Pond5 has spoiled me!

It's very easy to upload here true, maybe too easy for lots of complicated reasons. The critique from the inspectors at IS is great, it has certainly made me a better shooter. The technical critiques are irritating, but I admit also are usually correct as well. Footage submitted here never seems to get rejected for artifacting, etc. Also, you develop and understanding of the mindset of corporate consumers at IS - what their legal concerns are and how to avoid (and sell) for that market. I make 50 percent more on the same portfolio every month at IS than Pond5. I think submitting to multiple sites broadens you as a businessperson and a photographer. And once the work is done, it sits there and sells while you sleep.

My interpretation of IS was that they were very whimsical. You can upload something ...get it rejected. Wait a month....upload again, then its accepted

I think Repition is the mother of skill. ...I keep making "weird" clips, and I keep selling them, not just on p5 either. Soooo I keep making "weirder" stuff...and it keeps selling.

I sell clips that have artifacts, that I added on purpose....or even shakiness added in post.

I don't bother uploading certain types of clips to certain sites because I know that site has a demographic, but I don't think it makes me a better photographer.

I think that by eating my donuts upside down (with the icing facing down instead of up) has made me a better photographer... think about it.

That said, Pond5 appears to be the only site that understands the "business of selling stock footage" by allowing artists to set their own prices and only rejecting clips that violate their policies or have technical issues. They don't "judge" whether or not something *might* sell, they just take it and sell it. It's simply "what they do"... THEY SELL FOOTAGE.

I took my top 100 selling clips from Pond5 and submitted them to multiple other sites and I still only get about 15% of my income from outside Pond5. While I am starting to near 100 clips a month in sales here, I am lucky if I even get near 10 clips on other sites.

That tells me that they know how to attract buyers and they know how to close the deal better than any other site.

DNAVvarrojr, I'll drink the coolaid your drinking - any day. 100 downloads a month, Great! I just took a looked at your portfolio and collections. Impressive stuff. The prices were all over the map, I guess reflecting the competition you are dealing with the big companies like Digital Juice. POND5 is one part of the market and buyers come here mostly for a bargain, I suspect. The search sort function must be more aggressive here because of the massive level of un-filtered un-examined uploads. 20% of my uploads are rejected at IS. No rejection here in 1600 uploads. Two of those IS rejects sold here today! Both were rejected for copyright. Buyers come to IS for legally vetted images and a screened level of technical quality. REVOSTOCK seems to be another one in this vein. IS stock has rejections like, "too dark" "poor composition" and a "what's the point" category. Those donuts made me jump through the IS hoop better, but certainly didn't help me broaden my understanding of how to shoot for other sites. If we are honest, some lots of shots just suck for one reason or another and it's hard to critique your own work. Getting the self critique reject filter up and running has been a good by product of IS, for me.

We've got plenty of clips up that, from a technical or composition standpoint, just SUCK. They're poorly lit, or handheld and a bit shaky - but the content is unique and (as with war footage) it has a gritty, not-staged feel to it. And people buy it. I'm amazed how much people buy it. Probably not being purchased by high-end movie makers, but whoever is buying it, we're happy.

I do wish P5 would make it possible to see who is buying, or at least allow us to collect some kind of analytical info about our purchases - THAT might help me shoot more profitable stuff!

Hellow Holtocw, I like your military clips. Visit your portfolio quite often. Great unique footage of the real stuff. Is guys like you I wish Pond5 had a instant review option so that you could get your stuff in the 6 o'clock news and get top dollars for it. Hope somebody comes along to buy 2 hrs worth of your footage soon.

Cheers from the Caribbean.
PS. I too like Pond5 a lot plus its members.

The Ironman 2 guys were shopping to buy on pond5, dreamworks bought clips from pond5 for the movie eagle eye.
Eagle eye

Some of us know buyers in high places, guess which agency we are going to recommend? Pond5 may not be the best, but I believe they are the best, and im not going to endorse a stock site that treats artists with disrespect (like CGI screenshots...guilty until proven innocent). My best clips are on pond5 too.

Smudlack, I don't believe any site will make you a better photographer or producer.

Having submitted both video and images to various sites over the last 5 years, the only thing I have figured out in this industry is that you never know what will be accepted where and what will sell. My best selling image that I sell multiple copies of daily and has made me thousands of dollars on one site, was rejected by another. That doesn't mean that the image sucks.

I believe each site has it demographics to which it sells, but don't kid yourself, there are buyers who buy from various sites, if they see something on one site and its costs more then on another site, you bet your sweet @ss they are going to save their money and buy it for as little as possible. Economics 101.

Smudlack, do you by any chance work for IS? :-)

I'm going to have to try that upside-down doughnut thing...