Archives: February, 2006
News
EcoPhotography is using photography to Save New England’s Open Spaces
Since 2001, EcoPhotography, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire has worked with The Trust for Public Land (TPL) one of America’s premier non-profit land conservation organizations, on over 50 conservation projects throughout New England. Partners Jerry and Marcy Monkman have photographed a wide range of subject matter during this relationship, including fishermen casting on a small trout stream in Connecticut, rainbows and hay bales on the last working Shaker Village in America (in New Goucester, ME) and winter adventure in the headwaters region of the Connecticut River along New Hampshire’s border with Quebec. Recently, the Trust for Public Land agreed to underwrite EcoPhotography’s next book project, "The Connecticut River: From Source to Sound." The Connecticut River is New England's longest river, beginning on New Hampshire's border with Quebec and flowing through four of the six New England states before emptying into Long Island Sound at Old Lyme, CT. Click here for more information from http://www.ecoimages.com.
News
SuperStock opens New York City office
Superstock/a21 has just announced that it has opened a sales office in New York City. The new office will allow sales people to better meet the needs of our current clients and support superstock’s growing business. "We're very excited about our new office in New York City, and the opportunity it affords us to deepen relationships with our clients," said Candice Crough, Vice President, Sales of SuperStock, who will be based in New York and manage the office. "It is very important for us to satisfy our clients by maintaining strong relationships with them, especially in the key New York advertising and publishing market," noted Thomas Butta, CEO of SuperStock. SuperStock is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL and, through its UK subsidiary, has two offices in the United Kingdom. Click here for the original press release.
News
Jupiter Acquires French Agency Stock Image
Jupiter Images has reported that it has acquired Stock Image, the Paris-based rights managed company and its RF brand, Pixland, for US $11.1MM in cash. The company reports that the former owner of Stock Image, Michel Rawicki, will remain with the company and continue to produce rights a managed and royalty free imagery for Jupiter. The deal further solidifies Jupiter’s already prominent position in the French market, having acquired three other French companies in the last year; Agence Images, GoodShoot and PR Direct. The move also continues Jupiter’s furious acquisition pace. We commented here about the company’s apparent strategy to build an Internet-focused business by acquiring businesses that bring heavy traffic to the many web-sites it controls. Obviously, strong content makes up the other part of this strategic equation. In addition, staking such a significant claim in France shows the company is going head-to-head with Getty whose management has professed a strategy of deeper penetration into non-English speaking markets. Click here to review the original press release. Click here to view Commentary from alan Meckler, CEO of Jupiter Media.
Features
Open call: LACDA ‘Top 40’ juried show
The Los Angeles Center For Digital Art (LACDA) has announced an open call for a juried competition featuring digital art and photography. Entrants are asked to submit three JPEG files of original work. All styles of 2D artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images are acceptable. This call is international, open to all geographical locations. Forty winners will be selected. The selected winners recieve one print up to 24x36 on museum quality paper to be shown in an international group exhibition in the LACDA gallery from March 9-April 1, 2006. Click here for more details.
News
Fratelli Alinari and Roger Viollet, two historic archives, go digital
The Italian company Fratelli Alinari has occupied the same buildings in Florence since 1863. The Roger Viollet archive resides in an office in Paris it has occupied since 1938. Now, researchers can delve into both archives on-line (English language) through the web-site of the UK-based company, Topfoto. Topfoto , managed by CEPIC President Alan Smith, is the modern incarnation of Topham Picturepoint, an archival company founded in 1927. Click here to view Topfoto website. Stefan Hartmann, VISUELL
News
Beateworks selects IPN as Adobe Bridge Portal.
The architecture specialty stock photo agency Beateworks has announced that it has selected IPN Relay as the portal to submit it’s royalty free InsideOutPix collection to Adobe Stock Photos available through the Adobe Bridge. Beateworks President Beate Chelette chose IPN as the portal, saying: ”We examined all portals to Adobe and found that IPN offered not only the best price but also the fastest turnaround time to get us live quickly. They did an unbelievable job, posting our images within two weeks.” For more information, please contact Beate Chelette.
News
On to greener pastures…
Brock Jones has left his position as North America Channel Sales Manager at Getty Images to take the same position at Corbis, where he began working as of February 6th . For Brock, who recently moved from Getty’s Seattle office to its NYC office, this means yet another cross-country relocation, this time to warmer weather at the Corbis office in Los Angeles.
Lindsey Nicholson, until recently the Director of Photography at WireImage Stock, has accepted a position as Collections Director at Jupiter Images. She assumes the new post at Jupiter’s NYC offices on February 8.
