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Messages - stormchaser
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351
« on: January 07, 2009, 14:25 »
one such 'expert' will probably tell you all about himself and how successful he is, then try to flog you his book (well CD) and maybe a course or two.  ha ha ha To the OP, really this is a question that cannot be answered in a single post. Start reading. and googling stuff. There are many good blogs out there, one very good one being http://www.microstockdiaries.com I would try Bigstock for a start since they have no formal application process and although it is a low earner, you can make a few dollars there. Dreamstime does not have a formal application process either, but being new, you will be frustrated by the long review times there. But there is more money to be made at DT Application requirements for the others can be found on the FAQ, Terms or Site Maps pages of the respective sites.
352
« on: January 05, 2009, 00:20 »
Macs don't play well for web developers because of the need to test sites in various browsers. So if you plan any semi serious web work, stick with PC.
? You have the same whole variety of web browsers on both platforms.
Yes but they handle certain code bits differently for the different platforms. Mac Safari is very cranky when reading some CMS sites, and Firefox for Mac had its own hidden quirks. And Mac abandoned support for MS Explorer long ago.
Not to mention you can run both systems regularly on Intel Mac.
Been there, done that. we tried thinking we might ditch the PCs, but not worth the hassles. When you do a 200 page catalog, things tend to choke up. What looks good in the showroom does not always work in real life. Plus we need the screen real estate here and the benefit of true multi tasking, not working via a box within a box.
353
« on: January 04, 2009, 23:50 »
Is this different for different cameras?
I have a Canon 20D and when I follow your directions above I do see the tag, but the ImageNumber is 33 (it was the 33rd in the sequence I shot that day). That was only visible for the RAW file, not the JPEG.
Did a little digging and from what is being said around the forums, it only works on xD bodies for Canon. For total actuations on a 20D or a 30D a 20D, some say you would have to send to Canon so the Special Secret Software there can decode it, and they will charge a fee. Although I did find this on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon20d/discuss/72157594389608272/It's a long and laborious thread, but see if it helps you out. Really I only think the trouble is worth it if you buy a camera used or it is getting up in age. Also see this blog post if the Flickr thread is too much for you. http://zecoj.com/2007/01/31/canon-eos-20d-shutter-count/Anyway, the info that I posted earlier works on Nikon D70 and younger in age (it likely will not work on old Nikon D100) . There are posts saying for Canon you need a raw file.
354
« on: January 04, 2009, 21:26 »
Use both out of necessity. As I run InDesign and Quark Xpress, life is easier with a Mac for maximum compatibility with commercial printers. If I do a catalog with Quark on a PC, there are always those little things that are just quirky with PC files when hey get to the printer.
Macs don't play well for web developers because of the need to test sites in various browsers. So if you plan any semi serious web work, stick with PC.
Helix is right about the Apple Mouse - can cut work time way down and when I go between Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark and possibly another program like a word processor, life is a breeze. Would be hellish on a PC.
Also consider your own Geek factor - if you like to play and tinker a lot, not nearly the geek offerings on Mac that there are for PC.
355
« on: January 04, 2009, 21:13 »
You can also do it out of Photoshop. I can do it out of CS2 and Adobe Elements 6 just fine. Take the last frame you shot, or shoot a frame if you dumped them all. Go File info, hit Advanced in the left column when the window opens. Go to the line that says http ns adobe.com.exif/1.0/aux and hit the little plus sign to expand the info You will then see a line that says aux:ImageNumber: That number is the tag for the shutter actuation. If you have to shoot a frame to do this, hopefully it won't put you over the limit  And just a note for anyone who wants to try it - it only works on cameras that supply Aux info, usually SLRs. Won't work with a point & shoot.
356
« on: January 04, 2009, 14:12 »
For Dec 2008 BME everywhere except SS. Reason for the slide at SS was due to getting busy with some commercial work, and last upload there was on Dec 10. Gotta feed the beast there. Still was not a bad month though. Everyone have a Prosperous 2009
357
« on: January 04, 2009, 12:06 »
I was accepted for vectors at IS around August I think, and the turnaround was within about 2 days as I recall. The photo acceptance turnaround was pretty quick too back when I did that. Things may be a little backed up because of the new applications being closed for a few weeks and because of the holidays though. God luck.
