Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:31 pmby benwynn
Yeah, the only reason people upload to Jetphotos/Airliners.net is traffic. Millions of viewers worldwide means you get alot of viewers on your photos.
Its also handy for airlines/private companies and stuff. If they see one of your pictures on the web, they will often email you if they wish to use it for commercial use, and you can make a few bucks!
But I encourage you not to upload just to make money, because once you start taking pictures for money, you lose the hobby - and you wont enjoy it as much. It also takes alot of time and experience to make a decent amount of money.
As for Airlines.Net/Jetphotos.Net, I dont want to start a war, but both have their own advantages/disadvantages. Both get plenty of viewers and have equal quality images, but different terms and conditions - some of which I dont agree with - thus why I upload to jetphotos.net.
Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:38 pmby greaneyr
^^^^^^^
What he just said.
My opinions about airliners.net and jetphotos.net are both pretty strong, and since I'm trying to start a low-stress lifestyle, I'll try to avoid going into detail.
About the only good thing I've had from having my photos on airliners.net is that, as Ben says, I have been approached by a few places wanting to use them in a publication. So far, I've had one photo on the cover of Air New Zealand Link's flight safety magazine, had a couple which will be put onto the Mount Cook Airlines website whenever it gets up and running, and have sold one to Volvo Aero in Sweden for use on an advertising brochure. The thing that does sadden me is that I know I have got a lot more images that are very saleable but they never make it past the screening stage of either site because they're not plain enough. At airliners/jetphotos, you have the traffic but all the viewers are seeing is your most average work. The really big 'wow' shots will never get up there, unless you live in Europe, photograph Airbus aircraft, photograph wheels, or photograph seats.
The other thing you have to be really careful of is setting them as the 'benchmark' for what constitutes a good photograph. After spending way too long trying to shoot the ultimate airliners.net shot, even now I find it has had some undesirable effects on my photography style. I'm now super critical of anything I take that doesn't fit the bill for the kind of work they would accept. Perfectly focussed, clear, exposed, composed, centred etc. It's dangerous to get caught in the box they make you work within.
By all means, submit your work to them, but just don't aim for it like I did.
Richard
Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:39 pmby Kelburn
QUOTE
unless you live in Europe, photograph Airbus aircraft, photograph wheels, or photograph seats[/quote]
You saying that they're biased to all these things...? :-)
Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:02 pmby greaneyr
Kelburn wrote:You saying that they're biased to all these things...? :-)
'They' being the site admins, or those who ultimately determine the shot of the day? The answer to both is yes in my opinion.
Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:35 pmby d3fai13r
greaneyr wrote:'They' being the site admins, or those who ultimately determine the shot of the day? The answer to both is yes in my opinion.
Not really, just few days ago my photo of A380 was top24, second place 48hours on anet, top24/48 on jetphotos. That doesn't really matter where you take photos, depends on your equipment, postedit, weather and the main is Moment! One second before or after-that photo is not that good as it could be at that moment. And also it is a bit of luck
top photos and photographers choise is choise of visitors, editors choise is usually quite old photo, and most of them are really great
Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:18 pmby benwynn
Dont you dare say it depends on your equipment.
This has to be the most ignorant response ever. (Not you specifically, ive herd it often)
Probably one of my pet hates from airliners.net. You ask a simple question on how you might be able to improve your photos and the stock standard answer (they probably have a template for it) is "Sorry, buy a new camera. Its not good enough for airliners.net"
Posted:
Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:36 pmby d3fai13r
benwynn wrote:Dont you dare say it depends on your equipment.
This has to be the most ignorant response ever. (Not you specifically, ive herd it often)
Probably one of my pet hates from airliners.net. You ask a simple question on how you might be able to improve your photos and the stock standard answer (they probably have a template for it) is "Sorry, buy a new camera. Its not good enough for airliners.net"
I said that equipment is important BUT not the main, cuz even if you have 5d+100-400L that doesn't mean that you on anet. IMO equipment(i take in count only good "built-in lens" cameras and higher, something like semi-pro level) is 30% of success, 30% is post edit, 40 for moment(light, aircraft, livrey etc) and 10 for luck in anet(eyes of screener
, upload period(F.E. if your good photo uploaded at same time when US A320 crashed-you really have not high probability to get to top of the day))
Posted:
Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:52 amby Gavin Conroy
Must say I love airliners.net, thats the site I look at most and sometimes I look at jetphotos but not as much.