Nancy E. Wolff As of January 1, 2006, Nancy, Counsel to the Executive Committee of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA,) became a partner at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard, LLP (CDAS) located in New York City. CDAS represents and counsels clients in entertainment law (including theatre, dance, music, film and tv), publishing, art law, copyright, trademark, trusts and estates, real estate, commercial/corporate transactions, new media and litigation. Nancy, formerly of Wolff & Godin, LLC, continues to practice intellectual property law and new media law and continues to represent PACA, as well as many other stock photo libraries, individual photographers, authors, illustrators, designers, publishers and new media companies. Click here for contact information.
Features
Meditations on keywording
Many photographers long for the good old days when they shot on film. Once they had done their real work and the shoot was over, all they had to do was put a short caption on a sticker on the slide mount for submission to their agency. Some clients long for those days, too, when they could call a stock agency and rely on the researcher’s in-depth knowledge of the agency’s files to find just the right image. The world of digital stock photography exemplifies how technology designed to make life simpler has, in some ways, made it much more complicated. The “on-line” stock photo industry has pushed much of the responsibility for keywording onto the photographers. It has also pushed much of the responsibility for image research onto the clients.
News
Getty acquires iStockphoto for $50 million
iStockphoto, the world's most popular stock photography website, has announced that it has been acquired by Getty Images, Inc, the world’s largest stock photo company. This acquisition gives Getty Images the leading micropayment stock photo site with a proven community-focused business model boasting millions of loyal customers. This follows the recent announcement by Jupiter Media to acquire 49.7% of Stock.xchng and stock.xpert and further signifies that the industry is evolving in ways to serve the budget-conscience stock photo user. Jonathan Klein, Getty Images' co-founder and CEO, had this to say about the acquisition. "We have pioneered most of the important developments in the imagery industry in the last ten years. This time we want to help grow and champion the sort of revolutionary thinking iStockphoto represents as we lead the imagery business to the next stage of growth, serving all markets at every price point." Getty is planning to continue operating iStockphoto as a separate brand and Bruce Livingstone, iStockphoto founder, CEO and president, will remain at the helm of iStockphoto. Specific terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. Click here for the original press release. Daryl Lang at PDN is reporting the purchase price of $50 Million.
Click here to view editorial published by Chris Ferrone.
News
ShutterStock announces plans to offer footage
ShutterStock a subscription based micropayment stock photography site with approximately 570,000 images, has announced the launch of ShutterStock Footage, a new resource for stock video. ShutterStock is the first micropayment site to branch out into video, and is now accepting submissions to begin offering royalty-free video content in the spring of 2006. ShutterStock’s Royalty-Free Footage will be categorized by subject and searchable by keyword. Video clips up to one minute in length will range in price from $79 to $299 per clip, depending on resolution and quality. Jon Oringer, ShutterStock's founder and CEO, had this to say about the announcement. "ShutterStock was founded to fill a gap in the stock photography market, and we see the same need among creative professionals working in video. People need premium quality footage that's easy to download, and affordable to use; ShutterStock Footage will provide just that." Click here to review the original press release.
Editorials
Editorial: iStockphoto acquired by Getty Images
Yesterday, we reported on Getty Images’ acquisition of iStockphoto. This surprising development deserves closer consideration of what it might mean for Getty and what it might mean for the stock photo industry in general.For Getty, entry into the micro-stock business presents the risk of cannibalization of its higher price business by its lower priced business as this new product attracts customers away from its mature product. Getty reports that 80% of its revenue comes from licensing its Creative imagery; about 43% from RM licensing and 37% from RF licensing. iStockphoto, which provides low-priced RF imagery, puts that 37% most at risk. How will the company balance the interests of the product managers responsible for theses opposing products?
News
Comstock closes Luxembourg office.
The Comstock office in Luxembourg will close this month. The office was the only remaining Comstock office in Europe after the company closed its offices in Germany and the UK in 2001. Jupiter Media, which purchased the company in 2004 for a reported US$21MM, will move the operation to its London and Starnberg, Germany offices. Click here for info about Comstock’s other locations. Stefan Hartmann, VISUELL
News
New executives at Digital Railroad
Digital Railroad has added two new executives to lead sales and marketing. These executives are both seasoned veterans who bring a wealth of experience to the Digital Railroad team.Paul Ryall as Vice President of Marketing: Paul Ryall is a seasoned marketing executive with experience at stock photography and technology businesses. Most recently Paul has held positions as vice president of marketing for Super Stock, Inc., director of marketing for X10 Wireless Technology, and held several management positions in marketing and market research for Corbis. Click here to view the original press release.
