Respostas:
What kind of images should I upload?
We are looking for well defined commercial concepts, marketable good compositions with creative insight, high technical level in terms of color, definition, lighting. We encourage digital processing and creativity, as long as it gives the image more appeal, but keeping in mind the generic essence of stock imagery. This is true for the main theme of the image, too. The subject should be as generic as possible, while composition clear, without elements that can distract the viewer from the main theme.
We value intellectual creative process which makes the difference between concept and point-and-shoot.
One good way to get a better image of what's hot in stock, is to browse through our best selling images. This way you'll get a visual, thus more effective help in understanding and achieving success as a stock photographer on Dreamstime.
How do I receive my payment?
Photographers can request a payment as soon as their earnings balance is higher than $100, by applying from the Management area. Payments are sent as bank checks (that you can cash at a local bank), by PayPal or MoneyBookers. The earnings value in your account will not show the requested amount, while it is pending approval.
What requirements do you have?
All files must be uploaded in JPG format, RGB, free of noise or any other artifacts, with a minimum size of 3 MP and a maximum of 70 MP. Further instructions are given on the Upload file page.
How many images can I upload in a single day?
There is a limit to the number of images submitted per day.
- Users with an approval percentage higher
than 60% can upload the maximum amount of images
and can use the FTP feature. This applies
for the first 50 submissions if you're a new
photographer.
- Users with an approval percentage of between
50-60% can upload a half of the maximum amount of images
and can use the FTP feature.
- Users with an approval percentage of between
30-50% can upload a quarter of the maximum amount
of images and can use the FTP
feature.
- Users with an approval percentage of between
0-30% can upload a tenth of the maximum amount
of images and can use the FTP
feature. FTP is disabled for users with more than 500 images online and below 30% approval ratio.
I'm a contributor. My images were refused by you, but they sell well on other sites. Why did you refuse them?
We would like to accept as many images as possible, but we reserve the right to refuse images that don't fit our marketing strategy. Each stock agency has its own audience and strategy. We encourage photographers to enquiry about a refusal by replying to the notification email, but note that we will not take this type of statement into account.
I have several persons included within my photo. How do I upload the Model release documents?
To choose several model releases for the same document hold the CTRL key and click on the model releases of the persons images. After they are all selected you can continue with the upload.
I am an illustrator; do you accept illustrations?
We love illustrations! Vector files should be saved in raster format, JPG at a high resolution, saved at highest quality and submitted in this format. As soon as they are accepted or right from the first submission you can also upload an additional format (ai, cdr or eps extensions accepted) which will sell at a higher price.
I am a contributor and I want to join Dreamstime.com. What should I do?
We're always looking for more photographers and we are aware that they are our community's most important asset. We are keen to provide you with the best experience you ever had with a photo agency.
First of all you should read carefuly our site's Terms and conditions. If you agree with them you can register as a member.
More details about selling your images with us are available on the Sell your images page. Don't forget to check our FAQ section and to browse the Message boards for tips and shared experiences from fellow members.
What's my FTP account password?
The same one you use on Dreamstime website.
I submitted a few images, but they no longer appear in the pending list nor among my online files. I presume they were refused, is this true?
Probably they were refused and the emails didn't reach you. Ensure that your email provider or another spam filter is not blocking our emails. You can check the refusal reasons for the files you just missed, in the Refused files section, under your Management area. Note that the files are kept only for 7 days since their submissions.
Regarding your terms and conditions for the copyright release in conjunction with your assignment contest; can I submit pictures which had been sold elsewhere before?
Yes, the "sell the rights" option doesn't request files to be shot specifically for the current theme. Knowing that you will relinguish all rights and stop selling the photos AFTER they are accepted by Dreamstime and the copyrights fee is awarded, you may upload images that were sold before.
My file was refused, what should I do?
For any specific question, especially regarding refusals, please do contact support. The email will be answered shortly by one of the adminstrators and you will be able to adjust your future submissions or even to resubmit the file.
Note that we would love to accept all images but the site has a specific audience and we want to maximize your portfolio's sales potential. Our criteria for selection are based on this potential. A refusal should not be seen as a judgment of your skills but rather as a suggestion of what we need in the stock database and what we don't.
I uploaded my first images. When should I expect them to start to sell?
Depending on the subject's potential, quality of the photos and saturation of the database fort hat specific subject, you can expect sales after just a few days.
Due to the fact that the buyers may find your image now but download it later, on the average the first sale occurs after one month. It happens much earlier if your portfolio is bigger and you upload more images, constantly.
There is a "portfolio exposure" parameter on my profile page. What's this?
Portfolio exposure is calculated by comparing the size of your portfolio with the biggest existent on the site at that time.
My image is downloaded in print size. Why did I receive the earnings for the web resolution image?
