Archives: December, 2006
News
Gallo Images merges with Touchline Photo
The Getty Images Master Delegate, Gallo Images of Johannesburg, has merged with the Cape Town based Sports library, Touchline Photo, to provide South African customers with a more complete Creative, News, Sport, and Entertainment offering. In addition the new agency will offer professional photo assignment and digital asset management services to sub-Saharan African clients. Gallo Images will continue to operate out of Johannesburg and the existing Touchline Photo offices in Cape Town.
Features
New monthly column from Spark Visual Research
Advertising clients use images to send messages to prospective customers. How well an image relates to the lifestyle and values of the audience will determine its effectiveness in sending the client’s message. When planning a commercial photo shoot, knowledge about the cultural, economic, psychological and sociological needs, trends and interests of consumers will inform the logistical decisions of location, models, wardrobe, and so on. For expert advice on how to approach conceptual planning for commercial photography, we recommend you read this inaugural monthly column from Spark Visual Research. Each month, Spark principals Karen D’Silva and Meg Asaro will share with our readers an in-depth analysis of a current print ad featuring an advertising photograph and the thought process behind it.
Features
Interview with Gary Shenk the new president of Corbis
Corbis recently announced the promotion of Gary Shenk from SVP of Images to President of the company. In this new position, Shenk will take over some of the responsibilities Steve Davis has held in his role as CEO and President. Specifically, he will assume oversight of the company's marketing, sales and the creative resources businesses while continuing to direct Corbis' image licensing business including product management, strategic partnerships and photographer relations. To gain some insight into what's next for the worlds 2nd largest stock licensing company Chris Ferrone interviewed the new president as follows.
News
Top impressionist painters copied photographs
One might be familiar with the process of photographing fine art paintings in order to easily preserve and distribute the image around the world. However, you may be surprised to learn that many of the paintings created by impressionists actually originated as a photograph. According to the Spanish web page Fogonasos such noteworthy artists as Paul Gauguin, Paul Cezanne, Toulouse Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh, and Edgar Degas all created paintings from photographic originals. Most of the Impressionists had cameras and the process of painting from a photograph allowed them to capture the moment in a way not possible before.
News
Getty reports receiving default notices
(Much Ado About Nothing, but When It Rains, It Pours)
In an 8-K filing with the SEC dated November 29, 2006, Getty Images (NYSE: GYI) reported receiving default notices from some of the holders of the company's 0.50% Convertible Subordinated Debentures. The default notices pertain to 29% of the aggregate $265MM amount of the Debentures, or $76.9MM. The lenders assert that Getty has defaulted on the Debentures because it has failed to file its Form 10-Q with the SEC on schedule. The notices allow Getty sixty days to cure the default.
News
Corbis launches zefa RF brand
The zefa brand is simply too attractive here in Europe for Corbis to promote it only on the rights managed side of the business. For that reason, the company has launched a new royalty free collection under the zefa name. The CDs in the collection cover lifestyle subjects such as those found in "Afternoon Cool," "Hip Hop Party Round" and "Wealthy Decadence." The collections "Eye of the Beholder" and "Japanese Spa" cover the subject of beauty. A CD with fifty images costs US$699.00 (EUR. 695.00.)
News
Getty offers iStockphoto contributors a contract and raises prices
Earlier this week, Gary Shenk, the new President of Corbis, remarked that micro-stock might become the “farm-team” for higher-end stock image licensors. Apparently, he was on the mark. Getty announced today that it will offer Exclusive iStock photographers who have reached the Diamond sales level, or 25,000 total downloads, a contract with Getty for submitting imagery to the company’s higher end (i.e., higher-priced) Photodisc RF collection. The reaction on the part of iStock photographers, as evidenced in photographer chat-rooms and forums has been overwhelmingly positive.
News
OnAsia Photographers volunteer with inSIGHT Out project to aid Tsunami Victims
The Bangkok, Thailand based stock agency OnAsia, has announced that a group of its photographers have volunteered their time by conducting photography workshops for young people affected by the Asian tsunami in cooperation with the inSIGHT Out project. The workshops were held by Masaru Goto from Japan, Suthep Kritsanavarin from Thailand and Patrick de Noirmont from France and participants were given the opportunity to explore their communities, their culture and their own personal vision through photography.
News
Citizen Photojournalists get a new outlet on Yahoo and Reuters
In a move that has already set off alarm bells among professional photojournalists, Yahoo and Reuters announced a program called "You Witness" to allow amateur photographers with cell-phone cameras to submit images of newsworthy current events for use in both companies' news outlets. Reuters will also distribute the appropriate images through other news outlets it supplies with current event photographs. Reuters says they will compensate photographers for images used and distributed at the same rate as they compensate their own free-lancers.
