Archives: May, 2008
News
Imagestate opens single price web-site with “oneprice”
The London-based provider of still and video stock imagery, Imagestate Media, has launched a new web-site which offers a single price of 39 British Pounds (and US$79 or Euros 59) for any image or video clip. The price covers a one-year license for on-line use only. The web-site promotes the offer with the slogan, “One year Web usage. One Size, One Price.”
EditorialsFeatures
Val Gelineau outlines business plan for stock photographers
Val Gelineau, co-founder of the stock image subscription service PhotoSpin, offered advice last week to photographers in these ever changing and ever challenging times. Upon further contemplation of the issues, Val offers more concrete advice and an intriguing business plan for photographers:
After giving the question "With all due respect, tell us something we don’t know?" some more thought, I wanted to lay additional groundwork for not only surviving rough economic times, but excelling in this new changing market as well. I offer this with one condition: Don’t kill the messenger!
News
Lebrecht photo library launches authorpictures.co.uk
The Lebrecht photo library, a specialist library from the UK featuring music and art related imagery, has announced the launch of a new website featuring photos and illustrations related to authors and literature. The new site located at authorpictures.co.uk contains a comprehensive collection including thousands of images of authors and their works including novelists, historians, poets, politicians, playwrights and philosophers.
News
Getty releases most recent quarter results (for the last time?)
With the company poised to go private within this calendar quarter or early in the next, Getty Images released its results for the first three months of 2008. Unless the “merger” (as the company now refers to the transaction taking Getty private) is pushed off into the next quarter, these will be the last financial figures we see from the company. Assuming these are the last figures we’ll see, the company appears to be going out with a sigh. Currency neutral revenue grow by only 4.2% in quarter, while gross, operating and profit margins all deteriorated when compared to 1Q07.
News
Giovanni Cafagna appointed Sales and Marketing Manager for Bridgeman Art Library
The London based Bridgeman Art Library, a specialty library featuring fine art, history and culture related images, has announced that it has recruited Giovanni Cafagna to serve as the company’s new Sales and Marketing Manager. Cafagna is a seasoned executive who brings years of experience in the image library industry having served as the sales manager for Corbis UK, and later moving to Milan, to open Corbis Italia.
News
News Brief: F1online adds another serving of food imagery
The Frankfurt based image archive F1online has announced that it has added two new food photography collections to better serve clients. SOFOOD is a Royalty Free (RF) collection including more than 4,000 images and 23 VCD collections. Photocuisine is a Rights Managed (RM) collection with more than 8,000 images. The new collections strengthen to food offering represented in F1’s collection of more than 2 million images
News
Aflo acquires am-images
Aflo Co. Ltd., one of Japan’s largest stock licensing companies has reached an agreement to acquire am-images of Tokyo, Japan. According to a press release issued by Aflo, am-images was dissolved on May 1st and its domestic and international operations will continue under the Aflo name.
News
MyLoupe now offering royalty free images from Tetra Images
MyLoupe.com, a Chicago-based stock image library, has announced that it haqs added nearly 13,000 royalty free photographs from Tetra Images. Tetra Images of Jersey City NJ is a production company founded in 2006 by stock photography veteran Tom Grill (a co-founder of Comstock). MyLoupe is a relative new-comer to the stock photo business launched by Brian Heston in April 2005 with approximately 50,000 images from about 300 contributors which has grown to nearly 400,000 images online from more than 1000 photographers and picture agencies.
EditorialsNews
The Stock Artists Alliance publishes Orphan Works 2008 Commentary
Orphan Works is back. Last month, the U.S. Congress held Hearings, making clear that the wheels were again in motion. Last week, it became official when new versions of the Orphan Works Act of 2008 were introduced by both the House and Senate. SAA has published this document to provide an information resource for artists and other members of the visual arts community who will be affected by this legislation, sharing our perspective as the only association dedicated to the interests of professional photographers involved in stock image licensing.
News
PantherMedia partners with FineArtPrint enabling photographers to open an online print store
PantherMedia, a Munich Germany based microstock company, has teamed up with FineArtPrint a German fine art printing company to allow Customers, photographers and other affiliates to open an online print store as an additional source of revenue with their photos, illustrations, and digital art. Customers will have the option to purchase images printed and framed on canvas, fine art paper or aluminium. For affiliates of PantherMedia the set-up and the administration of the shop are free of charge including up to 150 images (others are permitted only 100 images in the basic version of the shop).
News
maXx images now representing Eyecandy Images
maXx images, a stock photography agency based in Vancouver, Canada, has announced that it now represents Eyecandy Images. Eyecandy Images is a boutique stock photography producer based in New York and London. “We focus on providing photography that cutting edge creatives have difficulty finding elsewhere”, stated Richeille Formento, Creative Director at Eyecandy Images, “ maXx images currently represents over 3 million rights managed and royalty free images.
