Just a quick post to let everyone know that Yay Micro has been launched. This site promisses a lot! Let’s hope they can deliver! 
Yay Micro Launch
Lucky Oliver is Shutting Down! :(
Hey guys… It’s a shame to announce that Lucky Oliver, a beloved microstock agency, is closing it’s doors on May 15th! Althought there were very few sale (which is the most likely reason for them shutting down), I really liked Lucky Oliver! The Odditorium was a fun, happy place where people would always have a good sense of humor. Well, not any more:
It’s with great disappointment that we have decided to shut down LuckyOliver on May 15th. All Olivers who purchased tokens must use them to license images before May 15th, 2008. Please note that the user agreement will continue to be valid. Any Carny images that are waiting in the queue for Bouncers will not be reviewed. Carnies who have reached the minimum payout must request payout by May 15th. Carnies who have not reached the minimum payout can convert their earnings to tokens by contacting support.
Working with the creative minds that make up LuckyOliver has been a rewarding experience- two years went by fast. I want to thank our talented staff for working through long nights, our investors for giving us a shot at growing a business, our legal and business advisers for lending an ear, our customers for their positive encouragement, and our contributors who provided us with a wealth of knowledge and tough criticisms. We really appreciate all the hard work Carnies put into making LuckyOliver a special place for people to find great imagery. On a personal note, I would also like to thank my family for letting me pursue a passion that often went beyond reason.
As a leader and entrepreneur, it’s tough to see something you have put so much time into not materialize into a successful business. We spent the last year looking for the funds to grow LuckyOliver because, without the addition of significant capital, the return on investment for LuckyOliver and its contributors would not be satisfactory. After reviewing the options, the investment team decided that it was in the best interest of all stakeholders to shut the company down.
Please email me if you have any comments (..and give me some time to respond). Thanks again for giving LuckyOliver a shot.
Good bye Lucky Oliver!
Remeber to visit www.aboutstockphoto.com to view over 40 agencies! 
The Photo Storage v2.0 launch
ThePhotoStorage has just launched their 2.0 version and it looks promising. Check out some of the new features:
Introducing our FAIR-TRADE Policy!!!
- As part of our FAIR-TRADE Policy, from now on we are giving you 50% of the royalties whenever you make a sale. You don’t need to be exclusive or enrol in any program, no matter the size of your portfolio, you will always receive 50%. No little tricky exceptions. Just like that.
Introducing our Referral Program!!!
- Now you can help build our storage by referring new members, and on the way, you will earn part of the revenues you help us make. How does it work? Our Referral Program is very simple and straightforward. Display our banners on your website and in exchange, you will receive 10% of all sales and purchases made by your referred members during their first year at thephotostorage.com.
Expedite your uploading experience!!!
- The greatest improvement on the uploading process since the sliced bread! Now you can save your upload preferences either on your personal profile or while editing a file. Those settings will be in place whenever you upload images until you change them again. You can even upload your images through your FTP account, and if title, description and keywords are included, they will be ready for inspection right away with no need for further edition. So from now on, uploading images to thephotostorage.com is a real expedited experience!!!!!
Personalize your Profile!!!
- Embrace the difference: pick a color that fits your personality or simply change your surfing experience to match your mood. Choose from Grey, Green, and Blue to personalize your profile at thephotostorage.com. More colors coming soon.
ZOOM-IN!!!
- As part of our new version, we have introduced a zoom that will magnify all photos up to 100%. Now, looking for details and focus is way easier!
Feedback On Newer Agencies
Hey guys…
It’s been a couple months since I’ve sent some DVDs with almost 500 images to a few sites and I thought I’d give you guys some feedback!
Canstockphoto: 2 sales
GeckoStock: 0 sales
SnapVillage: Images not even uploaded yet! Awful!!
Stockphotomedia: 5 sales
StockRiot: 0 sales
StockphotoPro: 0 sales
MostPhotos: 1 sale (12,5 euros)
Zymmetrical: 0 sales and almost 400 images still pending review! 
I think the best one, even with 1 sale, was MostPhotos… The 12,5 euro sale is quite nice… 
Hope this helps if you are considering submitting to these newer or smaller agencies. I’ll get back to you once I get a few more sales..
All the best,
Dan
Free iStockphoto Credits!
Heya…
Do you want to download some iStockphoto images, videos, flash or illustrations? If you’ve not signed up yet, you can get 3 free credits by using this code in the sign-up process: 0BAC0D01391789 or by clicking here should also do the trick.
Good luck and have fun shopping!
Dan
Give a Little – Get Back a Little | 123RF Free Images
Hey folks..
There was a long overdue discussion on the 123RF forum about donating free images (they have a section where you can download donated images, but only the small version, from 1 to 30 days). Some people thought it was a bad idea, some thought it was a good idea (me).
From my personal experience, donating images to the free section has improved my sales by 450% from Januarry to February (when I started donating) and 200% in March so far.
It’s like they say, if you give a little, you will get it back, plus a little extra.
If doing this doesn’t work with you right away, just wait. i’ve downloaded over 200 free images myself, just in case I need it! I’ve kept the original name so that if I need a bigger version (which I’ll have to purchase) I can easily fid it! I’m just planting seeds for the future (or something like that)!
All the best,
Dan
Most Photos 25€ Sales :)
Hey guys…
As much as I like iStockphoto and Shutterstock, I uploaded my images on Most Photos. It’s a swedish website that is a little different. I’ve had 484 images for about 1 or 2 months and I got my first sale yesterday. It’s great to recieve 12,5€ for a photo, instead of the $0,25!
Let’s just hope they keep selling!
Lucky Oliver $25 Payout
LuckyOliver has reduced the minimum payout to $25, making them the website with the cheapest payout on the microstock industry. Here is a link to the blog post.
Enjoy!
StockXpert Footage Release!
After a loooong wait, StockXpert’s footage section is live!
Check out their prices:
StockXpert is offering 40% comission on all video sales, which is not bad, although Pond5 offers 50% and you can set your own price! Down side to StockXpert footage is that they do not accept clips with audio. Don’t even bother sending them in cause they will be rejected!
Still, it’s nice to see another stock footage site on the market. That’s the fourth I know of so far (iStockvideo, Shutterstock Footage, Pond5 and now StockXpert Footage)
Prices DO Matter…
I’ve been studying a little economics lately and I learned about a thing called “Market Balance” (I’m not sure that it’s the same expression in English, but you get the point).
Shutterstock footage sales are finally getting started. Until late last year, footage prices were around $50 – $150 on Shutterstock. They changed their price so it’s more balanced with other stock agencies (like iStockphoto). I’ve gotten 3 footage sales this month and I’m submitting 30 clips soon.. Hope this helps the sales… I’m currently saving to buy a new Canon 5D since my old one drowned in the Iguassu Falls!
Compare the Prices!
