Category: Editorials
Editorials
Microstocks: the Latest Fossils
Recently, attracted by an internet link to photos of “Living Fossils,” I clicked into a slideshow in Popular Science’s online magazine. The usual suspects were there- platypus, opossum, tuatara- but the usual credit lines weren’t. None of the small niche specialist agencies were represented, nor were any of the giants. Not even a microstock! Instead, the credits included nine photos gotten through Creative Commons (CC) licensing, and one through GNU General Public Licensing. Of the two remaining, one was in the public domain, and one was from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (presumably acquired free).
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.
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.
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!
Editorials
Another take on the business: Val Gelineau Co-Founder of Photospin
Jack Hollingsworth’s comments, posted in this space a couple of days ago, provoked a number of comments. Val Gelineau, co-founder of the stock image subscription site, Photospin, offered his take on the challenges photographers face in today’s market. We thought Val’s advice worthy of posting here, where more of our readers are likely to see them.
In response to one reader, Tim McGuire, who commented, "With all due respect, tell us something we don’t know," Val writes:
Editorials
In his own words: Jack Hollingsworth on the future of the stock photo industry
Recently asked to give his opinion about the future of stock photography, Jack Hollingsworth offered the following thoughts which we gladly share with our readers. For those who don’t know him, Jack has a long history as a successful stock photographer, creative director and founding partner in several stock photo production companies. We encourage and welcome our readers’ comments on what Jack has to say. "the traditional stock photography model of doing business, as we know it, is on the verge of extinction..."
Editorials
Editorial: Slicing and dicing the numbers at Alamy
For several years, Alamy has published a fascinating set of quarterly statistics about the growth and composition of its archive and percentage break-downs of sales components. Details provided in the quarterly reports include numbers of new RF and RM images added to the archive, numbers of images contributed by photographers vs. agencies, average license fees for RM and RF images, and percentages of revenue derived from RM vs. RF licenses. The company’s decision in the third quarter of last year to also make public its actual revenue figures provides an opportunity to analyze its performance in a deeper way and raise questions about the trajectory the combined figures imply.
Editorials
Editorial: Pure speculation on the sale of Getty Images
Since the news broke earlier this week about Getty hiring Goldman Sachs to explore “strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value,” many colleagues and friends in the industry have asked what it all means. In response, I offer the following with the caveat that while the comments all make perfect sense (to me, at least,) much of what follows is pure speculation:
Editorials
Editorial: Christina Vaughan sees the glass half full
Over the holidays, we reported that Image Source (IS) had entered the mid-stock market through collaboration with the micro-stock company Fotolia. In the course of correspondence with Image Source about the issue, CEO Christina Vaughan sent the following letter in which she offers cause for optimism in an industry where much of the recent news has had a decidedly pessimistic slant. Ms. Vaughan kindly agreed to have the letter published here in our editorial column.
EditorialsFeatures
The Year 2007 in Review
Looking back at 2007 in the stock photo industry, several interesting stories come to the fore. The year started with a bang when news leaked about a possible acquisition of Jupiter by Getty. That deal never happened, but several other high-profile acquisitions did take place last year, from Getty’s acquisitions of WireImage, Punchstock and Pump Audio to the purchase of Veer by Corbis. Jupiter took a break from the stock photo business buying spree of previous years but remained busy developing its events and on-line media segments which included the launch of several new trade shows and the acquisition of MediaBistro.
EditorialsFeatures
Editorial: photolibrary deserves better
In a complete and concisely worded release, photolibrary answered its critics over its handling of back commissions owed to Index Stock photographers for periods previous to photolibrary’s acquisition of Index in October of 2006. To this writer, the explanations given by Tim Moore, photolibrary’s CEO, demonstrate the company has acted in good faith and continues to do so. Those still inclined to suspect photolibrary of being less than forthright with the Index contributors would do well to consider the following:
Editorials
Editorial: there’s gold in them thar $49 images, (we hope!)
