Frequently Asked Questions

Member FAQ

Photographer FAQ

Member FAQ

Are they Royalty Free?

All of the images on site are Royalty-free.

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How do I purchase images?

mychillybin images can be purchased by loading into a cart, and then proceeding to checkout for licence agreement, payment by credit card, and downloading the images. 

Images can also be purchased with a credit system. You pre-purchase a bunch of credits and redeem these credits for images. A small image is one credit, a medium image is two credits, a large image is three credits, an x-large image is four credits, and xx-large 5 credits.  Enhanced Licence is 12 credits.  

Discounts are offered on the purchase of 12 or more credits in a single transaction. 

Two or more credit bundles can be purchased in a single transaction e.g. selecting 12 credits and then selecting 2 credits, enables the purchase of 14 credits in a single transaction.

Buy Credits.

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How do I download using credits?

To download images using mychillybin credits, choose the image you wish to download, and then click the word credits in the heading above the right hand column. 

This changes the price to show in credits, rather than in $, and also changes the add to card button below the table, into a download button.

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How can I use your images?

Depending on image usage requirements you will either download the Standard Licence Agreement or the Enhanced Licence Agreement. Here is a brief guide to image usage.

Standard Licence  (Standard Licence Agreement in full).
(purchased using between 1 and 5 credits (dependant on image size)

  • Editorial content for blogs, newsletters, mags, newspapers
    (Unlimited print runs)

    (Used by one person in a company).

    Unless an image is maked for Editorial Use Only, then it can also be used commercially for ...
  • Advertising and promotional projects, including printed materials (not for re-sale)
  • Web pages
  • Décor in an office, lobby, public area, restaurant
  • Video, film, or television broadcasts
  • Book covers, magazines, newspapers
  • Personal use, toolbar skins and mobile phone "wallpaper"
    (Reproduction print runs up to 20,000)
    (Used by one person in a company)

Enhanced Licence (Enhanced Licence Agreement in full)

(purchased using 12 credits)

  • reproduction print runs over 20,000
  • electronic templates e.g. e-greeting cards, web, PowerPoint, screensavers, email or brochure templates
  • Re-sale Items
  • Up to 20,000 cards & stationery items, stickers or paper products
  • Up to 10,000 posters, calendars, mugs or mousepads
  • Up to 2,000  t-shirts, apparel items, toys or entertainment goods
    (used by up to 5 people in a company)

For quantities exceeding the above, additional Enhanced Licences must be purchased.

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So what exactly is a credit?

Credits can be used instead of cash to get the images you want.  You basically pre-purchase a bunch of them and then use them when you want to download images. One credit is $25 (including gst). But if you buy credits in bulk, the cost per credit becomes even cheaper (it’s the classic “more you buy, the cheaper it gets” scenario). An image costs between one and five credits, depending on the size of the file you’re after. You can use additional credits to get an Enhanced License, so you can use the image in more applications.

Buy Credits.

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What do I do when my member name and password do not seem to work?

If your browser stays at the main welcoming screen after attempting to login, please ensure your system clock (date/time/year) is correct.
If you’re redirected to a login error page, make sure your caps lock is off as your password and member name are case sensitive. Also, check your cookie settings to ensure they’re on a medium privacy level and clear all cookies and cache in your browser.
If you’re still redirected, please try resetting your password. If this doesn’t resolve the issue contact us.

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What if I forget my password or member name?

Hey, it happens. Simply click here and enter in the requested information. We’ll then send you an email with your member name and a link so you can reset your password. Or click on the “Forgot your password” link under the login fields.

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Where do I find my receipt?

Purchase receipts are stored in your Financial History in your personal profile page. On this page you can also view your available credits and download history.

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How come your images are so affordable?

We’re not here to make a killing. Our goal is to provide you with great Kiwi photos that fit within your budget. We don’t pay for the images you see on-line. They are all contributed by individual photographers, from hobbyists to professionals.

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How do I change my password?

To do that, you need to be logged out. Then log back in. At this stage you’ll then be given the option to change your password. You can also change your password on your personal profile page.

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Hey! I didn’t complete a download and still had credits deducted!

By going to your Profile Area, you are able to redownload any image - for 24 hours from the purchase date, without further cost, or use of credits.

If you’re still having some download problems, please contact us at [email protected] with the file number. We’ll email the file(s) to you, or if several send they to your email address using a large file transfer service.  For urgent download problems out of normal NZ work hours send a SMS / text message to +64 21 298 7781 if outside NZ, or to 021 298 7781 if in New Zealand, as assistance is often available before next business commencement hours.

