Author Topic: Can I have more than one iStock account? (Read 6609 times)

Lobster21 · « **on:** November 14, 2013, 19:41 »

Hi, I am new to this group, but not new to stock photography (contributing for over 8 years).

I am currently an iStock exclusive photographer. I am wondering if I am allowed to open another account, as a photography studio (owned and operated by me) which myself and a few others can contribute to, and would also submit the same photos to other stock agencies as well.
Both accounts would be in my name, since I am the studio owner, but my first account would remain for me as an individual uploading my private photos as an iStock exclusive, and the second account would be me as a business owner.

I think I saw on a previous post here that someone sold photos in one account that was exclusive and a photography studio account that wasn't exclusive.

ShadySue · « **Reply #1 on:** November 14, 2013, 19:44 »

You'd have to ask their CR.
It used to not be allowed, but certainly some faux-exclusives have more than one account, so clearly the rules are changing.
Let us know what they say.

Lobster21 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 14, 2013, 19:56 »

I found where I saw it, this thread: newbielink:http://www.microstockgroup.com/istockphoto-com/the-'new'-is/msg352528/#msg352528 [nonactive]

Someone posted this person's 2 accounts:
newbielink:http://www.istockphoto.com/andresr [nonactive]
newbielink:http://www.istockphoto.com/andresrimaging [nonactive]

One is exclusive, one is not, it is obviously the same account holder for both.

ShadySue · « **Reply #3 on:** November 14, 2013, 20:06 »

That's what I meant. Rules changing and faux-exclusives.

tickstock · « **Reply #4 on:** November 14, 2013, 20:24 »

luissantos84 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 14, 2013, 21:36 »

there is one top contributor (maybe number 2 or 3) having 2 accounts at FT, DT, SS (2nd created recently)

haven't found a 2nd account at IS but he stopped uploading to his main account there 3 months ago

if you want my opinion go ahead just make sure you use a different name, email etc and different models/pictures, they won't notice, I guess we could all open an account and be exclusive, there must be tons doing that!

tickstock · « **Reply #6 on:** November 14, 2013, 21:48 »

luissantos84 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 14, 2013, 21:53 »

Quote from: tickstock on November 14, 2013, 21:48

Quote from: luissantos84 on November 14, 2013, 21:36
there is one top contributor (maybe number 2 or 3) having 2 accounts at FT, DT, SS (2nd created recently)

haven't found a 2nd account at IS but he stopped uploading to his main account there 3 months ago

if you want my opinion go ahead just make sure you use a different name, email etc and different models/pictures, they won't notice, I guess we could all open an account and be exclusive, there must be tons doing that!
It's hard for me to see how splitting up your portfolio would be a good idea. Probably either exclusive or not exclusive is the best option not a mix of the two. You would lose RCs on iStock, Bigstock, 123RF and move up levels at other sites slower too. It seems like in most every case you would be worse off doing that.

I agree! opening a second account on agencies doesn't make much sense unless you getting $ instead of EUR at FT but even that can punish you in terms of "best match" unless you keep uploading to both accounts

anyway I was talking about opening a 2nd account at IS as exclusive not other places

tickstock · « **Reply #8 on:** November 14, 2013, 21:58 »

luissantos84 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 14, 2013, 21:59 »

Quote from: tickstock on November 14, 2013, 21:58

Quote from: luissantos84 on November 14, 2013, 21:53
Quote from: tickstock on November 14, 2013, 21:48
Quote from: luissantos84 on November 14, 2013, 21:36
there is one top contributor (maybe number 2 or 3) having 2 accounts at FT, DT, SS (2nd created recently)

haven't found a 2nd account at IS but he stopped uploading to his main account there 3 months ago

if you want my opinion go ahead just make sure you use a different name, email etc and different models/pictures, they won't notice, I guess we could all open an account and be exclusive, there must be tons doing that!
It's hard for me to see how splitting up your portfolio would be a good idea. Probably either exclusive or not exclusive is the best option not a mix of the two. You would lose RCs on iStock, Bigstock, 123RF and move up levels at other sites slower too. It seems like in most every case you would be worse off doing that.

