Why, oh why did you reject my image??

Recently I’ve had several artists question why our rejection rate is so high with certain collections. The simple answer is: We have very high standards for what we accept and offer our customers.

It is important for all contributing artists to remember that just because they shoot a photo, it doesn't mean we will automatically post it. Our editors evaluate each image for quality and content before they accept an image to the site. Once the image is accepted and makes its home on our site, it is PhotoSpin's customers that ultimately determine the image's worth.

The following are simple tips to insure a more successful shoot and higher acceptance rate:

People shots:

*Do the models work together? Are you thinking ethnic diversity?
*What are you trying to say with your image?
*Does your model fit the theme of your image (sticking a crystal ball in front of a model doesn’t make her a fortune teller)?
*Does the wardrobe, styling, hair, and make-up work with your theme?
*Is the location and lighting appropriate for the situation? Try not to force a shot just because you have a model (i.e. don’t just stick a hat on your model and call it a graduation photo).
*If you are a product photographer don’t try to shoot people as a still life. They will look stiff and the photos will reflect it.

Food for Shots:

*Did you hire a food stylist to prep your image or are you just shooting what's in front of you? The photographers that are getting a higher return for their images are using a food stylist to prep their shots. Even a large restaurant chain will hire a professional to prepare their food for an advertisement.
*Are you using the right utensils, plates, and stemware that fit with your image (i.e. crystal stemware with a black tie dinner)?

Product/Still life Shots:
*Did you remove the labels?
*Consider the lighting: If you are using candles as a prop do not over light. Create a mood, not just record an image.
*If you are not a studio photographer don’t force it. Work with what you know. As you learn studio lighting then shoot for our collection.

These are just a few basic suggestions. Most importantly, remember who is using the image. Our customers deserve the best and we intend to deliver it to them.

For more information on becoming a PhotoSpin contributor please visit: www.photospin.com/contribute

Recession or Depression?

Depends on who you ask. Ask someone who is unemployed or about to lose his/her job the answer will light-years different from the person who is living large. No matter where you stand on the employment scale PhotoSpin offers a way for you to take control of your destiny and use your creative juices to help others: Our MySpin Directory.

Our Directory allows you to:
Advertise your talents www.photospin.com/directory
Create a free listing.
Create an ad and post it to the site.
Post your portfolio and showcase your talents.

What's more? If you're good with a camera and/or can illustrate, you can also post your work to our site and get paid for your downloads: www.photospin.com/contribute
We're growing fast and need your help to double our collection within the next few months.

So, go ahead and take control of your destiny at PhotoSpin.com

Happy New Year!

It's a brand-new year and we have some great opportunities for designers and artists at PhotoSpin.com

For the designer and image user, it's all about the images and we're adding thousands of fresh, new images per month from a talented group of commercial artists. In fact, we expect to double our collection by the end of the year. And if price is a concern, no worries, we are committed to holding down our low prices.

We didn't forget our contributing artists, either! We are now offering a 40% revenue split on all of our non-exclusive agreements.

So, stop on by and check out our new image collections: www.photospin.com You'll see why we've been leading the way in the subscription market since 1999.

Christmas? Bah Humbug!!

With the recession in full swing, our last minute shopping spree has us speed racing the driver next to us for that coveted parking space just so we can be the closest to the main entrance to our local mall. And, why do we do this? So that we can walk in to hear our favorite Christmas carols being played in the background of a crescendo of crying children being dragged from store to store by their overzealous parents looking for that perfect gift to place under the tree.

Sound all too familiar? Before your frustration and stress reaches its final boiling point, I thought I would share what our family is planning to do this Holiday Season: give a gift to someone in need. For the last few years we have stopped giving gifts to one another and, instead, gave a gift to a needy family or organization in someone's name. If you are so inclined, here is a list of charities you may consider supporting or, better yet, make up your own list.

The Salvation Army International Home Page
Contains information about the mission and work of The Salvation Army in over 110 countries


American Red Cross
Meets the humanitarian needs of the people in your area

Los Angeles Mission
Serves the homeless living on the streets of downtown’s Hope Central (known as Skid Row)

Feed The Children™
Helps poor, hungry and famine-stricken children worldwide


Children of the Night
Rescues America's children from prostitution

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles California
Grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions


Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Donates a new toy or gives a donation to help make Christmas a little brighter for a needy child in your community

ShareFest Community Development, Inc. - South Bay, Los Angeles, CA
Creates lasting change in underserved neighborhoods and cities, serving residents and creates lasting partnerships and communities of care

World Relief
Responds to major disasters throughout the world


During the Holidays, take a little time out of your busy schedules to realize how truly fortunate you are.

