Very cool website idea

[kamekaze]

Found this on another site, still in the beta phase, but cool nonetheless. The idea is simple - A business wants a concept picture, describes it, and the photographers all shoot samples and compete to have their picture chosen. You get money if it is, and your picture is used. It solves some of the issues with having to choose generic stock photography, etc.

http://beta.focalpop.com/

[CaptainTom]

This plan has been tried in the graphic arts field.

I need a new logo - open challenge to see who has the best idea.

graphic artists quickly found out that some of the businesses would take the best ideas, modify it just a tad, and voila a new company logo without having to pay an artist...

I belong to a stock agency that sends out requests for specific images.
I've been with them long enough to trust that my images aren't being used anywhere without my consent.

Just be careful.

I think it's a pretty good business model and works best for photographers who already have a large selection of stock type photos.
Unless you can run out and shoot what they want immediately, you'll be pre-empted by someone who has already got what they want.
I.E. " need photo of rocky mountain pass with brooding sky".
voila :

[toverman]

In theory, the concept sounds cool.

But then all the time and effort is done on speculation, which doesn't benefit the photographers (or graphic artists) who produce work that isn't bought. And then for the chosen one, there's the issue of being paid a going rate rather than just what somebody wants to pay. And then there are the unscrupulous companies as Tom mentioned that don't pay anyone at all, but skim the concept and claim it as their own.

[mmuhlenkamp]

I think it's a terrible business model. Like mentioned above it's done with graphic design and it really just gets a lot of free work and no one spends much time on it. So crappy product for (if you're lucky) crappy pay. People in other fields don't do work for free and then the customer decides which they like best AFTER the work is done. A customer can get pricing, quotes and look at past work to make their choice. Take value in what you do, and don't tolerate spec work.

http://www.no-spec.com/

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by mmuhlenkamp

I think it's a terrible business model. Like mentioned above it's done with graphic design and it really just gets a lot of free work and no one spends much time on it. So crappy product for (if you're lucky) crappy pay. People in other fields don't do work for free and then the customer decides which they like best AFTER the work is done. A customer can get pricing, quotes and look at past work to make their choice. Take value in what you do, and don't tolerate spec work.

http://www.no-spec.com/

Can't disagree re: graphic design, but photography is another matter.
If I have a bank of 3,000 stock images and someone is looking for something that I have already taken, I would be happy to show them what I have.

I don't subscribe to going out after the description is proffered and setting up a specific shot on speculation.

[mmuhlenkamp]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

Can't disagree re: graphic design, but photography is another matter.
If I have a bank of 3,000 stock images and someone is looking for something that I have already taken, I would be happy to show them what I have.

I don't subscribe to going out after the description is proffered and setting up a specific shot on speculation.

Yeah, I see your point there, if you have a shot that fits the description already it doesn't cost you anything extra.

I just don't really like these contest-y things that plague creative fields, I think it devalues our work as artists/creatives. Just because we like what we do doesn't mean it's not work and doesn't have value.

[High_Boost]

I can see why a pro wouldn't want to waste their time, but as an amateur I think it is pretty cool..

sometimes I need ideas of things to shoot anyway, and there is a small chance I would get paid to do something I would probably be doing anyway.. that is cool - I will give it a shot


I am curious what one would normally get paid for a stock photo..
is it any more or less than this, assuming the take home will average ~$140 on this site