Your image was bought using old credits. All credits bought by designers before April 6 are used with the old prices, therefore the print and web size have the same price and the same earnings. When a designer uses credits he bought after April 6 the prices and earnings differ for web and print resolution. You can view a more detailed breakdown of an image's earnings by clicking its thumbnail on the Earnings page.
Where do I activate my FTP account?
You can activate your FTP access in your account's Management Area, in FTP Upload. Press the "Activate FTP" button to turn it on. This feature is available for users with at least one file available online.
Why am I not included within the Busiest Contributors list?
This is a feature that lists the photographers with maximum activity within the last 7 days. For best results and a higher position within this hierarchy you should upload the maximum amount allowed per day and be active on the message boards.
How do I fill in the model release document?
Print the document, fill the information as described below, then scan it or take a photograph of it. The model release must be filled in by you, as the photographer, your model and a witness who has to be a third person of legal age (you can't be your own witness).
The following fields are mandatory for the model release for adults:
- photographer's name, signature
- model's name, signature, complete postal address (including country), phone number
- witness' name, signature
The following fields are mandatory for the model release for people under 18:
- photographer's name, signature
- model's name
- tutor's (parent) name, signature, complete postal address (include country), phone number
- witness' name, signature
The model release must be filled in with roman letters and the writing must be readable. Signatures can not be digital nor applied on the computer.
How do I edit/delete a pending submission?
The files waiting to be reviewed are listed under the "Pending files" section within your management area. You can edit or delete your pending images, as long as they are not being reviewed by admin. Once they are allocated to admin for review, the edit buttons will not be available.
Do I have to use Dreamstime's Model Release document?
No, you can ask the model to sign your own Model Release, IF it contains all required information as our own MR document and all needed legal paragraphs. The MR document can carry your company's logo, but we don't accept documents signed specifically for other agencies or that carry their logo.
I just don't like FTP / My ISP does not permit FTP access / I want Multiple File Upload back! When is that going to happen?
The Multiple Uploads feature as it was known will not be back online too soon. As much as we would like to have it active, its presence will generate a great amount of server load, wasting too many resources. You can upload files using the regular upload, one by one or by opening several browsers windows. We strongly suggest you to use the FTP upload as it is more reliable and much easier to use. Give it a try!
I requested payment, why doesn't this amount appear in the revenue area?
Until the payment is approved the amount disappears from the status area. It will be added in the revenue area after it is approved. Note that it can take up to 24 hours to be updated.
If I stop uploading, will the sales stop?
No, this is not true. One of the main advantages of stock photography is that your royalties will keep on coming over a long time interval. It is nevertheless true that if you keep uploading, the sales increase much faster. Their amount can double or triple over the next month, if you upload constantly. After uploading a large batch of images a significant number of sales may appear after one month or sooner. Once you stop uploading, the sales do not grow as fast as before, still they will not collapse.
These are conclusions based on statistics, your mileage may vary. Uploading good photos constantly and constantly improving quality as well as aggressive selectivity of your own portfolio are the most important "secrets" of success in stock photography.
I just uploaded a bunch of files via FTP and now they are gone! Where did they go?
Once the files are successfully uploaded, the system automatically transfers them into your Unfinished Files area. Once they are transferred the system also deletes them from your FTP account, so you don't have to bother with them once they are uploaded.
What is and where can I download the model release document?
The model release document is a legal document required for each image containing a person or more whose faces are recognizable. This document is confidential and it is only seen by Dreamstime's editors who will check its correctness. You can download a model release document here: http://www.dreamstime.com/stockutilities . Download the model release depending on your needs: the shooting session includes an adult and/or a minor.
If you intend to shoot an image for the current assignment and sell the rights to Dreamstime for it, then download the exclusive model release.
Can I upload via FTP Mass Upload, using Internet Explorer?
You could... But we really wouldn't recommend it. IE has the bad habbit of not disconnecting from server once you are done, so this might limit your access if you try to connect after.
You could use FileZilla, a free and easy to use client. Or, if you are using Firefox for your Internet experience, there's this nice extension called FireFTP, which will open an FTP client in a tab.
I see that someone downloaded the print version of one of my images, however, I see that the system awarded me the earnings of the web version. Is this a glitch?
Credits acquired before April 6, 2006 are rewarded as web-resolution even if the buyers downloaded the printed version. This happens because these credits are using the old pricing, when a web version was not available. You can check the earnings for each file by clicking its thumbnail in the Earnings page. The old credits are marked accordingly.
I get the strangest error: "Too many connections from your host". I am not connected now, so how come?
Your client reports that you are already connected probably because you didn't disconnect properly from a previous connection. Please wait a while for the server to automatically close that connection and try again. If you still have problems, try to use the "Stop FTP / Activate FTP" option.
Okay, I read all this FAQ and, believe it or not, I STILL have problems connecting for uploading files via FTP. What else can I do?
