We will be implementing the following guideline as a rule on RGBStock.
When you have several photos of the same object or scene from a similar angle, only one will be accepted. Please choose your best and only upload that one. If there are several, they will all be rejected, as it is up to you to choose the best. If you need help in choosing, upload the photos somewhere, then post links in the forum and ask for opinions or help. We are all happy to give advice.
This was always the rule, but we have not adhered to it lately. Any images of the same subject should each have a unique perspective. Downloaders shouldn't have to wade through dozens of similar photos.
Please don't be offended if this happens. It is not personal, but a practical reality.
Please comment or ask questions below. If you want to see a sample of what is meant, you can go to or join our Facebook page. Thanks everyone.
In the past a shot in portrait format and one like it in landscape format were acceptable, as users often prefer one or the other according to the shape of the space available in their blog, article or etc. Is this still okay or would such paired shots be deemed too similar?
Look, there is some advantage in that, and if the quality of both is good, then maybe that's okay. But if the angle is identical and nothing is gained by the difference (and the outcome varies), then you need to decide. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess. An example of a situation in which nothing would be gained is say, an image of a single object, flower, etc, with an expanse of space behind it. People generally have access to cropping, even in online free editors, and if it's vital to have a different shape, they can ask the photographer (I've had people request similar). If, however, it's a busy image and the changed format made the image look different, then I think that would be okay. I'm not an approver, but I know that if the images are quality to start with, then it is more likely they will be accepted.
I suppose it depends on what end-use folk are interested in. A lot of the images I download and use (rather than the ones I contribute) are used as illustrations in projected presentations - and quite often have text overlaid. So landscape rather than portrait is often critical. And I'm more limited by not enough copyspace round the subject - which is hard to generate if it isn't there - rather than having to crop down to focus on a subject. So I appreciate there being (otherwise fairly similar) landscape and portrait versions of an image, and I appreciate appropriate levels of neutral background round subjects. This is "bias" is purely because of a key end use, and others will want different things...
Landscape is the most used when the whole image is used. I agree about copyspace. And busy backgrounds make a photo a snapshot rather than stock.
In order to attract professional users, we need to have good quality stock images, and good keywords. I have seen people upload several unrelated images at once and put keywords for all three at once. This makes searching very confusing for the downloaders. I no longer believe any old image is worth posting. We want the site to be popular, and for that we need good stock images that are easy to find.