News
Capture integrates PLUS licensing standards into its asset management system
Capture a leading developer of image and digital asset management systems from the UK has announced that it has integrated the PLUS (Picture Licensing Universal System) standards into its web-based asset management system Capture Office Online (COO). According to a press release issued by the company “This means that the PLUS media matrix can be used in COO to specify standardized usage categories – and then generate prices easily (and the unique PLUS price code) by using COO’s price factoring facility”.
Features
Photo News Round-Up
• Getty Images posts a podcast interview by CEO Jonathan Klein with John Moore who shares his first hand account of what it’s like working behind the lens in conflict areas and how he captured the memorable, award-winning imagery following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
• Stock photographer Grant Faint “gives back” by donating all proceeds from sales of his posters and DVDs to orphans in Tanzania.
News
Jupiter 1Q08 results: revenue, margins decline
JupiterMedia released its results for the 1st quarter of 2008 showing a year-over-year decline in both actual revenue and profit margins. These came despite growth in the company’s high-end royalty-free subscription business, JupiterImages Unlimited, and its micro-stock business, StockXpert. According to the company, decreased revenue from JupiterImages’ distribution network and lower-than-anticipated job-board revenue from MediaBistro contributed to the disappointing numbers. Jupiter’s stock closed at $2.17 per share on Friday, May 9, about 26% of it’s 52-week high of $8.38.
News
Glow Images to produce RM collection
In recent months, several companies primarily associated with royalty free imagery have announced plans to start producing or distributing rights managed imagery as well. The most recent of these is Glow Images, a Miami-based RF production company known for its ethnically diverse lifestyle imagery. The company has announced it will create a RM collection of up to 5,000 images by the end of the year. The stock photo industry consultancy Pepper Stark will manage the channel distribution of the collection.
News
HBO Sports releases footage for licensing through HBO Archives
HBO Archives, the stock footage licensing division of HBO, has announced that it now has footage from HBO Sports available for licensing. HBO Sports recently received eight Sports Emmy Awards this past April for such programs as “24/7,” with Emmy’s going to “Mayweather/Hatton 24/7” and one to “De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7.” Two Emmys went to the documentary, “Brooklyn Dodgers: The Ghosts of Flatbush” and the magazine show “RealSports with Bryant Gumbel,” now in it’s 13th year, won an Emmy for Outstanding Sports Journalism.
News
micro-music at iStock
iStockphoto has announced the launch of a micro-payment stock audio offering. This gives iStock’s 3MM member community a one-stop shopping destination for a wide variety of content types, including imagery, footage, vector art, Flash animations, and audio. Prices for the audio tracks will range form $1 to $25, depending on the complexity of the audio content.
News
Alaska Stock Images partners with Aflo to distribute content in Japan
Alaska Stock Images, a specialty agency featuring photos from from Alaska, Antarctica and Canada, has announced that it has partnered with Aflo to reach image buyers in Japan. Aflo Co., Ltd., is Headquartered in Ginza, Tokyo with four offices across Japan. Aflo employs over 125 staff making it one of the biggest stock photography resellers in Japan.
News
Photo News Round-Up
• Photographers deserve more credit, says reader of UK paper. Click here to read an excellent letter to the editor brought to our attention by Linda Royles, Executive Director of the British Association of Picture Libraries and Archives (BAPLA.)
• Moving Up: Maria Kessler has taken the helm as President of the Picture Archive Council of America (PACA.) Christina Vaughan will serve as Vice President. Click here for more info.
Features
To micro-stock or not to micro-stock? That is the question for Mr. Stock Smarty Pants
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants has been a busy boy of late, meeting with hedgefund managers, investment bankers and assorted Mafiosi (and, if you really think about it, they’re all pretty similar) in hopes of siphoning off at least a small portion of the $2.4 billion that Hellman & Friedman is apparently coughing up to acquire stock industry behemoth Getty Images. Nonetheless, despite his very full schedule of clandestine meetings and drafting of threatening letters, MSSP found time to sort through his voluminous e-mail and select one lucky inquiry for his attention:
News
PhotoAlto launches assignment division
PhotoAlto, a Paris based stock photography producer, has announced that it has launched a new assignments division based in NY. With the assistance of global search firm Janou Pakter, PhotAlto has hired assignment veteran Matthew Goodrich to head-up the new division. In his new position Matthew will be serving as V.P of Business Development for the new operation.
News
Kuvapörssi migrates to THP PhotoServices platform
Kuvapörssi, a stock photography agency based in Finland, has announced that it is now serving customers from using the THP PhotoServices platform operated by age fotostock. The THP platform was launched six years ago and now serves 50+ distributors, with approximately 6 million images from the age fotostock servers located in Barcelona, Spain, and New York. In addition, Kuvapörssi recently signed a distribution agreement with age fotostock to represent its Rights Managed and Royalty Free collections.