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Hey, I'm interested in subscriptions, do you offer these?

Yes, absolutely. Subscriptions allow you to purchase credits in bulk at a fixed and reduced price. We can customise a subscription plan to suit your image needs. Simply contact the team today for more information.

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I'm interested in purchasing an image but want exclusive rights to it, is this possible?

A number of members have asked the same question, and so far we've been able to provide them all with exclusive rights to their chosen images. Simply let us know the image reference number, the length of time you need it (e.g. 1 year, 3 years, indefinitely) and the territory (e.g. NZ, Australasia, worldwide) and we'll do the rest. Once exclusivity is confirmed, the image will be removed from the site, preventing other members from dowloading it.

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Photographer FAQ

Can anyone become a contributing photographer to mychillybin?

If you are a professional, semi-professional or good amateur photographer, using a DSLR camera (minimum 8MP) and aged 18 or over, you can be a mychillybin photographer.  Simply click on 'Join as a Photographer' on the home page, (you will be prompted to join as a member first) and enter your contact details. From here you will need to upload three quality images, this is so we can assess your general ability to take photos - show us your talent! We’ll then let you know via email whether you’ve been accepted. Once the green light has been given, you simply activate your account, read and accept our terms and conditions, and start uploading your images.

The five key criteria for an application to be accepted are:

1) three different images showing the variety of your talent e.g. people, lifestyle, landscape or object
2) creative talent - use of interesting angles, depth of field & good composition
3) images must have a Kiwi slant, that is, represent 'a slice of New Zealand life'
4) high quality image (e.g. clear focal point, good lighting & no dust or scratches)
5) all images must be originally shot using an 8MP (minimum) digital camera, ideally SLR camera (no scanned images)

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Can I find out where my photos are being used?

We don’t receive this information from your customers (don’t worry they have all agreed to the Licence Agreement terms of use). However, you can check out the Designer Lounge to see if your image has been used in any design material that has been submitted by the designer.

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Do I have to pay any extra or hidden fees to be a member or photographer on mychillybin?

No, we do not charge storage fees, processing fees, membership fees or any hidden fees at all.

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Do I need a model release?

If the image you’re submitting has an identifiable person, then you’ll need that person to sign a model release provided by you, which you will then need to upload with the image. An easy way to do this is to either scan the form or take a close up photograph and attach.  When you need a simple Model/Property Release form, use ours (also located under Legal).

If your image is being submitted For Editorial Use Only, then a model release is not needed even if the photo generally includes people and has been openly taken in a public place.

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How can I be in to win the on-line competitions?

Win a competition and you not only nab yourself a great prize, you also get your image showcased on-line, with a link that lets customers make a bee-line straight to your portfolio. Click on the Competitions link for more info. Our competitions will be up and running very soon. Watch this space!

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How can I get more people to download my stuff?

Why not take a gander at the Photographer Lounge for some inspirational ideas. A lot of these ideas have come directly from people who are searching the site for images, so it’s going to give you a good idea of what all your potential customers are after. It’s also a good way of checking out what categories are light on images (so you can fill those gaps).  Here’s another tip. Provide accurate keywords and descriptions when uploading your images. Try and use words you think people will use when searching. Do that, and customers will get to your images a lot faster.

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How can my images be used?

Depending on image usage requirements you will either download the Standard Licence Agreement or the Enhanced Licence Agreement. Here is a brief guide to image usage.

In some instances members may enquire about purchasing exclusive rights to an image, when this happens we'll contact you to discuss possible options.

Standard Licence
(purchased using up to 4 credits (dependant on image size)

  • Web pages
  • Décor in an office, lobby, public area, restaurant
  • Video, film, or television broadcasts
  • Advertising and promotional projects, including printed materials (not for re-sale)
  • Books - covers and/or content (not for re-sale)
  • Editorial use e.g. magazines, newspapers
  • Personal use, toolbar skins and mobile phone "wallpaper"
  • Reproduction print runs up to 20,000
  • Used by one person in a company

Standard Licence Agreement in full

Enhanced Licence
(purchased using 12 credits)

  • used by up to 20 people in a company
  • reproduction print runs over 20,000
  • electronic templates e.g. e-greeting cards, web, PowerPoint, screensavers, email or brochure templates
  • Re-sale Items
  • Books - covers and/or content (for re-sale)
  • Up to 20,000 cards & stationery items, stickers or paper products (e.g. books)
  • Up to 10,000 posters, calendars, mugs or mousepads
  • Up to 2,000  t-shirts, apparel items, toys or entertainment goods

For quantities exceeding the above, additional Enhanced Licences must be purchase

Enhanced Licence Agreement in full

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How long will it take for my application to be reviewed?