Paul Melcher as Vice President of Sales: Paul Melcher brings 15 years of experience in leadership roles for world-renowned photography agencies and was named by American Photo as one of the “50 most influential individuals in American photography”. Previously Paul Melcher has held positions at Hachette Filipacchi Photo Group, Gamma, Rapho, TOP, and Abaca US. Click here to view the original press release.
News
Former ice cream executives invest in Retna
In the early 1990’s the stock photo industry experienced an influx of “outsiders” buying up existing stock photo companies, when Mark Getty, Bill Gates and others, bought their way into the business drawn by the opportunities they saw in a disparate, mostly mom-and-pop industry about to undergo significant changes due to emerging digital technology and the Internet. More recently, we have seen renewed interest by outside investors with the purchase of Superstock by the A21 Group and Jupiter Media’s many acquisitions. Now, a pair of outside investors has joined the stock photo industry by purchasing a majority stake in Retna. The company has announced that Marc Wexler and Sam Pugliese, have agreed to acquire a controlling interest in Retna, the New York City agency known for its archive of celebrities and musicians, its historical archive and its life-style and still-life collection . Wexler and Pugliese hail from the snack-food industry where they successfully founded the Skinny Cow Ice Cream brand in 1994 and sold it to Dreyers ten years later. They will look to apply “similar niche marketing techniques to fuel expansion” at Retna.
News
VNU Shareholders request split
Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that shareholders of VNU, the Dutch publishing and market research firm that owns "Photo District News" and IPN (the Independent Photography Network,) want to split up the company and sell it off in parts. The pressure comes in response to word of a possible bid for the entire company by a consortium of private-equity firms. The shareholders believe they can get a better deal by dividing the company's three divisions – publishing and trade-fair, marketing services, and media and entertainment industry research – and selling each separately.
News
Laif to Represent OnAsia in Germany
The Cologne, Germany stock photo agency Laif now represents OnAsia images. As its name implies, OnAsia, formerly known as AsiaWorks Photography offers photo journalism and stock imagery from all parts of Asia. OnAsia Director Peter Charlesworth says the agency represents the work of over 100 photographers. Laif has added 90,000 high-res. images from OnAsia to its archives. Stefan Hartmann, VISUELL
Features
iView Multimedia introduces Alamy Wizard
Alamy has teamed up with iView Multimedia to create Alamy Wizard, a plug-in for iView's MediaPro software. iView MediaPro is a digital asset management & cataloging solution for photographers and creative professionals. It enables you to quickly and easily import, organize, search, annotate, repurpose and archive all of your digital images. The new Alamy Wizard is designed to ease the process of submitting images according to the specific parameters required by Alamy. iView is offering their digital asset management software to Alamy photographers for $169.15, a 15% discount off the regular price of $199. Click here for more details.
Features
Tag You’re it!
It seems that I have been "tagged" by Mike at Hacking Netflix (aargh, I’ll get you for this!) to answer the "four things" meme (Wikipedia: meme). This is likely to be very boring and totally off-topic but it seems I cannot refuse the peer pressure.
Four jobs I've had:
• Commercial Photographer
• Outside Sales Person
• VP, Marketing
• Certified Jungle Jim (Man in a monkey suit).
Features
Less is more for the Swiss agency ImagePoint
Founded in 2002, ImagePoint permitted photographers to upload their own images for sale through the site at set prices. This lead to the addition of ten new photographers per day, reaching 5,000 photographers by the Autumn of 2005. Only 20% of the images, however, met the quality standards of the agency founder, Felix Brunner. Accordingly, Mr. Brunner removed 80% of the photographers from the agency and now represents 1,000 active photographers with professional quality images and metadata. With this core group the Zurich agency will continue to develop its image data base which currently holds over 200,000 pictures. For more details visit the Imagepoint site at www.imagepoint.biz. Stefan Hartmann, VISUELL
News
Footage Search Launches NatureFootage Collection
Footage Search, Inc. (the creators of OceanFootage) has announced the launch of a second footage collection called NatureFootage. This new collection features footage sourced on SD and HD video and film from nature cinematographers around the world. The NatureFootage online interface is powered by the same proprietary technology created by Footage Search, Inc., and can be easily searched by keyword or browsed by subject (including such topics as Mammals, Primates, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Bugs, Plants, Weather and Scenics). "We created NatureFootage at the direct request of our customers and providers with OceanFootage, both of whom desired stock footage that covered the natural world beyond the seas," commented founder Dan Baron. Click here for more information from footagesearch.com.
