2008 September | Design and Photography Highlights

How to Report Keyword Spamming……

Cutcaster How To, Keywording No Responses »

Sep 292008

How do you report keyword spamming? It’s easy.

In an effort to make our search results the most relevant to what a buyer is looking for we have a “flag this media” button. On every media detail page there is this icon with a flag on it above the photo on the right hand side. All you need to do is click the flag and a pop-up box will appear where you can choose to report the image for Keyword Spamming or Copyright Alert. There is also a “Reason:” box where you can put your concern in if you would like to further explain the flag.

When flagging any media – you as the flagger, remain COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS! – so you will never have to worry about inappropriate revenge flagging.

By flagging media for Keyword Spamming or even Copyright Alert, you are not only helping Cutcaster weed through the rubble, but you are helping Cutcaster remain buyer friendly by providing the best relevant search results available on the market today.

Thanks for all the help so far from people who have flagged media files and also those who have gone back and re-keyworded. I am going to be putting out a keyword guide for everyone’s benefit later on!

HELP!!!

Keywording 11 Responses »

Sep 272008

Hey Guys,

I have been working around the clock on the database for the last week, cleaning out the keywords and titles of uploaded files and I am VERY concerned about how big an issue the spam keywording is. I am trying to build the best licensing marketplace out there, and when people input keywords that are totally irrelevant to the corresponding image, it threatens both the integrity and functionality of Cutcaster for anyone looking to purchase your images. If there are a lot of irrelevant search results returned to a buyer they are going to be put off and not want to license content from our marketplace. To re-keyword 100 images, it takes approximately 1.5 hours. Cutcaster is currently averaging 1000 image uploads per day so it is impossible for me to re-keyword everyone’s’ images on top of everything else. I want to be spending all my time getting buyers so this is a money maker for everyone. So I am asking (begging) for your advice and help. I welcome any and all suggestions:

What are ways I can incentivize users who upload content to Cutcaster to make their keywords only relevant to what is in the image? I appreciate all advice!!

Digital Noise – What to look for?

Articles, Cutcaster How To 6 Responses »

Sep 262008

(click on the image to see a larger preview version of the digital noise.)

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(click on the image to see a larger preview version of the digital noise.)

Digital noise mainly happens from lack of light. It will be apparent in the shadows of your images when viewed at 100%. Setting you ISO too high will also cause digital noise while your camera is trying to compensate for lack of light. In some instances, where the noise is not too bad, you can use certain software programs (Neat Image, Noise Ninja, etc.) to correct the problem – although over-correction can cause your image to become blurry. Photoshop has despeckle and Lightroom has noise reduction also.

Below is the same photo that I have reduced the noise on.

(click on the image to see a larger preview version of the digital noise.)

I personally find the best place to look for noise is:

In the shadows under objects

If your picture is has a blue sky – look in the blue of the sky at 100%. It should be a smooth blue without little dots or other visible imperfections.

If the photo is a mug shot type image, look under the models chin, where the chin casts a shadow on the neck.

Rejections are frustrating and have a tendency to make people lose motivation. I’m hoping this little guide here helps with less rejections for happy contributors and buyers.

Quality Content = Happy Buyers = Repeat Buyers = More Downloads = Greater Royalties.

It’s a win / win situation.

What makes Cutcaster’s platform so unique?

Cutcaster How To, Cutcaster Updates No Responses »

Sep 252008

Cutcaster brings you the unique and value priced royalty free stock photos, stock illustrations, stock images and stock video clips; all sourced from the top emerging creative artist and freelance photographers and graphic designers. Search an immense library of licensed royalty free stock images available at www.Cutcaster.com.

Access blog images and thumbnails suitable for web design for as little as $1. Cutcaster provides stock images for creative directors, art buyers, graphic design, multi-media, book and newspaper publishing, printer and web design. Register for free to browse, buy, bid for and download images. Join our community of creative contributors and you can literally turn your creative work into cash. Submit your creative photographs, graphic illustrations, and artwork; selling it as creative royalty free stock content to millions of creative buyers worldwide. All our Stock Photography, Royalty Free and Editorial Stock Photos are licensed by Cutcaster.