News
ASPP selects Niki Barrie as Picture Professional Of The Year
Each year the American Society of Picture Professionals (ASPP) selects one person in the industry to receive its Picture Professional of the Year award. For 2006 ASPP has selected Niki Barrie who has also served the organization as the editor of the organizations quarterly publication, The Picture Professional since 1992.
News
Lonely Planet appoints Mark Bezodis as Business Development Manager
Lonely Planet Images, the image library for Lonely Planet Publications, has appointed Mark Bezodis to the position of Business Development Manager for Lonely Planet Images, responsible for sales across the EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) business. Mark Bezodis joins Lonely Planet from Mary Evans Picture Library, which recently appointed Paul Brown (from Rex Features) to the post of managing director.
News
Masterfile appoints Tim Lund as Director of Creative Production
Toronto-based Masterfile Corporation announced today that it has appointed Tim Lund as its new Director of Creative Production. Lund brings years of experience to the position having started in the stock photo industry at VCG, and then served in the creative departments at DigitalVision and Getty Images. During his career, Lund has managed production teams in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Sydney and Munich.
News
Action Images replaces Getty as official Women’s Tennis Association photo partner
London-based Action Images, acquired by Reuters last year, has signed a two-year contract with the Sony Ericsson Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, the governing body of women's professional tennis, to serve as its official photography partner. The contract begins on January 1, 2007. With the contract, Action Images replaces Getty Images as the WTA's official photo provider.
News
Ellen Boughn has left a21/SuperStock
As of December 31, Ellen Boughn will leave her post as VP, Content Strategy and Product Manager of Rights Managed Content at SuperStock, a job she started in March of this year. Ms. Boughn's departure is the most recent of a string of high-level employees to leave A21/SuperStock, including, among others, Haim Ariav, Chief Creative Officer of a21 and the President and Chief Creative Officer of SuperStock, in June, 2006, Tom Butta, the President of a21 and the Chief Executive Officer of SuperStock, also in June, and Candace Crough, VP of Sales, in October.
News
FeaturePics.com reaps benefits of solar powered servers
The Fremont California based stock photography company FeaturePics.com has been using solar panels to power it servers as a means of reducing dependence on oil and other carbon based fuels. Featurepics.com is hosted on the Squire Servers in Santa Cruz, CA and a recent power outage on Friday December 8, 2006 underscored the additional benefit of relying on solar power as the site was completely unaffected.
News
Getty launches 2006 in pictures gallery
It's that time of year! The year-in-review stories start showing up in all types of media from TV shows to newspapers. For an interesting look at photojournalism for 2006 check out "Year in Focus," an online gallery featuring some of the most arresting and relevant images of 2006 from Getty Images'.
News
WireImage & Delta Air Lines operating celebrity portrait studio at Sundance Film Festival
Wireimage, a leading entertainment photo agency, has partnered with Delta Air Lines to create an exclusive celebrity portrait studio at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. The studio will be located in the Delta Air Lines Sky Lodge and will invite filmmakers, casts, and industry executives to have Official Sundance Film Festival Portraits taken by WireImage co-founder and photographer Jeff Vespa.
News
Hachette Filipacchi to exit the stock photo business
The French publishing and media giant, Hachette Filipacchi Medias (HFM,) has decided to divest itself of its holdings in the stock photo business, known collectively as Groupe Hachette Filipacchi Photos. Green Recovery, a French firm that specializes in purchasing distressed companies, is scheduled to take over the business in January of 2007.
News
Adobe releases beta version of Photoshop CS3
San Jose California based Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) has announced that it has released Adobe Photoshop CS3 for beta testing. The much anticipated update to the worlds most popular imaging software is touted to have many new features including a major upgrade to Adobe Bridge, the software enabling users to manage digital image files and license stock photography, and a new feature called Adobe Device Central with enriched features for designing mobile content created specifically for smaller screens.
News
Jupiter Media launches IT website and conference
JupiterMedia has announced the launch of a web-site and conference dedicated to Information Technology and how businesses use it to further their company objectives. The web-site, www.bITaPlanet.com, will focus on business IT alignment news and analysis. The bITa USA 2007 Conference (www.bITausa.com) will take place in Boston at the Seaport Hotel and Conference Center on May 21-22, 2007.
News
Corbis partners with Tristan Eaton to launch Thunderdog Collective
Building on the success of its recent promotion with Tristan Eaton, an illustrator known for his work in street art, Corbis has announced the launch of a new partnership with Eaton’s studio, Thunderdog Studios. Eaton will act as curator for the newly formed Thunderdog Collective, engaging artists from the worlds of street art, graphic design, illustration, urban vinyl and designer toys, to create new works to be licensed exclusively through Corbis. In addition to Tristan Eaton, the Collective will involve artists from around the world including Filth, DEVILROBOTS, Superdeux, Persue, 123 Klan, Demo, Dr. Revolt, Mysterious Al, and Tes One.
