crestock (international)

[sshaw75]

hehe I am getting rejections for similarities with 2 photos from 1 set.  Getting a few rejections for composition, flat colors or too much saturation, all of files that have been accepted and sell at multiple other sites, including a RM/RF UK site Ah well.

[DNF-Style]

Vince, are the rejections because of absence of MR or of errors in the MR?

There is no doubt that CS is upholding a stricter policy then most others. A lot of times it seems even stricter then Istockphoto/Getty. It is good and understandable that they do. One has to differentiate oneself from others in order to attract and hold buyers. I think, from my side, that if buyers want only the tip of the top they will move to the maxistcock and pay lots more. But that is just my opinion. There is nothing wrong with high standards unless the word too comes in mind. But I can relate to their thinking. (IF I'm thinking correct ;-) )

[Talya]

John, I really appreciate your respond but I honestly did not intent to complain.  Anyway, most of those images are christmas related so that does not make much sense to bother now.

I know a lot of people say "you rejected my bestseller", I always thought this is exaggeration in most part and never expected to find myself in this position. Sorry, I could not help myself.

I do not think (admins will correct me if I'm wrong) that this forum was established as another place for complains. Talk about standards - yes. complains - no. As you mention standards, CS did not reject all my images, but those you took definitely were not the best (well, same of them) and I could not really find a pattern in what you took and what you did not. You took the most of my first batch I upload a couple of months ago, and I need to find time to delete a good half of them because of my own current standards, would not even think to upload them now.

Any stock may have different standards, I do not have any problem with that. But those standards have to be clear and consistent. I believe that will be win-win situation.

Again, Thank you very much for your respond.

[DNF-Style]

Yes their new upload system is great
Yes their new modelrelease system is great
Yes their new design is great

The new inspectors? I am sorry to say but they suck big time.
No I'm not just complaining because we got some rejections.
With 12 agencies we submit to we know better then to complain about every image.

BUT
fact: our average approval rate at ANY agency is 85%
at Crestock we have an approval rate is 67%
Ok no problem they are a bit stricter and the want only the top rated quality.
What the problem is that about 10% of the rejections are with very clueless reasons.

Most of them are out of focus rejection with many crisp clear images.
Even files where no eyes are visible we get eyes out of focus reasons
some say fingers while it is a head shot.
Low key images are being rejected because of under exposure.
Did any ever attempted a low key without under exposure?
Same with high key stuff rejected because of over exposure (be aware no 255 values in the image)

even our best selling image ever

gets an out of focus
here's a 100% crop out of this full body pic and yes it could be better but it is a full body and I see much worse in their portfolio


another 100% crops with out of focus rejection


Of course we don't want a bash Crestock topic. If we would we would have not rejoined them.
Of course we mailed Josh at dec 6 dec 10 and just now. No answers so far.
The reason we are giving Crestock a second try is Joshes mail:
The best I can do is make it so that when your pictures are uploaded, they will get processed as quickly as possible, with as few rejections as possible. I can see you have a quality portfolio, so we'd like to help get it through and give it good exposure.

We uploaded 1000 files in 9 days. All re-keyed and all with new subscriptions and titles.
( days of an average of 4 hours a day work. The review time is absolutely fabulous 
But as said the inspectors seem to not look to precise and reject without proper inspection.

Is this just us or do more of you have this problem?
We know Josh visits this forum and Crestock does not seem to have a inspections forum. Since we got no answers by mail no more let's try here.

I am sorry Josh to do it like this but I need to know that it's not me that is wrong here and would like to know from the top that resides here at Sybilles and Dolgachovs little hideout.

Frenk and Danielle

[DNF-Style]

Since I do not want to crosspost or make this into a CS rejection forum I wrote a new topic here
But I do share your beliefs a bit Talya

Frenk

[Syates]

I can't say much - only this: Crestock still seems to have the old problem of un-realistic rejections, Josh, that is really something you should look into! SY

[DNF-Style]

Thats what I mean since that was the reason why we left last time and we thought had changed.
It has, believe me, it has. A little but not much I am sorry to say.

[Forgiss]

Thanx for this post...

It seems that in the last year nothing has changed?

