Flickr Getty stock collection - anyone else involved?

[jeffclow]

I've searched the threads and don't see anything that pops up....thus this new thread.

Does anyone here on TPF have images that they are selling via the Flickr Getty collection that was launched last year?

I've had some decent sales via this avenue but also find some of their delays in keywording and image review to be a bit frustrating.

Anyone else here involved in this stock photography program?

[RubenZamora]

how do you sign up for it? do you have to through GETTY or is it through Flickr?

[jeffclow]

Yes, you have to have a Flickr account and go through the Getty "Call for Artists" selection process:

Flickr: Getty Images Call for Artists

[RubenZamora]

Ok, did it. Lets see what happens.

[texxter]

Jeff, I do submit to Getty (but not thru Flickr) and I have found their process to be quite slow, especially the keywording. It's a chicken and egg problem for me, as I am not motivated to put my work on Getty if it takes forever to be made available, unless sales are good. Sales are not going to be good until I have a decent portfolio there.

[jeffclow]

Originally Posted by texxter

Jeff, I do submit to Getty (but not thru Flickr) and I have found their process to be quite slow, especially the keywording. It's a chicken and egg problem for me, as I am not motivated to put my work on Getty if it takes forever to be made available, unless sales are good. Sales are not going to be good until I have a decent portfolio there.

I agree, Paco - the keywording lag is really quite frustrating. They approve a photo and then it sits in the pool with no keywords for up to 75 days.

That said, when it does finally get keyworded by them, I feel like that they've got a large enough buying base that there's a good chance that someone might actually buy the image.

[RubenZamora]

75 days! thats freaking ridiculous

[jeffclow]

Originally Posted by RubenZamora

75 days! thats freaking ridiculous

I concur - but if you do get accepted, the rewards are pretty good.

[Crashoran]

Originally Posted by jeffclow

I concur - but if you do get accepted, the rewards are pretty good.

Not when you take into factor that Getty keeps 70%-80% of each sale, and your images are exclusive to them only.

[jeffclow]

Originally Posted by Crashoran

Not when you take into factor that Getty keeps 70%-80% of each sale, and your images are exclusive to them only.

Well it depends on how you view the whole stock agency approach vs. selling on your own...

In my case, prior to working with Getty, I might sell $1000 worth of images via Flickr annually and I'd keep 100% of the proceeds.

Since I joined Flickr Getty a little over a year ago, they have sold over $20,000 worth of my images and I've earned commissions of about $4500.

From my perspective, I'd rather have 20 or 30 percent of a lot of sales as opposed to 100 percent of a few sales.

Others may view it differently.

[PhotoByLeal]

it sounds.........

[RubenZamora]

HOLY CRAP they sell 20k of your work and you get 4500? That sounds more like a rape LOL. I think they only take that much if you sell through Flickr though? May be better to join plain ol Ghetty no?

[jeffclow]

Originally Posted by RubenZamora

HOLY CRAP they sell 20k of your work and you get 4500? That sounds more like a rape LOL. I think they only take that much if you sell through Flickr though? May be better to join plain ol Ghetty no?

No, that's the standard Getty commission structure whether you are working with Flickr Getty or with one of the other Getty collections.

And, once again, I'm looking at the actual dollars that are headed my way - not the percentages.

No way would I have sold as many images online on my own to over 100 different companies in over 30 different countries. Getty's reach is really remarkable.

And to reiterate - it's working for me but it might not work for everyone. That said, I'm more than happy to be able to fund a new camera, a couple of new lenses and a trip or two from my photo earnings in the last year or so.

[RubenZamora]

Thats true Jeff. Have you tried Alamy ? I have very little images on Alamy but I've never sold on there.

[jeffclow]

Originally Posted by RubenZamora

Thats true Jeff. Have you tried Alamy ? I have very little images on Alamy but I've never sold on there.

I did try it and sold nothing in 18 months.....from what I've read, sales via Alamy are very, very slow in coming.

I pulled the few images I had off the site a couple of years ago and several of them have sold multiple times through Getty.