abouttheimage provides business news, information and resources about or related to the international stock image licensing industry. We approach this mission from the perspective of stock image company professionals. Both principal managing editors of abouttheimage, Brent Phelps and Chris Ferrone, have extensive stock image business backgrounds. We strive to inform and enlighten the three primary constituents of the industry from around the globe:

1. Stock photographers and illustrators;
2. The art-buyer and design community; and
3. Stock image company professionals.

For advertisers who wish to reach these audiences, abouttheimage.com offers advertising targeted to each category. We can deliver your message to one or any combination of the three groups. Click here for abouttheimage advertising rates and information.

abouttheimage has put together an excellent team of effective managers. Our team brings to abouttheimage decades of experience in photography, the stock image industry and other invaluable business activities:

Chris Ferrone began working in the stock photo industry in 1987. He managed Index Stock Imagery’s Los Angeles sales office for ten years while also serving as that company’s VP of International Sales. In 2001, Chris founded his own image licensing business, Xenofile Images, Inc., which, in partnership with H. Armstrong Roberts Company of Philadelphia, started the vintage stock image agency, Retrofile.com, which they sold to Getty Images in June of 2005. Currently, Chris serves as Managing Partner of Matton Images, LLC, (www.matton.com) a royalty free distribution channel serving the North American art-buyers.

Throughout his career, Chris has supported and been involved with the North American stock image industry trade association, the Picture Archive Council of America (www.pacaoffice.org). After serving as the Chairperson of PACA’s International Committee for several years he became President of the trade association for the term ending in April of 2006.

Brent Phelps has more than a decade of experience working in the photo industry with a broad base of experience in various roles. After completing an education in Photography from the Colorado Institute of Art, Brent began working as a freelance photo assistant and over the next two years worked in no less than 100 commercial photo studios located in Denver, CO and New York City. Having learned all he could as an assistant Brent began working as a Commercial Photographer and shared a commercial studio on 28th street in Manhattan for 3 years with another photographer. In 1999 Brent accepted a position in the sales department of Index Stock Imagery. While employed at Index Stock Imagery Brent has held the positions of Account Executive, Outside Sales Person, Sales Manager, Editor, Vice President of Content Development, and VP of Product Management. While at Index Stock Brent was responsible for creating and launching the Royalty Free subscription products Index Open and Photos To Go Unlimited. In Dec. 2005 Brent accepted the position of Vice President of Marketing for PunchStock and UpperCut Images, a post he held until March 2007. Brent is currently employed as the Director of Marketing for Flix55, a consumer focused video sharing site operated by WLNY TV in Melville NY.

Always the moody artist, Brent Phelps insists on referring to himself in the third person (Standard protocol for a Bio). Brent is also fond of labeling things with the pre-fix "über" in an effort to sound more creative. Brent the über-creative is bored and must go now.