[DNF-Style]

It did change. It is not as bad as last ye4ar but still not good either.
They also seem to be open for criticism  so I hope it will all work out in the end.

[khz]

i started to upload there lateley after several months, and yes i agree somethings have changed,
inspection process is much faster now, acceptance ratio is better, most importantly sales are better,
but still a lot of things need to be fixed imo too,
especially `similarities` rejection,
i cant understand how can a micro site can reject an image with no artifacts or fault (top selling everywhere), when they have only 500k images online?
i know they are not looking for quantity, but some of my top selling images everywhere rejected at crestock for similar reasons, and i hope they will look into that policy again asap :S

do they have link for re-submitting rejected images for second opinion by an admin or something?

[Elnur]

The first 100% crop does seem very soft to me - eyelashes, in particular. Where is the focus on the photo?

[josh_crestock]

DNF,

I'm more than a little disappointed to see you quoting emails that I send to you on an open forum. Please understand the ramifications before doing this. It also gives me little incentive to reply to your frequent emails, either. Just because this industry is based on the internet, i don't believe that means we should forget our professionalism or basic courtesy. I would encourage you to pass on your further complaints to Crestock Helpdesk.

I did reply your emails, yesterday. And, also assigned a specific inspector to inspect your images, giving that inspector special instructions. We have gone very far out of our way to please.

Crestock has THE most professional team of inspectors. I know because most other sites employ network technicians or people with very little experience at all. Crestock inspectors are a mixture of some of our best contributors and professional full-time inspectors either with a background with Getty or trained by one of the highest selling photographers in the world. One of the inspectors that rejected one of your submissions has over 25 years experience in commercial photography, I believe that inspector when they say an image is out of focus.

If you submitted these images to one of the larger agencies, SS or IStock, today, most would be rejected.

@khz:

We don't have that link for gaining a second opnion. It could be an ok idea, but i think it would get used by everyone that ever gets a rejection.

We reject similarities in your uploads, if you upload 2 or more images that are similar.   We do not, and cannot, reject images just because they are similar to what we already have. We reject similarities so that your portfolio will be as diverse and interesting as possible for customers, i do not believe this would affect your overall sales.

I am in holiday mode now, though the rest of the Crestock staff should still be around over christmas. If you need further help, please direct it to the Crestock Forum, or helpdesk@crestock.com

[Forgiss]

We reject similarities in your uploads, if you upload 2 or more images that are similar.   We do not, and cannot, reject images just because they are similar to what we already have. We reject similarities so that your portfolio will be as diverse and interesting as possible for customers, i do not believe this would affect your overall sales.

Josh,

I read this response, and I am a bit baffled...

Exactly what is your process for deciding which two of 5 images are the ones you clients might need? How do you figure out which images will fit the design best? I personally would love to know, because then we would all just shoot those images. I am not sure how removing choice is adding diversity...

[josh_crestock]

The inspectors are instructed not to use the similarity rejection reason, except in some cases where its necessary. If, for example, some happy photographer goes to the Grand Canyon and takes 400 pictures from one viewpoints, then uploads them all to Crestock, then we can take a few of the good ones and reject the rest. No customer wants to see 400 similar pictures in one search result from the same photographer.

Extreme example, perhaps, but this has happened a lot in the past.

If your worried about studio model shots getting rejected for similarities, that shouldn't happen. We let the customer differentiate between good pictures. Unless you're uploading duplicates.

I've just reminded all the inspectors about how to use the similarity rejection on our forum for inspectors, there should be not too much confusion about this.

[dolgachov]

i must admit there's lot of major GOOD chenges in reviewing on Crestock now and i feel Josh is really setting things up more and more professional and business way. for last two months i feel completely satisfied with the way crestock reviews me, speed crestock reviews me and especially the way crestock sells me.

if it will continue this way we'll see crestock getting much higher in "stocksites ranking table" wich makes me feel good. i'm in touch with the team from very beginning and despite all problems we had with reviewing i always kept talking i love these people.

so Sean and Frenk, i think you'll be happy with Crestock sooner or later. maybe it will need some private negotiations (please don't publish personal mails here or elsewhere, friends), but at the end of day it will all be ok.