I started a new thread just to make sure it pops up top. I just wanted to thank Stockman and Mwookie for their thoughts on ShutterStock. I was feeling a bit down on them when for two consecutive months they didn't accept my portfolio. I was a little ego bruised after pretty much acing the submission requirements for all the other sites. I had cut my teeth on IStock and used them as the litmus test for acceptance. Well, when ShutterStock said "no" twice, and I sort of wrote them off.

But it occured to me to ask here and Stockman and Mwookie suggested that it was worth another try. I'm so glad!

I aced round three. I have a theory that maybe ShutterStock puts a few hoops out there to weed out folks who aren't serious, so my earlier two rejections may have been pro forma...but that may just be my ego talking again.

In any case, now that I'm in I really love them...and the sales blaze compared to other sites due to the subcription model.

By the way, I'm finding the submission process at ShutterStock to be MUCH less stringent than the initial portfolio review. They want good quality stuff and they seem to be getting it. the few shots of mine that they have rejected are all for valid reasons.

I like them.

Thanks Stockman and Mwookie.

Scott/creatista

Hi Scott,
Just thought I'd chime in, late, but in. I've used several stock agencies over the past year or so and, for now, only use Shutterstock. Its by choice but not permanent. I was with Crestock and Fotolia as well but with very few sales or even views I took my work out of each.

When I started with Shutterstock, wow, what an awakening. Fotolia accepted evrything...not Shutterstock. They found noise in everything I couldn't see on 200 or 300% magnification or didn't like the composition or it wasn't something they were interested in. I had even the best of my best pics rejected. I still kept submitting. Don't ask me why, but I kept at it.

Today, yes, they still reject me but I've figured out its the reviewer. If I really believe a photo is worth being on the site, I wait a few weeks and resubmit it. 99% of the time it gets accepted.

Today, I'm happy with Shutterstock, their reasons for not accepting a piece and, because of the young designers coming up the ranks, getting into illustrations and vectors. I love-love-love my camera. It will be buried with me when the time comes. LOL But, I've found that there's a little creative bug in me that my camera can't fill but illustrations can. I'm learning...but my illustrations, as simple as they are right now, are being accepted.

I'm not real interested in iStock right now even though its key to Getty. I don't go directly to Getty because of their submission process...too much work for too little $$, at least for me. I am looking for one or two more agencies since I don't know that I want an exclusive.

Stay with Shutterstock. Keep at it and you'll grow to appreciate the number of downloads you get. You know how the law of numbers works. One thing for sure, I learn nothing from a photograph that's accepted, but when one is rejected...I find I really learn from what the reviewer says. Its kind of like entering a photo contest with each photograph and you get excited when you win!

Hope this helped a little. 8)

I am greatful to know that the advice was appreciated! Not often we hear back from people when they get into the agencies. Take the business seriously, but don't forget the love of the art and you'll do fine.

Your worries aren't over, I am sure that there may be a string of strange rejections in the future, but learn to shake them off and keep shooting and submitting.

Good luck!

Thanks again for the input...great all around. I'm really picky about my images, which makes me slower to produce (not snail's pace, but not lightning, for sure). My images are good, varied...and often conceptual. They aren't incredible, and I don't see the return in spending a lot of money on them. I'm going for simple stuff, strong themes, people shots as much as possible, and technical expertise. So my acceptance rate on ShutterStock is really quite high. I'm thinking about 80% or better.

While they are on top of the noise thing, I try to work to IStock standards for noise, so that's usually not a problem.

Uploads have been fast an consistent. I have 300 images (growing by 4 or 5 a day now) and get about 10 to 15 buys on average a day. The more images, the more that creeps up.

I'm not funding my retirement account just yet, but do have a strategy for getting 2,000 images in my portfolio within about 12 months.

I know as the images get old they start to smell -- -- and that they'll fall off in terms of sales. So I'm working to keep fresh stuff coming.

I find ShutterStock to actually be more accepting than many of the others (IStock, Fotolia, DreamsTime). So I'm happy with ShutterStock.

By the way, I've started working as an Image Inspector for one of the sites (which will remain unnamed). What an education. It's real insight to the process to be on the other side of things.

I plan to share some of my experiences with the 26 sites that I have been supplying and just diving in to MS headfirst. I'll do that soon...

Cheers,

Scott/Creatista

Execellent work. We hop to hear more from you. I think you will find that success will come with time. Hopefully someday it will fund your retirement and if not hopefully it funds a new camera or two and lens or two/3/4/5 along the way.

Got to agree with the 'Shutterstock wants you to jump through hoops to test out how serious you are'. I very rarely get any shots rejected by any photolibrary, I'm signed up with dozens. I can't get any of my 10 sample shots accepted by them. A few are rejected due to noise (the scanned 6x7's) but otherwise I just get the single word rejected - no explanation. I've got thick skin so I'll keep trying, even though it seems such a waste of time.