not only revenue decreasing but number of downloads to.
This forum has a lot of members and averge say so. Something must be wrong

gostwyck · « **Reply #69 on:** January 06, 2010, 07:55 »

Quote from: Alatriste on January 06, 2010, 07:25

You said sales are growing but we see not only revenue decreasing but number of downloads to.
This forum has a lot of members and averge say so. Something must be wrong

I'm sure sales must be growing overall although my own have been relatively static over the last couple of years. Revenue however, which is obviously more important, is still growing nicely. In 2009 my average monthly income was up 21% compared to 2008 (roughly in line with my average at all agencies) and up 90% compared to 2007.

willie · « **Reply #70 on:** January 06, 2010, 10:44 »

Quote from: Achilles on January 06, 2010, 06:45

Yuri, I'm surprised to see your post here considering my harsh email came after your team submitted images that were refused in the past and that you requested preferrential treatment. Nevertheless, I do appreciate the positive ending of your statement.
As for similarity, yes, rules are the same for everyone. Similars will lead to a lower RPD so submitting similars will always produce a decline in sales.

Dreamstime will never favor portfolios. I've always said that we favor great images, never portfolios. Any amateur can produce a best seller and any pro can submit less-than-good images. As the buyer buys the image, they should be compensated according to the image!

Achilles,
I mistakenly thought that ASSIGNMENTS (usa)... was a favoured portfolio.
but now that I have been told it is not...
I am glad to hear that my suspicions are unfounded.

I take it that you are not one to mince words, so, what you just mentioned to Yuri
is good enough for me. I am glad that in spite of my question on Assignment,
I had continue to increase uploading to DT, which as I said elsewhere , have given me
my highest approval rating ever ...in the past 3 months.

I take it that finally, I have found the types of images that DT wants to sell. Or maybe I have just got too good for you to resist ...

jokes aside, may 2010 be the performance year for me at DT.

Pixart · « **Reply #71 on:** January 06, 2010, 12:09 »

Quote from: Alatriste on January 06, 2010, 07:25

But there is something that I can understand. You said sales are growing but we see not only revenue decreasing but number of downloads to.
This forum has a lot of members and averge say so. Something must be wrong

Maybe because everyone loves to have something to complain about and if things are status quo there is no point adding to a thread like such? I am very pleased with DT the last half of 09, my earnings are only growing even though I have been limited with my supply for several months. That leads me to think that I am not part of this "average" or it is only new uploads that everyone is concerned about.

lagereek · « **Reply #72 on:** January 06, 2010, 12:26 »

Well, we will see.

KB · « **Reply #73 on:** January 06, 2010, 12:36 »

Quote from: Achilles on January 06, 2010, 06:45

Overall, the number of downloads is highest ever. There is no better parameter to track contributors' revenue than downloads.

Actually, I think revenue is a more important factor to most contributors than downloads. An increase in subscription downloads does not necessarily lead to an increase in revenue for contributors.

Quote from: Achilles on January 06, 2010, 06:45

As for similarity, yes, rules are the same for everyone.

Based on what you wrote about Yuri, I have no doubt that this is your goal. It is fair and laudable.

However, based on some of the posts in other threads here showing many images that are identical to the extent that it would make a very difficult "Spot the Difference" game, I'm afraid the "similars" rule is not being applied equally AT ALL.

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Author Topic: DT in trouble? (Read 33257 times)

Lev

Eireann

Jo Ann Snover

rene

willie

Eireann

WarrenPrice

cthoman

willie

cathyslife

ap

Eireann

cathyslife

lisafx

lagereek

traveler1116

Achilles

gostwyck

Alatriste

gostwyck

willie

Pixart

lagereek

KB

Achilles

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