Not going to comment on my own photos on that site or anyone elses for that matter but I get a lot of inspiration from that site.
There are photographs there that I would love to be in the position to take but one can dream.
It also has lots of side on shots of airliners but there are a lot of great photos.
At the end of the day the sites have rules to follow and thats fair enough.
In the early days I had rejections and some times quite a few of them but I started to improve everything I was doing and photos started getting accepted.
I get annoyed sometimes about the rejections but they have been right. I sometimes struggle with level photos, mainly with Air 2 Air photos.
I do know of people who get so bent out of shape due to rejections and give up and I understand that but the site has the right to accept and reject what they want.
These days I just send in one photo from each flight and take the time to make sure all aspects are right before sending it in and rejections are basically nil but you have to pick photos with good lighting, and chrystal clear for a start.
As far as the popularity of images go, the screeners dont pick what they want to be shot of the day, the viewers do.
On jetphotos you have a better shot of getting photo of the day if you get a screeners choice photo as people always look at those.
I just use the sites for , hosting the photos.
The rules are sometimes a pain but thats all part of it and as far as exposure goes all I can say is that you can do well from the site.
I dont allow my photos to be sold from the site but have received a lot of contacts via the net.
A lot of people incuding me dont upload for the hits, its just not important.
Have had a few top 24 hours, peoples choice, screeners choice, and shot of the week a few times so I dont think it matters where you live in the world.
They dont accept just boring shots either, you just have to look through the database to see that and I could post the link of the album I have of other peoples photos and you could see that for yourself.
As has been pointed out, just take photos for yourself and if they suit the site upload them but dont dont take photos just to try and get them on those sites.
Hope I dont get flamed here but if so thats life.
I just thought I would point out my own views like everyone else has.
If the sites dont work for you start your own site up.
I have photos there that will never be on airliners etc but thats fine.
Posted:
Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:34 amby Ian Warren
Gavin Conroy wrote:I sometimes struggle with level photos, mainly with Air 2 Air photos.
After riding in the back seat of the Harvard , I did take a few photos ( ive only got a Sony Mavica , ok for building photos for FS models but no good for .. well A2A's)... by compare - the Harvards rear cockpit , seems you can almost run around inside compared to the Nanchang i watched you jump in and out off week so back , the slip stream with a lense on your camera another hurdle .
I guess its just like screen shots , you always have people give in so easy rather than just learn and ask , persevere or just enjoy doing .
Posted:
Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:37 pmby greaneyr
d3fai13r wrote:Not really, just few days ago my photo of A380 was top24, second place 48hours on anet, top24/48 on jetphotos. That doesn't really matter where you take photos, depends on your equipment, postedit, weather and the main is Moment!
Oh hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the top photos are always like the ones I described. and undeserving of the popularity. I'm just saying there are an awful lot of photos from Europe that are on par with shots I've seen from around here, and end up on the top 5. I look at them and ask "What does this shot have that the other one doesn't?". The difference is usually where it was taken. There's obviously a lot of viewers from Europe - also hence the high number of Airbus shots that seem to end up on the top 5.
Call me picky, but I really don't understand the thrill of a close-up of a wheel bogey or a seat (or even a cabin view, for that matter), and I get frustrated when I see them hitting the top 5 while brilliant shots go unnoticed in comparison. It does seem there's a double standard at times too. My friend and I both tried submitting seat and wheel shots for fun and got them all rejected because of bad motive. The motive is just the same as the ones they accepted - a seat/wheel! Although I must admit, these days all I do is load the new photos from New Zealand within the last week so I'm unsure if the makeup of the top 5 has changed at all since this was a problem.
