Crowd Sourcing

On the tail of the earlier Micro Payment thread I've just heard of what I'm told is the new buzzword, 'crowd sourcing.'

Wired has an article, http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/crowds.html as does http://www.abouttheimage.com/2006/06/can_stock_photo_celebrates_2nd_birthday.html

It seems not only photographers are having their rates affected, but allied industries such as graphic designers.

One of the acknowledged 'difficulties' of crowd sourcing is that one it is driving out pros due to low rates, but it is also affecting the calibre and originality of work which clients seem happy to accept in return for lower prices.

This largely seems to affect stock images, but I would suspect many bread and butter type assignments would be affected by this practice.

One of the articles has a inadvertent telling statement, "with professional digital cameras at $1,000." Of course my first reaction is to know where I can get such a professional camera, but think it may also reveal the lack of photographic knowledge, not only of the writer, but photographic clients.

Dave

This is very telling. A month or so ago I was contacted by a bird seed company asking what it would cost for licensing an image I have here in my NPN Portfolio. The license would be used on point of purchase displays. Since I wanted the sale and did not want to lose it by quoting a price too high, I quoted $100 for a high rez image with a limited license for the purpose stated in the solicitation email. Frankly, this is probably $100 less than what was suggested by a prominent photo quoting web site. I felt guilty quoting so little, but thought since I am new to the game it was a good price.

I never heard from them again. Dave, after reading the links in your post I learned that they probably got a similar image for $1 from someone else

I am basically an amature who sells some prints now and then. I do have a real job and am happy and creatively fulfilled to use my equipment in making what I strive to be pro level images. However, amature or not, pro level skills are worth pro level fees. I will not sell my images for $1 just to sell them.

This trend is similar to what has been consuming and degrading the health care industry for 15 years. In my real professional life fees are dictated by insurance companies. They claim they are holding health care costs in check while the insurance company CEOs bring home multi million dollar salaries (the CEO of United Health Care brings home about a BILLION a year ) The result is that many docs of lesser skills and qualifications are busy because they are willing to accept the reduced fees offered by the insurance companies.

Please don't focus on my last paragraph in a way that takes over this thread. I just use it as an example of the future of stock if nothing is done to prevent it.

I believe the threshold is most likely past. I forsee a handfull of very high quality publications and agencies that choose to be a cut above and will support pro fees for pro level images. The run of the mill publications and agencies will only be able to compete by using micro-payment sites for images.

We photographers must decide where in this spectrum we wish to be. I have chosen to charge what I truly think I am worth.

I was contacted by the same company. I followed up with them after the selection date and was told they ended up not doing anything. Rates are very competitive these days. It is tough to get traditional market rates for stock images unless they are very unique and rare. The abundance of high resolution digital cameras available in the consumer and pro-consumer price range have put significant pressure on the traditional stock image market rates. I see two major factors affecting rates right now: supply and demand and a client's willingness to accept poorer quality images in exchange for lower rates.

I think it largely depends on how a person markets themselves and their business. If you treat your work as high quality and special--something a cut above the majority of the industry--then you will find clients that match your expectations and treat you with more respect. You will obviously have fewer clients, but who cares.

If you don't value your work and try to compete in the high volume, low price marketing model, then you and your work will not be treated with respect, you will not have clients that pay decent prices.

The good paying clients are still out there in my opinion. Randy