As part of our creative community you can share tips and tricks. Profile your latest and best work to associates, friends or customers. You will find all of our images via our fast search engine. Look for royalty-free stock photography, stock photos, stock images, stock illustrations, stock pictures, stock clip art, vector graphics/ digital art and all other forms of royalty-free photographic images and creative stock.

Editorial use only button

Cutcaster How To 4 Responses »

Sep 232008

There the new “Editorial use” only button is.

We have added an “editorial use” only button to the submit page in the upload area. You should assign this note to any photo that you know can only be used for editorial purposes.

The image will now contain this message for any visitor or buyer. To add it to an image, simple select the image you want to add it to and then click on the “Editorial Use” only button and it will be added.

Release Information: Editorial Use Only. Image not to be used in commercial designs and/or advertisements.

Images that are marked as “editorial use only” are ones that have not been released for commercial use and have also been taken without the consent of the individuals in the photo. Editorial means books, newspapers, magazines, calendars, stuff that is not advertising. Editorial usage would typically be an image used to support an article or broadcast item in pretty much any media (TV, web, print etc) – typically news/features whilst advertising use would be any image used to promote a product or service.

If you have more to add in the comments about what editorial vs. commercial is please add it. If you need more help, just ask us.

John

Is Getty Buying Flickr?

Industry News No Responses »

Sep 192008

Who knows but this could be some big news. Is Getty buying Flickr? Sounds like a wild rumor but here is to feeding the hysteria.

Guest Blog Post- From hobbyist to professional artist

Friends of Cutcaster No Responses »

Sep 192008

Whenever the microstock business receives a mention in the media, it is usually accompanied by the common description of microstock artists as amateurs, hobbyists, and stay-at-home moms or dads who have a consumer-level digital camera and some vacation photos they hope to make a quick buck off of. While those descriptions may accurately represent many artists working in the microstock field today, there are many others who consider microstock their profession. A number of things can factor into why the amateur title may be a fitting description for many microstock artists, but this does not mean that amateur status is permanent and are a few things that you can change today that will elevate your position in the stock imaging world. Changing your outlook on your microstock work and how you approach your craft can help to turn a hobby into a job.

There is a frequently used phrase in self-help and confidence-building circles: “Act as if.” You may have heard some slightly different versions of this saying, but in all of them the underlying principle is the same; How you conduct yourself has a direct effect on what you become and where you end up, in all aspects of life. In microstock, acting as if you are already a professional may spur you on to truly becoming one. Take a look at your typical microstock day and think about how an outside observer would regard your activities. Do you conduct yourself in your daily life like a hobbyist or a professional?

One of the quickest and easiest ways to transform your microstock hobby into a job (part-time or full-time) is to re-assess your work-flow and make changes that shift that work-flow into a more efficient, business-oriented process. If you are working in a cluttered area, with many distractions and very little organization, clean up your workspace and create an environment that is more like an office. Create a schedule for yourself, and stick to it. If you only have an hour a day to devote to microstock work, make sure that you put in that hour every day, and around the same time each day. Finally, make decisions based on good business choices, not personal preferences. Don’t limit your choice of agencies to work with based on your personal feelings about them. If you are only working with one or two agencies because they are your favorites, you are restricting your earnings potential and making an amateur decision. If you start to think and act like a pro microstocker, you will quickly transform your hobby into a job and your income will reflect this change.

Contributing writer Mike McDonald. Thank you so much, Mike. See Mike’s Cutcaster studio here and his website here. Come on Mike. We want some more of your awesome work here at Cutcaster.