News
age fotostock opens office in Paris
age fotostock, based in Barcelona, Spain, has announced that it has opened an office in Paris. The new office will operate as a subsidiary under the company name age fotostock France EURL, and will be distributing the age fotostock RM, Pixtal RF, and many other collections hosted on the THP Platform. The new office will be managed by Magali Tribalet who has more than 8 years experience in the press and stock photography industry in France. The company currently operates satellite offices in Madrid and New York.
News
A21 1st Quarter 2008 Results
A21, the owner of the stock photo business Superstock and the framed art supplier business, ArtSelect, announced another disappointing quarter this week, showing a widening net loss on decreasing revenue. A21 lost $1.4MM for the first three months of 2008 on revenue of $5.1MM. The company lost $1MM in the first quarter of 2007 on revenue of $6.1MM. In contrast with previous releases about its results, the company has not provided details for 1Q08 which would show how the images and the wall art divisions fared as unique business segments.
News
PhotoShelter opens consumer use pricing scheme
PhotoShelter, a digital storage, web-site and marketing service for photographers, has created a way for its professional and amateur photographer clients to tap into the growing market for consumer use of images. Their new “personal use” license allows consumers to purchase and download images for personal, non-commercial use in situations such as school presentations, screen savers, desktop wallpaper, on cell phones or individual social network profiles. PhotoShelter’s prices for these uses range from $8 to $60 per license.
News
Asia Images launches mindbodysoul collection
Singapore based stock photo agency Asia Images Group has announced the launch of a new rights-managed (RM) image collection called mindbodysoul. The new collection features just over 1000 images produced by Alexander Mares-Manton, Founder of Asia Images Group who is shootin g to build the collection to 5000 unique images by the end of the year.
News
Photo News Round-Up
• RF producer Eyecandy has released an RM collection and completed world-wide distribution through Veer, photolibrary, AGE and others. Click here for press release.
• Eric Miller, formerly of DigitalVision, IPN Stock and, most recently, Image Source, joins Aurora Photos as Sales Manager of the company’s RM division. Click here for press release.
• Photographer Chi Modu launches free listing web-site for photographers at ePhotos.com. Click here for more information.
News
Mary Evans launches user generated content site The History Album
Mary Evans Picture Library, a specialty library featuring historical images has taken a leap into the world of user generated content with a new site called The History Album. The site is designed as a place for users to upload and share scanned photographs with the world and order prints. Users can also comment and add essential keywords which will make them searchable.
News
AudioMicro launches micro-payment stock music platform
AudioMicro, a new micro stock site has launched for composers, songwriters, sound designers, and audio engineers to license, collaborate, and communicate on a platform dedicated solely to audio content. With its launch the company has also announced a promotional offer where the First 100 users with 100 accepted stock audio uploads will automatically receive a 1GB Apple iPod shuffle. In addition, contributors will receive royalties of 50% for non-exclusive contributors and 60% for exclusive contributors.
News
ITN Source representing footage from Northern Ireland’s UTV
ITN Source has announced that it has penned an exclusive deal with Northern Ireland based broadcaster UTV to represent its news and regional programming content. UTV is the most watched channel in Northern Ireland with a peaktime share in 2007 of 32%, well ahead of the ITV Network share of 25.3%, BBC NI’s share of 21% and more than three times its nearest commercial competitor Channel 4’s 9% share. The UTV archive includes almost fifty years of unique Northern Ireland footage across politics, entertainment, wildlife and sport.
News
Linda Royles resigns from BAPLA
After ten years at the helm of the British Association of Picture Libraries and Archives (BAPLA,) Linda Royles has resigned from the position of CEO of the trade organization. Having overseen BAPLA during a period of dramatic technological change and upheaval in the stock photo industry, she leaves it “in an excellent position to move forward,” according to the organization’s web-site. BAPLA has said it will take this opportunity to undertake a major strategic review of the organization to be conducted by Simon Cave of Spencer Cave Consulting.
News
Kursiv launches KIM Keywording software
Kursiv, a swiss stock photography agency, has announced that it is now offering software to aid photo agencies and photographers who are struggling to keyword their images. The new software called "KIM Keywording" will be released early summer 2008.
EditorialsFeatures
Innocent Thieves - Rohn Engh on “accidentally” free images online
Advance Notes: In the “for every action there’s a reaction” department, the Internet is showing us how new technology can backfire. And in the department of “It giveth and it taketh away,” unknowing copyright infringers are gobbling up “free” photos from the Internet for their personal and commercial use.
News
Photo News Round-Up
• Newscom adds a variety of still imagery and footage collections including Pacific Coast News and Rapport Press.
• Brooklyn Museum crowd-sourcing fine art photography with Open Call for its latest Photography Exhibition
• The Stock Artists Alliance launches the SAA Metadata Project, a comprehensive survey of metadata practices by photographers and stock image distributors.
