StockPhotoTalk | Special Interest Blog

Crossing the Chasm with Members of the Press

Members of the Press (M.O.P) are

• visionaries,
• early adopters,
• 5 years ahead of their time,
• visit each weekend those quirky Web 10.0 TechCrunch sessions

The last 8 days have seen the sudden rise of what M.O.P called with an unified voice "content aggregators".

Surprisingly:

QuickLinks For 2007-05-28

• Microstock photography represents a new business model:
  Food photographer Cline has nearly 1,400 images on iStockphoto and about 69,000 downloads. Cline said she expects to make about $70,000 this year. [...]
  Jonathan Klein said he has big plans for Bruce Livingstone to drive Getty's growth in other areas of the company, but he won't say what. Getty wants to expand iStockphoto's business model to new areas. [...]
  But there's no question that iStockphoto is eating into Getty's business. "There are people that are moving to the lower end of the market and buying images," said Mike Roarke, an analyst tracking the company at McAdams Wright Ragen. "Depending on how far you take this, has this created a totally different dynamic within the stock-photo business — or is it going to?" [...]
  Tscheltzoff isn't worried about competing with Getty saying the microstock business has big potential and there's enough space for several players, he said. Tim Donahue of BigStockPhoto says the market is nowhere close to saturation, "I don't think that we're even near 50 percent of the market yet".
  Seattle Times (compiled).
  Look at Cline´s daily work here and here.
  Tags: iStockphoto Getty Images Fotolia BigStockPhoto

QuickLinks For 2007-05-25

• Magnum Festival website just launched:
  Commemorating the 60th anniversary of Magnum Photos and the establishment of the Magnum Foundation, Magnum Festival '07 will explore documentary in its various forms – photography, film and journalism. We are pleased to partner with such notable NY institutions as the International Center of Photography, the Museum of Modern Art and many more. Our June calendar boasts over 30 photographic exhibitions and special events, and over 40 documentary film screenings. Together with writers, filmmakers and photographers from across the world, we invite you to join Magnum Festival 2007 in embracing the past and promoting the future of independent vision and documentary work.
  More details here.
  Tags: Magnum Magnum Photos Magnum Festival

QuickLinks For 2007-05-24

• As to no surprise "Getty says acquisitions are top priority for cash":
  Getty said to boost its editorial business and extend its global reach are a top priority for its cash. Jonathan Klein said the second priority was to buy back its own shares when the stock is undervalued in the company's estimation.
  Asked what the priorities were for Getty's nearly $400 million in cash, Klein said "acquisitions, acquisitions and acquisitions."
  "We want to grow more in editorial and we want to grow more internationally," Klein said, without specifying any potential targets.
  Reuters.
  Tags: Getty Images Jonathan Klein Acquiring additional revenues

QuickLinks For 2007-05-23

• Sugar Gold Images by Denkou Images:
  Doesn´t happen to often over here: Sugar Gold by Denkou Images is a brand new royalty-free collection and has been created for the world market by people who have the right feeling for local needs. Our teams have their own distinctive photographic signatures, which together make up the personalities of this new RF brand.
  Denkou Images is a sister company of Hamburg-based distributor Avenue Images.
  Tags: Denkou Images Sugar Gold Images Avenue Images

Zooomr Mark III Launches

Zooomr, managed by Stewart Butterfield´s former fellow Thomas Hawk, is relaunching and it received such a big media coverage in news and blogs like the first flight to the moon: "Hi guys, I´m Neil Armstrong and I´m live blogging directly about our landing on the moon from the Universal Picture Studios the moon reporting that it´s just one small step for man, but one giant leap for mankind".

QuickLinks For 2007-05-21

• Eyeka among the Ten French Web 2.0 Wonders:
  The new french start-up Eyeka, co-founded by Franck Perrier, previous the CEO of Roger-Viollet and the CEO of Corbis France, was recently selected by AlarmClock Europe to be among the "Ten French Web 2.0 Wonders".
  Created in February 2006, Eyeka has received a first round of $5 million from Ventech and DN Capital. London-based DN Capital led also the $10 million Series B investment in Digital Railroad in February 2007.
  Franck Perrier, currently Director of Business Development, will soon present his company in this CEPIC session.
  Tags: Eyeka Franck Perrier

QuickLinks For 2007-05-19

• Stars in their eyes:
  As Sygma prepares to leave the French capital, the Guardian was given access to this extraordinary archive and Guardian photographer (and picture editor) Eamonn McCabe wanders through 7km of pictures. For the past two and a half years, 25 people have been labouring away, refiling the best part of 50m photographs belonging to the Sygma photo agency.
  Guardian Unlimited.
  McCabe writes towards the end that "Getty and Corbis are buying up photo libraries by the day, in order to one day own every photo used on the web. They already own between them a third of the world's images".
  Lewis Blackwell, group Creative Director of Getty Images, responds in "We are a boon to photographers, not a threat" and receives some tough comments.
  Tags: Sygma Getty Images

DigiStock: Account Manger

Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, DigiStock represents 3 brands of imagery and is focused on niche markets:

 

• LAS VEGAS STOCK
• FOOD IMAGE SOURCE
• THE ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION

DigiStock currently has an opening for an:

• Account Manager

All details and contact information here at Worldwide Stock Photo Industry Jobs.