As far as the rest, on SS you need to go through the normal process. Turnaround on apps pretty quick. Note that here you can submit bitmaps if you want just to get in the door. The reviewers there can be a bit quirky with vectors. At SS, you can submit vector versions and bitmap versions of the same file. Refer to the forums there for particulars, or PM me.
DT - There is no real "application" - you just submit ad they ake what they want. You will need to submit a bitmap if the file, then attach a vector "additional format". The bitmap will be approved first, usually within their normal time frame of 5 or more days, but then it can be up to 21 days (and even more) for the vector format to be approved. Yes, stupid I know. This stupid process is surely a revenue loser for them. As a buyer, I would not wait 3 weeks for a vector file to appear.
Stockxpert - just submit the number required on the application - I think it is 5 images but not absolutely sure. It's been awhile. In any event, there is no separate app for illustrators, so you could send fractals, photos, anything. I think my orignal app here got stuck in some weird limbo and it took awhile.
123RF - I think 10 files are needed for an application. Been awhile so can't remember exactly here. No separate application for vectors, just submit your best work.
Bigstock - just submit - there's no "formal" application - they'll just take what they feel will sell.
358
« on: January 02, 2009, 14:39 »
I really liked jpgmag, although I questioned the viability of a print version. Just too narrow sector for most. I did not buy the print versions, but did check for the releases of the PDFs every now and again. In any event, sad to see it go as there are few truly creative publications to be had.
Regarding one of the comments above about the online vote pimping - yes these are really pathetic and anyone who feels the need to do it is truly a loser.
359
« on: December 31, 2008, 16:59 »
This is the closest thing I can find as far as a registry, and it does not look very active. http://www.registeryourcamera.com/It would be great if the scum on EBay were required to provide a pic of ownership papers and a pic of the serial number plate when selling. But just dreaming here. Also maybe try posting on http://www.camerafound.com/Again, low traffic. Suggest you do not post any Rewards because the scammers will find and target you.
360
« on: December 31, 2008, 16:10 »
I will put out an alert to my friend's camera club in Cape Town SA with the serial number for you. It's a long shot as far as being of any help, but worth a shot.
You can PM me with any more details that may be of help, such as transportation mode and carriers used, etc.
361
« on: December 30, 2008, 14:48 »
Even if it's not slave labour, expecting your children to work is absurd.
With school, how much time do they have left to be children?
Give them a break to be children and enjoy life before growing up to "work" for a living.
This is bordering between child abuse and slave labour, no matter what you call it.
Yes I agree here. Pay them some of your own pocket dollars for posing once in awhile, doing a few simple tasks once in awhile. The expectation of having a "dedicated employee" at the age of 13 or 14 is unrealistic, if only because the attention span of a teen is so short. And they don't have their cars yet After that you'll never see them anyway
362
« on: December 30, 2008, 14:45 »
Mark, While your intention to keep things totally legal is admirable, you are opening up a big can of worms when it comes to child labor in a home business. You should be consulting your own state labor board and state tax department when it comes to a situations such as this, not a photo forum. While people here can give opinions about what they think is right, it cannot be construed in any way as proper guidance. For employing anyone, you must have proper accounting of payroll taxes, and these will likely involve payments to a state disability fund, workman's comp, etc. However, when it comes to underage child labor, your state may require something called "working papers" for minors, and there will likely be restrictions on activities, and possibly a premises visit by your state labor board. The premises visit has occurred with two people that I know of with minor children involved. Following are a few comments on excerpts your original post. THese comments should be not contrued as legal advice. Some of the work they may do could be modeling, helping set up a shoot, taking photos, keywording, and uploading. If you are working on a site, meaning off your own property, even a public park, you had better have liability insurance in place in case someone trips over a tripod. Kids will just leave them in the darnedest places. And for a sole proprietorship, it is needed anyway. Should you have any other "models" entering your premises and they become