SS - Quick reviews but effective reviewing?

ichiro17 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-21-2006, 04:16 AM

Honestly, SS is impressing me with same day reviews but thats all thats impressed me really because they rejected 14 and accepted 6. Thats ridiculous. I'm not a perfect photographer but I know my stuff and I know the technical stuff that would get it to pass - so I'm not sure if this reviewer is just on a rampage or what, but I hate having to upload several times to get my images accepted.

As well, they initially rejected that photograph of the "sparks" that I had posted in the YAYAYAYAY topic for "uneven lighting." Honestly, I just don't understand why some people don't use their heads somtimes.

Anyways, just want your thoughts if you have any on this SS on steroids review system.

sharpshot · #2 (**permalink**) 12-21-2006, 07:35 AM

All the sites I use have quick reviews at the moment. I presume it is because a lot of photographers are having a break over Christmas.

Shutterstock do mess up some reviews. Most of the reviewers are good but there are one or two that don't seem to use their common sense. I am now going to leave more notes for the reviewers, as they sometimes mistake texture for grain etc. It is a shame but they probably pay peanuts, so you can guess what some of the reviewers might be like

thesupe87 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-21-2006, 03:10 PM

They rejected all 15 of my last batch. Don't feel bad....

rinderart · #4 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 07:30 AM

Thats strange, I get everything I send accepted. Does that tell you guys anything??? It should. It's not the reviewers gang. Never was nor, will it ever be. It's you. Plain and simple and If you disagree or dont see it? Maybe time for a new Hobby. And maybe Thats the problem. It's a hobby.You can go as far as you want in this busines but, It's going to take a lot more work than most of you are capable of. sorry, just the truth.

Kerioak · #5 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 11:55 AM

Hi Laurin

Unfortunately we cannot all be as good as you ---------- Yet!

I got my first dslr a year ago and really started learning about taking photographs then. I have always had cameras and taken pictures but I wanted to do show dog photography which I was getting a call for, and wanted a better camera to do it as the one I had before helped me take good pictures but the shutter lag was so long it was difficult to get those shots in the few seconds the dog was posed perfectly.

I then discovered stock photography and got interested in more aspects of this business/hobby and spend a lot of time reading and practising what I read rather than taking productive shots. Have been a bit hampered this year by mobility problems resulting in spinal surgery and am now having treatment to my hip which may also need an operation :cry:

The above may sound as if I am making excuses, I am not, - I am trying to explain that I am learning from scratch and have a burning desire to succeed in this new endeavour which is a hobby (something I enjoy doing) as well as a potential business (something I can make a living from) and any comments/critiques you can give on my work* to help me improve will be appreciated and probably acted upon

Merry Christmas
Christine

*Fotolia or Shutterstock - links below

jimiking · #6 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 12:09 PM

I always thought that the Microstock philosophy was that every amateur had a stock shot or two up their sleeve. It's an interesting development that many who decide to give it a whirl find they learn an awful lot very quickly.

Speaking primarily as a designer I now have a wealth of photgraphic material at my disposal that was previously never an option before. As a hobby photographer for most of my adult life, I'm certainly no professional, but in the five months I've been doing Microstock I'm encouraged by what I've produced and feel that I've even come up with a few shots that would stand up in the $300 arena too.

It took me three months to get accepted at Shutterstock but I've submitted 7 photo's there this week and they accepted all of them.

So my advice to anyone suffering any disillusion from early refusals is to persevere. The future is microstock and everyone's welcome.

BTW thesupe87, thanks for producing those carbon fibre shots. I've used them on a couple of websites. I've been searching for a couple of years for something like those. If it weren't for microstock, I'd still be looking.

ichiro17 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 06:45 PM

No offence to Rinder, but its not about it being a hobby because other agencies, and I don't mean picture hungry ones, accept the same pictures too. These photographs may not be top-notch but they are also not reject-worthy. I wouldn't say by any means that I'm a photography stud, but I do know what it takes to get photos accepted and I do know when something won't get accepted....however, lately the reviewers went haywire. The problem seems to be fixed now though.

thesupe87 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 06:56 PM

You could get a reviewer that has PMS that day, just broke up with his/her love interest, or maybe just is feeling a little jerky that day for some reason or another - and just due to that reason - your photos all get rejected. I've taken batches of 15 REJECTED photos, resubmitted them to SS, and what do you know...they all got accepted. Some of them sell very well, too.

I'm not trying to say that the work of us amateurs is anything close to yours, Laurin - you're a seasoned pro. I'm probably 1/3 of your age, so how am I going to be able to produce images as well as you? Along with age also comes wisdom, knowledge, and real-world experience.

I'm saying, though, sometimes you just get a bad review.

photobunny · #9 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesupe87

You could get a reviewer that has PMS that day, just broke up with his/her love interest, or maybe just is feeling a little jerky that day for some reason or another - and just due to that reason - your photos all get rejected. I've taken batches of 15 REJECTED photos, resubmitted them to SS, and what do you know...they all got accepted. Some of them sell very well, too.

I'm not trying to say that the work of us amateurs is anything close to yours, Laurin - you're a seasoned pro. I'm probably 1/3 of your age, so how am I going to be able to produce images as well as you? Along with age also comes wisdom, knowledge, and real-world experience.

I'm saying, though, sometimes you just get a bad review.

Yup sometimes it can be luck of the draw. Its the same with any business, eg if you ring a call centre you never know who you going to get or what mood they will be in lol. I been doing photography for 10 years now, but the whole digital era is all new to me, that part Ive only been doing for 6 months. And yep Im still learning. You cant learn unless you make mistakes and only if you are prepared to learn from those and then improve. But going back to the erratic reviews, maybe it was too much mulled wine and eggnog flying around there lol.

photobunny · #10 (**permalink**) 12-24-2006, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerioak

Hi Laurin

Unfortunately we cannot all be as good as you ---------- Yet!

I got my first dslr a year ago and really started learning about taking photographs then. I have always had cameras and taken pictures but I wanted to do show dog photography which I was getting a call for, and wanted a better camera to do it as the one I had before helped me take good pictures but the shutter lag was so long it was difficult to get those shots in the few seconds the dog was posed perfectly.

I then discovered stock photography and got interested in more aspects of this business/hobby and spend a lot of time reading and practising what I read rather than taking productive shots. Have been a bit hampered this year by mobility problems resulting in spinal surgery and am now having treatment to my hip which may also need an operation :cry:

The above may sound as if I am making excuses, I am not, - I am trying to explain that I am learning from scratch and have a burning desire to succeed in this new endeavour which is a hobby (something I enjoy doing) as well as a potential business (something I can make a living from) and any comments/critiques you can give on my work* to help me improve will be appreciated and probably acted upon

Merry Christmas
Christine

*Fotolia or Shutterstock - links below

Christine I had a look at your portfolio on Fotolia, you really have some fantastic work there hun, you should be proud :P