Contact support, of course. When you e-mail them about your problem, make sure to include information such as: the FTP client you use, the error message, your OS and any other information that you find relevant.
I want to upload files via FTP. What's my username in digits and where can I find it?
Your Dreamstime user ID in digits is displayed in your account's Management Area, in FTP Upload.
I've just received the approval e-mail for some images but when I went to the site and searched for them, they do not appear in the results! Why is that?
There is a short delay of a few hours between an image being accepted and its actual appearance on the website. This is due to an internal post-review check. Don't panic, this is not a step in which images are rejected, it is for making sure the file is flagged properly in various areas.
Can I buy a credit package with my earnings?
Yes, you can, although the bonus will not be automatically added by the system, email support after you make the conversion and we will add the bonus. If the amount you already converted equals the price of a package we will award the same bonus.
I uploaded a bunch of files via FTP and they are not in my Unfinished Files area. Should I re-upload them or what?
Depending on server load it might take up to a few hours for the files to reach your Unfinished Files area. Don't rush to re-upload your files if you don't see instant results, this will generate duplicate files on the server.
If you still don't see your images in your account after more than 24 hours, something must have gone wrong, you can try re-uploading them. Note that images less than 3MP, not JPG or not RGB are automatically deleted without a notification.
How do I attach the model release to an image?
First, you will have to upload the MR document to the MR library section. Once the upload is completed, you can use the same document for all images that include the model. You don't have to upload the MR document each time you upload a different photo of your model.
After the MR document was uploaded in the MR library and all required information is provided, you can attach the document on the second page of your upload.
If your image contains several models, you can attach multiple MR documents by holding down your CTRL key while selecting the desired documents.
Passive mode on FTP Upload? How do I set that?
This depends on each FTP client. Usually it is an option found in "Connection Preferences", "Connection Settings" or "Advanced settings".
This Q&A regarding FTP doesn't work out for me. Don't you have a step by step guide or something?
Of course we do, click on to http://upload.dreamstime.com for an illustrated step by step guide.
Okay, I uploaded a bunch of images, they got processed and are now in my Unfinished Files. But: they have no thumbnails! Why?
This probably happened if the files were saved as CMYK instead of RGB. Please save your files as RGB and re-upload.
How do I receive my payment?
To request payment you need to access your Management Area/ Request Payment button. Please insert the amount of money you want paid and hit the Request payment button. On the next page you will be asked to select the means of payment – MoneyBookers, Paypal, or Bank check. For each of these possibilities, please check their proper working in your country – some of them may not work in all countries. Please note that you can request payment when your earnings balance exceeds $100.
Can I turn off my FTP account?
Should you choose to do so, in your Management Area, under FTP Upload, there is the "Stop FTP" button.
Anyone can access the FTP upload service, or is it limited by one's approval ratio?
All users with at least one file online have access to FTP uploading. You can upload files up to a total of 1GB. The approval ratio limitation applies only to images that are in Unfinished area.
I enter both user ID and password correctly in my FTP client, yet I get a "Login incorrect" error. What's going on?
Make sure you entered the ID in digits (NOT your username), that you activated your FTP account and that your FTP client is set to Passive mode transfers.
How do I replace an image?
You upload the image as a regular submission and specify in the notify admin area the ID of the photo you wish to replace as well as the improvements made. If the image is approved (we can't guarantee this as our standards are higher every day), disable the old image and contact support to delete it from the database.
What's the deal with that "Activate FTP" button? It keeps changing every time I click it. Now it's "Activate FTP", then it's "Stop FTP".
When the button shows "Activate FTP" it means the FTP service is inactive, thus pressing the button will activate it. When the button shows "Stop FTP" it means the service is active, and pressing the button will stop the service.
If you want the service to be active, press the button in its "Activate FTP" state. If the button is "Stop FTP", you don't need to press it, the service is already active.
I am a contributor, how do I close my account?
You can disable all files approved more than six months ago at any time. You are allowed to disable 30% of files uploaded in the recent six months however 70% must be kept online for six months from their approval date. You can disable each of your remaining 70% after the six months pass. Once files are disabled, nobody but you or the admin will be able to view/access them. The files will remain in our offline database until all liabilities concerning them are cleared off, then they are automatically deleted.
The account cannot be closed until the above requirements of the contract expire. Accounts with activity (license/download) cannot be deleted, as they can be referenced internally in regards to past licensing. However, they can blocked from public access as soon as the requirements expired.
More account closure details can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
I receive an error message that my image is not 3MP in size when I try to upload a picture. What can I do?
In order for you not to get the error message again, you need to check that your images are at least 3MP. Make sure that you do not confuse MP (which stands for photo dimension) with MB (which stands for file size on your disk). In order to get the MP you have to multiply the length and the width (measured in pixels) of your image and divide the result by 1,000,000. For instance, if an image is 3,000 pixels length and 2,000 pixels width then the image will have 6,000,000 pixels (6MP).
