Category: Stock Photography 101
News
Getty Images partners with Yahoo to monetize Flickr images
Getty Images, the worlds largest image licensing company, has announced that it has partnered with Yahoo-owned Flickr, one of the world’s largest photo sharing communities, allowing Getty to reach out to Flickr’s more than 27 million members to monetize their Flickr images. Getty plans to offer the images as part of a new Flickr branded collection of royalty free, rights ready and rights managed photographs. “This partnership is testimony to the Flickr community of photographers who have influenced the aesthetics of photography with authentic, creative and cutting-edge images which will now be available to Getty Images’ customers around the world,” said Kakul Srivastava, General Manager, Flickr.
News
Photoshelter selects 20 photographers to participate in Shoot! event
Photoshelter recently announced plans to host a photographer event on July 20th 2008 called Shoot! the Day, where a select group of photographers will get thew chance to work on-location with industry experts to create new and unique images. PhotoShelter has received more than 750 applications which the company has narrowed down to a list of 20 photographers who will engage in a photo shoot based on five key image categories noted by image buyers as most depleted: active seniors, youth culture, family and kids, business settings and still life.
News
maXx images now representing World Portraits
maXx images, a Vancouver based stock photography agency, has announced that it now represents the World Portraits image collection distributed by Image Source. World Portraits was founded in the Netherlands by industry veteran Bas van Beek and the collection showcases cultural photography of people primarily from less developed nations with licensing revenue from the collection benefiting the models directly. “World Portraits is a truly unique collection and we’re very pleased to be working with maXx images in representing this imagery” states Fernando Oliveira of Image Source.
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.
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:
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.
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:
News
Imaging consultancy Electric Lane offers free resources on revamped website
Electric Lane, an imaging consultancy serving the stock photography industry, has announced plans to launch a revamped version of its website (the new interface will be up by April 15th) including information and downloadable free scripts and utilities on copyright, metadata, image standards and the stock industry. Founded by Sarah Saunders, the company has advised image libraries in both commercial and non-profit sectors on digital imaging, productive workflows, image asset management, copyright and image usage, and commercial image sales. “We have been helping companies improve their image handling for nearly ten years” said Sarah Saunders Electric Lane’s founder and director. “People enjoy visiting our site and now we are adding an html interface to make it easier to access the resources.”
News
Africanpictures.net now offering archival imagery from The International Library of African Music
Features
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants answers questions about copyright and publicity rights
Dear Mr. Stock Smarty Pants: I have read several of your responses to readers questions. They are both illuminating and informative. Tried searching a number of keywords on your site “musician”, “rock and roll”, “concert” etc.. Could not find any reference to those topics. I have a couple of quick questions. My company has acquired hundreds if not thousands of very good photos of bands and rock stars performing live. These photos were taken over several years. The photographer has since died. Both he and his wife were killed in a car accident in which their two children survived. We are trying to find a way to monetize the collection by selling copies or approaching an agency so proceeds can go to the kids who are living with family members.
News
Maine Photographic Workshops offering stock photography class taught by Paul Henning
Paul Henning a veteran in the Stock photo industry who currently operates the consultancy Stock Answers LLC has been tapped by the Maine Photographic Workshops to teach an in-depth class on stock photography taking place on June 15 – 21, 2008. The week-long course entitled “Stock Photography: Essentials for Making Money With Your Camera” will survey the process of creating, marketing and selling stock imagery. Henning intends to provide students with an intensive submersion into both the business and creative sides of stock photography, as well as the history and evolution of today’s $2 billion global stock picture industry.
Features
Visual case study: Fred Perry Subculture
The Fred Perry polo shirt introduced by its namesake, a three-time Wimbledon champion in 1952, has been synonymous with youth and counterculture since the late 50s when the Mods picked up on it. Over the years the Fred Perry polo shirt has surfaced as a fashionable choice for diverse groups of teenagers throughout the 1960s and 70s, ranging from the Mods, Suedeheads, Ska/Two Tone, Punk, New Wave, Casuals/Perry Boys, Britpop, Electronic/Rave and the latest Indie revival. Most recently the brand has continued to cultivate its appeal with the young and hip by launching Subculture, a new music initiative featuring cutting-edge young talent on the music scene. Meg Asaro and Karen D’Silva from Spark Visual Research take a closer look at the imagery used by Fred Perry to continue to connect with the youthful lifestyle that has fueled the brand’s popularity over the years.