QuickLinks For 2007-05-18, II

• Shocking: Getty Images integrates Google Image Search:
  Under the terms of the agreement Google will sublease about 60,000 square feet at Getty´s Seattle offices. In October 2006, Getty said it would realign the company's resources by eliminating some employees and consolidating some leased facilities in the fourth quarter of 2006. As a result, Getty reported a $4.9 million loss on leased facilities in Seattle.
  The arrangement with Google will reduce the estimated total losses for the Seattle facilities by about $900,000 in the second quarter. Shares of Getty fell 15 cents to $47.71 in morning trading.
  AP/Forbes in "Getty Images Sublets to Google", full SEC filling here.
  Tags: Getty Images Google

QuickLinks For 2007-05-18

• "CompassMedia is the first of a new breed of software photo companies":
  Paul Melcher, formerly VP of Sales for Digital Railroad, runs a new NYC-based company named CompassMedia/CompassPix selling software for stock agencies, news services, picture desks and maintaining photo portals.
  Tags: CompassPix CompassMedia Paul Melcher Digital Railroad

Lightroom Photos: "Rights Managed Microstock" hits the street

Bedfordshire, UK, based photojournalist under pressure:

Lightroom Photos is a photojournalism archive of documentary and reportage still photographs. The collection numbers some 5,000 stock photo images and new stock photos are added every week. To make the collection more competitive with RF Microstock, Lightroom has reduced it's "seed price" (from which license prices are calculated) to just £25 - which means a 75% reduction in license prices.

This makes us the best-priced and perhaps the only Rights Managed Microstock portal in the world.

QuickLinks For 2007-05-17

• Censorship 2.0:
  War is hell, right? And in the case of the war in Iraq, it has taken an unusual victim: Web 2.0.
  The U.S. Defense Department has begun to block access on its computers to (currently) 13 social networking sites, including YouTube and MySpace, according to a Tuesday Washington Post story by Alan Sipress and Sam Diaz. [...]
  The banned sites allow users to share photographs, videos and audio recordings. Others banned sites include Photobucket, Metacafe, MTV, iFilm, Hi5, Pandora, Live365, BlackPlanet, 1.FM, StupidVideos and Filecabi. [...]
  Censorship during war is not uncommon or unexpected, but blocking entire sites is a new kind of censorship for American soldiers, their families and their friends.
  E-Media Tidbits.
  Related:
  
  • Iraq|War: Photos + Reports
  • Iraq|War|Photography: The Meta Level
  Tags: Iraq Iraq war

QuickLinks For 2007-05-16

• Pixsy makes me feel so dizzy:
  Pixsy´s Proprietary Media Search Platform will index thumbnails of iStock´s vast collection. Pixsy customers can search on Pixsy.com, and, if they wish, purchase the desired imagery directly from iStock. All of iStock´s 1.7 million images and videos can now be found via Pixsy, and Pixsy will automatically receive several thousand new images and videos added to the iStock collection every week. [...]
  Pixsy has also selected iStock as one of the company´s top 10 content providers inside PixsyPower.
  Source: iStockphoto Partners with Pixsy for Photo and Video Search.
  Related:
  
  • Pixsy Distributing SuperStock Content (May 11, 2007)
  • Pixsy Introduces "Visual Search" Engine Based On RSS (Apr. 08, 2006)/Press release at that time
  • Pixsy: "Next Generation Photo Search Engine" (July 30, 2005)
  Tags: Pixsy iStockphoto

A21 Reports Q1/2007 Financial Results

A21 (ATWO), the parent company of SuperStock, the Royalty-Free brand Purestock, the subscription brand PurestockX, of Ingram Publishing/Ingram Stock and ArtSelect, has released the Q1/2007 financial results:

 

A21 Revenues (in T$)

YEAR	2004	Q1/05	Q2/05	Q3/05	Q4/05	2005	Q1/06	Q2/06	Q3/06	Q4/06	2006	Q1/07
Total	7.475	2.312	2.327	2.064	2.859	9.563	2.935	4.511	5.904	6.283	19.633	6.124

 

Shutterstock: Business Development Manager (NYC)

Founded in 2003, Shutterstock is one of the fastest growing suppliers of royalty-free stock photography in the industry. Its outstanding collection of premium images combined with a user-friendly interface has made Shutterstock a trusted resource for an expanding global customer base. Shutterstock is a privately held subscription stock photography company. For more information, visit www.Shutterstock.com.

Shutterstock currently has an opening for a:

• Business Development Manager (NYC)

All details and contact information here at Worldwide Stock Photo Industry Jobs.

