 In very much the same way photographers want a piece of this action while it’s hot, more and more service providers are on the scene. Almost on a daily basis, the pool of microstock agencies is growing. As a result, each agency is trying to find and fill a niche. They try to find and offer something just a little bit different. They try to set up a model that is cost effective for the photographers and the designers and can still make money for the agency.
This is creating a large disparity in what images are considered acceptable and what images are not. The newer agencies seem to have more generous acceptance policies, as they are building their galleries and need volume to compete. The older sites, on the other hand, seem to be tightening up their regulations. I can only assume this is to offer what they see as higher quality to compete with the higher quantity of choices. As the technical image requirements have changed on some of the older sites, a firestorm of frustration and even criticism among photographers has been lit. It seems to be a hot topic on many of the forums. Almost every agency has one, and there are also a number of independent forums where the discussion is truly no holds barred.
I have tried very hard to pick my battles over what is accepted and what is not. Business is politics, and there have been suggestions made that the squeaky wheel gets the shaft in some cases. I can’t personally vouch for that, but I do try to keep my mind open to the possibility. Therefore, I am careful not to let off steam every time I disagree with a rejection.
Now that I have over-rationalized the entire concept of rejections, I must admit to my own frustration at a recent surge in rejections from one particular site. It seems this site has raised the bar to a point where it is nearly impossible for someone with my limited experience to get photographs approved. I see many comments on those forums that echo my own doubts about the approval process. Some of those comments go so far as to suggest the reviewers are not qualified to be making the decisions about the stock worthiness of any one particular image.
I am not sure if I completely agree with that concept. Maybe I am naïve, but I can’t see why a microstock agency would hire reviewers that don’t know what they are doing. I will admit, though, that I have had to remind myself of that on more than one occasion!
I will also admit that I am convinced that sometimes, some reviewers may not take time to carefully look at every photo in any particular batch. This evidenced by the reasons for rejecting the photos as described by the reviewer. It sometimes appears that a reviewer may see a common problem with the first couple of images in a batch, so they reject the entire batch for that one reason. For me that is the most frustrating part of the review process. It does not allow photographers to understand what is wrong and to improve those issues in their photographs.
It’s not all bad news, though. There are reviewers “out there” that will take the time to do their own jobs thoroughly and some who will offer specific reasons why one photo may not meet their criteria. There are also critique forums on most of the sites where other photographers, many of whom are pros, will actually take the time to offer their own opinions at improvements that could be made to any particular photo. I can say without a doubt that my improving skills are due mainly to reading those forums. I will occasionally participate, but mostly I read the tips and suggestions that are posted. I apply those concepts to my own photography and can see a vast difference in the quality and composition of the pictures I take now over the pictures I was taking last year.
In short, we are pretty much at the mercy of the reviewers, and as frustrating as it can be to try to understand, it is still up to them what will and will not be accepted. Most of the sites have a provision for you to “appeal” a decision, and sometimes a rejection will be overturned. Again, I say that your best friends and tutors are the other photographers. Read the forums. Read them again and again. Try the tips. Look at the galleries of the high volume photographers. Forget trying to make a point and winning an argument. You could be using that time and that passion shooting more photos.
That’s how I play the game.
Perry Correll [contact] [bio ]
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The Micro Shooter 
