Microstock revenue

This weekend I found out that Lucky Oliver is going to close May 15. I’ve been so busy with other stuff lately that I haven’t had time to stay updated about what is going on in the microstock world. So this was really a big surprise to me. I think it’s very strange that Lucky Oliver hasn’t even sent out a message to its contributors. A newsletter would have been appropriate one may think.

If you have earned enough to get a payout you have to request it before May 15. If you have not earned enough you can convert your money to tokens which you can buy pictures with. Many are upset over this. Even if one has only earned a single dollar you want to get paid. We have actually sold something and Lucky Oliver has been paid, so why shouldn’t we even if we haven’t earned that much? It will be interesting to see if they change their mind and give everyone their money.

Lucky Oliver was one of the stock agencies I earned the least with so I can’t say it affects me very much when they close. But they had the best reviewers – they always left good comments and constructive criticism. So it’s a bit sad that they will disappear.

Here is the message from Lucky Oliver about them closing down…

In a forum post at Lucky Oliver Beth Pulsipher (LoonGirl) tells us about what happened when she and her friend where out shooting yesterday. Her friend stopped at a public road near an airport and took some shoots of the radar tower. An airport maintenance guy shows up and asks for his ID and an explanation about what he is doing. Later the Sheriff’s Dept contacts them for an interview. They are told that they are going to report this to the FBI and FFA.

I don’t think they did anything wrong since they where on a public road. But it’s not very fun to be in that situation anyway. If a police would contact me and start questioning what I was doing and telling me he is going to notify the FBI and FFA I would become a bit nervous, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. Or I would get very angry and contact TV and newspapers to see if they would like to follow up the story.

I don’t think this would ever happen to me since I live in Sweden but you never know. It’s best to be careful when shooting and know about which rights apply. At this site you can print out a copy of “The Photographer’s Right”. It’s a flyer explaining your rights when stopped or confronted for photography.

Today I got an e-mail from Lucky Oliver that all 36 images (all where 3d renderings) I had sent them where rejected. What? All 36 rejected for the same reason!?

They all had the comment “Illustration has rough/ rugged lines” attached to them. Strange, since even iStockphoto has accepted some of them. One of the images has even been given the rating 5 out of 5 from 4 different people on iStockphoto.

Lucky Oliver also mentions a second problem with the images - they don’t know how I have obtained the source model I used or if I have created it myself. I don’t know but I think that may be the real reason for rejecting the whole batch. I just don’t understand why they think that is a problem. Of course I know the rules and I would never use a model that I wasn’t 100% sure I was allowed to use commercially.  Why would I all of a sudden start breaking the rules just because it’s a 3d rendering? If it was a photograph they had not questioned if for example it was really me who had taken the photo - they had just assumed it. Why do they assume I don’t own the rights to the 3d models I use in my 3d renderings?

Well, I guess I wont be sending Lucky Oliver any illustrations for a while. I’ll keep uploading photos to them but it’s not worth the trouble to send any 3d renderings to them. What a shame!