News
Lucky Oliver offers 50% royalties until 2007
The micro-stock site, LuckyOliver, has offered its submitting photographers 50% royalties for the life of any image submitted and accepted by midnight PST on December 31, 2006. The offer represents a significant boost in revenue share as LuckyOliver normally splits revenue 70/30 with 30% going to its photographers.
News
Silicon Valley start-up launches Attributor to address online copyright infringement
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Attributor Corp., of Redwood City, California, has designed a system for scanning the Internet for possible infringing use of all types of content, including text, music, video and imagery. According to the article, the privately held company will index billions of web-pages and search them for matches with content owned by their clients using a technique known as "digital fingerprinting". The fact that the company has the backing of several well-known and successful technology executives and other technology investment firms lends credibility to the company's claims that its technology performs a much more comprehensive search than those of existing content search companies.
News
National Geographic publishes top ten photos of 2006
National Geographic, the respected publication dedicated to increasing geographic knowledge, has published a list of top photos of 2006 from its publications. The selection of amazing images depicting our natural world help to define the year 2006, including the worlds first female android, a housefly with eyeglasses (shown above), and a brave cat that chased a bear up a tree. :0)
News
PLUS Coalition announces stock photo license registry with ImageSpan
The Picture Licensing Universal System (PLUS) and a technology company in the San Francisco area, ImageSpan, issued a joint press-release to announce their collaboration on an image license registry. The press-release says, “Now under development by PLUS and ImageSpan, the PLUS License Registry will provide a framework through which licensors and licensees may more effectively track the rights associated with image licenses. ImageSpan has also worked closely with PLUS to develop tools facilitating the use of the PLUS standards, including the PLUS Media Selector/Decoder, PLUS License Generator and the PLUS XMP Embedder/Reader.”
News
Stock Artists Alliance opens arms to all professional photographers
The Stock Artist Alliance (SAA) a five year old trade organization for Stock Photographers has announced that it has recently voted to accept any professional photographer who is involved or interested in stock photography as a member. Previously the organization only accepted members who were in the business of licensing rights-managed (RM) images. The new change implies that photographers who offer images with royalty-free (RF) or micropayment models will be accepted as members. However, the SAA stated in a press release that it will continue to “advocate that the best business models for photographers are ones that manage usage and protect their intellectual property”.
News
German Stock Photography market valued at 200 million euros in annual sales
The German press agency association BVPA (Bundesverband der Pressebild-Agenturen,) has published an industry study for the first time of the German picture market for the year 2005. The study is based on an anonymous survey where 44 of the 100 member agencies participated. The agencies surveyed earned a combined revenue of 32.9 million euros in the 2005. The average agency earned approximately 860,000 euros. Considering the size of each of the estimated 590 picture agencies in Germany we can assume the total earnings for the stock photo industry in 2005 to be approximately 200 millions euros (approx $260 million USD).
News
Swiss stock photo agency Sodapix launches new website
Sodapix, a stock photography company from Switzerland has launched a new site offering royalty free (RF) and rights managed (RM) images online. The company describes itself as a “typical photography agency” that is focused on bringing unique content to the marketplace taking great pride in the accuracy of the search results on its new site. SodaPix operates two locations with a business office in Freienbach, and a creative team in Zurich.
Editorials
Micro-stock facts and figures from Fotolia
Few trends in the stock photo industry made as much of a bang in 2006 as the ascendancy of the micro-stock business model. Where only a handful of stock photo insiders knew much about micro-stock twelve months ago, Getty's purchase of iStockphoto early in the year forced everyone to sit up and pay attention. Jupiter Images CEO Alan Meckler, who recognized the importance of micro-stock sooner than most, solidified Jupiter's position in the micro-stock sector in 2006 by acquiring 90% of HAAP Media, owner of stockxchange.com and stockxpert.com. The topic of micro-stock also generated considerable commentary, both positive and negative, from all corners of the stock photo and professional photography blogosphere, including this publication. So, with great interest, we consider the following facts and figures relayed in Fotolia's end-of-the-year newsletter to its community of photographers and image users.
News
Jupiter acquires technology job website JustTechJobs.com
In another move toward improving the performance of Jupitermedia’s online media sector, the company announced it has acquired JustTechJobs.com, described as a “gateway to a collection of vertically focused technology job Web sites.” Visitors to the site will find specific categories of technology skills for which job seekers can post resumes and employers can find appropriately experienced candidates. The site lists 49 tech-related job categories, some general, such as Project Manager and Tech Sales, but most of them highly specialized, such as COBOL, Informix, JD Edwards and PeopleSoft.
