Okay, so I admit that at the moment all I'm doing is fractals--but they are selling fairly well on my main sites (SS, LO, FP, and DT). After my 3rd try with IS they sent me this within 5 minutes of my upload:

"Comments from the iStockphoto Administrator:

Abstract 1, 2 & 3:

We are not accepting many more 'abstract' images. If you have any photographs can show us, we would love to see it."

Okay--I got the message.

Pat

I was looking at new uploads today.� I saw abstracts going through.� They were called "abstract in blue" or something like that.� What is considered an abstract anyway?

I saw those "abstracts" in the new uploads. They are more in the nature of generic backgrounds (crumpled paper type images) that were either scanned or photographed, and really misnamed as "abstracts." I think what iStock means, and what I mean by abstract, is the literal meaning of abstract in the artistic sense as defined in Webster: "abstract... 5. in art, characterized by design or form that is geometric or otherwise not representational." In other words, fractal images or Picassoesque images.

While it's true that iStock has 21 pages of fractal images, they have had those same 21 pages for a long time now (at least for the 3 years I've known about the site). They don't seem to want any more. I think they feel they are not in the business of selling artsy art. They're more interested in utilitarian images it seems.

I'll be the first to admit that my stuff isn't regular "stock" material. It isn't even photography. So the fact that my work has any kind of an audience in this venue is kinda interesting, and just goes to show that each site has it's own buyer base.

For now I'll give up on iStock. If I ever get the urge to take photos again, I'll make another attempt.

Pat

It's too bad that iStock doesn't look at the sales records for this type of imagery.  Oh well, their call and their loss.  At least there are other sites you can upload to. (So long as you don't go exclusive anywhere.)

G~