I wish you all a Happy Holiday.

Jupiter has fallen from orbit

The sky is falling, the sky is falling, the sky is falling!!! Well it’s that time again when the stock photo industry is in an uproar over Getty’s acquisition of Jupiter images for 96 million dollars. To add insult to Jupiter's injury, Getty acquired them for less than a third of last year's asking price. Jupiter entered the market with lofty goals, spending approximately 200 million acquiring companies over the past several years.

With one of the heavy hitters striking out, what does it mean for the industry? Less choice, that’s a given. Currently there are two major players left, Getty and Corbis, and several smaller companies all competing for content and clients. Personally I see this as a great opportunity for the customer. Smaller companies, like PhotoSpin.com, take the time to offer a great service, quality images and attentive customer service. They not only want your business, they care about you as a customer.

With all the changes going on in the industry what will happen to the photographers? These are the individuals whose sweat equity made the product the stock companies sell. Sadly, many will get dropped. Some will be lucky to have their collections consolidated into other collections. But all will feel the impact. As a result revenue will drop for the photographer because there are less companies selling their images.

Jupiter may have fallen out of orbit because of their devalued market share, but the images you, the photographer, produced still have value to the client who needs them. Most of you will just need a new stock house before you’ll start earning the money you deserve. This is a great time to consider alternative image distributors like PhotoSpin.com. If you are looking for a new home for your images I encourage you to check out www.photospin.com

If you prefer not to have your images distributed through a subscription service then check out PACA ( Picture Archive Counsel of America) http://www.pacaoffice.org/ They have a list of agencies that will be happy to integrate your work.

"A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Another day of uncertainty in the stock market as Wall Street recoups from the news of Lehman Brothers financial troubles on the heels of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bail out.

Our photo stock industry is in its own downward spiral as Lucky Oliver closes their doors and PhotoShelter announces they are closing down as of October 10, 2008. To add to the downward spin, Getty Images' last public report was that sales are down. And, Corbis Images announces they are lying off approximately 15% of their staff.

More grim news reports that overall sales within the photo stock industry are down and photographers and artists are becoming disillusioned with the general lack of return on their investments for creating images for stock. On the bright side, the industry is seeing a larger community of people using images and they are looking for more than a single source to buy their images from. It should also be noted that now, as in the financial stock market, is not the time to panic. I believe that all artists currently working in the stock industry or looking to get in the industry should consider the following:

• Look to diversify by offering your images to more than just a single source for distribution.
• Ask how long the company has been in business. New businesses run a greater risk of failure within the first 3 years.
• Look at the other collections the agency represents, how your work compares.
• What is the pay per image? I would look for Stock images to be a part of your income, not your entire revenue. This is the hardest adjustment for those whose income has been solely dependent on stock image sales. Not all agencies pay the same rate. Not all customers shop at the same sites. You may get pennies per image from one agency and get hundreds of sales, verses a single image sale for a few hundred dollars. The bottom line is revenue for your work.
• Look to have the stock agency promote you as a working professional. They have the traffic and customers to allow you to get identity branding with each of your images.
• A non-exclusive agreement. This will put you in front of more image buyers and give you a greater opportunity to sell your images.

Be patient. The industry will rebound. People always need fresh new images. Products are being made, services need to be filled and as a saying goes “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Or, as a photographer friend of mine used to say “A picture is worth a thousand bucks plus expenses”.

May the best man (or woman) win!

May the best man (or woman) win. And we're not talking about the Presidential election!

They say slow and steady wins the race but that is not always true. In the voting world, the vote determines who will win the race, whether slow and steady or fast and furious. When it comes to politics and contests, the majority vote crosses the finish line and crowns the winner.

Speaking of voting, we just opened voting for our 2008 Spinner Awards contest. The contest allowed PhotoSpin subscribers and visitors to upload their ads to our MySpin Directory for all eyes to see, and yes, to try to get the majority of votes to cross the finish line. These Spinner Award entrants will get the added benefit of promoting their businesses and showcasing their portfolios.

The contest always attracts a diverse group of artwork, both simple and complex, and always interesting. From straightforward logo designs that tell a story with a single image to complex ads that reveal their story through many pages, there are many winners in the 2008 Spinner Awards contest. However, only two entrants can take home the prizes.

Help us choose the 2008 Spinner Awards contest winner by casting your vote before September 15, 2008: https://www.photospin.com/directory-results2.asp

May the best man (or woman) win!