News
Jupiter adds The Beauty Archive to its RM properties
Jupiter Media has announced the acquisition of The Beauty Archive, a small niche agency specializing in images of fashion and beauty, shot mostly by award winning portrait and beauty photographer Hywel Jones of London. Jupiter represents The Beauty Archive in the US and the UK. "The Beauty Archive's world class images shot by award winning photographer Hywel Jones are a tremendous addition to Jupiterimages," stated Alan Meckler, Chairman and CEO of Jupitermedia Corporation. The acquisition adds to Jupiter’s already formidable collection of RM brands, which include the Botanica, FoodPix and (Re)view niche brands, and the general brands Agence Image and Stock Image. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Click here to review the original press release.
News
Heritage Partners adds the Ecclesiastical and Eccentricities Image Library
Heritage Partners has announced the addition of the Ecclesiastical and Eccentricities Image Library to its online library of images. The E&E image library is a specialty archive with images of world religions including ceremonies, artifacts, stained glass, archaeology, pilgrimage and mystery. The eccentricities side of the collection includes folklore, customs, punishments, old industries, mazes, symbols and motifs, mermaids and green men.
News
Map Resources introduces vector maps of Canada
Map Resources, publisher of royalty free digital maps, has announced the launch of a new collection featuring 49 maps of Canada. The new collection entitled Premier International Canada includes maps of provincial regions and all 13 provinces, including a special set of Fit Together provinces that allow designers to create custom regions. These detailed political maps include cites, roads, water features and more. All map features are in separate layers for easy editing with Adobe Illustrator. Maps are completely royalty free for print, web and broadcast. Map Resources Premier International Canada sells for $499, and individual maps may be purchased for $129.95. Click here for more details.
News
a21 Opens new office in London
a21/Superstock has announced the opening of a new London Office to be used as the headquarters for the company's European operations and provide a base for sales, marketing, product development and customer support in the UK. The new office will house a staff of 20 individuals lead by Cathal Sheehy, former Director and co-owner at Ingram Publishing. a21/SuperStock acquired Ingram Publishing in the fall of 2005, Mr. Sheehy has been responsible for the integration of SuperStock's and Ingram's European operations. According to Thomas V. Butta, CEO of SuperStock, "This new expanded office in London provides a platform to move into the next phase of growth in Europe. More importantly, it will help us to satisfy and maintain strong relationships with our clients, especially in the UK market." Click here to view the original press release.
News
FIFA and WAN Fail to Resolve World Cup Coverage Dispute
Originally reported earlier this year, the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) appointed a mediator to help resolve their dispute over press-photo coverage of the 2006 World Soccer Championship Tournament. The mediator has failed to resolve the conflict which revolves around the restrictions FIFA has imposed on the release of images from the games. FIFA has refused to back down on several rules they have imposed on the press photographers. These include prohibitions against distributing for publication images from the first half of a soccer match until the match has ended, against distributing second-half images until 45 minutes after the match has ended, and against distributing more than five images per match to on-line media. Having failed to reach an acceptable agreement on these issues, WAN, and its partners in the dispute, who include Reuters, AP and Getty Images, have decided to examine the possibility of taking legal action against FIFA. Click here to see WAN’s open letter to FIFA expressing their position on the matter. Stefan Hartmann, VISUELL
Features
Online archiving and marketing solutions for photographers
Over the last several years, a number of companies opened business offering products and services to help stock photographers and small agencies archive and market their images on-line. We at abouttheimage thought a comprehensive overview of those businesses might assist photographers seeking such services to decide which might serve their purposes best.
News
AP contract encourages photographers to create stock photography
The Associated Press has issued a new contract that allows AP employees to use company equipment to shoot stock images in their free time. The union representing AP photographers (News Media Guild), agreed to the contract on Feb. 9 2006. The contract allows photographers to retain copyright ownership of their stock images and the AP will market the photos. Participating photographers will earn 30 percent royalties and are free to market the images on their own or with other agencies. This appears to be a step by AP to begin offering images that are previously unpublished and perhaps a bit more “commercial” while continuing to build up its stock licensing business located online at www.apimages.com. Until now AP Images has offered its own collection of historical and editorial photos, including the AP Photo Library, holding 10 million negatives and prints dating back more than 100 years, and the AP Photo Archive, which contains more than two million images. Click here to view the recent press release from News Media Guild.
