What are the photo quality requirements of the stock photo company Alamy? Why can't you upload your mobile photos to Alamy? Don't worry, there's a great solution within Alamy.
The fundamental difference between a DSLR (or MILC) camera and the camera of a mobile phone
The imaging quality of mobile phone cameras is improving rapidly. This is not so much due to the lenses, but rather to the hardware and software performance of the phones. This means that the small size of the lenses, the short focal length has not changed over the years. Manufacturers are experimenting with different solutions to improve image quality, e.g. by using more and more cameras on one device. It is therefore easy to see that to produce the image quality of DSLRs and MILCs equipped with larger sensors is physically impossible with a mobile phone. I don’t think that’s the goal either, as most people don’t even demand high quality, say, shooting family selfies.
DSLRs (or MILCs) are optically capable of the high quality that mobiles can only approach with brute-force hardware performance after an astonishing amount of software calculations. That is a fact.
Alamy's requirements for uploaded photos
Alamy, a UK-based stock photo company, has made a definite distinction between the two segments, i.e. only images taken with a DSLR or equivalent camera can be added to their portfolio.
However, they have realized that most people in the world have a mobile phone in their pocket, and it would be a sin to miss this great opportunity. So a brand called Stockimo was created in 2014, which only accepts photos taken with an iPhone.
They specify only the minimum size of uploaded images (min. 17MB is the uncompressed JPG size for Alamy, min. 640px for Stockimo), with no upper limit. The recommended color profile is sRGB. There are no other technical requirements.
While Alamy examines the quality of uploaded images (lens spots, sharpness, noise level, chromatic aberration, etc.), Stockimo mainly accepts photos that are trendy, even if edited with a strong filter, and have an emotional charge.
Where to upload your mobile images?
Stockimo only accepts images taken with an iPhone, given that it only has an app developed for iOS. This doesn’t have to be taken so strictly, you can easily upload your Android images via an iPhone, too.
If you don’t have an iPhone, or you can’t fix the transfer to an iPhone, you still have the option to try your luck at other stock photography agencies (larger companies like Shutterstock, Dreamstime, iStock accept mobile images).
Why is it a good idea to handle photos taken with a DSLR and a mobile separately?
Stockimo’s appraisal process is significantly different from Alamy’s classic quality control. Images taken with a mobile phone that Alamy would not otherwise accept may also be uploaded to Alamy (though not directly).
Buyers can also clearly see what quality they are getting. And because mobile images also have their own atmosphere, they can more easily select the right photos for different uses.
If you’re not a professional photographer, or you’re not yet familiar with the jungle of settings of a DSLR, but want to make money with your images, be sure to start with Stockimo. Of course, stock photography itself presupposes basic photography knowledge, remember that!
Take photos with your mobile too!
If you've only photographed with a DSLR so far, try mobile photography as well. If you've only used your mobile phone as a camera so far, you may want to try a higher level as well. Neither is mutually exclusive, but rather complementary. Your mobile is always at hand and unobtrusive when you want to take photos of people in the street.
However, your DSLR is also capable of capturing high-resolution, needle-sharp, consciously adjusted images. I think it would be strange for a photographer to lure the street among passers-by with his robust DSLR, hoping for natural street photos.
Summary
So the answer to the question in the title is no, but ... Alamy also thought of photographers with an iPhone, so the Stockimo app was created. Your images uploaded to Stockimo will also appear on the Alamy website in the classic Alamy portfolio, with an ID number starting with S.