I have images with a model release that were accepted before but are now refused or I want to replace an older model release with a new one. What do I do?
Check that your model release contains all required information, if it doesn't then fill it in correctly then reupload it to the model release library under a different name so that you don't mix it with the old one. Resubmit the refused images with the new model release. Also write to support informing us that you have uploaded the correct model release and you would like your previously accepted images to be linked to it. Include the images ID's in your email, the names of the old model release and the new one.
How do I delete a model release?
You can delete model releases from your library yourself if you don't have any images associated with it. If you have images associated with a model release that you wish to delete first upload the new model release under a different name. Then contact support specifying that you need to replace the model release for the images with this model and delete the old one. Include names of the old and new documents in your email.
My MR library displays several imported model releases. What do I do?
If the imported model release is associated with a single model then click edit and complete the required fields.
If the imported model release is for a group of models (JPG images stitched together in a single file) then you will need to upload a new MR document for each person included. Contact support to have your image associated with the appropriate model releases. Include the name of the model releases existent in your MR library for each of the people in the photograph.
I wish to see all images associated with a model release. What do I do?
Clicking on the name of the model release in the library will open a new page where you will see all the images associated with that particular document. You can use this tool to see if you have wrong associations or missing model releases.
I requested for payment. How long does it take?
If you select a payment via bank check, it usually takes two weeks for the check to reach you. If you choose Money Bookers or Paypal, it may take a few days up to one week. No payments are sent during weekends.
What should I upload as additional format?
The additional format is a file that doubles the price of the maximum raster (JPG) file for that file. Photographers can upload RAW files in the following formats: arw, pmp, srf - Sony ; crw, cr2 - Canon; cmt - Chinon; dcr - Kodak; dng - Digital Negative Format; j6i - Ricoh; mos - Leaf Valeo; mrw - Minolta; nef - Nikon; orf - Olympus; pef - Pentax; raf - Fuji; x3f - Sigma.
Illustrators can upload vectors as cdr- Corel Draw, ai - Adobe Illustrator, eps - Encapsulated Postscript.
I submitted some images a while ago but have not received any reply regarding their status
Once you submit your images, it will take days to have them reviewed, depending on how crowded the Pending Line is. After they are reviewed, you will receive a notification e-mail stating that your image was approved or refused.
If you have not received any message, please check your bulk area of the mail box. Please make sure that your spam filters do not block the access for Dreamstime mails.
You can also try locating your images from the Management Area - Online Files or Refused Files. If you still have not found them, please write support making sure to specify the image ID.
I have submitted my exclusivity request? How long do I have to wait?
Once you submit the request you need to wait around 7 days for your request to be considered.
You need to have at least 50 images online in order to be accepted as an exclusive photographers. Exclusivity rights can be requested from your Management Area/Online Files.
My image was approved but I cannot see it in my portfolio . Why?
After you receive the approval message, you need to wait at least 24 hours for the accepted image to be online and visible in all areas of the site. The image may appear online but not in your portfolio. If the image still does not appear after 48 hours, you need to contact support.
How long do I wait for my files to be reviewed?
After you submit your files, they reach a pending line from where they will be reviewed in a chronological order. A few days are usually required. You are provided with an ETR (Estimated Time until Review) for each file however, please keep in mind that the ETR is an approximation and it can vary according to numerous factors: week-end days, total pending files, number of total submissions. Feel free to submit more images while the first submissions wait their review.
I received unusual royalties for images sold. What could the explanation be?
Royalties different from the ones you usually receive for sales are due to various factors. The most common explanation is the 2008 price update for credit packages (LINK). The more credits the package has, the lower the price/credit. As opposed to purchases made with credits acquired previous to August 1st, 2008, each credit's value and hence royalties are now calculated at the real value paid by the buyer. For example, 10 credits purchased with the $10 package, will bring the contributor a reference of $1/credit: the royalties will be $0.50 or $0.60 for exclusives. A $100 credit-package will bring the buyer 120 credits, which translates into $0.83/credit. Royalties given are $0.42 for non exclusives and $0.50 for exclusives.
Add to the above the possibility of having third party downloads through our alliances program (if you're opt-in), that can also affect the percentages and you will understand why royalties' values are so diverse.
I submitted an image as RF commercial but it got approved as RF editorial-only. I didn't select this license. Why did it happen?
Under some circumstances images that can't be sold commercially (i.e. include visible logos) can be accepted under the editorial license (still RF, but with a more restrictive usage). The editors may consider that the image cannot be adjusted (i.e. remove logos) in order to make it acceptable under the RF license, but that the image has market potential. In this case they will accept it under the editorial license. This procedure avoids a second resubmission as well as affecting the contributor's approval ratio.
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