Not Everything is as it Seems - About Selling Photos

A week ago I ran a post on my blog about marketing photos, and threw in a photo contest to boot where two lucky winners will receive a professional camera each month. My friend Jeannie shared the contest news with me as she excitedly told me about someone she knew who had won.

Then I came across an article in Woman's World about women who made money from home. One of the jobs showcased was selling photos. In my enthusiasm to share with my friend Jeannie and my blogging friends I dedicated a post to these sites.

I received an email and a phone call from Jeannie the other day. It seems Shutter stock rejected her photos. A small sample of her photos is shown above and I apologize about the quality, as she emailed them to me in Yahoo account and then I saved to desk top. Unfortunately Yahoo loses something in the transition when saving photos. She was allowed to submit ten and received words like these reasoning why all of her photos had been rejected:

• not in focus
• grainy
• noise (what the heck is this?)
• Limited commercial value due to framing, cropping, and/or composition.
• focus is not located where we feel it works best.
• poor or uneven lighting
• shadows
• lighting not where we feel it works best

She also received this message:

"Hi,

Thank you for your submission to Shutterstock.

In order for Shutterstock to maintain the high standard of our photography collection, new submitters must receive approval on at least seven (7) of their first ten (10) images to continue uploading. Unfortunately, while some of the images you submitted may meet our guidelines, we are unable to approve the requisite number and have temporarily disabled the uploading function on your account. This decision was based on concerns about quality, composition, lighting, or other features of your initial batch of images and we have listed the reasons below.

We invite you to resubmit in 30 days. In the meantime, you can still post banners, earn money from referring photographers, and participate in our forum discussions. Please do not create more than one account; doing so will result in permanent suspension.

Thank you for your interest in Shutterstock. We look forward to seeing you again in 30 days!"

Jeannie states they will not have to concern themselves in seeing her again in 30 days! She deleted her account. I wish I could show you how pretty the pictures first looked when I viewed them on her camera, but even if they felt the pictures were not what they were looking for would there not have been a better way to let Jeannie know?

She has a Triond, SOAphoto.com, Flickr and Snapfish account where she posts pictures, plus she has generously allowed me to post her pictures from time to time.

We cannot help but get excited when we hear of something that will not only allow us to pursue a path we love but get paid while going there. It's normal to have these desires. Do not let anyone deter you from your love.

Take care and God bless.

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Thankful Thursdays - Telephones

picture source

The first call made on a telephone was made by a Scottish-born American inventor, Alexander Graham Bell. The first conversation was not eloquent, but it was remarkable in that the conversation traveled over the wire. Bell, having spilled acid down the front of his pants was heard to say on that long ago day in 1876 "Mr. Watson! Come here, I want you." I think my conversation would have been a bit more colorful, but maybe not quotable. :-)

In 1891 the dial was added to the telephone. The dial and automatic exchange replaced the operator thanks to an invention made by Almon B. Strowger. It seems that Strowger's family had a rival undertaker business and was tired of the operator directing callers to the competing family owned business according to In the Beginning...The Nearly Complete History of Almost Everything illustrated by Brian Delf and written by Richard Platt (1995)

Telephones have come a long ways since then. We can conference call, speed dial, text message, call round the world, and enjoy free week end and evening minutes on our cellular phones... I am grateful for my phone and the loved ones I can keep in touch with because of "Ma Bell." Call someone you love today and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving day.

Take care & God bless.

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Wordless Wednesday - Still Blooming, Sweet Alyssum

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