I agree! opening a second account on agencies doesn't make much sense unless you getting $ instead of EUR at FT but even that can punish you in terms of "best match" unless you keep uploading to both accounts

anyway I was talking about opening a 2nd account at IS as exclusive not other places
Right if you open a second account with different images you'll have a harder time getting RCs on iStock, 123rf, bigstock etc.. than if you had all the images on one account. Creating an exclusive account and a nonexclusive account (with different images like you said) is not going to be better than being exclusive for all images or nonexclusive for all images.

right, it would be an experiment!

pancaketom · « **Reply #10 on:** November 14, 2013, 22:03 »

Quote from: tickstock on November 14, 2013, 21:58

Quote from: luissantos84 on November 14, 2013, 21:53
Quote from: tickstock on November 14, 2013, 21:48
Quote from: luissantos84 on November 14, 2013, 21:36
there is one top contributor (maybe number 2 or 3) having 2 accounts at FT, DT, SS (2nd created recently)

haven't found a 2nd account at IS but he stopped uploading to his main account there 3 months ago

if you want my opinion go ahead just make sure you use a different name, email etc and different models/pictures, they won't notice, I guess we could all open an account and be exclusive, there must be tons doing that!
It's hard for me to see how splitting up your portfolio would be a good idea. Probably either exclusive or not exclusive is the best option not a mix of the two. You would lose RCs on iStock, Bigstock, 123RF and move up levels at other sites slower too. It seems like in most every case you would be worse off doing that.

I agree! opening a second account on agencies doesn't make much sense unless you getting $ instead of EUR at FT but even that can punish you in terms of "best match" unless you keep uploading to both accounts

anyway I was talking about opening a 2nd account at IS as exclusive not other places
Right if you open a second account with different images you'll have a harder time getting RCs on iStock, 123rf, bigstock etc.. than if you had all the images on one account. Creating an exclusive account and a nonexclusive account (with different images like you said) is not going to be better than being exclusive for all images or nonexclusive for all images.

It would be great if you could switch images between them. Then put all the ones that sell on IS into exclusive and move the rest out. In reality it would be hard to decide which go where. If they are going to move sales away from ones that get RC anyway, then that is a moot point.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 14, 2013, 22:13 »

ahahah that is brilliant

ARTPUPPY · « **Reply #12 on:** November 14, 2013, 22:42 »

I believe you can. You'll notice that one of Andres's istock names is a limited company. Here is how you can do it: Keep your exclusive istock account in your own personal name as is. Then set up a business and give it whatever title you'd like. Then create your images, sell them to your company for a dollar each as a "work for hire" contract. Then use the business to set up whatever accounts you want and sell it's own images. As a person you remain istock exclusive and the business can sell elsewhere. That's the loophole.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #13 on:** November 15, 2013, 01:27 »

Quote from: ARTPUPPY on November 14, 2013, 22:42

I believe you can. You'll notice that one of Andres's istock names is a limited company. Here is how you can do it: Keep your exclusive istock account in your own personal name as is. Then set up a business and give it whatever title you'd like. Then create your images, sell them to your company for a dollar each as a "work for hire" contract. Then use the business to set up whatever accounts you want and sell it's own images. As a person you remain istock exclusive and the business can sell elsewhere. That's the loophole.

If they allow that then they should allow people to run two accounts without jumping through loops. Lots of people have run lots of money-making dodgy tricks at istock for donkey's years - there was even a husband and wife team where one was exclusive and the other not, so they would set up a shot, put the camera on a tripod, the exclusive would hit the shutter then stand back and let the non-exclusive hit the shutter, so the exclusive shot could go to IS and the non-exclusive shot could go to the rest. Of course, only an idiot would believe they actually went through that rigmarole but iStock were perfectly happy with this approach. Then again, you never knew who had special privileges at iS that would get less favoured artists booted.

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Author Topic: Can I have more than one iStock account? (Read 6609 times)

Lobster21

ShadySue

Lobster21

ShadySue

tickstock

luissantos84

tickstock

luissantos84

tickstock

luissantos84

pancaketom

luissantos84

ARTPUPPY

BaldricksTrousers

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