After a disappointing month for sales in January, things picked up in February and I returned to my rough average of about 10-15 sales per month. On a negative note, I also had a problem with a Alamy’s exclusivity rules and they fined me $150.
Very briefly, the way it works is that if you mark an image as exclusive for sale by Alamy you can’t place it with another photo agency. They actively pursue image infringements and if they find any, share the fee they recover with the contributor. These recovery fees can be pretty high and the few I’ve received have made me more money than my average image sales.
The flip side is that if Alamy pursue an infringement, for an image you have marked as exclusive to them, then find you have the same image for sale with another agency, they fine you. I only sell images through Alamy so initially I had no idea how I had breached the exclusivity rules.
It didn’t take long to find the problem using an image search with Tineye. Back in 2022 I had a few files placed for sale with an agency called Wirestock. I closed that account the same year but, it seems some of the images circulated by them are still available through random agencies. I’ve now asked for these images to be removed and I have to say, Wirestock have been really helpful with this.
I explained the situation to Alamy and they halved the fine as they agreed I hadn’t tried to cheat the system. The money they did fine me goes towards expenses Alamy have incurred chasing the infringement.
Other than that I’ve been uploading new images throughout February. Mostly food images which are selling well for me at the moment. As a result of looking through older files for blog posts, I’ve also discovered a few images I’d forgotten, so I’ve uploaded some of those.
It’s been quite a challenge trying to get images of the curries I’ve been cooking that I’m really happy with. I’m not sure if it’s the props, presentation or lighting but I’ll persevere. I’ve looked through a few Indian cook books for ideas but, with the exception of one older book, the photography in them is pretty uninspiring. Part of the problem is I’m rushing to get the shot, once the food is cooked – as I have to eat it. I prep the setup before but it’s not a relaxing situation.
Last week I made sure there was enough of the balti curry, pictured above, left over for a few practice shots this week. However, it’s been a busy week so far but, hopefully today I can spend an hour or two trying different lighting setups and prop ideas.
All images: ©Stephen Hyde 2007-2025 – All rights reserved.
Steve Hyde 