We don’t want to muck you around, so you’ll receive an email confirming we’ve received your application pretty much straight away. We’ll then get an acceptance email out to you as quickly as possible (usually within a month or two).

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How long will it take for my uploaded images to be reviewed?

This will take a wee bit of time (we’ve got to review and categorise each image). So what we do is send you an email confirming we’ve got your images, and then another one a few days later (or sooner depending on the workload) telling you which ones have been accepted. The ones we’ve accepted will be immediately available for customers to download, so you can start earning cash.

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How much can I earn as a mychillybin photographer?

When you get right down to it, the sky is the limit. Who knows how many times your images will be downloaded? You earn 35% on every standard download (gst inclusive). But wait, as they say, there’s more! If your image is downloaded with the Enhanced Licence, your cut will jump up to a whopping 40%.

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I had a file rejected because of "noise" or "re-sizing and re-saving". What does this mean?

A little bit about compression: The JPEG file format uses a "lossy" compression method. In order to make the file smaller, information is thrown away, or lost. The "quality" setting that most image editing programs and digital cameras have when saving JPEGs determines how much information is lost. At a certain point with lower quality settings the removal of information during the compression process can become visible in the form of compression artifacts (places in the image where too much detail has been lost). Too much JPEG compression can become visible either in the form of a general loss of detail, or grainy/patterned areas (especially in flat spaces, such as skies).

Re-sizing, re-sampling, and re-saving can all degrade the quality of a JPEG image, so one should be careful about re-saving JPEGs. If for example, a photo was re-saved 4 times (even at a quality of "12" or "Best") the image quality will become worse and worse. With this in mind, it is obviously best to start with the cleanest image possible. Shoot in RAW format and convert to highest quality JPEG only once. You may want to double-check your camera settings to make sure it is saving at the highest quality.

"Noise" (pixels of varying colour where there shouldn’t be) is most commonly created by digital cameras, especially in darker shadows or under low-light conditions and exacerbates the compression issues mentioned above. You might want to double-check to make sure that your camera’s ISO/ASA setting is at the lowest number (usually 100). In digital cameras, higher numbers (200 or 400) will always result in more noise (just as with film).

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I've uploaded images, but the number of download credits I have isn't changing. Why not?

Download credits can only be bought, they are not obtained by uploading images.

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What can and can’t be uploaded?

Check out our Image Submission Guide, for a full explanation and examples. You’ll find this in the Submit Your Photos section. In the meantime here’s a quick overview of the specs required:

  1. Images must be 300dpi, RGB and JPG format only (any other formats will be automatically declined). Shoot in RAW format and convert to maximum quality (12), 300dpi JPG before uploading.
  2. NO scanned images: All images originally shot on a digital camera (8MP or higher)
  3. You must own the full copyright to any image you upload. This means you must be the photographer.
  4. All trademarks must be removed. This includes logos, brands and entities with copyright or trademarked elements. This many also extend to trademarked products such as cast sculptures, toys, architecture and other elements of design. Copyright is checked with each file.
  5. File sizes: the bigger, the better. 300dpi (file size approx 14 mb). All files should be 2560 x 1920 pixels minimum (anything smaller will be automatically rejected).
  6. Camera specs: 8MP Digital camera, SLR preferrable.
  7. Entering keywords and descriptions: be descriptive. Include as many keywords as possible and use a title other than ‘tree’ or ‘person’. Supplying more keywords means your image will match more searches. Images with more keywords get downloaded more often.
  8. Model releases: images with identifiable people require a model release form for legal reasons. Children in images can’t sign a model release. A legal guardian or parent must sign for all children under the age of 18 years. You will be notified if you need a model release and the image can be resubmitted later with the required model release. (Same applies to property release).
  9. Legal notice: uploading images/artwork that belongs to somebody else (copyright or otherwise) will result in a suspended membership and in some cases may have legal ramifications.

Your account profile must have your full, real first and last names, and mailing address. Anyone uploading with a fake name will be banned immediately.

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When and how do I get my download payments?

