FAQ

FAQ page

Welcome to Fotomaze, Cornwall’s elite image stock agency. This page will tell you all you need to know about how Fotomaze Cornwall works for photographers, who wish to sell their work on the site (sellers) and for those of you who wish to purchase images (buyers).

Sellers.

How do I upload my images ? 

Firstly log into your account, once you are logged in go to your profile and you will see an upload button. Click on that and select your categories and licenses you wish to select for the image and also whether you want to sell a print. All licenses are selected by default. Once you have done this you are ready to proceed to the next screen using the link at the bottom of the page. On this page you might need to wait a few second for the select image button to appear. When it does click it and select your 300 dpi file 4500 pixels longest side and click it. The image with then start to upload to the server. Once this has completed the site will generate a thumbnail and display it for you to see. The final step is to click the upload button underneath the generated thumbnail and that will submit it to the gallery. Once your image has been uploaded you are then free to title and keyword them from your profile. This feature is only available to those who pass the examination.  
You control your images. You can edit or delete your own images once uploaded.
 

Where do I upload my images for examination?

When you sign up for an account as a seller your account automatically goes into examination mode. You can upload your images using the upload link at the bottom of your page whilst logged in. Once you have submitted your 5 images be patient and we will be in touch with you regarding your acceptance as a seller on fotomaze.com( do read our section on why we decline images ). Make sure your uploads are your best 5.........

I failed the examination now what happens ? 

If you failed the examination your account will be deleted. Our aim is to display high quality fault free images of Cornwall to our clients. If your images don't meet our standards your account will not be approved. 

Reasons : colour casts, burnt out highlights, bad composition, ccd marks, snap shots, resolution, sharpness, logos, watermarks, 72dpi, over edited, badly edited. 

We pride ourselves on the quality we provide. 

Please do not take offence if your account does not get approved. 

When I sign up as a ‘seller’ can I upload my collections straight away?

When you sign up as a photographer, intending to showcase and sell work on the website, you cannot upload straight away. Each ‘seller’ must go through an examination process before their images are approved to go onto the website. You must send us five samples of your work. Once these samples have been checked and you have been accepted on to the website you may upload as many images as you like. You must upload at least 5 images for your account to remain open. Your account will be deleted if it is left empty for more than 48 hrs from sign up. 

Once I have been accepted on to the website as a contributing photographer can my images still be declined?

Yes. We check each high resolution file that comes through. If it has any of the listed reasons below then it will be deleted off the site. However once we are familiar with your work and know its of a consistent high standard we leave you to get on with it. 

Why was my image declined?

There are many reasons why fotomaze might decline an image. Here are just a few examples: CCD marks, colour cast, out of focus, over processed, irrelevant content, your own logos or watermarks.

Check out this news post - click here for tips

Are there any images that can be declined on the basis of ‘irrelevant content’?

Yes, we are certainly not looking for any ‘explicit’ or ‘adult’ photography work. Please look at the categories listed on the homepage, as we happily accept any image that fits into any of these groups.

When I sign up to sell my work how much percentage of the profits will I receive?

You will receive 60% of your sales total. Your sales will be indicated on your profile page. Be sure to include your paypal email address on your profile. ( blue creative eye for your profile ) 

Once you get too 500 images your % goes up to 70% (silver creative eye for your profile )

once you get too 1500 images your % goes up to 80% ( Gold creative eye logo for your profile )

 

Which file types can I upload?

Only JPG 300 DPI, 4500 px longest side.

How will I know if I have sold something?

When you log in to your ‘sellers’ profile’ go to your account section and here will be displayed any sales that you have made and the total balance of these sales. Also, a notification of a sale will be sent to your email address.

Once I have sold an image how will I receive my payment?

On the ‘sign up’ process we request your pay-pal email address. It is of up most importance that you include your pay-pal email address, as this is how you will receive all payments. You can request a payment from your sales total when you have a balance. It works like a bank account. You build a balance in your account and you can with draw any requested amount under your stated balance.

 

Upload tips :

• be sure that your content is saleable - we are looking for well thought out images

• look at your image and think where it could be used, if you cant think of one then its probably not going to sell

• is the angle your are shooting the picture at the best possible composition to show off your subject or can you improve on it

• are all my colours balanced and is the image perfectly exposed - have a look over your images and check for a colour cast. for instance I find a lot of digital cameras produce a yellow colour cast so be sure to correct that before uploading.

• is my image 300 dpi - make sure you are shooting in RAW and exporting 300 dpi jps from them. We recommend either Apple Aperture or Adobe Lightroom for this job.

• is my image over processed - we dont want over edited pictures. Clean, editing to a minimum, thoughtfully composed and great content.

• make sure your images are using relevant keywords ( fotomaze will spider these ). Keywords will really come into its element as the image content of the site grows. Key wording your images correctly will ensure the buyer find your image first. So put yourself in the buyers shoes and think what they might type to find your image. 

• make sure your image is titled ( google picks up on this ) 

• If my image has someone in it do I have a model release form - we offer an upload service for your model release forms. If you are shooting a person to get some great shots then make sure you get them to sign a release form, if you dont the shot wont be saleable. 

Buyers.

If I purchase an image in ‘download’ format, how will I receive it?

We will send an email to you with a link to the image that you have bought. The image will be available to download via this link for three days. After this time period has lapsed the link to the image that you have purchased will become inactive.

If I order a print how long will it take to arrive?

We aim to dispatch all orders within 24hours from when the order was placed. However, delivery times may vary depending on your location on the globe!

Where will the images be printed?

All images are printed in our in-house print gallery. If you have an enquiry regarding our printers email Rob on : rob@fotomaze.com

Of what quality can I expect the prints to be?

All prints are printed on heavyweight Matte paper on large format Epson printers.

What if I am unhappy with my download or print?

We continually assess all images available on the website to ensure that a high standard of quality is maintained. If you experience any problems with your download or print, contact the Fotomaze Cornwall team immediately on admin@fotomaze.com and we will aim to rectify any inconsistencies that you have experienced.

 

If I am looking for a specific image that isn’t available on the website can I contact Fotomaze to request the image that I am looking for?

Absolutely! Email us on E-mail Me and we will notify all our contributing photographers of the specific image that you require. If our photographers do not have an image that meets with your requirements already within their collections we will send them to go and shoot it!

 

If any questions remain unanswered, please contact us and we will add your question to our ‘facts’ page.