Features
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants answers questions about fair royalties
Dear Mr. Stock Smarty Pants: I have been reading your columns in About The Image and think they’re great. I’m a photography student who is hoping to graduate soon and get into the stock photo business. My problem is this: I have never signed a contract with a stock agency and I don’t know what sort of arrangement would be fair regarding royalties on sales of my pictures. Is this something that varies a lot? Do I have to be careful? Can you brake down what sorts of splits are typical in the business today?
Sincerely yours,
Christopher in Atlanta
Features
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants tackles pro-sports photography
Dear Mr. Stock Smarty Pants:
Hey, I was watching the NFL playoff games and started wondering what the market is like for pictures from professional sporting events. I sometimes take my camera along to Dodger games and get some pretty good shots with my telephoto lenses. Think I could sell some of them? Also, what do photographers do to stay warm in places like New England and Green Bay? It looks awful.
Sincerely yours,
Al in Los Angeles
News
Blend now offering stock images with Rights-Ready licensing model
In August 2006 Getty Images launched a new image licensing model called Rights Ready (RR) promising to offer customers the benefits of Rights-Managed (RM) licensing along with the ease of use associated with a Royalty-Free (RF) license. To accomplish this images are offered with fixed price points designated according to basic commercial, internal company, and editorial use categories. Blend Images has announced that it will now offer part of its collection under the RR model available co-exclusively from Blendimages.com and Gettyimages.com making Blend Images the first photo agency to directly adopt the licensing model.
Features
Alamy CEO James West outlines plan for the future
Alamy has posted a few videos from a contributor event held in November outlining the agency's plans for the future.
Part 1: James West, CEO
Features
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants offers new year’s resolutions for stock photographers
Dear Mr. Stock Smarty Pants:
It being the New Year and all, I was wondering if there are any resolutions that you think a stock photographer should make. Also, it would be helpful if you have any hints on how to stick to those resolutions, because I’m really not very good at that (last year I resolved to lose 30 pounds but only managed to get rid of five, and that was for just two weeks).
Sincerely,
Rick
Buffalo NY
Features
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants sends a pre-holiday missive
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants normally reserves this time of year exclusively for lounging in the hot tub and consuming fine brandy by the snifter while awaiting his next excursion out onto the slopes here at St. Moritz. However, I was caught in an unguarded moment (not to mention a compromising position) several months ago by the editors of About the Image, and thus I’m obligated to answer one of the many annoying pleas for enlightenment they have forwarded to me. So, let us consider this tale of ignorance from a chap named Ron who resides somewhere in the bleakness of Oklahoma:
News
Getty calls “web product” a success
After three months in the market, Getty Images says their controversial $49 web-product has been a ringing success. Last September, the announcement that Getty would make images from all its collections (including right-managed and rights-ready) available for web-use at 500KB for only $49 was met with much skepticism on the part of photographers and other image suppliers. Getty now says the product not only brings in new customers, but that many of those customers also purchase licenses for other, broader uses.
Features
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants speaks of too many photographers, too many pictures
Mr. Stock Smarty Pants is pleased to report to you that he has been deluged with questions about the stock picture industry since his bi-weekly column of wit and wisdom debuted in About the Image a fortnight ago. And in this, my post-Thanksgiving attempt to educate the unwashed masses, I have deigned to take on an array of questions from a rather confused fellow named Jonty (but what kind of name is “Jonty,” anyway???):
“Dear Mr. Stock Smarty Pants: Why has the internet and the digital age blown the market for stock images into a million tiny pieces. If the market has grown why have prices come down? Are there too many photographers? Too many pictures? Too many distributors? How and when will it change?”