You can check your account balance at any time by logging on, it appears at the top of the screen. For more detailed balance information see your personal profile page. Here you will see the history of your downloaded images. When your account reaches $100 it will automatically be paid into your bank account on the 31st of the month (or there abouts). If your account reaches $100 after the 30th of the month, payment will occur the 31st of the following month. Why $100? So we spend more time making the site better, and less time paying $25 payments. All funds are paid out in NZ dollars and you can print your invoice from your on-line account.

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When do I need a property release?

There are at least two reasons for obtaining property releases: (i) on the theory that a person's identity might be connected to the property in question (such as where a person's property is used in a manner that might defame the person as owner); and (ii) on the basis that to use someone's property for commercial gain without their consent may amount to an offense called "conversion". Also, if you go on someone's private property to take a picture of them or their property, it could amount to trespass.

Therefore mychillybin recommends that a Property Release be obtained when the image contains identifiable property wherever possible (this isn't just for houses, it could apply to pets, cars and other personal property). The more recognisable and unique the property (and the more the owner's identity might be connected to or determined from the property) the greater the need for a property release. The Property Release needs to be signed by the legal and beneficial owner(s) of the property or their authorised agent, and once again uploaded with the relevant image.

When you need a simple Model/Property Release form, use ours (also located under Legal).

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Where can I find ideas for my photographs?

The "Most searched keywords" section on the (Photographer Lounge) will give you the past week's top searched key terms by your customers. Use these as inspiration for your next photo shoot.

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Where do I find my invoices?

Invoices are stored in your personal profile page. We advise you to print copies of these invoices for your own records and for GST purposes (if GST registered). On this page you can also view your current account balance and total earnings.

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Joining as a member

Can’t find the answers you need? Contact us via the Support page.

Select General image use for all applications that are not purely editorial in nature.

General includes, for example;

Email any query to [email protected] for a rapid response.

This image is available for both General use, and also for Editorial use

General use, in short, includes;

Editorial use, in short, means material of genuine public interest and containing no commercial message, advertorial content, or similar, on blogs, on information signage, in magazines, in newspapers and in newsletters

Email any query to [email protected] for a rapid response.

Select Editorial image use for images for editorial use in:

Editorial use, in short, means material of genuine public interest and containing no commercial message, advertorial content, or similar.

Note that whilst these images will be suitable for Editorial Use, some of these images are not able to be used for General purposes as they contain brands, people, etc without needed legal releases.

Email any query to [email protected] for a rapid response.

This image is available only for editorial use.

In short, this means material of genuine public interest and containing no commercial message, advertorial content, or similar. Material such as;

These Editorial Use Only images are not available for General purposes as they may contain identifiable people, intellectual property, etc, without needed legal releases.

Email any query to [email protected] for a rapid response.

Select the Exclusive Use Licence Full or Forward for exclusive image use, for a specified period of time.


May be used in the following applications:

(i) Editorial content - material that is of genuine public interest and free of advertising and advertorial content.

Except when the actual image is shown to be for Editorial Use Only, then it can also be used for the specified period in the sames way as the Enhanced Licence, as follows

(ii)   Items not for resale (e.g. ads, marketing materials, websites, social media posts, unpaid apps, posters, flyers, reports, ...)

(iii)   Items for resale (e.g. use of image on coasters, paid apps, screensavers, or printed map books, reports, magazine covers etc that are sold on websites or through shops ...)

Specified Period - images may not be used beyond the specified period, without a further licence of some type being obtained.

For more including prohibited uses, see full Standard Licence, Enhanced Licence, Exclusive Licence, or email your query to [email protected] for rapid response.

Select the Enhanced Licence for any of the following:

(i) Items not for resale (e.g. ads, marketing materials, websites, social media posts, unpaid apps, posters, flyers, reports, ...)

(ii) Items for resale (e.g. use of image on coasters, paid apps, screensavers, or printed map books, reports, magazine covers etc that are sold on websites or through shops ...)

The Enhanced licence is not needed for Editorial Applications.

For more, including prohibited uses, see full Standard Licence, Enhanced Licence, Exclusive Licence, or email your query to [email protected] for rapid response.

Select the Standard Licence for any of the following:

(i) Editorial content of general public interest in blogs, social media, newspapers, magazines, newsletters

(ii)  Items not for resale, up to 100,000 copies

(iii) Items for resale - not coveredThe Enhanced Licence or the Exclusive Licence are needed for items for resale.  Items such as paid apps, coasters, place mats, sold books, greeting cards, etc.

For more, including prohibited uses, see full Standard Licence, Enhanced Licence, Exclusive Licence, or email your query to [email protected] for a rapid response.