injured, or their personal property brought to the shoot is stolen or damaged, your homeowners or renters insurance will not cover this. Does anyone have an employment agreement they use for hiring their children? How much should they be paid? In a work for hire scenario, the images would be owned by you since it is work product. As far as a work agreement, children of this age cannot give consent for any legal agreement. Any agreement would have to be approved by a parent or legal guardian. In this case, any agreement that you write and approve could be construed as a shady deal. It should be approved by the other parent, and even then, any agreement could be construed as suspect because of the family relationships. Except for certain businesses like restaurants, you are likely bound by minimum wage standards. My 14 year old would like to take photos and submit them to mircostock sites, but as far as I can determine you must be 18 to do this. If I hire her, wouldnt I get the copyright to the photos she takes so then I could legally upload her photos? Is there any verbage I should add to the employment agreement so that I get the copyright ownership? If employed by you, ownership of the images would be yours as it is work for hire. If you worked for Hallmark Cards and produced artwork while on their clock, the images are property of Hallmark. Plain and simple. Should you be hell bent on writing a work agreement, it should state that any and all intellectual property originated by the employee shall be considered and remain for all time the property of Your Business Name Images. In the case of off the clock images produced by the children, you could just try a separate account for the child with parental consent as mentioned above, in which you yourself would have no rights to the images. They would remain the intellectual property of the child. For proper guidance, consult an accountant who has knowledge of required payroll taxes, your own state labor board, and the Small Business Administration. There is an organization within SBA called SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) that can steer you in the right direction. SCORE often runs local workshops free of charge, usually at a public library or other easily accessible venue. Check your local chapter.
363
« on: December 30, 2008, 11:57 »
Personally, with your history, I think you're jumping the gun with this whole "business" thing. Just shoot, submit, and see what happens.
Good advice. Borrow the D40, and start submitting before jumping into gear. It's going to be your content that sells, no matter what DSLR you use. All of them will pass technical muster if used correctly. And don't think that new gear will be an automatic tax writeoff. It's not. You should really get past agency acceptance before plunking down any serious money. In some cases, acceptance at Shutterstock can take months. Refer to the forums there. I mention Shutterstock because that's where some of the serious money comes from, for some contributors to multiple agencies, it's more than 50% of their royalty income. For Dreamstime, acceptance is more or less automatic, but I find they are more picky about subject matter, "we have too many of these" being a very popular rejection reason. For iStock, you are limited in your uploads, only 15 I think within a certain timeframe after acceptance, and their application process can be brutal for some. I can't recall exactly, but I remember Stockxpert having an application process as well, and I think 123RF does as well, although 123 is pretty lenient. But on 123 it shows in sales. They do not do nearly as well as SS, IS, and DT as far as return. Do not be swayed by off the wall agencies not in the Big 6 - giant waste of time when starting out. Start shooting with the D40, and start submitting. See what they like and what they don't. Flip your daughter 5 or 10 bucks out of your pocket money for each modeling session to start. Then if you feel you can make a go of it, go whole hog. Because unless your talent is exceptional and you submit good volume, it will take you about 6 months to start seeing any significant return. If things don't work out as projected, you can treat earnings as "hobby" income. As far as Capture, well it's nice for Nikons, but you really need a copy of Photoshop as well in my opinion. Some people get by with Elements, but I could not live without the Pen Tool in Photoshop. Internet connection - you will need a broadband connection. Cable company service works fine. And note what DanP68 said too. It's getting harder to make numbers with average images, and the competition is much tougher than it was even just 2 years ago. In other words, don't quit your day job just yet.
364
« on: December 28, 2008, 21:50 »
Total scam. Search this forum and google the web for 'stockphotospot" all one word, or "stockphotospot scam". You find a bunch of stuff.