Testimonial from user on how they used their Cutcaster payout

Friends of Cutcaster No Responses »

Sep 162008

From: Fern
Subject: Be out for a while
To: john@cutcaster.com
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 2:46 PM

Hi John,

Just so you know – the check really came in handy. I used it to help with Hurricane Ike evacuation. We got hit hard. I have damages to my home, carport and fencing. We are without power, water, ice, and gas (only 2 gas stations open and lines are 2-3 hours long). Power should be back within 2-6 weeks so it may be awhile before I can upload more photos.

Fern

Just to give you a little background on this email I just received. Fern is one of our members and requested a payout by check from Cutcaster about two weeks ago after she sold over $220 in photos. Little did we know how handy that check would come in.

One thing I have to say about this tragedy is that, living in NYC, I thought I wouldn’t really be affected by Hurricane Ike outside of watching the utter devastation on TV and giving to the Red Cross to help the victims in a time of need. But starting Cutcaster has opened up my world in ways I could have never predicted and formed friendships with people all over the map. Some of whom were affected by Ike.

This is an almost surreal email for us to get to see how “We”, as an entire Cutcaster community, could help someone evacuate from danger’s way from a single payout on Cutcaster. I am glad to see our payout go to such an amazing use. I hope you all will take a moment to say a prayer for all the victims of Hurricane Ike and visit the Red Cross to donate anything you can spare.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by Ike.

The PhotoShelter Collection will discontinue stock photo licensing.

Industry News 1 Response »

Sep 112008

Sad to see but just saw this post at Photoshelter. It’s never good to see a competitor in your industry close it’s doors and there were many things to admire about Photoshelter. Paul Melcher once compared us in a pretty weird way to one another on his blog. I’m not sure they mentioned all the reasons for closing the licensing wing of their business but I wanted to add the update to our blog for anyone interested. I hope members of Cutcaster will relay their stories to members of PS about their experience so far at Cutcaster and that PS members will move their valuable images to Cutcaster for licensing and let us go to work for them. All we ask for is a chance to prove ourselves.

Why is the PhotoShelter Collection shutting down?

Despite our unique approach to the stock photo marketplace and progress by our sales team since launching last year, The PhotoShelter Collection was unable to change buyer behavior on a grand scale and generate revenues quickly enough to satisfy our goals for this product line. While image buyers worldwide appreciated our new approach, the size of our image selection and the incumbent player’s entrenched subscription relationships were a persistent challenge. As a result, we saw few strategic options for the Collection that would allow us to stay true to our commitment to a better deal for photographers and our desire to change the industry. We have chosen to refocus heavily on enhancing our original product, The PhotoShelter Personal Archive, which several thousand photographers use for bulletproof storage and online image sales directly to their own clients.

This is a call to all Cutcaster members. If you know other Photographers who were using PS as a way to license their photos, I would love your help in asking them to join our mission at Cutcaster but only if you feel that they would benefit from using our site or have great content.

Our doors and arms are wide open and staying that way. We need to increase our collections and I know that many of the photographers on PS had great work that they were licensing. This will benefit everyone by bringing more buyers to the site while still letting photographers set their own price and retain more control.

Finding Images on Cutcaster you just viewed and want to buy

Cutcaster How To, Cutcaster Payment Options No Responses »

Sep 112008

Are you looking for something which you just saw and want to buy?

Remember that image that you loved but just couldn’t find again? Did you even downloaded the comp image and you are ready to go back in and buy it? Looking through the database again probably isn’t at the top of your priority list so we wanted to shoot over a few solutions.

I have a few solutions.

* One can search by the unique image id – simply enter the image id in the search box like this 987654321 or put it into the url http://www.cutcaster.com/viewmedia/view/987654321 and fill in the numbers with the unique id of the image you are trying to find.

* Search by the title – try and remember the title of the image which will help you narrow down the time it takes to find that image again.

* Search by photographer’s name – if you can remember the photographers name you can search their portfolio by entering their name in the search box and clicking off the “members” box so the engine searches by member.

* Search by keyword – you can search by the keyword of the image