Getty’s decision to launch a new $49 web-use product earlier this month caused many of us in the industry to scratch our heads. A group of photographer associations articulated the reasons for concern over the move in a letter of protest to Getty CEO Jonathan Klein. The letter outlines what the photographer groups perceive as the negative implications of the product: the loss of high-value digital license revenue, devaluation of RM licensing, erosion of prices across the board, reduced return for photographers, and reduced recovery value for unauthorized usage. Nick Evans-Lombe, Getty’s EVP of Imagery, Products and Services gives us the company’s first public response to the criticism in a letter posted on Getty’s contributors site. That letter provides some insight into Getty’s thinking on the matter while still leaving important questions unanswered.
Editorials
Editorial: Microstock in Context
While I think it’s fascinating that the Microstock phenomenon seems to dominate both industry-related blogs and external sources covering the world of stock photography these days (Hello Wired!), I think it makes sense to add to the discussion about Microstock’s potential long-term impact on the industry by offering the following points:
Editorials
Editorial: The real villain is oversupply, not micro-stock
Certain friends who attended CEPIC conference in Florence earlier this month tell me the issue of micro-stock put a cloud over the whole affair. Of course, those comments did not come from my friends among micro-stock company personnel, whose outlooks remain decidedly sunny. I wonder, though, whether the old guard can fairly blame micro-stock for the commercial stock photo industry’s troubled outlook. Naturally, the micro-stock model can only have a detrimental effect on the traditional business, over-all. But what if micro-stock never happened? Would the industry truly be much better off? I doubt it.
Editorials
Special Mention: workshop for shooters who like good food
We thought our readers might like to know about a special photographic workshop organized by our friend, George Munday of Copper Coast Workshops. Rather than in his native Ireland, this workshop will take place in the Languedoc region of southeastern France in October, 2007.
Editorials
Interview with iStockphoto Founder and CEO Bruce Livingstone
Recently I had the good pleasure of sharing a few drinks with Bruce Livingstone (the undisputed king of microstock) at a crowded noisy bar in Manhattan. At 35 years old Bruce Livingstone is a pioneer in the world of stock photography having created iStockphoto, the first successful micropayment stock licensing business. After selling iStockphoto to Getty images last year for $50 million, Bruce continued as the CEO of the business and appears to have retained much of the passion that drove him as an entrepreneur. As one might expect Livingstone has become a very busy executive who graciously consented to answer a few questions about his recent success and future plans for the business.
Editorials
LIFE Magazine about to fold
Hardly anyone outside of North America has ever had a copy of Life in their hand but its reputation in many countries is almost legendary. The magazine mainly made an international name for itself as a platform for top-class photography and reportage. Now, it is – once again – due to cease publication: as Time Inc. announced to the New York Times, the last issue will appear on 20 April. The reason given is the decline in advertising revenues.
Editorials
A brief chat with stock photography veteran Ron Chapple
Ron Chapple, a successful photographer and entrepreneur who launched the innovative RF Thinkstock collection (Jupiterimages acquired Thinkstock in 2004) has launched a unique blog called ronshoots.com in which he shares his perspective on the profession of photography. The blog is a must-read for any aspiring photographer. He takes a "day-in-the-life" approach to the business, addressing all aspects of stock photography from hiring models to finding locations to technical issues with cameras, digital post-production work, to having the right open and always ready attitude. Given Ron's business achievements, professional photographers might also find his blog useful.
Editorials
Survey reveals royalty-free photos not popular with editorial buyers
The Big Bad Wolf of the stock photo industry, Royalty-Free, came along in the late 90's, shocking the photography world with rock-bottom bargain basement fees. Now, editorial photobuyers shy away from the too-commercial-looking images. "While RF opened excellent generic photography to graphic designers and publishers who normally could not afford top-level agency prices, it caused a clamor in the commercial stock photo arena," says Rohn Engh, director of PhotoSource International, who recently conducted a survey of 71 editorial photobuyers from magazine and book publishers. Photographers who expected to make a living from the images in their files feared and railed against RF.
Editorials
iStock models become “friends” for rent on MySpace.com
The New York Times reported yesterday that MySpace.com users who felt they needed more friends have used images of attractive models from iStockphoto to enhance their online profile. Apparently, a company with the honest name (at least) of FakeYourSpace.com has helped socially challenged MySpace clients by presenting the models, with fabricated comments to go with them, as friends of the user. Photographers who noticed the abuse alerted iStock who requested that FakeYourSpace stop using the images for this purpose. The company has complied. One wonders, however, whether iStock hasn’t committed a disingenuous act itself by this demand.