365
« on: December 24, 2008, 02:01 »
As they showcase a "camera clubs" tie in on the home page, I can't see the appeal here to serious buyers. It seems like stock "and a whole bunch of other crap". Also the photosharing thing just amateurish from a business perspective. BTW have nothing against camera clubs, but if a buyer is searching for a new buying portal, it could be easily assumed that the stock area is full of hobbyist stuff. Very poor marketing here if they are serious about selling stock.
http://www.keyimagery.com/
366
« on: December 24, 2008, 00:58 »
You will need 100 images to apply there, and there are guidelines regarding same image or "similars" going to other agencies. So although they do not restrict the photographer from doing business elsewhere, they in effect want exclusive images on their service. And although it is loosely stated, you must keep the supply lines flowing. Do read the photographers section and understand all aspects of there guidelines thoroughly before submitting there.
367
« on: December 15, 2008, 18:49 »
I hereby trademark the Question Mark
Please be informed that ? is now trademarked by Stormchaser
So no more questions on this forum or I will sue :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
368
« on: December 10, 2008, 22:43 »
wow, this borders on all counts: scary, ridiculous , and hilarious.
but i wonder if there is a problem with language, although most sites have multi-languages. let's wait and see what the reason was.
has this person sold many? i'm almost too scared to look ! 
When you enter a contract and cash is involved, it is your own responsibility to understand and respect the terms no matter what the language. Agreed that the whole thing is idiotic. Sales on DT respectable, not stellar. That was the only site I looked at.
369
« on: December 10, 2008, 17:56 »
Scratching my head still trying to figure this one out. How deluded is DT in thinking a buyer would actually purchase these images?
First off, the way I understand it, the contest is supposedly "fashion - show the tshirts", but browsing the entries shows froggie with DT eyeballs, swirly curvy vector, feet in bed dreaming of DT. Have nothing against the images per se, but is the feet in bed a tshirt fashion shot?
Another point is that the images look to be under a general RF license. So what happens if an unknowing buyer uses an image with the DT logo in an ad? Does DT sue for trademark infringement?
Just wondering if anyone at DT really thought this one through?
Your thoughts?
370
« on: December 09, 2008, 18:00 »
From a buyer view, will relieve some frustration. When I did active buying, the worst was getting images returned on search that were totally irrelevant. It just made me abandon searched much sooner.
From a submiiter viewpoint, weighting of each image based on it's own merit would be great. Let's hope it works.
371
« on: December 09, 2008, 17:55 »
People, did you list names of other stock agencies to which you submit content!?
Why SS asks this information?
AAAAAAA!
Please some answer, pleeaaaase!
Yes. What's the problem with this? They don't ask for user names. In some cases, my user name is different because in IS and Big the user I usually use were taken. Anyway, I don't see why it's an issue.
372
« on: December 09, 2008, 13:32 »
All the more reason for buying batteries from a reputable supplier. Batteries are relatively cheap and buying from an unreliable source is really stupid in my opinion. Why trade the saving of a few dollars for potential major problems?
Same deal with cheaping out on cards. A photog I know got one of those "fantastic" ebay deals on cards. On a paid shoot, two of them corrupted on first use. He had to eat the cost of the reshoot. So what real savings was there? THe cards were fake SanDisks.
373
« on: December 09, 2008, 13:24 »
I find the lovebirds to be very social, and I think one of the distinctions of this variety is if they are single, they feel out of place. I would never take a single, only a pair. My brother has a very noisy Quaker parrot, and he is a bird that is very cage aggressive. My brother tried to introduce another bird, ad Elvis, the cage inhabitant, would have none of it He is a fun bird though, knows a lot of dirty words ha ha. He likes homemade breakfast waffles and will will become very noisy if they are made. Silly thing will want a seat at the breakfast table if they are made, then he has his snack and is off for a long nap. He is really the strangest little bird ever.
374
« on: December 08, 2008, 20:08 »
OMG that carrot leaves video is hysterical because of the music. Good choice!
Sorry to hear about little Eduardo. So sad.
375
« on: December 06, 2008, 23:46 »
The yellow one is just adorable. Have never seen a yellow one before. Have seen peach color, never yellow. I also watched Curious Eduardo on YT - just precious
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