Eric Scott Nudes wrote:
I see alot of people excited about this site and I don't understand why? You pay a monthly fee and you give them permission to use your pictures.  They say you make money...but is seems like pennies. It seems like it's mostly a fan site for models with the voting, etc.  Why would a photographer want to sign up for this site?

Your understanding of the site is incorrect, Eric.

Photographers and models who publish on the site do NOT pay a monthly fee. Their accounts are free and they RECEIVE royalties.

It's the voting membership who pay for accounts, from which your royalty payments come.

As for why someone would want to publish there, there have been more than a few threads on the topic. The bottom line is that many models and photographers find that they can shoot for the site in the process of any other trade shoot and get paid royalties on the sets that they would have been shooting anyway. Many models enjoy shooting specifically for the site and photographers get paid as well as part of the process.

One model with whom I worked has made hundreds of dollars on a set we'd shot for a different purpose a year prior to Zivity even opening. She signed up for free, I uploaded the set, and she (and I) get paid. No extra work on my part other than setting up my account and uploading the set. No other extra work on her part other than setting up her account and approving the set.

It's a model (pardon the pun) that many like. Some feel it's not worth their time - I'm fine with that, too.

gzone wrote:
So is this  a subscription site, or not?

If you're a subscriber, it is.

If you're a contributing model or photographer, it is not.

Sophistocles wrote:

If you're a subscriber, it is.

If you're a contributing model or photographer, it is not.

This might sound stupid...but I need to ask it anyway. How do you become a "contributing model or photographer"?

Sophistocles wrote:
Your understanding of the site is incorrect, Eric.

Photographers and models who publish on the site do NOT pay a monthly fee. Their accounts are free and they RECEIVE royalties.

this is partially wrong I used to have a free photographer account  when they started and no one knew who the heck they were and it expired.  I contacted them and they said that I have to sign up for membership first and put my card info anyways.  I still have the email from them if you dont believe me.

When I first joined was by a invite from a member thats how it used to be before but they changed everything now.

gzone wrote:

This might sound stupid...but I need to ask it anyway. How do you become a "contributing model or photographer"?

upload a photo set

KillerShotz Photography wrote:

this is partially wrong i used to have a free photographer account and it expired i contacted them and they said that i have to sign up for membership first and put my card info anyways. I still have the email from them if you dont believe me.

did you have a set up or in queue already? because otherwise they tell you to pay

Kess M wrote:

did you have a set up or in queue already? because otherwise they tell you to pay

I had a set in queue

Kess M wrote:

upload a photo set

I thought that is what I had to do...thank you.

KillerShotz Photography wrote:

I had a set in queue

odd then. call in and ask to speak to damian. he should straighten it out.
because literally the same thing just happened to my friend
his account is still there
and still free.

bobby sargent wrote:
Some of us photographers feel this site it a complete rip off. 

We pay the models and then if you put up stuff on the site the model gets something like 60% of the money and the photographers only get 10%-20%.  Figures may be off but not sure the exact amount but in this price range.

No friggin way would I ever join a site like that. 

Now if its a TFCD shoot then i would see no problem selling images.  But not when I pay the model for a shoot. bs

so then find people who trade for zivity. problem solved. 

Kess M wrote:

so then find people who trade for zivity. problem solved. 

OK I would like to shoot you.  We will shot for zivity.  When can you come down to El Paso Tx for some ghost town shoots and white sands photos?  I am open except for the end of July.  See you soon. bs

Problem solved. thanks. bs

Sophistocles wrote:
Bobby, if you're regularly paying models for your projects, I agree, the financial incentives may not be there for you. Different people have different business models.

I do trade work almost exclusively. I don't charge models, nor do I pay them (except in rare cases where I need something that is in the realm of something that only an experienced professional can provide), so the Zivity model works for me.

That's the beauty of the free market - we all make our choices and do what works.

I've found that on more than one occasion a professional model with whom I may not have had a chance of arranging a trade shoot will say to me, "Okay, if you're going to submit the set to Zivity, I suspect I'll get a couple hundred dollars out of it over time, so sure, a trade shoot sounds like a good deal." I just wish I had more time to shoot this year!

Personally, I'd give the model 100% of the Zivity cut if I could. But that's me.

PS: Kess? Same offer - visit Seattle! :-)

I agree for sure.  It works for each of us in its own way.  I would like to find more models who want to trade this way.  But so far only one has gone the Zivity route.
Thanks for the info.  Take care. And lets see is Kess is going to be on board. bs

Ynot Photography wrote:
Can I jump on the "I will shoot Kess for Zivity" train!?

Already in line over here...

bobby sargent wrote:
Some of us photographers feel this site it a complete rip off. 

We pay the models and then if you put up stuff on the site the model gets something like 60% of the money and the photographers only get 10%-20%.  Figures may be off but not sure the exact amount but in this price range.

No friggin way would I ever join a site like that. 

Now if its a TFCD shoot then i would see no problem selling images.  But not when I pay the model for a shoot. bs

Agreed

Sophistocles wrote:
nderstanding of the site is incorrect, Eric.

Photographers and models who publish on the site do NOT pay a monthly fee. Their accounts are free and they RECEIVE royalties.

Wow then I misunderstood this too. So if I upload a portfolio I don't have to pay? They gave me a free trial membership and then started hitting me up for ten bucks a month. Maybe I'm not the only one confused by their business model. I'll take another look.

