The Alamy Stock Photo Company is much different from the well-known Microstock agencies like Shutterstock. If you are a beginner at Alamy, you will surely find the remarks listed in the article interesting.
Weekend break
During weekends, there is no QC (Quality Control), that is, they do not check images, do not respond to the problems indicated in email, and statistics do not appear on the Dashboard (your user account) interface. Friday's views and zooms are not available until next Monday. Although what can be seen on weekends is the list of images sold because it does not require human interaction.
AoA, or what clients are searching for?
AoA = All of Alamy = All views and zooms Alamy experience. It is very useful to browse this page! You will find a table there that provides detailed information about what keywords people were looking for, and how many pictures they found or not found.
QC, or unique solutions of quality check
Each Stock Photo Company checks the pictures submitted by photographers. However, their methods may be quite different. In the name of cost-effectiveness, Alamy only examines the quality of photos and only the quality. The photographer is responsible for the content of the photos, so virtually any topic can be uploaded. If they find one in a batch of uploaded photos that does not hit the standard, they refuse the whole batch. They write a reasoning so that you have the possibility to correct your mistake (or simply delete the image in question) and then re-upload the batch.
Where to upload my mobile photos?
Alamy basically prohibits uploading mobile images, but provides the opportunity to sell them through their Stockimo application for iPhone. They do not investigate whether the image was taken with an Android or iOS device, but the Stockimo application only works on iPhone. Read my articles about selling mobile photos on Stockimo.
Do you need Model or Property Releases?
Alamy manages model and property releases in a completely unique way. While other agencies are asking for the completed form when uploading the photo, Alamy only need these permissions when your photo is sold and the buyer needs them. In the meantime, you only need to indicate whether you have a release or not. If not, the photo can still be sold as editorial.
Direct relationship between Alamy's staff and contributors
Alamy often contacts photographers directly (by e-mail) if a customer contacts them with a specific request. Occasionally, a buyer wants to use your image uniquely at a unique price, to which your consent is asked. The staff is very helpful, they also monitor the Alamy forum and, if necessary, comment on a topic there.
How to sell stock photos on Alamy
The questions you may ask about Alamy (the British stock photo agency)
