how do you explain istock to people

heres a typical conversation for me


 


(random person) hey what do you do?


(me) i make stock illustration for istockphoto.com


(random person) you sell stocks? like on the stock market?


(me) no i make vector illustrations for an online stock image library


(random person) blank stare....


(me) i make clip art for the internet


(random person) OH! so you paint pictures and put them on your web site???

I go with "freelance illustrator"


ETA I am a full time pre-press designer, and my wife to this day, does not know what I do. She tells people I draw on the computer. Totally NOT what I do at work.

(Edited on 2009-04-13 13:59:59 by Chris3fer)

I say I'm a graphic illustrator. If questioned further, I say I'm represented by an online agency. If questioned further, I say "iStockphoto" and give them my card. Good topic. 

i need to get some cards made

I say i am an artist. If they look at me funny I look funny right back.

I usually have the same conversation as ULTRA_GENERIC but then a lot of times instead of "paint pictures", they assume I'm a photographer and ask about my cameras--even though I just said I'm a graphic artist.

My conversations:


"oh you sell pictures!  Wow!  What kind of pictures"


"stock photos... *blank stare* basically pictures of random objects on white backgrounds..."


"oh so how much do you get"


"anywhere from 30c to $3 per sale"


*blank stare* *laughter* "don't quit your day job!"

ha ha ha that reminded me of my mother the other day when she saw I was re drawing in corel one of my submitted files here, she said "Oh are you going to submit that drawing also to the contest"


the contest???


I have had a freelance job as a patent drafter for years, besides teaching classes, so now that I told my friends I joined Istockphoto I didn´t need to explain much, they thought "oh its like your other freelance job"


When I got that job almost five years ago I used to have a hard time explaining my friends I had a job via internet, and when I quit a job I had here in order to be a patent drafter, (it was a lousy job) the architect lady that had employed me said


"really? a work from home? does that really exist? I just hope you do well, though I dont think you would do better than here"


ha ha such ignorance made me laugh of course I did better. 


my ex boyfriend told me once working from home was the future or artists, he was right.


(off the record but I hope he burns in hell now )

I go with Pre-Press Technician/Freelance Illustrator....
....and love the confused expression and imaginary Question Mark above their heads that ALWAYS appears, you can tell they would like a more detailed description.....but daren't actually ask you incase they look silly......FUN-FUN-FUN!!! =0P

It is not a very sexy pitch, but when I say that I produce pictuers for an archive that people can buy from they usually understand

I tell people that I do pictures and drawings, for advertising and web site creations. People don't know what "stock" mean, so when necessary, I use the word "generic" instead...

He he god thread


I just say I produce illustrations that  sell on the internet, If they seem interested I tell them about iStockphoto and the variety of images available, if they seem totally lost (normally older people) I just say "...hey!, these hors doeurves are fantastic, you must try one!"


RT

Haha this topic made me giggle. I always forget that people don't always know what "stock" means. I usually get the question, "Well what do they do with the pictures they buy?" That's the one I have a hard time explaining.

seriously

Just noseying into this forum, but as I've said before:


"I sell my photos on the internet"


"Do they sell?"


"Yes"


"Whoooooo would want a picture of yoooooooooooooooooou?" *incredulous* (as well they might be )

I sell stock photos...Those are the photos on the brochures that come in your bank statement.

"I take photos of forks, clocks, and cats."


"And people buy them?"


"...Uh...No..."


"Oh..."

Well, since I was an illustrator years before I started doing stock illustrations, I just say that I'm illustrator, and even that creates a lot of misunderstandings. In my spare time I play a guitar in a band, so people get to see me quite often with a guitar, and a lot of them say: "So you're a musician?" and they give me that "So you're just goofing around, not doing anything useful at all" look, but when I say that I'm not actually a musician, that I play guitar for fun, and that I earn money by illustrating, some people just stare at me with that "So I was right, you really don't do anything useful" look, some people say "What?!?", some ask me how much do I charge for painting the portrait (this one's my favorite!), and a very small number of them say "Hey, that's cool!" If I want to be mean, I say that I'm "visual communications expert", and most people just change the subject instantly


English is not my native language, so the word "stock" usually doesn't mean a thing to my fellow countrymen, and therefore it's not very useful to say "I'm creating stock illustrations". If I really have a lot of free time, I do say that, and then I have to explain this phenomena for at least 15 minutes. Most people think that it's some silly business, the only way to keep them interested to listen the whole story is to say: "I'm earning money even now, while we chit-chat and drink coffee!" Older people usually just nod their head, and stare at me with that "So it's not only that you're just fooling around, you're a sneaky bastard as well!" look in their eyes

"So it's not only that you're just fooling around, you're a sneaky bastard as well!" look in their eyes-


LOL, do you mind if I borrow this line sometime?

i say to my wife


"i'm trying to make money online by selling pictures, and they can sell by themself"


at first, she don't get it


but after my first $100 ... she understand