SteveL Images wrote:

Wow then I misunderstood this too. So if I upload a portfolio I don't have to pay? They gave me a free trial membership and then started hitting me up for ten bucks a month. Maybe I'm not the only one confused by their business model. I'll take another look.

I shot off a message to confirm this and was told yes, if you have a set in the queue, just drop them a message and they'll extend that time to let everything happen.

By way of full disclosure (though I've said this on other threads), I'm on Zivity's Artist Advisory board. So I'm obviously pleased with the site and how it's run - I wouldn't volunteer for such a role if I didn't believe in the business.

Eric Scott Nudes wrote:
but I'm still not clear on what you are getting paid for?  Royalty fees becuase people choose your image and download it and they have to pay to download?

Not quite. Subscribers pay Zivity a monthly subscription which gets them "votes." I hate that term, though, so let's consider them more like "tips" or just call it what it is, "I want this model and photographer to get some cash."

When they see a set that they like, they "vote." That click means that the model and photographer get some cash in their account. Votes accumulate quickly, especially for well-received sets. It all ads up.

Subscribers, in essence, determine who gets paid based on what they like. And the beauty of it is that since everyone has different tastes, the votes are spread out pretty well.

bobby sargent wrote:
Some of us photographers feel this site it a complete rip off. 

We pay the models and then if you put up stuff on the site the model gets something like 60% of the money and the photographers only get 10%-20%.  Figures may be off but not sure the exact amount but in this price range.

No friggin way would I ever join a site like that. 

Now if its a TFCD shoot then i would see no problem selling images.  But not when I pay the model for a shoot. bs

I trade models Zivity sets for art nudes, they get what they want - I get what I want - Win-Win

Sophistocles wrote:

Not quite. Subscribers pay Zivity a monthly subscription which gets them "votes." I hate that term, though, so let's consider them more like "tips" or just call it what it is, "I want this model and photographer to get some cash."

When they see a set that they like, they "vote." That click means that the model and photographer get some cash in their account. Votes accumulate quickly, especially for well-received sets. It all ads up.

Subscribers, in essence, determine who gets paid based on what they like. And the beauty of it is that since everyone has different tastes, the votes are spread out pretty well.

Ah thanks for explaining it. I've been on the Zivity site and couldn't even figure that out!

Question: Do I need a commercial release to post pics of models on that site? Or does that count as "promotional?"

SteveL Images wrote:

Ah thanks for explaining it. I've been on the Zivity site and couldn't even figure that out!

Question: Do I need a commercial release to post pics of models on that site? Or does that count as "promotional?"

They have their own master release. You only have to do it once.

SteveL Images wrote:
Question: Do I need a commercial release to post pics of models on that site? Or does that count as "promotional?"

Zivity has two releases, one for you as a photographer and one for the model. You only do yours once for all sets you're going to upload. Each model does hers as well. With both sets on file, you upload, the model approves, and it goes into the publishing queue.

It used to be, and I'll be honest here, an abysmal process. Then it just sucked. Then it was tolerable. Now it's getting streamlined and much easier. One thing I like about Zivity is that they listen to their users and adapt.

Mootz Imaging wrote:
My question is why does the model get 60% and the photographer only 20% (can I assume that zivity is getting the remaining 20%)?  Why is it not 40/40?

Because that's what Zivity chose to do. Honestly, that's the answer. There are arguments on both sides for different revenue splits. Me, I'd rather the model get it all, as I'm not in it for the money. I have photographer friends who want it all :-)

Me, I've advocated for a variable split, as agreed-upon between model and photographer, but that is, understandably, a significant feature that might take time to do, should Zivity even choose to go down that path. Again, that's just my opinion.

Mootz Imaging wrote:
My question is why does the model get 60% and the photographer only 20% (can I assume that zivity is getting the remaining 20%)?  Why is it not 40/40?

I think it may also have something to do with the fact that the model is showing her naked body on the internet and the photographer...well...isn't. 

Call me crazy, but I think that is worth a higher percentage of the profit.

Andrew Kaiser wrote:

I think it may also have something to do with the fact that the model is showing her naked body on the internet and the photographer...well...isn't. 

Call me crazy, but I think that is worth a higher percentage of the profit.

Speak for yourself, buddy, my naked body is worth quite a lot to me!

Andrew Kaiser wrote:

I think it may also have something to do with the fact that the model is showing her naked body on the internet and the photographer...well...isn't. 

Call me crazy, but I think that is worth a higher percentage of the profit.

1:  That doesn't cover the non-nude sets. 

2:  I think they'd pay me more not to show my naked body on there. 

Marc Hathaway wrote:
What kind of money could one expect to make?  What would be the expected range a model and photographer would see from a set?  Does set size make a difference?

It's a very interesting way to determine pay.  I have no delusions about getting rich just wondering if it's worth the effort for models and photographers.

Of 900 sets or so on display, the # of "votes" received ranges from 2 to about 2450.

At 2450, that's nearly $1500 for the model and $500 for the photographer. 

But that's a rare set.   Top 7 are over 1000 votes...23 over 500...270 or so are over 100....maybe 50 or so are under 10.  (I didn't know this...but I looked up the #s because I was curious too.)

In short...it's better than receiving no money...but...you are quite correct about not having delusions of riches....since less than a third of the sets have made more than $60 / $20 (model/photog) to date. 

There's no real cutoff though...a set that I just saw at 5 votes might theoretically get up to 1000 someday.