QuickLinks For 2007-05-15

• Thomson, Reuters Agree On Terms of Merger:
  Thomson and Reuters agreed on terms for a merger valued at about £8.7 billion ($17.24 billion) in cash and stock, cinching a deal that the two news and data providers outlined earlier this month. Antitrust authorities in Europe and the U.S. are almost certain to apply a more detailed and lengthy review of the acquisition than is typical.
  WSJ today; press release here (PDF, 37 pages), stating "Reuters CEO, Tom Glocer, 47, will become CEO of the Combined Business at the time the Transaction closes".
  Related: Thomson-Reuters Confirm Talks (May 08, 2007)
  Tags: Thomson Reuters

QuickLinks For 2007-05-14

• "Other events":
  On May 4, 2007, the Board of Directors of Getty Images approved the promotion of Bruce Livingstone (the founder and Chief Executive Officer of iStockphoto) to an executive officer position effective May 7, 2007.
  Also on May 4, 2007, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets of Evolvs Media Inc., a company owned and controlled by Mr. Livingstone for a purchase price of $395,000 CAD (approximately $348,000 USD). [...]
  The Company also intends to acquire all or substantially all of the assets of Paper Thin Walls Inc., another company owned primarily by Mr. Livingstone, for a purchase price of $965,000 CAD (approximately $850,000 USD). The current intent is that this transaction will close in June 2007.
  SEC Fillings for Getty Images.
  Tags: iStockphoto Getty Images Bruce Livingston

QuickLinks For 2007-05-13

• Time for the creative research to scout new talents: 2007 Photobloggies Winners.
  Tag: 2007 Photobloggies

• Time for new Heroes of Photography: A tribute to ten photographers who inspire.
  AmPhoto.
  Tag: Heroes of photography

• Time to enter the Flickr Licensing Awareness Working (LAW) Group.
  Photo Business News & Forum in "Flickr and the Law: "Certainly, the time is right for professional photographic organizations to engage this issue".
  Tags: Flickr Flickr Licensing Awareness Working Group LAW

Citizens Climate Network: Using Visual Social Media to Educate People

We all know similar calculations: if only 2/3 of all inhabitants in China and India will own a car in the future and if only 25% of those would buy a SUV, the oil reserves of our world would be exhausted in three months and the accelerated world climate change will send our world to hell.

The final chapter. The final curtain.

Pixsy Distributing SuperStock Content

Nearly two years ago shortly after they went online with their "Next Generation Photo Search Engine" on July 4th 2005, I got into contact with Chase Norlin, co-founder of Pixsy, now the CEO of the Pixsy Corporation. Around that time other new companies showed up, like Yotophoto, Scoopt, Fotolia and PhotoShelter, and I conducted some quick interviews with some of their founders.

Writing about a very young company can be a tricky thing, because you never know for sure if the company will still exist next spring, burn before this autumn or become a superstar. Despite their logo, Pixsy took the superstar highway.

Photolibrary Group: Keyworder

The Photolibrary Group represents stock imagery from leading brands and photographers on our websites worldwide. We provide customers with access to over 3 million images and over 2,000 hours of footage.

The Photolibrary Group currently has an opening for a:

• Keyworder

All details and contact information here at Worldwide Stock Photo Industry Jobs.

News from Jupitermedia´s Conference Call

While Alan Meckler was telling that Jupiter is meanwhile one of the "leading companies in the world of RF music" with a recently "launched RF music subscription service", the first thing the external company running all those conference calls should do it is to buy some new songs for the poor people in the waiting loop forced to listen to strange sounds before the conference call starts.

Seeking Alpha will be out in a few hours with the full transcript of this conference call, so here are just some quick highlights:

• Online image revenues in Q1/2007 of $27.914 million split into:
  • Single images and CD: $14.3 million, up from $14.1 million in Q4/2006
  • Subscriptions: $6.8 million, equal to $6.8 million in Q4/2006
  • Distributors: $6.8 million, up from $6.2 million in Q4/2006
• RM counts for 15% of the single image business, "growing" (Meckler)

QuickLinks For 2007-05-10, II

• Photography is Dead, Long Live the Happy Snap (compiled):
  Photography is surviving by becoming less and less noticeable. That is not to say there are less and less photographers out there - everyone with a mobile phone is a ‘photographer’ and, thanks to the ridiculous number of colleagues puking out hopelessly under-qualified and under-skilled pseudo photographers, the number of snappers ripe for exploitation is increasing at an unprecedented rate.
  But what seems like a reversal of evolution, the quality of images being used has decreased dramatically. Editorial photography has never been a highly paid field in which to work and yet some work excelled. In years gone by, many of the Scottish press could compete with the likes of The Guardian and The Independent. Now, however, the power of photography - both to illustrate articles, and around which articles were often written - has all but disappeared.
  

Shutterstock: "Who says you can´t get something for nothing?"

(Image © Eric Gevaert/Shutterstock)

Like Dreamstime, 123RF and some others, Shutterstock offers now free images:

"Introducing the latest feature at Shutterstock: Free Images of the Week. Each week we will select one outstanding photograph [DL link] and one vector [DL link] and feature it on the site -- and they´re yours to download free."