11. Uploading
After we've keyworded our images we can start uploading them to the different sites.
Although almost all sites offer a range of ways you can upload your images (HTML form, activeX, Java, ...), the only effecient way is by uploading through FTP. What is this ? Uploading by FTP can be done at all sites ... except iStock :+)
Although the settings of the program can be a little awkward for some, once you've set it it's actually easy.
There are many programs which you can use (see Tuwows.com). For some you have to pay, others are free. I use FileZilla for the moment, which is free, open source and recommended by Shutterstock.
11.1. How to use Filezilla ?
Underneath I'll give a quick guide on how to use and setup FileZilla.
11.1.1. Download and install
Download Filezilla here and install it. This shouldn't be a problem.
11.1.2. Setting up your sites
Before we can upload we have to tell FileZilla to where to upload.
| 1. |
Open FileZilla |
click on the image to enlarge |
| 2. |
Go to File > Site manager |
| 3. |
Choose New Site |
| 4. |
Fill in the name of the website. In this case Shutterstock. |
| 5. |
Fill in the host address for that particular site.
This will be different for every site. |
| 6. |
Select Normal |
| 7. |
Fill in your username and password.
Again this is different for each site. |
| 8. |
Press Save and Exit |
| 9. |
Repeat step 2 to 8 for each site you want to submit to.
When done so you can start uploading. |
11.1.2. Setting up your sites
| 10. |
click on the left top symbol and select in the dropdown menu the site you want to upload too. |
click on the image to enlarge |
| 11. |
choose the file you want in to upload |
| 12. |
Use right click and choose "upload" |
| 13. |
Or just drag them to the download window. |
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Now your upload will start. That wasn't too difficult I think. |
11.2. Uploading to iStock
As said, iStock doesn't support a 'normal' FTP upload system. In stead iStock has a stand-alone program called ImageManager. Actually I think it's made by one of iStocks contributors. It has to be installed on your computer and requires Java, then you should be able to upload in batch. But the program didn't work on my computer. Besides, I'm not that happy on installing another software. So I don't use it.
Together with the time-consuming keywording and categorizing this makes that iStock the most annoying site to upload to for most.
At the moment I use the HTML-upload system. In order to be able to upload more than one file at the time, I open several windows in FireFox and upload 1 file in each window. In that way I often upload 20 files are more at the same time. But still, the keywording and categorizing is painful.
11.3. ProStockMaster
ProStockMaster is developed by David Mail who is contributing to microsites himself.
With this tool can upload to multiple sites simultaneously but you can also add keywords or modify other IPTC data.
ProStockMaster support 8 stocksites at the moment. One of the sites you can upload to iStockphoto. This could be a solution for the absence of FTP upload possibilities at iStock.
An other interesting feature is the fact that the program can suggest keywords. Probably this is just in an early devellop stage, but this could be a main feature in the future.
Upload your files in small batches. In this way a) not the whole batch is lost when something goes wrong, b) your files will be most likely be reviewed by different inspectors. So you avoid that one inspector who doesn't like your pictures rejects the whole batch or a least a lot of them.
iStockphoto has a so-called "Stock Photographer Training Manual" were they explain what stockphotography is and what they expect from a photographer and their images. Maybe a good read for a new submitter.
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